2018 Budget: Referendum on new regions to cost GH¢932m

The referendum on the proposed creation of four additional regions is estimated to cost the country around GH¢932 million.

The amount is expected to be set aside in the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy Statement of the government due to be presented to Parliament on Wednesday.

It is not clear if the amount represents the total budget for the special ministry, Regional Reorganisation and Development but Graphic Online is reliably informed that the amount would be used to organise the YES or NO vote needed to pave the way for the creation of the additional regions.

The four new regions are to be created from the Volta, Brong Ahafo, Western and Northern regions.

The current Volta region will be divided into two and will consist of the Oti and Volta region, the Brong Ahafo region will also be split into Ahafo and Bono regions.

This is in line with promises made by President Akufo-Addo during the 2016 electioneering campaign.

Early this year, some chiefs and opinion leaders in these regions petitioned the president during his visit to these areas.

In response, the president said the proposed regional amendments were not to be created for the fun of it but to ensure everyone in the country benefits from the policies to be rolled out by government as compared to previous ones.