Government will ensure fiscal discipline in 2020 – Ken Ofori Atta

Government has given a strong indication that it will not indulge in excessive spending in 2020 notwithstanding it being an election year, ABC News can report.

Ghana’s successive governments over the years tend to spend outside their budgets in election years owing to the expensive nature of the country’s electoral process and activities.

But reading the 2020 Budget statement in Parliament Wednesday, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta said in spite of government’s commitment to ensuring that the Electoral Commission is not starved during the election year, it will ensure fiscal discipline.

“I would like to take this opportunity to inform this august House on behalf of the President that all the needed resources required shall be marshaled for the Electoral Commission to ensure that we have credible, free and fair elections.  Ghana remains one of the most stable and peaceful countries in the world and we intend to maintain it that way.

“In spite of the year being an election year, Mr. Speaker, let me repeat that President Akufo-Addo and his Government will ensure that the perennial excessive spending during such periods, will not happen in 2020.  We shall work within the 2020 appropriated resource envelop and adhere to the Fiscal Responsibility Act to maintain fiscal discipline,” he stated.