The Minority Leader and his side have raised concerns about the delay in approving the budget
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has staged a protest over delays in the budget approval process, citing a lack of funds needed to operate effectively.
They have expressed strong concerns over what they describe as undue delays by the Ministry of Finance in releasing funds allocated for the effective functioning of Parliament.
In a recent report by citinewsroom.com, on June 9, the lawmakers argued that the delay in passing the budget has brought government activities to a standstill, affecting various sectors.
According to the caucus, the ongoing withholding of these funds is crippling the work of parliamentary committees, preventing many from fulfilling their mandates due to insufficient financial resources.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, expressed frustration over the prolonged delay, stating that it is unacceptable for the government to expect Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to function without approved funds.
Raising the issue on the floor of the House on Friday, June 7, Dominic Nitiwul, Chairman of the Assurances Committee and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, urged the finance minister to expedite the release of the necessary funds to support parliamentary work.
“Parliament is now literally begging for money to enable its committees to function. As a committee chair, I couldn’t access funds to carry out our duties. We had a scheduled workshop, but not even a cedi was released. Members across committees are fully aware that there is no money. Why aren’t we demanding that the finance minister release the funds?” he questioned, highlighting the need for timely budget approval.
The Minority Caucus is calling for the government to take swift action on the budget, ensuring that MDAs can access the funds needed to carry out their mandates.
However, the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, dismissed these claims, insisting that Parliament is not facing a financial crisis.
“They are alleging that Parliament is struggling to do what? As Members of Parliament, our salaries and allowances have been paid. The finance minister has released funds, and no one has officially raised concerns about not being paid,” he countered.
NAD/AE
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