Majority failed to show up for 2023 budget debate because of our hopeless situation – Ato Forson

Ranking member of the finance committee, Cassiel Ato Forson, has said due to the lack of hope in the country, the majority has abandoned their own 2023 budget as they have failed to show up for the debate in the house.

According to him, there is a need for urgent action to be taken to solve the current crisis the nation is facing, which includes inflation and cedi depreciation, among others.

While debating the 2023 budget in parliament, he stated that the Black Stars are currently the country’s source of hope.

“The black stars of Ghana have given some temporal hope to a very hopeless situation, Mr Speaker, the mood in this house can tell you how hopeless the situation the nation has become. Mr Speaker, if you go out there, the mood on the street of Ghana will tell you there is hopelessness, Mr Speaker no wonder the majority has abandoned their own budget. No wonder, the situation out there calls for an urgent action but we are not seeing that.”

Members of Parliament (MPs) have commenced debate on the 2023 budget statement.

This comes after the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, appeared before the house in fulfilment of his constitutional mandate by presenting the government budget to the house.

The presentation is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

In a year that has seen some of the worst economic downturns in the fourth republic, the minister presented the 2023 budget statement and economic policy to parliament.

NYA/BOG