Parliament endorses 2021 budget

With a majority decision of 137 to 134, Parliament on Friday approved the 2021 Budget after four days of heated debate in the House.

This has paved the way for the government to spend GH¢113.75 billion to implement its policies and programmes this year.

The amount is equivalent to 26.2 per cent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the 2021 financial year.

The approval came via head count that saw the Majority side of the House having their way.

On March 12, this year, the acting Minister of Finance, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Majority Leader, presented the 2021 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to the House and moved a motion for the approval of the budget.

It was seconded by the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.

Debate

Prior to the approval, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, and the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, took their turns to debate the motion, which started on March 16, 2021.

Soon after the debate, the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, who was presiding, put the motion to a voice vote.

The Speaker told the House that the “Ayes” vote from the Majority side had it and the motion had been adopted (budget approved) but the Minority challenged the ruling by the Speaker and called for a headcount vote.

Objecting the ruling, the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr James Klutse Avedzi, cited Order 113 which states that: “When a question has been put by the Speaker at the conclusion of a debate, votes shall be taken by voices “Ayes” and “No”, provided that Mr Speaker may in his discretion instead of declaring the result on the voice votes call for a headcount.”

He also stated that Order 113 (2) stipulates that: “A member may call for head count or division if the opinion of Mr Speaker on the voice vote is challenged.”

“Mr Speaker, I am therefore challenging your ruling and I am calling for a headcount,” he asserted.