The approval of the 2024 budget has been rescheduled to Monday, December 4, 2023. This was under the directive of the Speaker of Parliament, Albert Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
The Speaker’s decision follows the abandonment of sitting by the Majority caucus on Thursday, November 30.
Parliament was expected to conduct a headcount on the approval of the 2024 budget today, November 30, 2023.
Speaker Alban Bagbin on Wednesday, November 29, declared a voice vote on the approval of the budget in favour of the Majority after the conclusion of the debate.
However, the Minority caucus challenged the ruling and opted for a headcount, forcing the majority group to stage a walkout.
The Speaker subsequently suspended sittings and later returned to adjourn proceedings.
However, indications on the order paper of Parliament suggested that the headcount would be conducted today.
But in Parliament on Thursday, the speaker said “The 2024 budget is still before us but it has been rescheduled for Monday.”
But, the Minority has accused the Majority of running away from the House, saying “for the second time, they have run away…where are they?”
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, after proceedings yesterday indicated that the government has a budget despite the walkout that put the process in limbo.
Addressing the media, the Finance Minister said since the Speaker indicated that the Is have it after calling for a voice vote, it meant the budget had been approved.
“I think we have just witnessed a situation where the Minority Leader gave their closing statement, the Majority also did and then I had some concluding remarks. At the end of the day the Speaker put it to vote twice, he said that he thinks that the Is have it. So that means the budget, in my view, has been passed.
“Later there was a challenge that has not been resolved, as far as I know, and I believe we have the 2024 budget passed until such time as they resolve whenever they want to resolve. So we can all see or hear the video which will clearly show that the speaker stated after the voice declaration that the Is have it. So that is where I stand and I am pleased that the people of Ghana have the budget. As to what they will do parliamentary procedures after that is a different issue,” he stated.
Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, nonetheless countered that there was no budget and that the caucus cannot allow the budget to pass since it will not auger well for Ghanaians.
“The fact remains the NPP MPs do not have the members to approve their own budget. We cannot allow this budget to go through in its current form because the ordinary Ghanaian will suffer,” he stated.
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