The Majority and the Minority leaders in Parliament on Sunday, March 15 reignited discussions on the completion of projects that have been left uncompleted in previous regimes.

The two leaders stated that the issue of development projects being abandoned by successive governments was a thorny issue that has cost the nation fortunes.

They also suggested a resolution that will be beneficial to all.

At the beginning of a 2-day post-2021 budget workshop for MPs underway in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital, the 2 leaders from the opposing political parties, expressed the need for a national conversation on how to ensure that these discontinued projects are completed.

The workshop on the theme: “Economic Revitalization through Completion, Consolidation, and Continuity”, would allow the Members of Parliament (MPs) to share thoughts with experts on key aspects of the 2021 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana and its policy intent.

The Budget Statement was presented to the nation through the Parliament of Ghana by the caretaker Finance Minister, who is also the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on Friday, March 12, 2021.

This workshop is expected to create an opportunity for the MPs to discuss the key points for promoting national development.

It will also provide the MPs with the knowledge to make meaningful contributions to the debate on the 2021 Budget Statement by Parliament which begins on Tuesday, March 2021.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu who is also MP for Tamale South Constituency reminded the gathering of a national policy decision to complete standing projects.

He suggested that they should include projects by previous governments inherited by opposing political parties.

He suggested that projects should not be initiated if the needed funding for the entire project was unavailable.

“No projects should come up unless it is supported by adequate monetary and material provisions," said the Minority Leader said and further asking for sanctions to be applied to government officials who start a project but did not see through their completion.

Responding to his statement, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu attributed part of the problem of not completing previous projects to interferences by party foot-soldiers.

According to the Majority Leader, some of these foot-soldiers put pressure on current governments not to continue with projects from previous governments as they believe their parties would not be credited for the projects.

Every party, he indicated, would therefore want to initiate its projects during their term of office, some of which might not be completed during the 4-year period.

Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Effutu, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin entreated the participants to make contributions on the Budget Statement needed to pass the litmus test to ensure that it is transparent, accountable, and responsive to national goals.