It has been confirmed that the 2021 Budget Statement will not be presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister as usual, but the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. This development has been necessitated by the health situation of the Finance Minister-designate, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Mr Ken Ofori-Atta is experiencing post-COVID-19 complications, and currently in the United States of America for further medical care.
When it became known that his health and time would not permit him to be vetted immediately, rumours were that the Trades and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, would present this year’s budget. Later, information had it that the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, would be the one to do the presentation.
Interestingly, there were some political meanings cooked from the purported choice of either the Vice President or the Minister to read the budget. Whereas some thought that it was a subtle way to project Alan Kyerematen over Dr Bawumia, others held a contrary view.
The above thinking is not in a vacuum following the need to have a new leader for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Active social media users would testify to campaigns just after the 2020 general elections of the two men, whose fan-bases believe they should step in after President Akufo-Addo.
For those with Alan, they believe he has been knocking at the doors of the presidency through the various party presidential primaries for a very long time. But, Bawumia’s supporters strongly believe when it comes to relevance in the current political arena of the country, the Vice President has been tried and tested, as such if the NPP dreams of breaking the eight-year tenure chain is to be achieved, he is the best bet. They argue that Bawumia resonates with every community in the country.
Others are quick to argue on the lines of region and religion as far as the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition is concerned. They argue that from the Eastern, the Ashanti Region will want to take over after Akufo-Addo, making bleak Bawumia’s chances of leading the NPP.
However, in drawing a pair, some analysts say a Northern-Ashanti pair for the NPP would be a great one going into the 2024 race. The duo that often mentioned are Bawumia and Mathew Opoku-Prempeh.
Away from that, Friday’s budget presentation by the Suame MP, who is also the Majority Leader, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, will outline some mixed measures to raise revenue to help the economy recover from the strike of the pandemic.
The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who announced this yesterday at a media briefing at Peduase after a three-day government retreat, was not specific as to whether new taxes will be introduced, save to say he mentioned that the President was not looking at over burdening the citizenry.
According to him, though the budget will state mixed measures to raise revenue, President Akufo-Addo will draw the line between raising more revenue and not imposing huge taxes on the public.
Meanwhile, in the interim, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will this afternoon, at 1300GMT, present to Parliament, a message on the State of the Nation.
This will be his first after securing a second term to rule this nation from the last December presidential election.
The significant event, which mostly has been commencing before noon, will today, Tuesday, March 9, 2021 starts at 1300GMT due to the business of Parliament, a statement by the Public Affairs Directorate noted yesterday.
The post Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu to present 2021 Budget to Parliament appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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