Accra: Parliament on Monday, July 28, witnessed a heated debate on the government's Mid-Year Review, with Members of Parliament from both sides of the House weighing in on the progress made so far.
According to Ghana News Agency, the motion for the debate was moved on Monday following the presentation of the Mid-Year Budget Review by Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minister of Finance, to Parliament on Thursday, July 24. The budget, presented on the theme 'Resetting the Economy for the Ghana We Want,' saw the Minister outline key achievements, priorities, and the road ahead.
Mr. Isaac Adjei Mensah, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Wassa East, and Chair of the Roads and Transport Committee, commended the Finance Minister's presentation, noting that the mid-year review captured 32 critical road projects to be embarked on. He highlighted the government's commitment to tackling these roads under the 'Big Push' agenda, pointing out that 13 of those roads were abandoned by the previous administration.
Dr. Gideon Boako, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Tano North, emphasized the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expansion achieved under the NPP administration, attributing it to Ghana's debt reduction. He urged his colleagues to rely on facts and reliable data, criticizing what he termed as excessive propaganda. Dr. Boako also highlighted Ghana's record of achieving a primary surplus in 2017, 2018, and 2019, describing it as unprecedented.
In contrast, Mr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology, and NDC MP for Tamale Central, praised the government's policies for the sustainability of the cedi, asserting that it is a real achievement and not just a fluke.