By Nadia Ntiamoah
The Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) has thrown its support behind a number of positions taken by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the ongoing constitutional reform process, particularly proposals aimed at reducing public expenditure, preventing institutional duplication and maintaining a leaner government.
In a press statement dated September 22, 2026, and signed by its General Secretary, Jerry Owusu Appauh, the LPG said its decision followed a review of the NPP’s recently announced positions on the recommendations of the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) and the Government’s Position Paper on the proposed reforms.
The party said its support was based specifically on what it described as the principles of “state efficiency, fiscal prudence, and resource optimization.”
The constitutional review has emerged as a significant national policy discussion following the work of the Constitution Review Committee, which submitted recommendations covering several aspects of the governance system.
The Government subsequently issued its position on the recommendations on July 30, 2026. Among the issues under consideration are the size of the Executive, the composition of Parliament, local government administration and the institutional framework for determining the remuneration of public officeholders.
The NPP subsequently announced its own position on the review process on September 17, 2026. Among other matters, the party opposed the proposed Independent Public Emoluments Commission and called instead for the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to be given the necessary constitutional and statutory authority to administer public-sector remuneration.
The LPG has now adopted a similar position, arguing that establishing a separate institution to oversee the remuneration of Article 71 officeholders would create another layer of bureaucracy and impose additional costs on the state.
According to the party, “maintaining a separate, isolated remuneration regime specifically for Article 71 officeholders is economically unjustifiable and fragments national fiscal policy.” It therefore supports giving the FWSC the “full constitutional and statutory mandate” to administer salaries and privileges across the public sector.
The LPG argued that the FWSC already has the professional expertise and technical infrastructure required to manage public-sector wages. It said consolidating the responsibility within the existing institution would prevent what it described as “costly bureaucratic duplication,” reduce administrative overheads and establish a uniform framework for public-sector remuneration.
The party’s position contrasts with the Government’s decision to accept the CRC recommendation for an Independent Public Emoluments Commission. Government has argued that an independent body could address concerns surrounding the existing arrangements for determining the remuneration of Article 71 officeholders.
Beyond the question of public-sector remuneration, the LPG has also rejected the proposed creation of elected Deputy District Chief Executives (DCEs). The party said it agreed with the NPP that creating another category of political officeholders at the local government level would run counter to the objective of maintaining a lean state structure.
The party maintained that the existing local government administrative structure could provide the necessary institutional continuity without creating additional political positions and the associated operational and financial costs.
The issue of elected DCEs forms part of the broader constitutional reform debate. The CRC recommendations included proposals for elected District Chief Executives, among other changes to the local governance arrangements.
On the size of the Executive, the LPG said it supports a constitutional ceiling of 60 Ministers and Deputy Ministers. It described the proposed cap as a mechanism for enforcing fiscal discipline and preventing unnecessary expansion of ministries.
“The LPG declares its absolute agreement” with the proposal, the statement said, arguing that a fixed limit would help ensure a more efficient and
The 60-member ceiling is also part of the Government’s position on the constitutional review. Government has proposed a maximum of 60 ministers, compared with the CRC’s recommendation of 57.
The LPG, however, differs with the Government over the proposed expansion of Parliament.
While the Government has proposed a maximum of 300 Members of Parliament—276 constituency representatives together with 24 additional seats to be allocated through proportional representation—the LPG has rejected any increase from the current 276-member legislature.
The party argued that increasing the size of Parliament at a time when public expenditure is under pressure would create additional costs without, in its assessment, demonstrating corresponding operational benefits.
“The LPG rejects the proposal to expand the legislature to 300 seats,” the statement said, adding that additional parliamentary seats could increase expenditure through salaries, vehicles and constituency-related funding.
The party’s position therefore places it alongside the NPP on several key institutional and fiscal aspects of the constitutional reform debate, while the Government has taken different positions on some of the proposals.
The LPG also used its statement to call for the publication of the full, unedited report of the Constitution Review Commission. It said Ghanaians should have unrestricted access to the information, data and national submissions that informed the Commission’s recommendations.
“True market transparency demands that the Ghanaian public have unfettered access to the complete economic logic, empirical data, and national testimonies that informed the CRC’s findings,” the party stated.
