Minority against Supplementary Budget Statement

Accra, July 13, GNA - Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader, on Thursday raised procedural objection against the reading of the Supplementary Estimate for the 2006 Financial Year and called for the suspension of the exercise.

Quoting from the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament, he said the Supplementary Estimate should have been referred to a Committee, which should submit a report to the House before a motion could be moved for the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to proceed.

Mr Bagbin, MP for Nadowli West, referred the House, which had Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama and other Ministers of State present, to Standing Order 144.

He argued that the Standing Order made it clear that in respect of a financial year, a supplementary estimate should be approved by Parliament in accordance with the provisions of Order 143 and Article 179, clause 8 of the Constitution.

Mr Bagbin said supplementary Appropriation Bill shall be introduced to the House in the next financial year following the financial year to which the estimate related, providing for the appropriation of the sums so approved for the purposes specified in that estimate.

The Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, however, ruled that the Minister, Mr Kwadwo Baah Wiredu should be allowed to go ahead to read the Supplementary Budget for the report to be submitted in a week, to allow the motion to be moved for debate.

This did not go down well with the Minority, who nearly staged a walkout but were restrained by its Leadership and the intervention of the Speaker.

Mr Sekyi Hughes, who acknowledged the presence of the Vice President to the House, said his visit was in conformity with the Constitution although he could not vote on issues.

Before the Mr Baah-Wiredu read the Supplementary Budget the House had listened to two papers on: "Sustaining The Spirit of Patriotism and Unity To Move Ghana Forward," by Mr Benjamin Kofi Ayeh, MP for Upper West Denkyira and "The Plight of Cocoa Farmers in Sefwi Wiawso Constituency by the MP, Paul Evans Aidoo. 13 July 06