Ofori-Atta says he will start spending on 2024 budget despite non-approval from parliament – Bright Simons

The Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Bright Simons, has said the minister of finance says he will defy parliament and start spending on the 2024 budget despite its non-approval.

According to Bright Simons, he wonders if the International Monetary Fund wants to keep financing a program that does not have due consensus on a national level.

He wrote on X: “Ghana's Finance Minister says he will defy Parliament & start spending on the budget despite the Speaker's position that the budget has not been approved. Well, so long as the IMF is fine to keep funding a program of this scale with ZERO NATIONAL CONSENSUS, why be conciliatory?”

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, on November 29, 2023, said he is confident that per the proceedings in parliament, the 2024 budget has been approved.

According to him, it was very clear that there was a clear approval of the budget when the Speaker initiated a voice count.

He said after the Majority staged a walk-out in parliament during the approval of the budget: “We all heard the Speaker. And it was very clear that the Is have it. I think the Is have it.”

The MPs on the Majority side of parliament staged a walkout over a disagreement on how to vote on the approval of the 2024 budget.

Ghana's Finance Minister says he will defy Parliament & start spending on the budget despite the Speaker's position that the budget has not been approved. Well, so long as the IMF is fine to keep funding a program of this scale with ZERO NATIONAL CONSENSUS, why be conciliatory? pic.twitter.com/WSkjfNYydl

— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) December 3, 2023