The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, is set to request for GHS27. 4 billion for 2021 1st quarter expenditure.
This was captured in Parliament’s Order Paper for today, October 28, 2020.
The Finance Minister is to ask Parliament to approve “by resolution, the withdrawal of the sum of twenty-seven billion, four hundred and thirty-four million, one hundred and eighty thousand, five hundred and twenty Ghana cedis (GHS27,434,180,520.00) from the Consolidated Fund.â€
“This is for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government in respect of the period expiring three months from the beginning of the financial year or on the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act in respect of the 2021 financial year.â€
The Minority in Parliament has cautioned the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta ahead of the 1st quarter budget presentation today.
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has asked the Minister not to hide behind Covid-19 to present any reckless and irresponsible expenditure.
"We look forward to the Minister appearing before parliament arguably or probably for his last time, we are also confident that His Excellency John Mahama will appoint a new Finance Minister who will oversee the transition in January to March before he presents his first major budget. He would be inheriting very fractured and fragile economy and my expectation is for the Minister to be candid, he will seek and attempt to hide behind Covid for very reckless and irresponsible expenditure which does not respect any rule of prudence and discipline."
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, will today October 28 present to parliament the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation for January 1, 2021, to March 31, 2021.