The Member of Parliament for Tain, Adama Sulemana, has expressed optimism that the Finance Minister will not request any supplementary appropriation or introduce new taxes in the upcoming Mid-Year Budget Review.
According to him, the expectation is for the Minister to present a comprehensive account of the gains made through the government’s economic policies, including an assessment of whether key projections set in the main budget have been achieved.
Speaking in an interview on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM’s Frontline, the lawmaker posited that the review should provide clear updates on macroeconomic indicators that drive decision-making, particularly regarding inflation, the policy rate, primary balance, and exchange rates.
He noted that just as the primary budget avoided burdening citizens with extra levies, the mid-year review must maintain the same stance.
“Just as we did not see the introduction of new taxes, we don’t expect new taxes to be introduced through the mid-year budget review,” he stated.
The MP further indicated that the Finance Minister must present status updates on key interventions, including the 24-Hour Economy, the Accelerated Export Development initiative, the Big Push, the Free Primary Healthcare policy, and the Value for Money initiative.
He highlighted the Nkoko Nkitinkiti poultry initiative as a particularly impactful intervention that requires fine-tuning to deliver maximum benefit.
“I am optimistic that we will have an update on all these policies so Ghanaians will know what is being done. I don’t expect the Minister to announce any new taxes. We also need updates on the flagship programmes, including proper updates on the Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative. I think it is one of the best policies and will create jobs, but we need to fine-tune it so it will be better. People want these updates,” he said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
