Parliament approves 2022 Budget
Parliament has quashed the earlier rejection of the 2022 Budget and voted to now approve the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of government.
The first deputy speaker Joseph Osei Owusu who presided over sitting says the decision taken by the house last Friday in rejecting the 2022 budget is not valid because it did not satisfy the standing orders provision that mandates one-half of members to be present to take such decisions.
The speaker explained that his presence in the Chamber today (30 November) brought the total number to 138 and enough to take a decision because he is a sitting member of parliament.
The Minority boycotted today’s sitting. The Speaker explained that not all 138 members present were mandated to support a motion but the majority to ensure its passage.
The Majority side had earlier accused the Speaker of the House, Alban Bagbin for acting in breach of the 1992 Constitution after the Speaker claimed that 137 Members of Parliament had taken a decision to reject the budget – an act that fails the constitutional requirement of 138 MPs present in the House before a decision can be made.
Today’s sitting was delayed by hours of meetings between the Majority and Minority leadership aimed at exploring how to cure the unconstitutionality committed by Speaker Bagbin and the 137 MPs.
Upon a motion by Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, and a vote by the House, the Speaker ruled that the earlier decision was in error and in violation of article 104 (1) and caused it to be expunged from the record.
Parliament then proceeded to properly consider the motion on the budget and subsequently approved it.
Parliament will now consider the budget estimates in the coming weeks for specific sectors of the economy before the appropriation bill will be passed to give the government the green light to spend according to monies appropriated in the budget.
Finance Minister Ken ofori-Atta in winding up the debate highlighted how government will accommodate the concerns raised by the Minority in the approval of estimates, revenue bills and appropriation.
Source: Asaaseradio
