Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to present before Parliament the 2023 Annual Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government today, Thursday, November 24, 2022.

This is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

Ahead of the presentation, the Ministry of Finance said the budget would focus “on Government’s strategies to restore and stabilize the macro economy, build resilience, and promote inclusive growth and value creation”.

It added that the budget would feature updates on Ghana’s engagement with the IMF for an IMF-supported Programme; year-to-date macro-fiscal performance of the economy; the YouStart initiative under the Ghana CARES Programme; climate action strategies; fiscal measures and debt management strategies to ensure fiscal and debt sustainability and promote growth.

Earlier, some 98 NPP MPs in Parliament held a press conference to demand the dismissal of Ofori-Atta and threatened to boycott the presentation of the 2023 Budget if the Minister remains in office.

However, the New Patriotic Party’s executives held a meeting on Tuesday, November 22 to urge the NPP MPs to stand down on their demand to boycott the budget and the dismissal of Ofori-Atta.

According to an NPP communique signed by the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, and the NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the party has resolved that the President will act on the earlier demands of the MPs after the 2023 Budget has been read and appropriated.

“In the meantime, the Leadership of the Parliamentary group and the Leadership of the Party counseled the Honourable Members of the Parliamentary Party to resort to the Caucus communications channels and, to the largest extent possible, work together as one Caucus unit,” the statement read.

In view of this, the NPP MPs have rescinded their decision to be absent from the Chamber when Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta presents the budget.