PARLIAMENTARY TITBITS

Accra, feb 9,

The debate on the government's Financial policy for 1996 continued today with mr samuel Sallas mensah, former chairman of the finance committee, Suggesting that future budgets Should be drawn like this year's.

mr sallas mensah who is the ndc member for upper west Akim, said if ghana had had such budgets over the last Three years, dr. Kwesi botchwey, former minister of Finance, will have been at post today.

this statement brought mr j. H owusu acheampong, leader Of the house and mr austin gamey, ndc north tongu, on their Feet, calling on the member to withdraw his statement. both members said budgets are presented on behalf of The president and moreover there were specific reasons for Dr. Botchwey's resignation.

mr sallas mensah withdrew his statement and continued With his contribution, saying that unlike previous budgets, This year's does not make any estimations for the exchange Rate of the cedi against The major currencies. he said the 20 per cent rate of inflation proposed for This year is "too optimistic" and hoped it could be Achieved. mr sallas mensah wondered how the government's Expenditure estimates for 1995 shot up from 1.4 trillion Cedis to an actual of 1.7 trillion cedis, when no Supplementary budget was brought to the House.

the member expressed his satisfaction with the measures Proposed in the budget for revenue mobilisation and said an Aggressive tax Collection policy must be implemented. he appealed to the minister of finance to reconstitute The boards of tax institutions to help bring some "sting" Into their operations. he suggested that both the financial administration Regulations (far) and the financial administration decree (fad) should be amended to reflect the realities of the Period. the foreign exchange control act also needs amendment, He added. he wondered why the contigency fund stipulated in Article 177 of the constitution has not been complied with, Saying this makes the administration of the budget Cumbersome. mr j. E. Ackah, ndc jomoro, said there should be year Round tax education programmes to enhance compliance with Tax laws, adding that the low salaries and low morale of Tax workers has also not helped in Maximising tax revenue. the member called for measures to check the smuggling of The newly introduced pre mix for fishermen. he further appealed for the intensification of the Construction of cocoa roads to make it easy to evacuate Cocoa and foodstuffs from the Hinterland. the debate continues on tuesday, february 13. ENDIT...