News:
Minority Leader Left Deputy right
December 30, 2022
The in parliament has redeemed itself in the successes they chalked in the approval of the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of government for the year ending 31st December, 2023.
Unfortunately, it failed in one crucial target which a lot of Ghanaians were hoping would be a major relief to the already overburdened population – 2.5 increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT). The Minority Caucus narrowly missed out after a voice vote that declared the “I’s as having it was challenged by the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka who called for vote on the motion.
The Minority, however, narrowly lost by 136-135. As such the quest for government to increase VAT by 2.5 percent come 2023 eventually passed.
The Minority came under intense criticism after the passa of the budget principles which many misconstrued as the passage of the budget and concluded that everything that was contained in the budget would thus be implemented.
This forced some response from the leadership of the Minority Caucus in which they explained that the passage of the budget principles was just a first step; and that the real work would be done at the budget estimate and appropriations. And they promised to reject most of the things that they considered inimical to the good people of Ghana.
The major successes registered include:
*Ensuring government maintains the GHc100 threshold for MoMo transactions while reducing the rate from 1.5 to 1 percent.
*Defeated the GHS80million allocation for the Cathedral and have it expunged from the Appropriation Act;
* GHS1.3billion (€116million) Accra International Conference Centre Demolition and Redevelopment plans scuttled;
*Defeated proposed plans to establish new diplomatic missions in Jamaica, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago.
*GHS1.4billion request for Contingency Vote cut drastically to GHS533million;
6) Collapsing the Secretariats of the Special Development Initiatives & the Monitoring and Evaluation; both at the Office of the President by scrapping the budgetary allocations of GHS27.5million.
*Defeated the repugnant tax measure intended to compel drivers, particularly commercial drivers to produce tax clearance certificates as a requirement for renewing driver’s license.
Ghanamps.com