A Cross Section Of Attendees
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has launched the 2018 edition of the Citizens Budget.
The Citizens Budget is a summarized version of the main 2018 Budget Statement presented to Parliament recently.
It is aimed at making every citizens’ nationwide understand public finance policies and initiatives of government as contained in the main budget.
Speaking at the launch held at Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East Constituency on Thursday, Deputy Minister of Finance in-charge of Budget, Abena Osei Asare, explained that the main 2018 Budget had been translated into seven local languages to help the masses to better understand it.
According to her, the intention of government is to bring the budget to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian.
“We are bringing policies and initiatives of the government for 2018 to the doorsteps of everybody.”
According to her, it was the desire of President Akufo-Addo’s government to promote an all inclusive governance system where the citizenry can feel ownership of the affairs of the state.
The Deputy Minister explained that the Budget had made provisions for every Ghanaian across various sectors, including the proposed reduction in electricity tariff, setting up of an Education Fund, ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’programme.
She assured Ghanaians that government would continue to honour its promises to the masses as it had demonstrated with the introduction of the Free Senior High Schools (SHS), the teachers and nursing training allowances, among others.
The launch was themed: “Putting Ghana Back To Work.”
The audience appealed to government to check corruption and monitor revenues being collected at markets and tollbooths nationwide, improve sign language education for the physically challenged and provide jobs for the ‘illiterate’ group.
They also raised concerns about property rent and taxes, empowerment initiatives for the physically challenged and the issues of abuse of taxpayers’ monies by corrupt public officials.
The Deputy Minister explained that for instance, government, under the Nation Builders Corps, was considering introducing what she termed as ‘Revenue Ghana’ which would engage graduates to monitor revenue in places like markets and toll booths.
She stressed that the budget had made ample provisions for all and sundry.
By Melvin Tarlue