Accra, 27th May, 2021 - The Ministry of Finance on Thursday, 27th May, 2021 launched the third in a series of annual SDGs Budget Reports. The 2020 SDGs Budget Report is a continuation of Government efforts to evaluate and define the funding gap for the SDGs in order to create a financing mechanism that enables the country to fund and execute the Global Goals as expected.
Ghana developed the SDGs Budget Report as a decision-making tool that helps Government to track SDGs financing. Through the report, annual budget allocations and expenditures under each of the 17 goals can be accessed because the national budget is aligned to the targets of the SDGs and Ghana’s Medium Term Development Plan.
In developing the SDGs Budget Report, an SDG Budgeting Manual was developed which allows for the tracking of budget allocations and expenditures towards SDGs targets and goals in all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), as well as for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Tracking the nation's expenditures in relation to the achievement of the SDG targets, which are connected to national development priorities, allows all stakeholders to analyse how far the various goals and metrics have progressed over time, establishing the framework for predicting how much more will be required to achieve the SDGs by the stated deadlines.
The report presents a comprehensive view of Ghana’s resource allocation to the SDGs in 2020, and as well as Government’s expenditures and allocations in 2019. It provides transparency in SDGs expenditures and enables Private Sector, Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations and Social Enterprises to make informed funding decisions towards the Goals.
The report shows that Goal 17 (Partnership for the Goals) had the most funding allocated to it - GHs32,082,685,522 in 2019 and GHs34,877,466,156 in 2020, while Goal 5 (Gender Equality) received 26,191,056 in 2019 and 65,012,082 in 2020, the least to be allocated to a goal at the national level.
Total spending on the SDGs by Government through MDAs came to 31,448,312,790 in 2019 and 35,774,648,335 in 2020; and Rankings by regions also revealed that in both years Greater Accra, Ashanti Region, Northern Region and Eastern Region were among the regions to receive the most funds for the SDGs.
The launch of the 2020 SDGs Budget Report therefore offered the platform to receive feedback from Stakeholders. The event brought together Government Officials, Development Partners and Foreign Missions, Private Sector Representatives, Investors, Civil Society Organizations, Academics, and Entrepreneurs.