The Minister-designate of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremateng, may deliver the 2021 government Budget statement in Parliament on 12 March, sources at the Office of the President have said.
Mr Kyeremanteng, the minister-designate for Trade is expected to be sworn into office shortly by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Traditionally, it is the Minister for Finance who does the presentation of the annual Budget statement on behalf of the government. However, Ken Ofori-Atta, the president’s appointee to the ministry, is yet to be vetted by Parliament’s appointments committee because of ill-health.
Ofori-Atta is currently in Minnesota, United States, undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications.
Reports indicate that Mr Ofori-Atta is responding to treatment, however, his doctors have requested to observe his recovery for another two weeks.
Sources have also confirmed that Mr Ofori-Atta has been participating and contributing virtually to all the preparatory work ahead of the Budget presentation to Parliament. Cabinet will meet to finalise the details before the presentation.
The Finance Minister-designate left for the United States on Sunday, 14 February, 2021. A press statement from the Ministry of Finance announced that he was travelling for treatment for complications after recovering from COVID-19. He recovered from the virus in December.
“After recovering from COVID-19 last December, Ofori-Atta has had medical complications, which doctors advise require further interventions not currently available in Ghana,” the statement from the ministry said.
He was expected to be vetted by Parliament’s appointments committee on Monday, 8 March, 2021. Given his unavailability, a date for the vetting is sure to be rescheduled.
