Parliaments To Decide Fate Of 2024 Budget Today

Members of Ghana’s Parliament are expected to decide the fate of the country’s 2024 Budget and policy statement presented by the Finnace Minister Ken 0fori-Atta on behalf of the President of the rrepublic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-addo today November 30, 2023.

This follows the stalemate suffered by the budget yesterday November 29, 2023 when the speaker posed the question for the adoption after the two leaders, minority leader, Dr Casiel Ato Forson and majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu concluded debate on it.

A voice vote decision by the speaker in favour of the adotion of the budget statement was challenged by the minority.

This compelled the speaker, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to yield to the Standing Orders governing the conduct of business to determine the adoption or otherwise of the budget by the head count of MPs present in the Chamber.

Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah revoked the rules governinig procedure in the House to challenge of the speaker’s decision under Order 113 (2) of the Standing Orders.

The Order provides that “a Member may call for headcount or division if the opinion of Mr Speaker on the voice vote is challenged”.

However, processes for the headcount for the budget approval was truncated after the Majority group staged a walk-out.

The Speaker then suspended sitting but later returned to adjour the House to today on the basis of disorder in the house.

After the adjournment, both caucuses address a press conference on the development.

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu blamed the speaker for what happened stating: “You were all there; you heard the Speaker loud and clear. Why should a Speaker beat such a hasty retreat from what he has said? In this case, he said the ‘ayes’ have it. Then you have the Speaker making a sudden U-turn that he didn’t add that the ‘ayes’ have it. He just expressed an opinion. And that’s most unfortunate. So, we think that the proper thing should be done.”

“We agreed to the headcount; what was he waiting for? For about 30 minutes, he was not doing anything. What kind of attitude is this? That is why we left the chamber. Five MPs of the Minority were not here, so all that he was doing was to buy more time to enable them to find a way into the chamber”, the majority leader told members of the parliamentary press corps.

The minoirity leader, Dr Casiel Ato Forson however disagrees with his colleague and accused them of running away from their own budget.

According to him, his side has defeated the majority the second time with good reason.

“The NPP has been defeated in a grand style. This is the second time the NPP has run away from their own budget, second time in the history of Ghana, sensing defeat. We have got them and will get them again. The fact is that the NPP doesn’t have the numbers to approve their own budget. NDC MPs were ready to vote against the budget for a very good reason. We cannot allow this budget to go through in its current form, because the ordinary Ghanaian will suffer.”Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson stated.

The Finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on his part insists that the 2024 budget has been approved per the voice vote decison by the speaker which was later challenged.

“At the end of the day the speaker put it to vote twice, and he declared that the ‘Is’ have it. That means the budget in my view has been passed. Later there was a challenge, which has not been resolved. So far as I know and believe, we have the 2024 budget passed. Until such time they want to resolve whatever they want to resolve.”

The Ghanaian public expeactantly awaits their lawmakers to serve their interest in the decisions they make today on the 2024 budget and matters arising to safeguard the future.

By; Christian Kpesese/www.eagleghana.com