President John Evans Atta Mills has issued a directive to all ministers and heads of departments not to commence projects not captured in this year’s budget.

In what is seen as a move to prevent unplanned expenditures as has been the practice in past election years, the requirement of certificate for commencement from the Ministry of Finance before new projects are started has also been re-introduced.

Vice-President John Mahama, who made this known at a consultative meeting with development partners in Accra, yesterday said: “We understand the political costs of these decisions, but must take them for the economic health of our country.”

He stated that the cost of correction and adjustment after every election year had been disruptive of the economy and also burdensome for most Ghanaians.

The three-day meeting, the 17th in a series of annual consultations, is focusing on a 10-year compact reached between the government and development partners, with the objective of improving the effective use of Official Development Assistance.

Under the compact, the government expresses its commitment towards a path of reducing Ghana’s aid dependency in the medium to long-term through a number of interventions while the development partners, on their part, recognize the need for continued development assistance to Ghana during the period of transition to middle income status.