The Director General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Kodjo Esseim Mensah Abrampa, has emphasized the critical need to strengthen the linkages between planning, budgeting, and reporting processes within Ghana's public financial management system. 
Addressing a validation meeting on the draft 2023 National Annual Progress Report (APR) in Accra on Thursday, Dr. Abrampa underscored the challenges the system has faced over the years.
He stated that the linkage between the plan and the budget has always been very weak, affecting all other activities.
He revealed a concerning trend where only 40% of ministries' budgets corresponded to their planned activities, while the remaining 60% of spending did not align with the plans. 
This disconnect, he said, undermined the ability to accurately measure progress and attain development goals. He hinted that in a bid to rectify this situation, the NDPC has initiated a comprehensive reform process.  "This year marks the first cycle where we are going to implement this change.  "Moving forward, anything outside the budget cannot be spent, and expenditures that do not correspond to the plan will require a review process." Dr. Abrampa added.
The Director General emphasized the importance of evidence-based decision-making, highlighting the role of the APR in providing real data for measuring trends and informing policy development. 
He urged Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and Metropolitan, Municipal, And District Assemblies (MMDAs) to work collaboratively, ensuring the accuracy and validity of the data reported.
Dr. Abrampa revealed that the NDPC, in collaboration with 12 key institutions involved in public financial management, is working towards automating the system by the following year. 
This automation will ensure that approvals for expenditures are contingent upon their alignment with the budget and corresponding planned activities.
Acknowledging the support of the World Bank in providing resources to facilitate this reform process, Dr. Abrampa called upon all stakeholders to play their respective roles diligently. He warned that MDAs without approved plans and certificates would not have their budgets approved for the current year.
The validation meetings, organised on May 9th and 10th, 2024, aim to review and authenticate the draft APRs, fostering transparency and accountability within the public financial management system.