The Minority in Parliament is insisting the 2024 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the government has not been approved.
They contend that by the Majority MP’s walkout from the Chamber during the approval proceedings on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, the budget is in limbo.
The Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson made this position known in reaction to an assertion by Finance Minister, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, that, “we have a budget and government can carry out its activities as far as the budget is concerned.”
Mr Ofori-Atta who was in the House made the statement during an interaction with journalists.
But in his rebuttal, Mr Forson indicated that the budget has not been approved.
He said the budget, if approved in its current form, will worsen the plight of the citizenry.
“The fact remains the NPP MPs do not have the members to approve their own budget. We cannot allow this budget to go through in its current form because the ordinary Ghanaian will suffer,” he stated.
According to Dr. Forson, the Majority, after sensing they lacked the members for the head count to get the budget approved as the Speaker ruled, staged out of the House to prevent a rejection of their own budget.
He mentioned Ken Agyapong, John Kumah, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as some of the members of the Majority who were not present in the House during the debate “and sensing defeat, they shamefully walked out.”
“The budget has not been approved. The NPP MPs have lost the way. If they are men, let them come to the chamber now for a head count. The Sspeaker has made a ruling that we should do head count. You come with a proper and substantive motive to challenge the Speaker’s motion. You cannot do it by a mere voice,” Dr. Ato Forson indicated.
The Trade and Industry Minister is meanwhile required to lay his Import Restrictions Bill tomorrow.
By Felix Anim-Apau