What new 2022 Budget must contain - Ablakwa gives key 'guidelines'

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa says the 2022 Agyenkwa budget statement is not coming back to Parliament again; not in its current form though.

All 137 Minority MPs on Friday rejected the budget statement after a voice vote; in the absence of the Majority Caucus who had staged a walk-out.

The Majority has however insisted that the budget has not been rejected.

"Any decision that is taken with less than 138 people in the chamber is void. Ghanaians should disregard the claim that the budget is rejected," a source from the Majority side told Peacefmonline.com.

But in a statement posted on social media, Mr Ablakwa said:

"There can be no greater honour than doing exactly what the people who sent you to Parliament expect of you. I am absolutely proud that we successfully killed the killer budget.

"Government’s only nationalistic option is to eat humble pie, and present another budget which must be a product of broad consultation with the Ghanaian people."

Meanwhile, the North Tongu MP has suggested that for the budget to be approved, it must at least "not contain the regressive and obnoxious E-levy and the Fees & Charges 15% hike and illegal automatic adjustment based on inflation. It must also expunge Agyapa and the dubious Aker narrative.

"A new budget which makes provision for Phase 2 of the Blekusu Coastal Protection Project to cater for the over 4,000 victims of recent destructive tidal waves. How can any budget worth its name fail to address such a major disaster?

"A fresh budget that signals that government intends to immediately cut down on its profligate expenditure patterns as typified by the neglect of a functioning presidential jet in favour of ultra-luxury US$14,000-per-hour charters, and rather investing in the productive sectors of the economy."