The Minority Caucus in Parliament has described the Mid-Year Budget Statement presented by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, as uninspiring.
The caucus also challenged the minister’s claim that funds had been released to various ministries to implement government programmes, insisting that such assertions were inaccurate.
According to the Minority, although the cedi had stabilised and macroeconomic indicators were improving, many ministers were yet to receive the funds needed to carry out government policies.
Speaking shortly after the presentation, the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said the government’s reported economic gains had not translated into better living conditions for Ghanaians.
He maintained that many citizens continued to experience hardship, while youth unemployment remained high despite the positive outlook presented by the Finance Minister.
Mr Afenyo-Markin took issue with a remark by Dr Forson that the true measure of a Finance Minister was not how much he spent.
He said that statement could create anxiety among ministers, as it suggested that funds might not be released to support their work.
“Mr Speaker, the Finance Minister has just told this House that a true character of a Finance Minister is not determined by how much he spends. I believe that such a statement must cause a palpitation among ministers of state,” he said.
He said “Mr Speaker, what he is basically telling all ministers is that he is not going to spend and release funds to them.”
The Minority Leader also accused the Finance Minister of inconsistency in figures relating to releases to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He pointed out that while Dr Forson indicated that GH¢1.1 billion had been released, his deputy, Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, had earlier stated that GH¢1.6 billion had been disbursed.
Mr Afenyo-Markin further expressed disappointment that the budget review did not outline specific policy interventions for the cocoa sector, despite the difficulties facing cocoa farmers.
“Mr Speaker, this budget review is full of English with empty payments. He said he has made some payments. Why didn’t he give us details?” he queried.
Responding to the concerns, the Majority Leader, Mr Mahama Ayariga, defended the Finance Minister, dismissing claims of inconsistency.
He explained that the GH¢1.1 billion released to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture was separate from GH¢551 million allocated for Farmer Service Centres, bringing the total to GH¢1.6 billion, as indicated by the deputy minister.
Mr Ayariga also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fiscal discipline, stating that it would avoid returning to the international capital market to borrow to finance the economy.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
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