In the Finance Minister’s presentation on the 2021 budget in parliament yesterday, he noted that the Government will need an amount of GH₵27.4 billion to carry on the services of Government until the expiration of three months from the beginning of the 2021 Financial Year. This amount the Minister said includes Capex allocations of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Reacting to this information, lecturer at the department of Economics at the University of Ghana,Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie has said that the allocation to the MDAs is a step in the right direction.
In an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, he explained: “The President is the first gentleman of the country. So those who are helping the President in his work must be prioritized. So the allocation to these government institutions is in the right direction. We have to allocate more to the President’s edifice so that their work will not be interrupted. This budget is neither for the NDC or the NPP. Whoever wins will benefit from this allocation so that the government machinery must run. The most important is the government machinery.
For example, even if President Akufo Addo won there will be a swearing in ceremony to usher him in and all these will attract expenses so that the transition will be smoothened transition. It is in the right direction”.
The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta presented the budget for the first quarter of 2021 to Parliament on Wednesday, October 28.
The statement detailed the projected revenue and expenditure between January and March next year where an amount of GH¢27.4 billion was requested by the Finance Minister from the government intended towards expenditure of the first quarter of 2021.
The breakdown of the proposed 2021 first quarter MDA Allocation has been captured in the full statement of the 2021 expenditure in advance appropriation.
This practice is in accordance with what the Executive does every election year to avoid spending hiccups in case of a transition in government.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
