The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has issued a stern warning against further delays in the presentation of the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation for January to March 2025 by the Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam.
The warning comes after the Finance Minister failed to present the document to Parliament on December 19 for consideration and approval.
The Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation, once approved, will allocate funding for government operations during the first quarter of 2025.
Members of the Minority have expressed concerns, accusing the government of intentionally delaying the submission of the document. They argue that the delay could disrupt parliamentary processes and government operations.
In response, the Second Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, assured the House that the mini-budget would be presented as planned on Friday, December 22.
Speaker Bagbin emphasized the importance of timely approval of the mini-budget to avoid disruptions to the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
He called on parliamentarians to collaborate effectively to ensure the swift passage of the document.
“I don’t want us to come on [Friday, December 19], and we are told that I don’t have the authority to do one or two things because you are the same leaders who said you don’t want us to sit on Saturday.
“So if we don’t do that, it means that this item might not be taken by the House before we transition to the next government.”
Source: citinewsroom.com