The Minority in Parliament has tagged the mid-year review and supplementary budget statement as hopeless.
Ken Ofori-Atta in his presentation announced measures aimed at stimulating the country’s economy in the midst of Covid-19.
The minister announced a reduction in Communication Service Tax from 9% to 5%. An insurance package for job losses due to the pandemic has also been announced. Again, the Government has also extended free water and electricity to all Ghanaians for another three months. In the coming weeks, the President is expected to launch a GHc100 billion Covid-19 development program for 2021 to 2023 which is targeted at supporting businesses that may have suffered from the coronavirus pandemic.
But in a reaction, the NDC MPs accused the minister of presenting NPP’s 2021 manifesto under the guise of a mid-year budget review.
Bolgatanga Central MP Isaac Adongo said the entire presentation by the Finance Minister was very disappointing and a clever attempt by the government to steal huge sums of money from the state.
“When you put the finances in the hands of people who are clever thieves that is what you see today. I felt very sad sitting there and listening to the minister and with my professional eyes, seeing the attempts to plunder away and steal our national resources and finding a way to cover for it.”
“How on earth can you be coming for 11.8 billion and you don’t know what you are going to use it for. He is now going to sleep over it and think about the lie that he will come and tell the Finance committee but as at the time he was coming here today he only had an expenditure of 5.3 billion but the minister is asking for 11. 8 billion cedis,” He quizzed.
