Gabby lauds Parliament for 'swift' approval of 2023 Budget

A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Otchere-Darko, has commended Parliament over the quick decision to pass the 2023 budget.

This comment by Gabby comes after the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Government for the year ending December 31, 2023, received parliamentary approval.

On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin gave his approval via voice vote.

This was after each of the two leaders had been given about 45 minutes to conclude their debates.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, however, opposed some of the new taxes proposed and the reproduction of old taxes like the toll booth levies.

Haruna Iddrisu also kicked against the increase in the VAT rate by 2.5 and the review of the E-Levy from 1.5% to one percent (1%) of every transaction.

Read Also: 2023 Budget approved by Parliament

On the other side, the Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonso refuted of the claims made by the Minority and called for cool heads to prevail in order to support the finance minister and the Government to fully implement policy measures as captured in the budget to put the economy back on track.

Reacting to the news in a tweet, Gabby Otchere-Darko noted that, besides debt restructuring, the positive impact of the quick decision by parliament to pass the budget on the strengthening of the cedi cannot be ruled out.

“Besides debt restructuring, we can’t rule out the positive impact of the quick decision by parliament to pass the budget on the strengthening of the cedi.”

“The market reacts well to predictability, certainty & decisiveness. This attitude of parliament to the crisis is commendable!” Gabby said in a tweet.