Month: March 2025

The Minister of Finance Cassiel Ato Forson has assured that despite the troubling state of the Ghanaian Economy, they are poised to fix it and return the country to the path of sustainable growth.

“Mr. Speaker, it is what it is. The state of our economy is troubling, but we will fix it! It will require some

sacrifices, truthfulness, transparency and discipline. We will take strong measures to confront the situation head-on.

Presenting the 2025 Budget and Fiscal Policy of Government in parliament, he noted that the sacrifice of achieving this must come from all stakeholders, beginning with the government, adding that it is the reason the president, appreciating this significantly downsized  his government from “the elephant 88 to 60 ministers as well as government ministries from 30 to 23.

“our vision is to build a prosperous and a democratic state anchored on the principles of freedom and justice, providing equal opportunities for all. Through this vision, we will work together to build the Ghana we all want”.

The Finance Minister, thus announced that the resetting agenda will be anchored on three pillars:

i- restoring hope in our democracy, renewing

trust in public officials, and helping every

Ghanaian attain their full potential;

ii- offering a trusted hand to the vulnerable,

particularly women and youth and creating a

new Ghana for coming generations; and

iii- stimulating demand by patronising made-in-

Ghana goods under the 24-hour Economy

Policy.

Ghanamps.com

The people of Ghana are expectant of a budget and fiscal policy that brings hope and relief to the citizenry.

The Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson will on behalf of the President present the government’s first budget to Parliament since his inauguration on January 7, 2025.

Ghanaians are looking forward to tax cuts, scrapping of a number of taxes including E-levy, betting tax, COVID tax.
The government has already served notice of the re-introduction of the road toll.

It is also the expectation that the 2025 budget will lead to job creation, infrastructure development, and social interventions.

Techiman South Member of Parliament Martin Adjei-Menah Korsah has petitioned Parliament over security concerns involving President Mahama’s use of a private aircraft and his brother driving him on official duty that could compromise the president’s security and safety.

In his petition, Korsah highlighted two key incidents that he argued demonstrate a disregard for established security protocols surrounding the President’s movements.

The MP’s petition points out that President Mahama has, on multiple occasions, opted to travel using a private aircraft owned by his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, rather than the state-owned presidential jet that is specifically maintained and reserved for his use.

He argued that this decision raises serious security and safety concerns, as the private aircraft may not have undergone the same rigorous safety assessments, security clearances, and operational checks that the state aircraft routinely undergoes.

“The President has on record, undertaken foreign travels using his brother’s private aircraft at a time when the state-owned aircraft was available. The safety condition of the private aircraft could not be vouched for by state security agencies,” the petition states.

Korsah further insisted that allowing the President to rely on a privately owned jet without official authorization poses a significant national security risk and sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations.

The petition also raised alarms over a more recent event that took place last Thursday, March 6, 2025, during President Mahama’s visit to the Volta Region to commiserate with victims of a sea erosion disaster.

During the visit, the President was seen being driven by his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, instead of his officially assigned state driver.

Ghanamps.com

At a recent orientation organized in Ho, the Volta Regional capital, Members of Parliament from the Majority side pledged to be punctual on the floor of the House to end the Minority’s recent practice of raising the issue of quorum which usually leads to early adjournments.

According to the Member of Parliament for the Akan constituency Yao Gomado, he agrees with leadership of the Majority to apply strict measures of reporting lawmakers who consistently absent themselves form the floor of the House even if it would lead to, they not being re-elected or losing their seats.

He noted that the Minority’s action of always raising the issue of quorum has been to achieve political points and it behoves on them (Majority) to improve attendance.

“Your constituents cannot elect you to parliament and you come and be doing your private business; the chief whip has told us if the need be for them to blackmail us, they would do that”, he said in an interview.

On whether the repercussion of reporting absenting MPs to their constituents would not lead to such MPs losing their seats in the next election; he responded, “Who cares? They brought you in to do business; if you are not ready to represent them then why did you come?”

And further added that, he is a marine engineer before coming to Parliament, the weekend of the orientation at Ho he was supposed to be in Togo for a very important business, but he showed up for the orientation.

He further pointed out that at the end of a meeting when the House is on recess, he has to go back and tell his constituents what has gone on at the floor of the House; “my constituents demand that I brief them. We’re one hundred and eight four and we having four independent joining us making it188; and you do not show up in Parliament, they should do the right thing”, he emphasized.

Mr. Gomado further added that he has friends in the Minority and most of the MPs he communicated with from the Minority were not happy that they were not part of the orientation in Ho and their leadership was citing cost.

“Yes cost, but I can tell you if the orientation was held at Parliament you would not have full participation of MPs; most of them would have given excuses and not participate. But in Ho you saw the full participation, the Hall was full”.

I am a second time MP but in every profession you need to upgrade yourself and it has been very useful, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Godwin Animli Dorgbadzi-Dorani believes the ordeals of Members of Parliament (MPs) particularly first-timers who usually resides far away in reaching parliament early can be avoided with the establishment of a parliamentary village.

He said MPs who stay far away from Parliament especially those from other Regions apart from Greater Accra have a tough task trying to adjust to the traffic situation in the capital in order to be early in the House to start the days business.

According to him, he would be the first to push for the establishment of a parliamentary village that is a bit close to Parliament House to accommodate MPs to aid the process of parliamentary activities.

“I am being very honest with you, most of us go through hell before getting to Parliament; I am from the Ashanti Region, I wish I can just walk without driving to Parliament, but I don’t have it that way and it’s a bit cumbersome”, he said in an interview.

Again, he stated that every weekend he drives to the Ashanti Region and get back to Accra on Monday since as an MP you also have your constituency to take care of.

Meanwhile, the Adansi/Asokwa MP further pointed out that in his view the afternoon sittings of the House advocated by the Rt.Hon. Speaker Alban Bagbin is the way to address the quorum conundrum which is rampant in recent times, “so that early in the morning we can attend to other businesses of constituents”.

“You need to attend to the needs of your constituents so that, they do not have the feeling that after voting for you, you are not getting time for them and you are not interested in things to do with them”, he emphasised.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Member of Parliament for Damango, Samuel Abu Jinapor says Ghanaians should do a critical analysis of the size of government and they will notice that the John Dramani Mahama government has a larger size of government than Ghanaians are being told despite the sixty (60) Ministers and deputy Ministers he promised.

According to him, to understand the size of government machinery as it is related to the national purse or exchequer, one should look at it in a more holistic manner, because, one president can come and appoint 20 Ministers and deputies and appoint one hundred and fifty senior presidential advisors, staffs and aids. “You would be misled into thinking that the size of the government is smaller, when it comes to cost when indeed the size of that government is much bigger than a government that has appointed one hundred Ministers and deputy Minister”.

“I have raised these issues for us to have objective discussions on this when it comes to the size of government. When Ghanaians say the government is too large, what they are concerned about is that the government is large to the extent that it affects the tax payer and the nation exchequer and purse”, he said at a media briefing with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps.

“If you want to do a proper analysis of which government is bigger, take the number of presidential advisors, staffs and aid and add it to the number of ministers and deputy ministers; that is when you can tell if the government is big or not. When you do the counting this government is turning to be a big government”.

Again, you have Senior Presidential Advisor, Presidential Advisor on the economy, that of twenty four hour economy, Special aid to the president, Presidential Advisor on National Anticorruption Programme, Advisor on Diaspora Affairs, Advisor on Black Star experience, Presidential staff and aid to the Vice President, Presidential staff without portfolio, and five policy advisors to the Vice President.

Director at the presidency in charge of agriculture and agribusiness the lists goes on and on, one presidential advisor on media four deputy communications officers and 16 presidential staffers for the 16 regions.

“I would not be surprised, if we have presidential advisors on nkokor nkitikity and okada business; you never know”.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, contributing to the debate on the Message of the State of the Nation Address, he noted that, the Chief of Staff at the office of the president is put above a Cabinet Minister who doubles as a Member of Parliament but one step below the Speaker of Parliament, and that is the ranking of the Chief of staff if you want to understand the burden the appointment of the Chief of Staff has on the national exchequer.

“The Chief of Staff’s salary, per diem, everything to do with that office is one notch above a Cabinet Minister who double as an MP, but one notch below the Speaker of parliament, so if a Speaker has three vehicles Chief of Staff is two.

When you come to a senior presidential adviser, it is put at the level of a Cabinet Minister who doubles as an MP; presidential advisor is put at the level of a cabinet minister who is not an MP.

The presidential staffer is at the rank of a none cabinet Minister who is not a member of parliament, while a presidential aid is put at the level of deputy minister”, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The independent Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, Worlase Kpeli, has described the decision to align with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority in Parliament as apt and satisfactory.

According to him it’s been good so far as the collaboration has not posed any problem to him. “I feel at home, we are growing together and sharing ideas together; opportunities are being given equally”.

In an interview with Ghanamps.com, he noted that he has not seen any discrimination between the regular NDC MPs and himself; “the leadership system is working and courtesies extended to the NDC MPs are also extended to me as well”.

He noted that the ninth parliament has just started, and it has only been two months “and within three months, we will be able to assess very well our collaboration”.

Touching on the president’s appointments as none of the independent MPs have been appointed, he noted that being a Minister or deputy Minister is the prerogative of the President, and “if he finds it fit so be it; we do not have any rules governing it. I am not looking into that but if it comes fine, if not, I am still an MP performing my duties”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Benard Ahiafor on Wednesday afternoon briefly suspended proceeding in Parliament following a disagreement between the Majority and Minority Leaders over the Governor of Bank of Ghana’s briefing of the House.

The Governor, Johnson Asiamah was in the chamber with his colleagues from the Bank of Ghana to brief the House.
However, the Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin called for engagement at the leadership level on how to proceed with the briefing of the House.

“Things may get out of hand if this engagement does not come on; and I am for any form of accountability, I am never against it”.

But the Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga indicated that the issue was already discussed during the business presentation for the ensuing week so there was no need for litigation.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Effiduase/Asokore Member of Parliament Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye is unhappy with President John Mahama’s comments about the Ghana Priority Health Infrastructure Project (Agenda 111).

President Mahama disclosed in his Message of the State of the Nation Address that not a single of the Agenda 111 hospitals are operational and those completed are not equipped. However, Dr. Ayew Afriye queried the President how he expected the hospitals to be operationalized when his government sacked the works at the Agenda 111 hospitals that have been completed.

In an interview, he pointed out that workers in the completed hospitals were sacked because the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has worn and is in power.

Achiase Hospital is in operation and the sacked workers came back to continue working on Monday, March 5, 2025; President John Mahama should not have sacked nurses, he stated
Mr Afriyie urged President Mahama’s government to continue with the Agenda 111 projects as he also welcomed the Public-Private Partnership idea that the President spoke about.

Meanwhile, he commended the Minister of Health and the Health Ministry for the response in handling the cholera outbreak.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin in a statement on the Floor of the House condemned the ‘daughter of a murderer comment’ on the floor, stating that such conduct is dishonorable and unbecoming of a Member of Parliament.

According to him the identity of the member who violated Parliamentary rules and regulations must be revealed and the rules against such behavior enforced.
Speaker Bagbin called for introspection and action in the aftermath of the incident, urging that disagreements remain intellectual rather than emotional.

He encouraged the member responsible for the statement to come forward and opt for a plea bargain to avoid the consequences of the ongoing investigation.
Speaker Bagbin also noted that while Order 22 of the Standing Orders grants freedom of speech, it must be exercised in accordance with Parliamentary rules and regulations. He reminded members that they are accountable to the citizenry and must always be mindful of that.

The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, also urged the member who made the comment to come forward and stated that the majority would support the Privileges Committee in exacting maximum punishment on the individual responsible for the statement.

The Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh Dompreh expressed the hope that the matter will be ended as soon as possible.

He also made reference to two other incidents and called for a resolution to them.
Members of Parliament found guilty of defamation may be suspended from Parliament for nine (9) months or dispelled from Parliament all together.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com