Haruna Iddrisu Describes 2023 Budget As ‘ɛka Mpɛ Dede’

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has christened the 2023 Budget statement presented before Parliament on the Thursday as the “ɛka mpɛ dede” budget. According to him, per the Finance Minister’s presentation, it is evident that the nation has also been declared as a high risk distressed country. Today, Mr Speaker, we’ve heard the honourable Minister for Finance before this august

House, declare Ghana a high risk distressed debt country. “So this budget is ‘ɛka mmpɛ dede’ budget,” he said, mimicking President Akufo-Addo’s now famous “sika mmpɛ dede” dictum while praying Ghanaians to stop grumbling over rising cost of living at the general economic hardship. In the opinion of the Minority Leader, the Minister has set the nation on course for debt

restructuring. He [Finance Minister] has announced debt restructuring in the name of a debt exchange programe, Mr. Iddrisu jokingly reminded the house. After the Finance Minister’s presentation of the 2023 budget, Mr Iddrissu who believes the country has over borrowed, made the claim to express his dissatisfaction and to also

criticise the Akufo-Addo-led administration. Mr. Speaker, my greatest expectation of the Minister, is to regularise his borrowing under the Amended Bank of Ghana Act of 2016. You have to come back to this house, to seek our mandate and authorisation for your excessive borrowing from the Bank of Ghana. That needs to be regularised.