Mid-year Budget Review: Avoid Populist Vote-Buying Gimmicks – Minority To NPP

The Minority in Parliament has cautioned the ruling NPP to ensure that the mid-year budget review is devoid of populist vote-buying gimmicks.

According to the Minority, Ghanaians are expecting a realistic mid-year budget that will address hardships they are being forced to endure under the NPP government.

The Minority's call is ahead of the presentation of government's mid-year budget review on Monday [July 22, 2019].

In a press statement signed by the Minority spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority called on the Government and the Finance Ministry to desist from any form of propaganda during the mid-year budget review.

“Ghanaians are expecting a realistic Mid-year budget that will address the hardships they are currently facing and not the announcement of populist vote buying gimmicks. Our position remains that you can do all the propaganda about cosmetic deficit numbers, but the public debt will expose you.”

The Minority in Parliament is also demanding the removal of the luxury vehicle tax which it deems as “economically inefficient.”

“Ghanaians expect the outright withdrawal/removal of the economically inefficient luxury vehicle tax,” the Minority said in a statement.

The levy was introduced during the 2018 midyear budget review, which took effect in August 2018 despite opposition from various groups.

Mid-year budget date changed

Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta is expected in Parliament on Monday, July 22 to present the 2019 mid-year review and supplementary budget.

The mid-year budget review was initially expected to take place on July 17, but it is unclear the reason for the change in dates.

The Minister is enjoined by the Public Financial Management Act to present a mid-year review to Parliament six months after the presentation of the main budget for the fiscal year.

The Minister in a press briefing last week had hinted that the review is to announce new tax measures such as a review of the controversial tax on luxury vehicles announced last year.

—citinewsroom