TIG Post

Tag: Budget 2022

  • Man who sold fried grasshoppers on plane faces jail

    A man accused of selling fried grasshopper snacks to passengers aboard a Ugandan Airlines plane has been charged by police alongside a second man who’s accused of filming it.

    Footage has been widely shared online since the weekend:

    Mubiru Paul and Hajib Kiggundu were arrested on Monday on arrival from Dubai and charged on Tuesday with three counts – creating nuisance, refusing to follow airline crew’s instructions and negligent acts likely to cause the spread of an infectious disease.

    The charge for spreading an infectious disease attracts a sentence of up to seven years, the Daily Monitor reports.

    The national carrier Uganda Airlines condemned what it called “unruly” behaviour and local media reported that some staff were suspended.

    Yet Uganda Airlines said it would consider adding the delicacy to its menu upon request, noting the excitement onboard from passengers during a low season for grasshopper numbers in Uganda.

  • We have the numbers to win – Majority denies running away from budget approval vote

    The Majority side in parliament say the significance of the 2022 budget approval voting which is expected to be conducted today is not lost on them.

    Debate on the 2022 budget presented in parliament by the finance minister on November 17, 2021, is set to be concluded today November 26, 2021, after which approval voting is expected to be held.

    However as at midday when proceedings was expected to have commenced already, the majority members of the house were yet to take to their seats.

    The minority, in a press conference addressed by Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, alleged that the majority is running away from the process due to fears of having the budget rejected.

    But speaking to the media subsequently, Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh Dompreh refuted the claims.

    He indicated that the majority, contrary to the claims of the minority, had been locked up in a caucus meeting which has caused their delay in reporting to the chamber.

    “Caucus meeting is something normal that we do in this house. So for anybody to have the temerity to come and address you and to say that we are engaging in ferrying our members with chartered flight and I am told all manner of stories. I mean treat it with the greatest level of disrespect and disdain,” the Majority Chief Whip said.

    Ahead of the approval vote, the majority side is said to be having a deficit in numbers.

    The member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adjoa Safo, are reported to be out of the country.

    And According to Sam George, the government has chartered a private jet to bring them back into the country.

    The make-up of the current parliament has made policies requiring voting to be contentious, especially when there is a disagreement between the two sides of the house.

    The majority with 138 MPs has only one seat more than the minority side which has 137 members in the house.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Reject outrageous 2022 Budget FixtheCountry Movement to Parliament

    A Pressure Group, FixtheCountry Movement, has asked Parliament to reject the 2022 Budget and Economic Policy of the Government presented by the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta because it was not people-centred.

    According to the Movement, the budget contains outrageous content, and it does not conform to what Ghanaians were looking forward to.

    They further reiterated that the 2022 budget does not also look at improving the Ghanaian standard of living with respect to purchasing items, rent among others.

    “The E-levy is just one of the things that we want to talk about; we want Parliament to sit down and look at the budget and disapprove it because they (Government) need to go and come again.

    “We have been approving budgets for some time now, and we realized that all these budgets have not had any positive effect on the ordinary Ghanaian. So we are looking for a budget that would give a positive reference on the ordinary Ghanaian,” the National Spokesperson and Convener for Fix the Country Movement, John Ekow Koomson, told Starrfm.

    The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, on Wednesday, 17th November, announced that the government had abolished all road tolls on public roads and bridges.

    According to him, the toll collection personnel will be reassigned, adding that the move is expected to positively impact productivity and reduce environmental pollution.

    Reading the 2022 Budget in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Ofori Atta stated, “Mr Speaker, our roads need fixing. Our roads are being fixed. It is true that more roads have been fixed and are being fixed over the last five years than any relative period in the entire history of our nation. We even want to do a lot more.

    “That is why for decades, Government after Government imposed and maintained tolls on some public roads to raise funds for road construction and maintenance. This is the situation in many countries. Over the years, the tolling points have led to heavy traffic on our roads and lengthened travel time from one place to another, impacting negatively on time and productivity. The congestion generated at the tolling points, besides creating these inconveniences, also leads to pollution in and around those vicinities.

    To address these challenges, the government has abolished all tolls on public roads and bridges. This takes effect immediately after the budget is approved. The toll collection personnel will be reassigned.

    The expected impact on productivity and reduced environmental pollution will more than offset the revenue forgone by removing the tolls,” the Minister told Parliament.

    Meanwhile, Fix the Country Movement are expected to meet the Ghana Police Administration on Monday 22nd November 2021 for their impending demonstration on Friday 26th November 2021.

    Source: starrfm.com

  • Government to create 1 million jobs with YouStart initiative

    The government has announced the creation of one million jobs for the youth of this country.

    This was announced by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in the budget statement for the 2022 fiscal year on Wednesday, November 17.

    He said “The understanding of the youth employment challenge, as well as extensive consultations with stakeholders including youth associations and educational institutions across the country, have led to the development of the YouStart initiative which proposes to use GH¢1 billion each year to catalyze an ecosystem to create 1 million jobs and in partnership with the Finance Institutions and Development Partners, raise another GH¢2 Billion Cedis.

    “In addition, our local Banks have agreed to a package that will result in increasing their SME portfolio up to GH¢5 billion over the next 3 years.

    “This, Mr. Speaker results in an unprecedented historic GH¢10 billion cedis commitment to the private sector and YouStart over the next 3 years.

    “Mr. Speaker, YouStart is a vehicle for supporting young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training, technical skills and mentoring to enable them launch and operate their own businesses.

    “Mr. Speaker, the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), and partner financial institutions, will serve as the implementing arms of YouStart.

    “Entrepreneurs will be able to apply for support through a dedicated YouStart online portal.

    “NEIP will also engage our Faith-Based Organisations as partners for the delivery of essential artisanal skills, business competitions, and feasibility studies and introduction to financing institutions with a commitment of up to 10% of GOG contribution to the YouStart Programme.”

    Source: 3news.com

    Source: 3news.com

  • 2022 Budget: How to ease the suffering of Ghanaians keeps Akufo-Addo awake at night – Ken Ofori-Atta

    Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta has indicated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cannot sleep due to the current economic challenges citizens are enduring.

    According to him, the president is concerned about the current economic hardship citizens are going through.

    Delivering the 2022 budget statement on the floor of Parliament, Ken Ofori-Atta mentioned that the president was fully aware of the challenges of Ghanaians.

    According to him, thoughts of the economic plight of Ghanaians keep the president awake at night.

    “Mr Speaker, we are under no illusions as to the economic challenges facing our country today. How to ease the sufferings of Ghanaians, transform the economy to create jobs and share the expected wealth across all households, such as providing security and education, keeps the president awake at night.

    “How to broaden the revenue base, keep a grip on expenditure, protect the public purse and at the same time build with urgency the needed infrastructure, collecting revenue, managing our debt and expenditure commitments, and paying the bills to stimulate economic activity are the orders he has given to us, his Ministers and other appointees, to carry out over the next three years,” he said.

    The country has recently experienced an astronomical increase in the price of petroleum products.

    This has had a rippling effect on food prices on the market, which has skyrocketed, leading to a high cost of living.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • LIVESTREAMING: Finance Minister presents 2022 budget statement before Parliament

    Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori-Atta will today November 17, deliver the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of government before Parliament.

    The presentation, is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

    Ahead of the presentation, some financial and economic analysts, as well as professional and trade organisations, have expressed varied expectations on the Budget.

    Some have called for the adoption of rather pragmatic measures toward sealing revenue leakages in the country’s tax system while others have been called for the scrapping of a number of taxes, measures to reduce the high cost of living, among others.

    The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to deliver the statement before the House at 10:00 am.

    Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori-Atta will today November 17, deliver the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of government before Parliament.

    The presentation, is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

    Ahead of the presentation, some financial and economic analysts, as well as professional and trade organisations, have expressed varied expectations on the Budget.

    Some have called for the adoption of rather pragmatic measures toward sealing revenue leakages in the country’s tax system while others have been called for the scrapping of a number of taxes, measures to reduce the high cost of living, among others.

    The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to deliver the statement before the House at 10:00 am.

    Watch a live coverage of the event below:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Budget 2022 presentation now on November 17

    The 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the government will now be presented before Parliament on November 17, 2021.

    It had previously been scheduled for November 15, 2021, however, the Second Deputy Speaker, Mr Andrew Asiamah Amoako, (Ind., Fomena) announced the date reversal on Wednesday and said the House will have other important events to attend on November 15.

    Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to present the budget. Last year the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu presented the budget while the Finance Minister was abroad to seek medical care.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Budget 2022: Oppong-Nkrumah engages Ghanaians via Twitter Spaces

    Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, held an interactive social media session on Sunday, October 31 with the #ListenUP initiative.

    The initiative, under the auspices of the Ministry of Information, is to enable him interact with young entrepreneurs to take feedback and inputs from them that will inform government policy directions as it prepares to present the 2022 Budget Statement.

    It is also expected to be an occasional platform for deepening engagement particularly feedback from the Ghanaian people.

    Parliament reconvened last week with one of the major businesses expected during this session being the reading of the 2022 budget in mid-month.

    Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will deliver the main budget after he skipped the 2021 presentation due to health issues.

    Because he was recovering from post-COVID complications in United States, Majority Leader and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was tasked to do the presentation.

    Ofori Atta returned in time to present the supplementary budget himself.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh