The Member of Parliament(MP) for Manhyia South, Lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has advised President John Dramani Mahama to reconsider plans to acquire a new presidential aircraft, arguing that the move is economically unwise given Ghana’s current fiscal challenges. He made the remarks on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM, 106.3 MHz.
Commenting on the recently presented 2026 Budget by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, the MP said the country’s projected revenue has dropped significantly and must guide the government’s spending priorities.
“The money to be accumulated has gone down, and since the money has gone down, we have to ask ourselves the way forward as a country,” he said. He added that the budget requires serious planning on how to boost national revenue.
Lawyer Baffour Awuah noted that countries in similar situations invest heavily in sectors that stimulate economic growth rather than spending huge sums on non-productive assets.
“From studies we have from other countries, they invest their monies into sectors in the economy that will boost the economy so they can get a lot of revenue to rule the country,” he explained.
He criticised the government’s plan to spend about GH₵13 billion on four military helicopters and two presidential jets, describing the decision as excessive. According to him, “spending 13 billion Ghana cedis” on such purchases is unjustifiable.
While acknowledging that the president requires a functioning aircraft for frequent travel, he supported only a minimal acquisition. “The president having one presidential jet to travel with… is not a bad idea,” he said, stressing that one additional long-range jet could complement the ageing aircraft currently in use. However, he warned that “going to buy one short-range and one long-range plus four helicopters is extravagant. Two helicopters are enough.”
The MP further cautioned that purchasing the aircraft abroad would worsen the depreciation of the Ghana cedi. “Since we do not produce some here, they would have to change the money into dollars, which could also depreciate our currency,” he said.
He added that buying foreign-made equipment would only create jobs outside Ghana at a time when domestic employment needs urgent attention.
Lawyer Baffour Awuah recommended that government scale down the procurement plan and redirect part of the funds into productive sectors of the economy.
He suggested that the spending “be divided into two, and invest the rest in the economy whilst we make the necessary purchases.”
According to him, such an approach would address the president’s operational needs while helping stabilise the national economy.
