Voting on budget a 'second test' for Minority to walk its talk - ACEPA

Parliament expected to conclude and approve budget today

Minority MPs vow to reject budget

Walk the talk, ACEPA tells Minority MPs

The African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) has stated that the voting on the 2022 budget statement and economic policy will prove to be a second test for the minority to hold the government accountable.

Executive Director of ACEPA, Dr. Rasheed Draman, in an interview with GhanaWeb, mentioned that Ghanaians are watching the minority with close eye to see if the minority will reject the budget as it indicated after its presentation.

“Ghanaians are going to be watching very carefully if the Minority is going to walk its talk…whether indeed they will stick to the position that they have come out to say they are not going to support this budget….there are certain provisions that they don’t support. So it is now going to come to their second test if you ask me as to whether they can be relied upon to hold the government to account,” he said.

The Minority has indicated its unmoving resolve to vote against the 2022 budget statement, citing several taxes particularly the e-levy as reasons.

But many have expressed doubts over minority’s decision stating that it will not be able to follow through with it.

The minority in the vetting and approval of President Akufo-Addo’s ministers for his second term vowed to vote against some minister nominees like Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Mavis Hawa Koomson, and others however they eventually secured the approval of the Minority MPs.

This infuriated some leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) particularly Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi, who accused the minority leadership of allegedly receiving bribes from the ministers.