The Parliament of Ghana has commenced a debate on the mid-year budget review, presented to the House last Tuesday. The debate began with a scathing critique from the Ranking Member on Finance and Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Mr. Isaac Adongo. He lambasted the NPP government’s economic management, attributing the current economic hardship faced by citizens to its abysmal performance.

Mr. Adongo disputed the government’s frequent attribution of its excessive borrowing to the COVID-19 pandemic. He referenced a warning issued by the Bank of Ghana in September 2019, cautioning that if the government failed to curb its spending, Ghana risked ending the year with a substantial fiscal deficit. This, he argued, exposed the government’s lack of fiscal discipline and poor economic planning.

Furthermore, Mr. Adongo highlighted the government’s failure to meet six of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) performance conditions. This, he claimed, underscored the need for a thorough examination of the budget review and the government’s economic policies.

The debate is expected to continue, with other Members of Parliament contributing their thoughts on the mid-year budget review and the government’s economic management.