Ken Ofori-Atta is ignorant of parliamentary rules - Ato Forson

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader in Parliament has slammed the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta for saying the 2024 budget has been passed.

He said the Finance Minister is not familiar with some of the rules of the legislature hence his declaration that the budget has been passed.

In an interview on Accra based Citi FM on Thursday, Dr Forson said he would pardon the Finance Minister because of his lack of knowledge of parliamentary rules.

“First of all, the Finance Minister does not know the rules of parliament,” he stated, adding, “I can only pardon him because he is not an MP.”

He emphasized, “The fact remains that the budget has not been passed.”

Mr Ofori-Atta insisted on Wednesday that the 2024 budget had been passed following the declaration of the voice vote by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, despite the Minority’s position that the 2024 budget and economic statement had not been passed.

After the debate on the budget was concluded, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, put the question for the policy document to be approved or rejected through a voice vote.

The Minority MPs challenged the ruling by the Speaker, insisting that the 2024 budget had not been approved by a majority of voice vote and called for a headcount.

This decision did not sit well with the Majority MPs, who walked out of the house.

Mr Ofori-Atta addressing journalists maintained “At the end of the day, the Speaker put it to vote twice, and he declared that the ‘ayes’ have it. That means the budget, in my view, has been passed.”

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta presented the 2024 budget policy document in Parliament on November 15, 2023.

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