Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, is urging the minority in Parliament to rally round the common national agenda to help get the IMF Board approval, now that the international creditors have agreed, literally, to help Ghana.
“At a time when people are postulating that the minority should teach us a lesson or pay back, it is important for all of us to rally around the national agenda. This is not time for NPP against NDC or an attempt to score political points, but it is a time for us to realise that the world is now waiting to help us. We must help ourselves,” the minister told the media yesterday.
The MP for Ofoase-Ayerebi implored Parliament to pass the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, Excise Duty and Excise Tax Stamp (Amendment) Bills as well as the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, to compliment the positive news of creditors coalescing to assist Ghana to secure the IMF bailout.
Passing the three bills are crucial because, as part of the prior actions in the IMF Staff Level Agreement, the BoG and the Ministry of Finance have finalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on zero financing to the budget, which would be signed soon.
Nkrumah emphasized that with the commitments made by external creditors, the onus lies on Parliament to show good faith by passing the revenue bills in the supreme interest of the country.
He pointed out that failure to pass the bills would amount to holding all the efforts made to save the economy hostage which could derail the progress made so far.
The Information Minister is hopeful that the passage of the bills in addition to all the agreed prior actions in the staff level agreement to secure the bailout would be critical in resetting the economy on the path of recovery, including putting it firmly on a disinflation path and sustained growth
Stay tuned
