A Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson, has expressed the need for the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to be present during the debate of the 2023 budget.
According to him, there must be a suspension of debate on the 2023 Budget until the Finance Minister is present before the House. He revealed that the consistency of Mr Ofori-Atta in absenting himself at budget debates is “becoming too much”.
Speaking on the floor of parliament today, November 29, 2022, Dr Forson noted that “the practice where Ministers of Finance present budgets and fail to collect input should not be entertained”.
“You cannot read a budget and fail to solicit inputs and improve it going forward. Mr Speaker, this is unbecoming of our Minister responsible for Finance and we should not entertain it. Mr Speaker, we have our way, we should not debate until he appears before us.”
On his part, the Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, expressed his dissatisfaction with the absence of the Finance Minister.
Minority requests presence of finance minister
Mr Ibrahim noted that the Finance Minister must quit if he cannot do the job. This he explained, is because the country’s economy is currently in a debilitating state, therefore, members of the House are ready to present their input to the 2023 Budget in a form of a debate.
“Mr Speaker, conspicuously missing on the floor is the mover of the motion and it is not for nothing that the constitution says the finance minister can lay the budget on the floor on behalf of the President. The Constitution says the Finance Minister can lay the budget on the floor on behalf of the President, the House too is prepared to make our input for the Finance Minister to convey it to the President. So, you just cannot come and move the motion and you are not there. Remember, we are in a critical stage as a nation.”
Ahmed Ibrahim
Speaking in the finance minister’s defense, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, stated that the issues raised by the Minority side have no basis. He highlighted that the 1992 Constitution makes no mention of the Finance Minister submitting the budget to the House.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that the President can choose any minister to lay the budget before the House and the minister is not obligated to speak to it. He however indicated that the finance minister had given prior notice that he would be absent from the country, albeit he suggested the availability of the two deputy ministers to take note of suggestions.
“Mr Speaker Article 179 of the Constitution provides the President shall cause to be prepared and laid before Parliament, an estimate of the revenue and expenditure of government for the following financial year, that is all that it says. It doesn’t mention the Finance Minister.”
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
Meanwhile, the majority side has to show up in their numbers for the commencement of the 2023 budget debate.
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