Debate on 2016 budget begins today

Members of Parliament (MPs) will begin deliberating on the 2016 budget statement and financial policy of government from Wednesday, November 25.

Leadership of the House will be given 20 minutes each to make statements on the budget, TV3 gathers.

Members, on the other hand, will have a maximum of 10 minutes each to make their comments.

‘Dead goat budget’

The 2016 budget statement was delivered in Parliament on Friday, November 13, a timing which was heavily criticised by the Minority Leader.

The budget was themed ‘Consolidating progress towards a brighter medium-term’.

After Finance Minister Seth Terkper finished reading the budget, members of the Minority waved sheets on which were written ‘Dead Goat Budget’.

“[Terkper’s] presentation was full of perspiration with very little inspiration,” their leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, said in secondment to a motion moved to postpone debate.

A workshop has been held to train MPs on the entire budget but the Minority is expected to grill the statement following comments by President John Mahama last week that they sleep in the House.

This will be the first bi-partisan debate after the president’s comments.