On Thursday, February 16, 2023, Ken Ofori-Atta, minister of finance, will provide a policy brief to parliament on the domestic debt exchange programme (DDEP).
The briefing is in response to the Speaker's request to the Business Committee on Tuesday to schedule the minister's appearance and DDEP briefing for House members.
The House leadership had engaged him, according to Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the deputy majority leader, who today informed Parliament of this.
He informed the House that "the minister" had "stated that he had committed to an earlier engagement on behalf of the government on the aforementioned Tuesday."
When he delivered the financial statement for the upcoming week ending on Friday, February 17, 2023, Mr. Afenyo-Markin made this disclosure.
The Business Committee previously planned for the minister to testify before the House on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
Directive
Last Tuesday, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of the House, gave the Business Committee instructions to arrange for the Finance Minister to address the House and update members on DDEP matters.
He said that the briefing was required because Parliament was always willing to help the government escape that "quagmire."
The Speaker said, "This is a very serious subject, especially when it comes to dealing with old people; if seniors are picketing at the Finance Ministry, we need to accomplish this as soon as possible."
MPs' worries
After certain Minority MPs voiced their concerns following the presentation of the business statement for the week by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, vice chair of the Business Committee, Mr. Bagbin issued the instruction.
First, despite the intense public interest in the continuing DDEP that the government was pursuing, North Tongu MP for the National Democratic Congress Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had told the House that it never found room in the business statement.
He recalled how the Association of Individual Bondholders had sent a petition to the leadership of the Parliament during the break, and how bondholders had demonstrated outside the Ministry of Finance.
He claimed that these events had greatly increased worry among Ghanaians, who were worried about their assets and life savings.
Not briefed
The Ministry of Finance is moving on with its implementation as a requirement of the IMF programme, according to Mr. Ablakwa, despite the fact that the House has not been briefed on or discussed the programme.
The North Tongu MP also called attention to the fact that the Finance Minister had promised lawmakers at the presentation of the 2023 budget that the specifics of the DDEP would be made public as soon as possible and that the investor community had been consulted.
"Mr. Speaker, this interaction has not occurred; neither have MPs or individual bondholders been involved.
In fact, the President had guaranteed Ghanaians a few days before the announcement that bondholders would be excluded, but now everyone who was told they would be excused has been.
To discuss and reach to an agreement on the nature of this DDEP and its full effects on the economy and the populace, he said, "the Finance Minister must come and inform us.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0