Despite a motion of censure against him, the minority in parliament has promised that it will participate fully in the presentation of the 2023 budget by the finance minister today, November 24, 2022.
The organization asserts that despite its lack of faith in the Minister, it will attend the budget presentation to make sure the nation is not brought to its knees.
On the heels of efforts by the minority MPs to have the Minister removed due to what they claim is his poor management of the economy, the minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, talked to press on Wednesday.
"An irresponsible Minority probably must run, will run, and won't necessarily put the country to a halt. But our body language will be decided by how we see how our counterparts on the opposite side stand and behave. We are focusing on the content rather than the format because workers will need to be paid from a budget and the private sector will need to be guaranteed from a budget. The Minority leader added, "But we know that, we have no faith in the Minister for Finance.
The caucus said in a separate statement that it would oppose any budgetary measures it deemed to be "draconian" in 2023.
The necessity of "dramatic reduction in non-essential Government expenditures and more cautious use of finite national resources" was reiterated.
The statement said, "We have also called for greater accountability and transparency in public financial management."
The Minority stated that it anticipates that its recommendations "find expression in the budget and mark a shift in direction by the failed Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Government."
The budget is released as the government works to negotiate an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial assistance.
The 2023 Budget, according to the Finance Ministry, would be centered on the Government's initiatives to strengthen resilience, encourage inclusive growth, and repair and stabilize the macroeconomy.
The ministry added that it will include updates on Ghana's interaction with the IMF for a program that is being supported by the IMF, the economy's year-to-date macrofiscal performance, the YouStart initiative under the Ghana CARES Programme, strategies for addressing climate change, fiscal measures, and debt management plans, all of which are intended to ensure fiscal and debt sustainability and foster growth.
In light of Ghana's economic problems, both parties in parliament have asked for the Finance Minister's resignation.