Accra, March 19, GNA-Parliament, by a majority vote, Friday approved the 2021 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government, for the year ending 31st December, 2021.
Out of the 275-member House, 137 voted aye and 134 nay after the results of a voice vote, in favour of ayes was challenged by Deputy Minority Leader James Klutse Avedzi.
Mr Avedzi’s application, supported by Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, was sought when the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, was chairing proceedings.
However, before the First Deputy Speaker would rule on the application, Speaker Alban Bagbin, assumed the chair and granted the application.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minister of State, representing the President at the Ministry of Finance, on Friday, 12th March 2021, moved the motion for the debate on the Budget Statement, and was seconded on Tuesday, 16th March 2021 by Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, Minister for Information and MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi,
The 2021 Budget, which is themed, “Economic Revitalisation through Completion, Consolidation & Continuity”, seeks to carefully balance fiscal consolidation and facilitate the recovery of our economy following the pandemic.
There were heated debated on the statement for more than three days by the respective sides at the plenary, which were finally closed by the Minority and Deputy Majority Leaders, Mr Haruna Iddrisu and Mr Alexander Affenyo-Markin, respectively.
The Minority Side managed to push the voting to head counts but lost it to the Majority by three votes as three of their members were not at the plenary to vote on Friday, 19th March, 2021.
At the end of the head count, Speaker Bagbin announced that the ayes had 137 and Nays had 134 votes.
The motion was accordingly adopted and carried out.
Closing the debates, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu accused the Government of misreporting some of the economic figures.
He said: “We note that for the 2019 fiscal year Government reported a fiscal deficit of 4.8% of GDP. Whilst at the same time as confirmed by the IMF in their April 2020 staff report a fiscal deficit of 7.5% of GDP.
“This means an amount of about GHS8.2billion was concealed from our expenditure framework”.
He called for more clarity on the one per cent increase in the National Health Insurance Service Levy, and other taxes introduced in the 2021 Budget as one per cent increase in VAT flat rate, Betting and gaming levy, Energy Sector Levy of 20 pesewas per litre on fuel, review of road tolls, Sanitation and Pollution Levy and Financial Sector cleanup levy.
The Minority Leader, who is also MP for Tamale South Constituency, vowed to reject them if the details were not provided.
However, Mr Affenyo-Markin, Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Effutu Constituency, standing in for the Majority Leader, thumbed-up the Government for successfully implementing some its flagship programmes such as the One District One Factory (IDIF), Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), and supplying Ghanaians of free water and electricity during COVID-19 period.
GNA