Ofori-Atta presents mid-year budget review today

Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta will appear before Parliament today, Thursday, July 23, to present the mid-year review of the 2020 financial policy of government. Obviously, the policy presented on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 by Mr Ofori-Atta in the House has been thrown off-track as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic. He is expected to seek a supplementary budget geared towards a quick economic recovery. Experts have advocated the need to stay within expenditure as losses have already been incurred due to the pandemic. Speaking on News 360 on Wednesday, the Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Peter Quartey, said the country needs “to cut our coat according to our size” so that no unattainable targets will be set. He said he does not expect the gross domestic product (GDP) target to go beyond 8 per cent. The Finance Minister has been widely reported to outline some innovative measures in order to get the economy back on track after the turbulence caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He is expected to announce stimulus packages for some key sectors of the economy. This year’s mid-year review will take a different turn as not all 275 members of Parliament would be in the chamber to listen in. Speaker Reverend Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has directed that as per strict adherence to safety protocols as a result of Covid-19, members will not sit close to each other. They will also not sit according to their names, which means there will be no sides – Minority or Majority. There will be an empty seat between members present with those who don’t get accommodated in the main chamber to be made to observe proceedings from the public gallery. As a result of this, the public will not be allowed to witness the presentation from the House. All including MPs who don’t get access to the main chamber or public gallery have been urged to monitor on tube. Source: 3news.com|Ghana]]>