The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has requested for GHS27. 4 billion for the running of the country for the first three months of 2021.
He made the request in Parliament today, October 28, 2020.
The Finance Minister asked Parliament to approve “by resolution, the withdrawal of the sum of twenty-seven billion, four hundred and thirty-four million, one hundred and eighty thousand, five hundred and twenty Ghana cedis (GHS27,434,180,520.00) from the Consolidated Fund.”
“This is for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government in respect of the period expiring three months from the beginning of the financial year or on the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act in respect of the 2021 financial year.”
Budget to be presented today
Ofori-Atta made the request when he presented the budget in Parliament. The presentation, known as Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation, has become a usual characteristic of election years to prevent transitional challenges in the smooth running of government for the first three months in the year after an election.
How much was requested for 2017 Q1?
Prior to the 2016 general elections, the then National Democratic Congress government requested for GHS10.9 billion to help finance “critical government expenditure” in the first quarter of 2017.
The amount was subsequently approved by Parliament.
