2023 Budget: Ofori-Atta has nothing to offer – NDC MP

Dominic Napare, Member of Parliament for Sene East, has stated that his colleagues on the Minority side of Parliament should not expect much from the November 24 budget presentation by Ken Ofori-Atta, the embattled finance minister.

According to him, the presentation will be the same old presentation from the minister which will not offer real solutions to the economic challenges Ghanaians are facing.

He told Accra-based TV3, “The Minister of Finance has nothing to offer. If you remember, in the previous two or three budgets he read, we indicated that it was not going to end anywhere and we have been proven right because things are getting worse over the day.

“Very characteristic of him, he doesn’t paint the true records of the economy of the country and so we keep complaining about the figures he presents. The state of the economy appears as if the economy is good meanwhile the economy is bad. This is what he has been doing and we think this is what he is coming to do."

Napare continued: “We don’t expect anything new from him and our position has been buttressed by the Majority side who are also saying that they don’t have any confidence in him.

“Even though we said it is Ken Ofori-Atta, it is not only him because it is not an individual who prepares the budget, it is a team, so it is the entire team that we don’t have confidence in.

“Because [Ofori-Atta] is leading, he is the one who takes the decision, he is the head of the team that is why we are singling him out for responsibility.”

Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to present the budget statement in Parliament on Thursday, November 24.

GhanaWeb has gathered that the Minister risks meeting an empty Parliament when he appears in the House.

According to sources, both majority and minority MPs are likely to absent themselves, which will make it impossible for the minister to present the budget because there will be a lack of quorum as required by the Constitution.

Some 98 NPP MPs insist that they will boycott the budget presentation if the minister in particular appears before the House.

“We’ve gone back to (our demand for the President to) sack him now and therefore should the budget be presented under the stamp of the Finance Minister, we’ll not participate because as far as we’re concerned we’re never going to do business with him," Andy Appiah-Kubi said.

The Asante Akim North MP further explained on JoyNews’ PM Express programme on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, that they will only participate in the budget presentation and appropriation if the President appoints someone else other than Ken Ofori-Atta to present the budget.

“We’re not saying we won’t do the President’s business. We’re saying we won’t do President’s business through Ofori-Atta. So if anybody else comes with President’s business, we’ll participate,” Appiah-Kubi stated.



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