Parliamentary ends debate to vote on 2022 budget

Parliament will later today, Friday, November 26 conclude the debate on the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy presented by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

Since Tuesday, Members of Parliament have made contributions to various sub-sectors of the economy.

The Majority side has advanced arguments in support of the policies proposed in the budget while the minority has described the policies outlined in the budget as insensitive.

The introduction of a 1.75 percent levy on electronic transactions, the reversal of Benchmark values, and the scrapping of road tolls have dominated the deliberations on the 2022 budget debate.

The Minority side has served notice that it may call for a vote on the budget statement.

On Wednesday, November 24, 2021, the Minority raised red flags about the absence of the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, his two deputies, and the Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Finance, Charles Adu Boahene, during the debate.

According to the Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, it is unacceptable for the Minister and his deputies to be absent when the budget is under consideration.

According to him, the Minister or at least one of his deputies must be present to convey the sentiments and suggestions of the legislators on the budget to be President.

“The Minister of Finance moved a motion on behalf of the president. We are debating the motion to make alternative inputs to be sent to the president, who sent him to bring the motion to us… Where is the mover of the motion? This house must not be taken for granted.”

“If the President sends you to bring us the budget statement, it’s necessary we are going to suggest alternative solutions. The Minister for finance must be here, to take notice of all the alternative solutions that are going to be proposed and send it to the president. At least one of them must be here,” he said.