The Minority in Parliament has asked Ghanaians to brace themselves up for more hardships after government presented its financial statement on Thursday, November 24.

According to the group, the budget does not have anything concrete aimed at ameliorating the current economic crisis the citizenry is facing. 

For the NDC MPs, the 2023 budget presented by the Finance Minister on Thursday is empty. 

Their Spokesperson on Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson made this known after the presentation. 

“What he gave to us was nothing but grammar. He has informed us clearly that the Ghanaian economy is indeed in an Intensive Care Unit. 

This Minister has informed us that going forward to the year 2023, there is going to be a freeze on employment at a time when we know that unemployment particularly with the youth is in excess of 50 per cent,” he said. 

The Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP also said the Finance Minister did not show the government intends to cut down on expenditure. 

“It looks as if this government doesn’t seem to be aware that this Ghanaian economy has introduced unbearable hardship to the citizens of this country. 

“Unfortunately, the adjustments the Minister has announced did not show us how they intend to cut government expenditure. 

The things he announced are nothing but empty and did not indicate where proper expenditure cuts will come from”, he added. 

The beleaguered Finance Minister on Thursday, November 24, presented the 2023 budget statement in Parliament. 

This was in accordance with the requirement under Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

He presented seven-point agenda to boost the economy, which included a 2.5 per cent increase in VAT and the review of the 1.5 per cent Electronic Transfer Levy rate to 1 per cent.