News:
Majority Leader
November 14, 2022
It is still unclear who will bear the responsibility of delivering the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government for the year ending 31st December, 2023 to parliament.
The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government is delivered to parliament by the finance Minister on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana in accordance with article 179 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
Parliament has scheduled Wednesday 23rd November, 2022 for the Minister responsible for finance to be in the House for the presentation.
However, with so much uncertainty surrounding the Finance Minister including the Majority serving notice they will boycott the chamber if the finance Minister appears in the House to do the honour, no one knows whose shoulder the responsibility will fall.
Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance is facing an Eight-Member Ad hoc Committee of parliament over a motion of vote of censure against him.
His fate would be decided after the ad hoc committee concluded its work with one week and the report submitted to the plenary.
Both sides of the House are speaking the same language – ‘the Finance Minister Must Go’, but are divided on the process to achieving that.
While the Minority moved a motion of vote of censure and called for the support of the Majority Caucus to secure the two-third majority to remove Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Majority Caucus would not take any of that, and have made it clear that they will not support the Minority on their tangent.
The Majority Caucus, on the other hand had petitioned the president to cause Mr. Ofori-Atta to resign or be sacked.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the uncertainty, the Majority Leader in Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on Friday November 11, 2022 during the presentation of the Business Statement for the ensuing week indicated that any Minister of State can be nominated by the President to present the budget statement to Parliament and in so doing, the person will act as the Minister responsible for Finance in the interim.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com