We support Speaker's decision to resist capping of Parliament's budget - Minority

According to the minority, a budgetary cap will reduce the effectiveness of parliament's functions

Mar 19, 2021 - 09:27 Updated: Mar 19, 2021 - 09:28

We support Speaker's decision to resist capping of Parliament's budget - Minority

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu

The Minority in Parliament has thrown its support behind the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, in his decision to resist attempts to cap the budgetary allocation of the House.

The minority believe the move to cap parliament's budget is a deliberate one to weaken the discharge of the House’s duties.

However, in a letter signed by the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante in a letter addressed to Parliament cited the lack of fiscal space as the reason why government has decided to cap the budget.

The judiciary has also been affected by this decision of government.

Parliament has had its budget reduced by over 190 million Ghana Cedis and that of the judiciary by over 70 million Ghana cedis.

But the Speaker has rejected it.

According to him, it is legally wrong and a step to weaken the oversight duties of Parliament.

“The budget is not for the Executive, we have the final power to approve or disapprove and so what the Constitution has done is for them to make recommendations and to negotiate during the deliberations of the budget before the House,” he said.

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Bagbin added that “it is not for the Executive to impose a ceiling on the Judiciary and Parliament, we have to do the proper thing and so during the consideration of the estimates particularly the Committees concerned, take that on board. At the end of the day, come and inform us as to the negotiated figure, not the ceiling that has been given by the President.”

Addressing the press in Parliament, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu insisted that the House must not countenance any attempt to weaken its oversight.

According to him, the executive cannot have its way and deny other arms of government.

“Those of you who are familiar with the constitution, we share the view that over the years because our constitution is heavy on an executive presidency, the executive has had its way with larger proportion and substantial amounts to undertake its activities but the legislature and others are being denied.”