Ato Forson Kicks Against Parliament Considering New Deals That Will Hinder Mahama: “No Way”
- Minority leader Cassiel Ato Forson has argued against Parliament approving a number of new agreements
- He said some of the deals would negatively hamper the budget of the incoming John Mahama administration
- The Speaker of Parliament had urged MPs to prioritise key business because of the limited days left in the year
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Minority leader Cassiel Ato Forson has argued against Parliament approving several new deals that could impact the national purse.
Speaking on the floor, Forson said some of the deals would negatively hamper the incoming John Mahama administration's budget.
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He expressed reservations about some matters for consideration, such as $350 million worth of tax waivers.
The minority has voiced opposition to tax waiver agreements in the past.
"It would be wrong for an outgoing government to commit an incoming government to millions of US dollars, which would put a fiscal strain on the next budget."
Forson also said such important matters would be better off handled by the next government.
The Manhyia South MP Matthew Opoku Prempeh argued similarly when he addressed the House.
He cheekily said halting non-essential business would align with the National Democratic Congress' reset agenda following their election victory.
"The new government then should come and start, and I agree. Ghanaians voted for a resetting... We should not continue with any business here."
Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adam is expected to table expenditure in advance of appropriation for January to March 2025 tomorrow.
House Speaker Alban Bagbin had urged MPs to prioritise key business because of the limited time available for business.
According to parliamentary observer Odekro, the budget for the first quarter of 2025, the third reading of the Environmental Protection Bill, and the Ghana Boundary Commission Bill were atop the list of priorities.
Previous impasse in Parliament
YEN.com.gh also previously reported that Parliament had been at an impasse for the past two months, which halted government business.
It started after Bagbin declared some seats vacant because their parliamentarians were contesting the 2024 election on a different ticket.
He also followed the precedent set by previous Speaker Aaron Mike Oquaye, who declared a seat vacant in 2020 under similar conditions.
However, Bagbin faced a boycott from Majority MPs and the Supreme Court ruled against the Speaker's actions being allowed to stand.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
