As long as Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta continues to negotiate for financial support with the International Monetary Fund, the introduction of the 2023 budget is likely to be postponed.
According to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the majority leader and minister for parliamentary affairs, this is the case.
He claims that the presentation, which was initially scheduled for November 15, will now happen at a later time to give the Finance Minister time to wrap up the negotiations.
“As you do know, the Public Financial Act provides that the budget should be presented to the House latest by (the) 15th of this month (November). The discussions that are going on now involving the IMF, I think it is going to take a little bit of a while.
“My understanding is that it (the discussion) will go into the first few days of next week, around the 10th or so. If that is the case, we then have to strand out the conclusions and factor them into the budget.
“After we have succeeded in doing that because it is a budget for government it will have to go before cabinet for some discussions, integration and maybe additions and subtractions before it comes ultimately to parliament.
“I believe it is going to be quite difficult to submit to the 15th (November) deadline,” he said will address the press at Parliament on Thursday, November 3, 2022.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame said this while addressing a press conference held on Thursday November 3, 2022.
The Majority leader however stated that failure to present the budget to Parliament after the November 15 deadline will not be a breach of the 1992 Constitution.
Although he did provide a new date for the presentation to take place, Osei Kyei Mensah said government will need “some space to be able to do a tidy work”.