Ghana’s Electoral Commission estimates GH¢243m budget for 2012 elections

A total amount of GH¢243,528,305 is needed for the conduct of Ghana’s 2012 general elections, according to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) budget estimate for the exercise.

The money is meant for voter’s registration and both the presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2012, said the Commission’s Chairman Dr K. Afari-Gyan at a meeting organised by the Editors Forum, Ghana (EFG) in Accra February 15, 2012.

“The Commission’s budget estimates for the registration and later the presidential and parliamentary elections stand at GH¢243,528,305,” Dr Afari-Gyan said.

Giving the budget breakdown, the EC’s Chairman said an amount of GH¢148,942,378 is allocated for biometric voter registration, GH¢7,477,966 for exhibition of the provisional register and the remaining GH¢87,107,961 is earmarked for the presidential and parliamentary elections.

The government has so far released a little over 50% of the money in a timely manner to the EC.

“So far, funds have been released to the Commission in a timely manner,” Dr Afari-Gyan stated.

He indicated that a total amount of GH¢134,726,083 has so far been released to the Commission.

In July and November 2011 a sum of GH¢50 million and GH¢37,396,911 have respectively been given to the EC, he noted.

While in February 2012, Dr Afari-Gyan said it received GH¢47,329,172.

Because of the timely release of the funds, he said the delivery of equipment and other materials has so far been on schedule.

“So the Commission is now in a position to announce that it plans to undertake a biometric voter registration of all eligible persons, including prisoners, in all regions and districts at the same time from March 24 to May 5, 2012,” Dr Afari-Gyan told the gathering.

By Ekow Quandzie