Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has raised concerns about the absence of funds allocated for the Ministry’s programs in the 2024 budget.
Expressing his worry, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah called on public relations officers in various ministries and departments to perform exceptionally well despite the resource constraints.
He emphasized the challenging year ahead for government communication and information dissemination, highlighting the difficulties posed by the lack of financial support for the Ministry’s initiatives.
“It is very difficult to do the kind of work that you are doing in contemporary times because of the multiplicity of your channels, and it is also challenging to do it in the midst of these non-resources. It is no secret that in this year, our budget for handling programs was about GH¢600,000, out of which GH¢220,000 was released.
Sometimes I hear you ask how are we doing all of this. We have to find ways of raising resources from other places, but it is woefully inadequate to do this very important job, and you cannot do it with GH¢220,000. What is even heartbreaking is that in the 2024 budget, the allocation for this is zero,” he said.
Despite an allocation of approximately GH¢600,000 in the 2023 budget, the Ministry received only GH¢220,000 for its programs.
This significant shortfall in the allocated funds has further heightened concerns about the financial constraints faced by the Ministry of Information in executing its initiatives and programs.