The minority in parliament has expressed concern about the finance minister’s absence from the start of the debate on the Government’s 2023 Budget Statement and Economy Policy.
Ibrahim Ahmed, the minority deputy whip and MP for Banda constituency, expressed concern about the absence of the finance minister, stating that the country is in a critical state and that the minister cannot move the motion without the input of members.
He noted that if the minister is unable to perform his duties, he should notify the House.
“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,” he said.
In support of the concern raised, Hon. Ato Forson, the ranking member of the finance committee, stated that the practice of ministers of finance presenting the budget but failing to collect input should be avoided.
He proposed that the house pause the debate until the minister appeared.
“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,” he said on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday.
However, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu claims that the Minority’s concerns are without merit.
He stated that during the weekend Post Budget Workshop in Ho, the finance minister, Ken. Ofori Atta sought leave to attend an urgent meeting in Germany on behalf of the country, and that his two deputies would take appropriate notes of any good suggestion made by members during the debate.
According to him, the Finance Minister is not required to submit the budget to the House under the 1992 Constitution.
“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 the government for the following financial year.. that is all that it says. It doesn’t mention the Finance Minister,” he said.
In response to the concerns, the RT. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, stated that Standing Order 140 requires the budget to be presented to the house by the minister responsible for finance under the authority of the president.
He added that he had been informed that the finance minister would not be present today due to his trip to Germany.
ByL Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
