A Ranking Member on the Finance Committee in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson says the 2022 budget shows that the Akufo-Addo government is not in tune with the realities of Ghanaians.

According to him, the budget fails to address the challenges the country is facing including unemployment and high cost of living.

Dr. Ato Forson said Ghanaians will now face more hardship going forward.

“We had hoped that the terrible state of the economy will compel the government to propose policies in the budget that addresses the most pressing concerns of unsustainable debts, hardship, high cost of living, fiscal indiscipline, unemployment and misuse of public resources. But to our surprise, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has failed to show that they have a solution to these problems in the budget. This budget is not responsive to the most important issues affecting the people of Ghana. They have been left entirely to their fate and have to brace themselves for more hardship,” he said.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 delivered the 2022 budget before Parliament.

The budget has generated mixed reactions from the public with focus being put on the abolishment of road tolls and introduction of a 1.75% tax on all digital financial transactions.

According to Dr. Ato Forson there are other challenges the Minority MPs in Parliament have with the budget and will challenge some of the proposals in the budget during the debate before the House.

He said the GH¢ 3 billion expenditure allocated to the Office of the President is too much and the Minority will insist going forward that a detailed breakdown is given for such allocations.

“We have seen an amount allocated to the office of the President; GH¢3 billion as expenditure to be spent by the Office of the President. Let us serve this warning that we in the Minority insist that going forward we will demand a breakdown of this expenditure and until the Minister responsible for National Security appears before us to answer the question relating to the president’s travel with private jet, the Office of the President’s budget will not be approved by us,” he added.