Government Orders Ministers to Halt Policy Announcements Without Cabinet Approval

The Government has issued a firm directive to all Ministers of State, warning them against announcing major policy initiatives or programmes without first obtaining Cabinet approval.

The reminder, delivered in a circular signed by the Secretary to Cabinet, Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo and dated October 27, 2025, stressed that bypassing Cabinet in such decisions violates constitutional governance protocols and undermines the principle of collective responsibility.

According to the circular, there has been a “growing practice” where some Ministers publicly communicate initiatives purporting to represent government policy before they have undergone the required Cabinet deliberations and approvals.

“Cabinet wishes to remind all Ministers that, in accordance with established governance protocols and the collective responsibility principle enshrined in the Constitution, no public policy, programme, or major initiative shall be considered a policy of Government unless it has been duly submitted to, deliberated upon, and approved by Cabinet,” the notice emphasised.

To reinforce compliance, Ministers have been instructed to channel all proposed policies, programmes, and legislative initiatives through the Cabinet Secretariat—via their respective Chief Directors—for formal inclusion on the Cabinet agenda.

The directive is aimed at ensuring policy coherence, preventing contradictory public statements, and maintaining a unified government communication front.

Professor Danso-Boafo further cautioned that any initiative or pronouncement made outside the approved process “shall not be deemed to represent official Government policy.”

Ministers have therefore been strongly advised to desist from announcing or implementing policies that have not received explicit Cabinet endorsement.