For the purposes of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of Government from
January to March 2021 after the conduct of the impending general elections in December this year, the
Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has requested Parliament to approve a little
over 27 Billion Cedis in advance of Appropriation.
Making the request on the Floor of Parliament on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 on behalf of the
President, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, informed the keepers of the purse of state to approve the
said amount for the first quarter budget in accordance with Article 180 of the 1992 Constitution, and in
line with Standing Order 145 of Parliament.
“I beg to move that this Honorable House approves by resolution the withdrawal of the sum of twenty-
Seven Billion, Four Hundred and Thirty Four Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred
and Twenty Ghana Cedis (GHC 27,434,180,520) from the Consolidated Fund for the purpose of meeting
expenditure necessary to carry on the services of Government in respect of the period expiring three
months of the Financial or on the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act in respect of the 2021
Financial Year,” he said.
The Finance Minister told Parliament that, not only has the Akufo-Addo led Government turned the
economy around through hard work and innovative policies, but through the implementation of
innovative policies, have restored macroeconomic stability, promoted inclusive growth and transformed
lives of millions of Ghanaians.
“Mr. Speaker, some 1.2 million Ghanaians are in Senior High School, almost 3 million of our children are
in the school feeding programme. We are exporting food through the Planting for Food and Jobs
Programme and 1D1F is generating jobs all around,” he said.
Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta took potshots at the else while NDC administration led by Former President John
Dramani Mahama, whom he accused of running down the economy and bequeathing a weakened
economy to the Akufo-Addo Government to fix.
The Former President who is making a comeback at the Presidency after losing the Office to the current
President in the 2016 elections, is also on record to have accused the current Government of running
down the economy his administration left behind and ballooning the country’s debt portfolio. And that
Ghana was back to the status of debt unsustainability as in the HIPC times.
In a response, the Finance Minister said, “HIPC is behind us. Economic mismanagement is behind us. The
economy is stronger today than it was 4 years ago, and will continue to grow stronger and stronger with
4 more years to do more for the people of Ghana.”
Source: Clement Akoloh
