Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta, is expected to present the Mid-year budget review for 2021, tomorrow.
This follows the main budget for the year presented in March by the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu on behalf of Ken Ofori Attah.
The earlier budget saw the introduction of some taxes including the COVID-19 levy, Energy Sector recovery levy, and Sanitation and Pollution levy.
GBC News’ Nathaniel Nartey has been speaking to some experts in the Health, Education and Labour sectors as well as some smaller political parties to guage their expectations ahead of the presentation.
The construction of 88 district hospitals as promised by President Akuffo Addo, Covid-19 and issues of employment dominated the discussions with the experts and political parties.
Vice President of the Coalition of NGOs in Health Nilsau Darko-Alhassan expects government to demonstrate commitment in allocating adequate funds to the health sector to ensure the completion of all the regional and district hospitals promised by President Akufo Addo.
This according to him will ease the difficulties in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Executive Director of the Africa Center for Health Policy Analysis and Research Dr.Thomas Anabah asked the Minister of Finance to tell Ghanaians how much has been accrued from the COVID-19 levy and what government intends to use the funds for.
Labour Analyst Ben Arthur expects the Mid-year budget review to address unemployment issues in the country. He is of the view that approval given for the recruitment of more than 11,000 persons to the security agencies is not enough.
On the Educational sector, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch Kofi Asare says the percentage of funds allocated to the sector in the main budget is woefully inadequate as such there should be an increase in the Mid-year budget review to be presented tomorrow.
The CPP’s focus is on job creation to tackle the unemployment situation in the country. General Secretary of the Party Nana Yaa Jantuah told Nathaniel Nartey that government needs to be transparent in the management of the nation’s resources.
Director of Communications for PPP, Felix Mantey is hopeful that the Finance Minister would address the rate at which Ghana is borrowing and explain how government intends to manage her debt profile. He described government’s handling of the coviCOVID-19 pandemic as old-fashioned.
