Parliamentary proceedings have been thrown into disarray as a mini-budget for 2025 remains unaddressed ahead of the year’s end.
Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin believes National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators are responsible for the stalemate, accusing them of fostering disorder and obstructing consensus-building.
Speaking to journalists after Parliament adjourned to January 2, 2025, Mr. Afenyo-Markin criticised the NDC for excluding critical issues such as the Free SHS Bill and the consideration of judges from the parliamentary agenda.
He revealed that he had to intervene to reprint the order paper to include the Free SHS Bill.
“Why are they against the Free SHS Bill? Why don’t they want it passed? For some strange and mysterious reasons, the bill was removed from the order paper, and we had to reprint it. It is clear they are trying to frustrate progress,” he lamented.
The adjournment follows the repeated absence of the Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, who has failed to appear in Parliament for the past five days to present the mini-budget.
The situation has left critical government business, including the Vote on Account, unresolved.
The Vote on Account is a temporary financial measure designed to ensure government operations continue smoothly until the full 2025 budget is approved by the incoming administration.
However, without the Finance Minister’s presence to address key issues, proceedings have stalled, leaving members—particularly those on the minority side—frustrated.
The mini-budget, intended to outline government revenue and expenditure plans for the interim period, remains in limbo, raising concerns about its impact on the country’s financial stability heading into the new year.
