Parliament approves Appropriation Bill, 2021

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Accra, Dec.18 GNA-Parliament on Friday night approved the Appropriation Bill, 2021 to give the government the permission to go ahead and spend an amount of GH₵145.

5 billion to finance its operations.

The amount not exceeding GH145.5 billion should be authorized from the Consolidated Fund and other public funds to finance government operations for the financial year from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022.

The passage of the Bill is in accordance with article 106 (13) of the 1992 Constitution and order 119 of the Standing Orders of the House.

Mrs Abena Osei-Asare, Deputy Minister of Finance, moved the motion on the Bill as it went through various stages for the consideration of the House.

Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Ranking Member on Finance, in seconding the motion, explained that the sum of GH145.5 billion, being requested by the Minister of Finance, was different from the GH₵137 total expenditure in the budget.

He clarified that the GH₵7. 9 billion for amortization and GH₵1.9 billion for arrears clearance when added to the GH₵137 total government expenditure gives the total appropriation.

He said the appropriation was only the summation of all the estimates that the House had approved and that the Ministry of Finance was being given the permission to spend up to the amount the legislature would approve.

Dr Forson warned that if the Ministry of Finance exceeded the appropriation, the Public Financial Management Act had sanctions that the Minister of Finance would have to face.

He further cautioned that if the government failed to raise revenue then they had no option but to cut expenditure or borrow for funding government expenditure.

He insisted that the approval of the appropriation did not mean the House had approved Electronic Transaction Levy or any other tax measures.

“Mr Speaker, let me put on record that the approval of the appropriation does not mean we have approved the Electronic Transaction Levy (E- Levy) or any other tax measure. “It is only the approval of expenditure to the tune of GH₵145.5 billion,” he added.

Dr Forson also maintained that the Minority side supported the approval of the appropriation so that the government would not come to a standstill.

“I do not believe we should have a fiscal cliff in this economy. I believe that the appropriation must go through with the caveat that if they failed to raise the needed revenue, the Minister for Finance has an option to cut the expenditure he deems fit,” he said.

GNA

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