Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has christened the 2023 Budget statement presented before Parliament on Thursday as the “ɛka mmpɛ dede” budget.
According to him, per the Finance Minister’s presentation, it is evident that the nation has been declared as a “high risk distressed country.”
“Today, Mr Speaker, we’ve heard the honourable Minister for Finance before this august House, declare Ghana a high risk distressed debt country.
“So this budget is ‘ɛka mmpɛ dede’ budget,” he said, mimicking President Akufo-Addo’s now famous “sika mmpɛ dede” dictum while praying Ghanaians to stop grumbling over rising cost of living at the general economic hardship.
In the opinion of the Minority Leader, the Minister has set the nation on course for debt restructuring.
“He [Finance Minister] has announced debt restructuring in the name of a debt exchange programe,” Mr. Iddrisu jokingly reminded the house.
After the Finance Minister’s presentation of the 2023 budget, Mr Iddrissu who believes the country has over borrowed, made the claim to express his dissatisfaction and to also criticise the Akufo-Addo-led administration.
“Mr. Speaker, my greatest expectation of the Minister, is to regularise his borrowing under the Amended Bank of Ghana Act of 2016.
“You have to come back to this house, to seek our mandate and authorisation for your excessive borrowing from the Bank of Ghana. That needs to be regularised.”
He further hinted of the dissatisfaction of NPP legislators with the 2023 budget, pointing to the Vice President’s absence from parliament during the budget presentation.
“Mr Speaker today, there’s no pump and pageantry. Even they are not happy. That explains why, Mr Speaker, he is unaccompanied. Where is the Vice President?”
He said the 2023 budget simply signals that the nation's economy is "on life support."
Notwithstanding his discontent with the budget, the Minority Leader assured the Finance Minister, that he has the support of the Members of Parliament to set the nation on the path of recovery.
“When you are on life support, two things can happen- a recovery, or the unknown. He has our prayers, that we will help him to recover the economy.”
Latest Stories
-
Shatta Movement apologises to Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled after backlash
13 mins -
Sammy Gyamfi writes: Tema-Mpakadan Railway Project; A railway line to nowhere
44 mins -
Bright Simons: Is the World Bank saving or harming Ghana?
60 mins -
CAF Cup: RS Berkane banned from entering Algeria because of a map of Morocco with its Sahara
1 hour -
The media isn’t doing what is expected of journalism – Sulemana Braimah
2 hours -
Truck driver who caused train accident jailed 6 months
2 hours -
Music review: Okyeame Kwame proves rap dexterity on ‘No Competition’
2 hours -
How a 23-year-old fooled the internet with an AI Kendrick Lamar diss track
2 hours -
No man should be intimidated by the strength of a woman – Charlotte Oduro
2 hours -
Ghana is not immune to terrorist attack – National Security
2 hours -
WAFU B U-17 Championship: Ghana drawn in Group A, face Benin and Cote d’Ivoire
3 hours -
Two hit by stray bullet as Police clash with ‘wee smokers’
3 hours -
Peter Amewu blames truck driver recklessness for train accident
3 hours -
Okyeame Kwame aims for another Artiste of the Year win after 15 years
3 hours -
NAGRAT gives government one-week ultimatum to redeem unpaid pensions for 700,000 workers
3 hours