Minority in Parliament is demanding answers from the Majority leadership on why questions programmed for the Finance Minister have not found expression in today’s order paper.
Per the week’s schedule, Ken Ofori-Atta was expected to answer 12 questions on the economy from Members of Parliament.
But the said questions have not been tabled as part of the day’s business.
Ranking Member on the Roads Committee, Kwame Agbodza is incensed over the development.
The Adaklu legislator also accused the Finance Minister of disrespecting Parliament.
The minister is evading Parliamentary questions because he has no credible answers to the questions.
He told Joy News Parliamentary correspondent, Parker Wilson that “the Finance Minister has got the worst record of a Minister appearing in Parliament to answer questions posed by members.”
“The Finance Minister from what I hear, does not appear to have any apprehension or commitment that Members of Parliament want to ask questions,” he added.
Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annor-Dompreh has been holding a brief for the Minister in question.
The Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP told Parliament says the Minister wrote to the House indicating that he will not be available today because he is still gathering facts and data on the questions asked.
In a related development, the Finance Minister is expected to address Ghanaians on specific measures taken by government to put the economy back on track today at 1:00pm.
He is expected to highlight the outcome of deliberations during the cabinet’s three-day retreat at Peduase Lodge the last weekend.
But the Adaklu MP insists that this engagement does not prevent Mr Ofori-Atta from showing up on the floor as the responses demanded by Parliament are no different from what the Minister intends to say.
“We filed the questions before he decided to speak to the media today so it couldn’t be the fact that because he is engaged today to talk about whatever he wants to talk about. Because the questions we have for him on this floor would have elicited almost all the things he wants to say at the Ministry,” he said.
He sees it as a show of disrespect adding that his side will demand answers from the Majority and leadership as to why the plan has been changed.
Some of the reliefs to be announced include reopening land borders, easing of Covid-19 restrictions, and measures to arrest the depreciating cedi.
Ghana’s current public debt stock stands at a staggering ¢341.8 billion with a corresponding debt to GDP ratio of more than 77% as of September ending 2021.
This means if the country should share this amount across the country’s 30.8 million population, everyone will owe approximately ¢11,000.
