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Parliament approves supplementary budget
Accra, Aug. 27, Ghanadot/GNA
- Parliament on Thursday approved a total of GH¢252,790,947
as Supplementary Budget for 2009 laid before it last Tuesday
by Dr Kwabena Duffour, Minister of Finance and Economic
Planning.
The debate that ensued before its approval lasted for almost
six hours as members from both sides disagreed on some items
in the Budget Statement.
Mr James Klutse Avedzi, Chairman of Finance Committee, who
presented the report said there had been consistent
reduction on import duty exemptions for the past six months,
which yielded GH¢180.2 million, as against an estimate of GH¢209.1
million.
He said government had also tasked the Customs, Excise and
Preventive Service (CEPS), Value Added Tax (VAT) Service and
the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) to put up
measures that would increase revenue through reduction in
tax exemptions.
The Chairman said government had revived the economy through
prudent measures such as exemptions and reduction of
imports, which had equipped local industry and stabilized
the Cedi for the past months.
Dr Anthony Akoto-Osei, Ranking Member on Finance, stated
that the Minister was not fair to the previous government by
using phrases such as “the NPP government ran down the
economy” among other allegations.
He said when the NPP government took over in 2001, inflation
was 50 per cent and as at the time the party left office, it
went down to 18 per cent, while minimum wage, which was 42
pesewas, went up to GH¢2.20.
Mr Moses Asaga, Member for Nabdam said depreciation of the
Cedi against the dollar that galloped at the beginning of
the year had stabilized due partly to the NDC government
prudent management of the economy.
He said subsidies for fertilizers for farmers in the country
served as a good platform for farmers to improve on their
production, while 43 dams were also being constructed in the
three northern regions.
Mr Ernest Debra, Member for Tano North refuted the claims
that the subsidies on fertilizers were instituted by the NDC
government stating “I was the Minister for Food and
Agriculture when we instituted 50 percent subsidies for
fertilizers and I wonder why you should arrogate such an
important feat to yourselves”.
He said it was also unfair for the NDC government to claim
credit for revamping the Aveyime and Nasia rice farms, when
it was a fact that NPP administration “repackaged” those
areas before leaving office.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority leader, said he did not
understand why government should claimed to be performing
better when salaries of Ministers have not been paid and
District Assembly Common Fund have been slashed.
He appealed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning
to subsequently use an acceptable language that would
isolate his presentations from real political rhetoric.
Mr Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader, said the NPP was also
claiming to have performed creditably well in their first
year in government, because Dr Kwabena Duffuor, who is the
current Minister of Finance was then the Governor of Bank of
Ghana.
He commended members for rigorously debating the issue in
the interest and betterment of the country and hoped that
subsequent issues would receive similar support.
GNA
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