The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament attempts to blackmail the government with five conditions before the budget can be approved appears to have backfired as the Majority side approved the budget statement presented Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta.
The minority had presented five conditions to consider as a compromise for the 2022 Budget to be approved.
Last Friday, November 26, 2021, Parliament had an unresolved situation over the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government for the year ending 31st December 2022 when the Minority led by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin purported to have rejected it.
First, they want the government to suspend the E-Levy and properly engage stakeholders to agree on a reasonable policy.
According to them, “How can mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments, and inward remittances be charged 1.75 percent? The policy is retrogressive, not pro-poor and does not support the much-touted digitalization agenda and cash-less economy that we all yearn for”.
They also want the withdrawal of Agyapa, as they added that, “the NDC Minority will not support any collateralization of our revenues particularly mineral resources. The future of our country will be bleak if we continue in that regard. We cannot jeopardise the future generations of our country just for our present desires”.
They also want the government to incorporate in its revised Budget adequate measures to address the issue relating to the Tidal Waves Disaster in Keta and other communities…,” the victims should be supported. And the Phase II of the Blekusu Coastal Protection Project must find space in the Budget”.
Point four related to GNPC acquisition of stake from Aker Energy and AGM Petroleum, “the revised Budget should reconstruct paragraph 829 of the rejected Budget to reflect the decision of the House as captured in 6th August, 2021 Votes, and Proceedings of Parliament” and finally, they want “in a revised Budget, reconsider paragraph 247 of the rejected Budget which sought to restore the Benchmark Values of imports by suspending the 50% discount on selected General Goods and the 30% discount on vehicles, some concessions should be given to the importers”.
Mr. Iddrisu in his statement said, “the NPP Majority Leadership should appreciate that this is a new Parliament; a hung Parliament. Those days of the NPP Majority bullying the Minority because of their “excess” numbers are over. But with the nature and character of this new Parliament with its near equal- numbers (137+137) calls for a broader and thorough consultation to secure the best national interest for the good of the Ghanaian people”.
“We hope the NPP government will do what is right and proper when considering a revised budget. The NPP Government should critically take on board the view of the Minority and sentiments of the Ghanaian populace and bring a Budget that is acceptable and address the issues of the general public”, he noted.
However, when the budget statement was put to vote after setting aside last Friday’s ruling that the budget had been rejected, the minority members were nowhere to be found, making the majority to unanimously approve the contentious budget.
By Vincent Kubi