Be accountable, transparent with nation – MP to Prez Akufo-Addo ahead of SONA
The Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has asked the President to be transparent and accountable to the citizenry ahead of the State of Nation’s Address(SONA) in parliament.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to deliver the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Wednesday, March 8.
This is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution, which states that the President shall deliver a message on the State of the Nation to Parliament at the start of each session and before the dissolution of Parliament.
The address, which was rescheduled from last month, is expected to highlight the government’s key policy objectives for the coming year as well as provide information on how the government intends to address economic conditions.
In the face of the SONA, government is racing against time to get the legislature to approve three outstanding financial bills that are crucial to enable government complete four of five agreed prior actions in the Staff Level Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
These are the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, Excise Duty & Excise Tax Stamp (Amendment) Bills as well as the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill.
Speaking in an interview, the minority’s expectations ahead of the SONA and why the financial bills have delayed, Hon.Dafeamekpor who is the member of the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) said “government must be transparent with the people, we are asking for accountability in respect of monies that have been spent -look at the covid-19 expenditure, it is not even into detail, the extent of the corruption unearthed, we think the monies are coming into the centre but we are not applying it to the purpose for which we are getting the funds. It is on this grounds that the financial bills are being resisted.”
Further on the prioritization he added that the minority wants the rate reduced but government is not “listening”.
The president is expected to reassure the nation on measures and strategies his government is taking to rebound the economy.
Ghana is restructuring public debt to qualify for IMF loan.
The approval of the bills, is expected to bring it one step closer to securing a $3 billion IMF bailout, to restore macro-economic stability, ensure debt sustainability as well as provide critical social protection for the benefit of Ghanaians.
