Civil Society Pushes Government to Release Full Details of Big Push Infrastructure Projects

Ghana's leading civil society organisation, ISODEC, has intensified pressure on the government to make public a comprehensive, itemised list of all Big Push for Productivity projects, arguing that citizens deserve to know exactly where their money is being spent and how long implementation will take.

The advocacy group, whilst acknowledging some positive aspects of government policy including tax relief measures, has flagged serious transparency concerns about what it describes as excessive secrecy surrounding the Big Push for Productivity initiative—a multi-billion-cedi infrastructure and industrial programme central to the government's economic growth strategy.

What ISODEC Is Demanding

ISODEC is calling for the government to publish a disaggregated, publicly accessible list that includes:

• Full details of each Big Push project and its scope
• Names and values of all contracts awarded
• Clear, realistic implementation timelines and milestones
• Responsible implementing agencies and project leads

The organisation argues that without this level of detail, the Ghanaian public and Parliament cannot effectively monitor progress, hold officials accountable, or assess whether promised economic benefits are actually materialising. This type of transparency, ISODEC contends, is essential for a functioning democracy and for public confidence in major government spending.

The Sovereignty Question

Beyond transparency, ISODEC has raised concerns about what it perceives as sovereignty implications tied to the Big Push framework. The organisation has flagged worries about IMF conditionality and the degree to which major economic decisions are being driven by external pressure rather than homegrown Ghanaian priorities. This reflects broader anxieties within civil society about the extent of influence international financial institutions exercise over Ghana's policy direction during periods of economic adjustment programmes.

Why It Matters for Ghana

The Big Push for Productivity is meant to be transformational for Ghana's economy, targeting improvements in agriculture, energy, transport and industrial capacity. However, large-scale government projects in Ghana have historically suffered from implementation delays, cost overruns, and weak accountability—sometimes with projects abandoned mid-way or delivering far less than promised. Citizens are rightly concerned about how state resources are being deployed. Transparency in project details is not merely a good-governance issue; it is practical: if Ghanaians know what has been promised and when, they can demand answers when deadlines slip or budgets balloon. For parliamentarians, detailed project lists enable proper oversight. For businesses, clarity on timelines helps with supply chain planning. For communities affected by major infrastructure, knowing what is coming allows proper stakeholder engagement.

ISODEC's demand also touches on a deeper governance challenge: the perception that key economic decisions are made behind closed doors, with citizens and elected representatives kept in the dark until announcements are made. In a country where public resources are scarce and competing demands are enormous—education, healthcare, water—every shilling spent on Big Push projects is a choice not to spend elsewhere. That choice deserves public scrutiny.

The government has not yet responded formally to ISODEC's latest call, but the pressure from civil society is unlikely to ease. Donor confidence and public trust both depend on visible, accountable spending.