The Presidency has directed all ministers of state to refrain from publicly announcing policy initiatives or programmes that have not received prior Cabinet approval.
The directive, issued in a circular dated Monday, October 27, 2025, and signed by the Secretary to the Cabinet, Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, warned that failure to comply constitutes a breach of constitutional protocol and undermines the principle of collective government responsibility.
According to the circular, Cabinet has observed a “growing practice” where some ministers announce initiatives “purportedly on behalf of government” before they have been discussed, reviewed, or approved by the Cabinet.
“Cabinet wishes to remind all ministers that, in line with established governance protocols and the principle of collective responsibility enshrined in the Constitution, no public policy, programme, or major initiative shall be considered government policy unless it has been duly submitted to, deliberated upon, and approved by Cabinet,” the statement said.
To ensure compliance, ministers have been instructed to submit all proposed policies, programmes, and legislative initiatives to the Cabinet Secretariat through the Chief Director of their respective ministries for inclusion on the Cabinet agenda.
Professor Danso-Boafo explained that the directive is intended to promote policy coherence, uphold collective Cabinet responsibility, and ensure that all government communications reflect the unified and approved position of the administration.
He cautioned that any public announcement or initiative made outside the approved process “shall not be deemed to represent official government policy” and urged all ministers to strictly adhere to the directive.
