2022 Budget To Take Center Stage In Parliament Today After Initial Rejection
Parliament will reconvene today, Tuesday, November 30, 2021, to continue processes to either approve or reject the 2022 Budget statement and Fiscal Policy.
On Friday, November 26, the Minority Caucus voted to reject the budget after the Majority Caucus staged a walkout.
However, the Majority Caucus later asked Ghanaians to disregard the supposed rejection of the budget as it was unconstitutional.
A statement from the Majority said: “For the record, the acts of the Minority and the decision of the Speaker to endorse it, constitute an unconstitutionality and an illegality and should be disregarded, as same is void and of no effect whatsoever”.
Regardless, the Minority Caucus has taken on the Majority side following the latter’s posturing after the said rejection.
It has in a statement signed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, called on the Finance Minister to revise the budget to include the suspension of the e-levy, provision for the construction of the Blekusu sea defense project, the withdrawal of the Agyapa deal, among others.
It is however unclear if a revised budget would be presented today or Parliament will use its own processes to deal with the matter.
Meanwhile, a former Deputy Finance Minister, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan has asked both sides in the house to reach a consensus to approve the 2022 budget.
Mr. Ricketts-Hagan in a Citi News interview said a delay in the approval of the budget may not augur well for the country.
He thus advised the two sides of the house to engage each other to get the budget passed.
“I pray and hope that on Tuesday [November 30, 2021] when we get into the house, instead of coming to be at each other’s throat, or taking on the Speaker, we should rather look at how to address this issue.”
“For me, it is a second opportunity for us to sit properly and see how we can get this budget passed, else people will not get their salaries and we will not be able to spend on all the areas that we will add value to the economy.”