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Front Page
HOUSE APPROVES BUDGET 2005
THURSDAY, 10TH MARCH , 2005
Parliament yesterday approved by majority decision the 2005 budget and financial policy of the Government. An amendment motion moved earlier by the minority for a review of the budget was defeated by a vote of 107-80.
The Amendment Motion tabled by Mr Moses Asaga, minority spokesman on finance and MP for Nabdam, contended that the budget failed to address urgent economic problems of the country.
Mr Asaga contended that ordinary Ghanaians are facing intolerable hardship as a result of the increase in prices of petroleum products.
He mentioned the high rate of unemployment, especially of the youth, the high cost of education and the continued charging of the national reconstruction levy and other overburdening taxes as some of the problems the budget failed to address.
In supporting the amendment motion, Mr Alban Bagbin, the minority leader and member for Nadowli West, said there was the need to review the budget to incorporate the views of the minority into it “to make sure that together we own it.”
Mr Bagbin said if implemented without any modification the budget would deepen poverty and disintegrate industries, thus creating mass unemployment.
Concluding the debate for approval of the budget, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, minister for finance and economic planning said , the concerns of the Minority had been taken care of in the budget.
Mr Baah-Wiredu argued there was no need for the amendment motion and urged the House to vote massively to approve the budget.
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