Minority introduces bill to tighten fiscal discipline in Ghana 

Ayirebi Constituency, the objective of the Bill was to curb unplanned and discretionary spending that falls outside the country's strategic development agenda.

He said: “This amendment seeks to deny the Ministry of Finance the opportunity to fund such projects and programmes. This is separate from contingencies or emergencies that may arise.

“But for regular programmes and projects that have not been included in the strategic plan of the MMDA or the MDA to get certification, the object of this amendment bill is to deny funding for it until such a time that it is captured and certified as part of the National Development Planning Commission's (NDPC) programme.”

Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, the Clerk to Parliament, said: “As we deliberate on this bill, let’s focus on aligning our national budget with Ghana’s development aspirations, as outlined in Chapter 6 of the Constitution.”

Mr. Camillo Pwamang, the Deputy Clerk to Parliament in charge of Legislative Management Services, said the proposed amendment would also ensure that annual progress reports on development programmes are published before the issuance of expenditure warrants.

He said: “By amending the PFM Act, the bill would, among other things, make development plans duly approved by the NDPC the mandatory basis for the preparation of the annual budget.

“It also requires the publication of annual progress reports as a precondition for the inclusion of estimates in the budget and for the issuance of expenditure warrants.”

---GNA