The Member of Parliament for Trobu, Gloria Owusu, has issued a strong rebuttal to claims by veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr that she displayed ignorance of parliamentary procedures in her comments following the presentation of the 2026 Budget.

In a video shared on X on November 16, 2025, Pratt Jnr questioned how the MP “got into Parliament,” describing her remarks after the budget presentation as “embarrassing” and suggesting she did not understand that the budget had not yet been approved.

But in a detailed statement responding to Pratt’s criticism, the Trobu MP said her comments had been “deliberately misunderstood” and taken out of context by persons circulating a short clip of her interview.

'How did she get into Parliament?' – Kwesi Pratt slams NPP MP over budget 'ignorance'

According to her, the claims that she does not appreciate parliamentary procedure are “unfair, misleading and entirely out of context.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Finance Minister has promised to abolish the COVID-19 levy twice this year,” she stated, explaining that her comments were specifically about the continued application of the levy despite repeated ministerial assurances.

She noted that in 2025, the Finance Minister informed Parliament that the COVID-19 levy would be abolished after a VAT committee review — a promise that was never fulfilled, as the levy remained active throughout the year.

The MP explained that during her media interview after the 2026 Budget was read on November 13, the interviewer asked her, “They say the COVID-19 levy has been abolished.”

Her response, she said, was a factual clarification that as of today, the levy is still in force because Parliament has not yet passed any amendment or repeal.

“This was to emphasise to the general public that announcements in Parliament do not take effect immediately. This is basic parliamentary procedure, and I have never contradicted it,” she stressed.

Owusu added that the video being circulated online is only “a small portion” of her interview and does not reflect the full explanation she provided.

“My comment simply clarified a factual point — no matter what is proposed in the 2026 Budget, the COVID-19 levy remains active until Parliament passes the necessary amendment or repeal. Announcing an intention in a budget is not the same as the levy being abolished today.”

She insisted that any interpretation suggesting she is unaware of parliamentary processes is “misleading and unfair.”

The MP reaffirmed her commitment to providing accurate information to the public and urged commentators to refrain from twisting her statements.

“God bless our homeland Ghana and make it great and strong,” she concluded.