The main opposition, National Democratic Congress says the party should not be blamed for the rejection of the 2022 budget.
According to the NDC, the Minority disapproved of the budget to afford the government some time to examine it thoroughly to alleviate Ghanaians of the economic difficulties they are going through as a result of the poor management of the economy by the government.
Despite the majority boycotting the debate on the budget on last Friday, the speaker of the house Rt Hon Alban Bagbin proceeded with the business of the house and rejected the budget after all the Minority members of parliament said no by voice vote.
However, the majority insists that the motion for the approval of the budget still holds arguing that the speaker together with the members of the Minority broke provisions of the constitution and standing Orders of the house.
The majority is of the view that the budget was intentionally rejected in order to obstruct the government's business.
However, the General Secretary of the main opposition NDC ,Johnson Asiedu Nketiah disagrees with the members of the majority.
"We are actually helping the government. Government is not a human being, it is made up of appointees, so we are helping the government to know the mistakes the appointees are committing so that we can together correct the mistakes. So, if a budget is approved, we are able to ensure that, that budget is going to work in the interest of the taxpayer. So if anybody says that, because we have rejected the budget, we are frustrating the government business, they should go and ask the US how many times their budget has not been rejected”, he said.
Parliament on last Friday turned down a plea by the Minister for Finance, Hon Ken Ofori Atta to meet with the leadership of the house before the approval of the budget
In respect of this, the NDC thinks to not make fiscal policies of the government unfunctional following the rejection of the budget, the Finance Minister could employ the parliamentary provision which permits a vote of account if he is not able to make the necessary amendments for the approval of the budget when the house sits next time on Tuesday, 30 November, 2021.
"We have rules that provide that when the Finance Minister, realizes any point in time that, the appropriation act cannot be done before the beginning of the year, he can come for a vote of account in a form of advance. So if he thinks he cannot correct the budget and get it approved before January, he can come through with a vote of account, and it can be granted for three months up until March and there will be sufficient time to correct what is wrong with the budget”, he suggested.
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