The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is meeting with Parliament today [Friday] to deliberate on issues ahead of the mid-year budget review.

According to JoyNews' Parliamentary correspondent, Kwaku Asante, the meeting is intended to ensure that the leadership of parliament is on the same page with MPs before July 31 to have a fair idea of the details of the budget.

It is said to be a closed door meeting.

The mid-year budget review is scheduled to take place on Monday, July 31, after two initial postponements.

The presentation is in accordance with Section (28) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (PFMA) Act 921. 

The Act requires that the Finance Minister or any other minister designated by the President in the absence of the Finance Minister to present a Mid-Year Review to Parliament six months after the presentation of the main budget for that fiscal year.

The mid-year budget review was originally scheduled for Thursday 27th July, but was shifted to Tuesday, July 25, before it was moved again to 31st July. 

Some NDC MPs say the constant changing of the date for the presentation is due to Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s inability to massage figures to suit a certain narrative. 

They describe the continuous change in the date as untenable. 

The NDC MP for Bunkprugu, Abdnego Bandim said the government is attempting to use the delay to deceive Ghanaians. 

https://myjoyonline.com/sick-economy-cause-of-ofori-attas-constant-rescheduling-of-mid-year-budget-presentation-minority/

“They are giving us reasons that are not tenable. They are giving us different dates because their figures are not right. We believe that the economy is in a bad state and the economy is sick.”

“Things are not right so they have to massage figures and come. So, that is why they keep rescheduling the dates for the mid-year budget review presentation.”

Also, NDC MP for Anlo, Richard Kwame Sefe, said the Finance Minister does not take Ghanaians seriously. 

This according to him, is the reason for the constant rescheduling.

“They are confused.  When they chose the first date which is July 27, the Speaker advised that because of other pending equally important engagements he would like that they take that today [Tuesday], and we all agreed and we were later told it is going to be done on Thursday, and they brought it back to today [Tuesday], and now they have shifted it to July 31.”