Claim: Mid-year budget reviews presented under Mahama’s first term sought no additional funding
Source: Atta Issah (Sagnarigu MP)
Verdict: False
Researched by Gifty Danso
The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, and Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Atta Issah on July 25, 2026 claimed that during mid-year budget presentations under President John Dramani Mahama’s first term, the government never sought additional funding to execute government programmes.
He made the claim during a discussion on TV3’s Saturday programme, The Key Points as part of discussions following the presentation of the mid-year fiscal policy review by the Finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson on July 23, 2026.
“What the Minister of Finance came to did (do)… on Thursday, was remarkably different from what we have been used to and that’s why they are surprised. President Mahama in 2013 to 2016 never came to read the mid-year review statement by asking for any additional money. From 2013 to 2016,” he said. (between 1:40:23 to 1:40:52 of the programme).
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This fact-check will verify the MP’s claim that government did not request additional funds during mid-year budget presentations between 2013 and 2016.
Fact-check
The statutory requirement for Ghana’s Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review was introduced under Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). The law legally mandated the Minister of Finance to present the mid-year review to Parliament not later than July 31 of each year. This legislation was passed on August 3, 2016 and signed into law on August 25, the same year.
Additionally, under Article 179 (8) of the 1992 Constitution, the Finance minister can request for supplementary estimates if the amount of monies appropriated by the Appropriation Act for any purpose is found to be insufficient.
But before the law was passed, Finance Ministers appeared before Parliament to present mid-year budgets. During these presentations, the ministers could request upward or downward review of approved budgets.
Did the government between 2013 to 2016 request supplementary estimates during mid-year budget presentations?
We found that contrary to MP Atta Issah’s claim, between 2014 and 2016, former finance minister Seth Terkper requested supplementary funding for such budget presentations. (here, here, and here).
| Year | Minister | Amount requested |
| 2014 | Seth Terkper | Gh₵ 3,196,855,671 |
| 2015 | Seth Terkper | Gh₵ 865,789,380.00 |
| 2016 | Seth Terkper | Gh₵ 1,888,203,387 |
GhanaFact reached out to the MP with the fact that supplementary estimates were requested during mid-year budget presentations between 2013 and 2016. However we did not receive a response.
Verdict:
The claim by MP Atta Issah that mid-year budget presentations under President John Mahama’s first term, the government sought no additional funding is false.
