The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George has described as fanciful, fears projected by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) over the passage of the Anti-LGBTQ bill.

His assertions follow a survey conducted by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) which revealed that Ghana could lose up to 6% of its annual budget funding due to the LGBTQ+ Bill.

Presenting the findings of the Centre's study on Tuesday in Accra, Executive Director of ISODEC, Bernard Anaba, hinted that Ghana is likely to face both economic and diplomatic pressure due to the bill.

“By this Bill, we have added economic conditionality on ourselves [as a country] when we go out to seek support. Ghana’s budget regularly relies on grants of about 4 to 6 per cent each year from donor partners who are mostly against this Bill as we know.”

“This could result in the delays and reduction in this budgetary support. I remember there was a year when the Finance Minister complained that the budget did not work well because these funds [from donors] were delayed. So now, there is a reason why it will even delays more; you can imagine the economic impact because four to six per cent of your budget is huge,” he said.

But reacting to the study, Mr George questioned who the bill is likely to affect the most.

“We need to be clear who is actually at risk of losing funding. Is it Ghana or Think Tanks like them who get funding from Western Organisations that are pro-LGBTQ?

“What are the fears really about? Is it really about Ghana or about how they get funding for the works that they do and that is not to take away from the quality or substance that they do,” he added.

Speaking on Top Story on Tuesday, Mr George said what CDD-Ghana stands to lose from the bill should not “be put as supreme to what affects all of us.”

He added that the outcome of the study conducted by CDD is a misconception that most opponents of the bill hold.

The lead advocate for the Anti-LGBTQ bill further argued that there is a clear distinction between sex and gender.

Meanwhile, Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee is set to resume its public hearing on the controversial document for further consideration.