2021 Budget: No provision made for public sector workers – Haruna Iddrisu

Minority leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrissu, has said no provision has been made for Public Sector workers in the 2021 budget statement.

The Minority leader was speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day post budget workshop for staff and members of Parliament.

Mr Iddrisu commended government for its policy decision to complete all outstanding projects.

Mr Iddrisu said: “It must warm our hearts that there is policy decision to complete outstanding projects. That is how it should be and this should necessarily include those outstanding projects initiated by the NDC under Excellency John Dramani Mahama, if we’re to give true meaning to the provisions of Article 35(7) of the 1992 Constitution.”

He further noted that even though the country has enacted the Public Financial Management Act, more needs to be done.

“There are many ministers who initiate projects even when there is no budgetary allocation or provision for it. It’s about time that Parliament says no to that. That no project should commence unless it is supported by adequate availability of funds for its initiation and completion,” the Minority leader stated.

The Minority leader also bemoaned the inability of government to prioritise the phlight of the public sector worker in the country.

He stated: “One of the major things that was missing in this budget statement and since 2014 that has been a practice, the workers of Ghana do not know what their fate is in this 2021 budget because minimum wage and public sector wages have not been determined and conclusively negotiated and determined.”

He added: “So the workers of Ghana will be asking where are we, in this budget, what provision has been made for us in this budget what provisions have been made for us in this budget.”

The Minority leader therefore called on the Public Sector Wage Negotiating Committee to meet immediately to deliberate on the way forward.