Parliament approves 2012 budget statement
The 2012 budget statement and financial policy of the government presented to Parliament two weeks ago has received parliament’s approval following intense debate by MPs.
Its approval was however not smooth as the shadows of the debate continued to hunt the document.
The minority in parliament is demanding a disaggregation of a 707.5 million Ghana cedis provided in the reserve expenditures for payment of operational expenditure on elections among other things, apart from the over 27 million Ghana cedis allocated for the electoral commission.
Minority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu was not clear on what appeared in his opinion, to be a concealed allocation to the electoral commission in paragraph 223 of the budget statement. The allocation amounted 707.5 million Ghana cedis and was meant for the payment of services and operational expenditure on the 2012 elections.
He also sought clarifications on how workable it will be when the EC initially estimated a cost of 32 million cedis for the purchase of biometric and verification equipment but has been allocated only 27 million Ghana cedis for the entire exercise.
The minority was also very passionate about the stock of debt of the country alerting that the country runs a risk of returning to an unsustainable debt situation.
The majority leader, Cletus Avoka, disagreed with the minority leader stressing that the 2012 budget is not just an ambitious one but also one that is realistic and dedicated to ensuring a smooth economic growth of the country.
“In furtherance of the action year declaration, we said we will open two universities in Brong Ahafo region and Ho and we have done it. We pledged to raise funds for infrastructure development and are securing a three billion loan to do it. So this is an action government.”
Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, who was in the chamber further defended the budget.
“On one occasion I stood here and said that when we came the economy had been put in an intensive care and we took time to heal the patient and the patient is now running and is running very, very fast. Madam Speaker we are not saying that we are growing at 13.6 per cent. The whole world is saying that.”
The ruling NDC describes the 2012 budget as a tool to achieving the better Ghana agenda while the opposition NPP describes the document as a tool for a bitter Ghana agenda.
By: Aisha Ibrahim, e.tv Ghana
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