Private legal practitioner and a member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko says the current economic crisis could worsen should the 2023 Budget not be passed on time.

According to Gabby the budget to be presented on Thursday, November 24, cannot suffer the fate of the previous one, referring to the 2022 Budget that saw a long debate and a protracted procedure.

According to him, failure to pass the budget could derail the progress made with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.

Thursday's 2022 budget is crucial. It can't suffer a fate similar to the 2022 budget and its revenue measures. It could completely derail negotiations with the Fund if not passed. Critical to this are its revenue generation measures. We plead the NDC joins NPP in this for Ghana.

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) November 23, 2022

In a tweet on Wednesday, the founder of the Danquah Institute think tank pleaded with parliamentarians belonging to the opposition National Democratic Congress to help get the budget passed.

The outspoken politician added that revenue generation measures in the proposed budget are critical to solving the economic quagmire the country faces currently.

“Thursday's 2023 budget is crucial. It can't suffer a fate similar to the 2022 budget and its revenue measures.

“It could completely derail negotiations with the Fund if not passed.

“Critical to this are its revenue generation measures. We plead the NDC joins NPP in this for Ghana,” he tweeted.

Embattled Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to present the budget despite agitations within Majority MPs for him not to do so.
The MPs have threatened to boycott the reading should he insist on presenting it, however, on Tuesday, November 22, the Council of Elders of the NPP and the national leadership of the party held a crunch meeting with the aggrieved MPs to reconsider their decision.

Per JoyNews sources say the meeting was able to whip the non-conformist MPs in line, however it is unclear if the Minority who have filed a censure motion against the minister, will be present for the budget reading.