Gabby 'begs' NDC MPs to help 2023 budget go through

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a prominent member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has pleaded with the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in parliament to join their colleagues, Majority to ensure the 2023 Budget is read and approved without any difficulties.

Gabby Asare Otchere-DarkoThe cousin of President Akufo-Addo tweeted on Wednesday, November 23, that the yet-to-be-read budget is critical and will influence the country’s economic future, especially in relation to Ghana’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Thursday’s 2022 budget is crucial. It can’t suffer a fate similar to the 2022 budget and its revenue measures. It could completely derail negotiations with the Fund if not passed. Critical to this are its revenue generation measures. 

We plead the NDC joins NPP in this for Ghana. ”Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to present the 2023 budget to parliament on Thursday, November 24, but members of both the Minority and Majority sides have served notice to boycott the presentation. There have since been some interventions from stalwarts of the NPP to resolve the issues between the NPP MPs who want the minister to step down or be fired by President Akufo-Addo.

Also the Majority Caucus in Parliament has been instructed by the leadership of the governing NPP to sit through for all business in Parliament including the 2023 budget reading.

This comes on the back of a meeting held on November 22, 2022, involving the majority caucus, the leadership of the party, and the council of elders to act on the request by President Akufo-Addo.