The more than 80 MPs belonging to the majority caucus who had earlier threatened to boycott Parliament if Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta appears to deliver the 2023 budget statement, have finally changed their minds.
The ‘rebel’ MPs are said to have come to a decision to change their minds after a crunch meeting held with the hierarchy of the NPP last night.
A meeting between the lawmakers and leaders of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, was held on November 23 at which a number of agreements were reached.
The main points are that the Minister will be supported in presenting the budget and seeing through its appropriation as well as be allowed to see through the current phase of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, IMF.
After the crunch meeting, a statement co-signed by Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh and NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong read in part: “At a meeting this evening, the 22 of November 2022, involving the Majority Caucus, the Leadership of the Party and the Council of Elders, it has been agreed by all to refocus and recline to the earlier position requested by the President.”
The three broad areas agreed on were as follows
- The demand be stood down until the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which would feed into the 2023 Budget;
- The presentation of the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on the 24th November 2022 by the Finance Minister on behalf of the President; and
- The subsequent presentation and passage of the Appropriation Bill
“The meeting agreed that the President would act upon the initial request of the NPP Parliamentary Caucus after the conclusion of these matters,” the statement added.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com