In a shocking revelation, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has exposed a discrepancy in the budget allocation for agriculture, contrary to the amount stated in the report.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Post Budget Workshop for MPs in Parliament House on Saturday, Afenyo-Markin emphasized the importance of regular training programmes to enhance analytical skills and detect inefficiencies.
“It necessitates regular training programmes that are tailored to enhance and increase our analytical skills, improve our ability to detect inefficiencies, and strengthen our oversight functions,” he stated.
The MP for Effutu then highlighted the discrepancy in the allocation budget for agriculture, pointing out that while the Minister of Finance claimed an allocation of GH¢1.5 billion, the expenditure column revealed an allocation of only GH¢900 million plus.
“So, for instance, the Minister of Finance tells us there’s GH¢1.5 billion for agriculture. If you look at the expenditure column, you realize that some GH¢900 million plus has been allocated,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin urged MPs to pay attention to such discrepancies, emphasizing that they can make a meaningful impact in debates by drawing attention to such issues.
“So, if you pay attention, these are some of the things you discover, and then you make a meaningful impact in your debate by drawing the attention of the Finance Minister that you can save GH¢1.5 billion and allocate GH¢924 million, and even that, a chunk of it,” he added.
Afenyo-Markin also questioned the government’s agricultural policy, highlighting the significant allocation of GH¢2 billion for school feeding programme while other critical areas received lesser amounts.
The Minority Leader urged MPs, especially first-timers, to take the budget workshop seriously and not view it as a boring process.
“Without more, colleagues, let me urge all of you, especially those of you who are first-timers, don’t see this as a boring process,” he advised.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
