The people's expectations must be anchored in the budget

The people's expectations must be anchored in the budget. With the 2018 budget statement being presented to Parliament on Wednesday, Ghanaians are worried about what it will include because they expect practical changes that will improve their lives. For example, Ghanaians believe that the public authority should report measures to address the significant expense of utility duties, particularly power, which have become horrendous as of late.

Organizations, specifically, have griped about the effect of the significant expense of power on their tasks, since the significant expense of power adds to the overheads of organizations, consequently their failure to grow and make more positions. Once more, Ghanaians hope to hear practical measures to connect the gigantic framework hole in the country. In the case of roads, for instance, it is unfortunate that road construction has become so expensive; however, the majority of them do not fulfill their predetermined validity periods, forcing the government to allocate funds for their repair.

The Daily Graphic wants the government to force road sector agencies to stop awarding contracts to companies that are unable to perform their responsibilities because the road sector accounts for a significant portion of the budget estimates. Ghanaians want to see legislation that broadens the tax net to include the substantial informal economy, which is frequently left out of the tax bracket.

The Ghana Revenue Authority's (GRA) nationwide tax campaign to get more people to pay their taxes is admirable, but it is not enough to bring the informal sector into the tax net that has been anticipated. Only a small portion of the population actually pays taxes, which is why the country's revenue mobilization is always below appreciable levels and pitiful in comparison to expenditure levels.

As a result, The Daily Graphic anticipates that the government will use the 2018 Budget to implement extensive measures that can close loopholes in the revenue mobilization system that prevent the state from receiving the revenue that is due to it. The typical cost for most everyday items in the nation is rising and truly influencing the expendable wages of individuals. Consequently, drives should likewise be illustrated to give security nets to everyone, particularly the individuals who live underneath the destitution line.

People have high expectations because they want to hear about concrete efforts to improve living conditions in the country. The 2018 Financial plan must, subsequently, address the wide issues of admittance to respectable positions and haven, fundamental social framework and administrations, admittance to less expensive utilities, further developed security, and quality public speculation to get the fate of the country.