The Director of Operations at Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson, says it is not enough for the Finance Minister to just say that government is spending less when there is still a number of arrears and debts piled up to be paid.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he mentioned that government has incurred a lot of debts and arrears this year, and to make the 2023 Mid-Year Budget more appreciable, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, should have presented how much of the government’s debt has been settled and how much is left.
“Even more important, the Finance Minister didn’t tell us how much arrears has been incurred this year and not paid. It’s not just a simple matter of I haven’t spent, there are people who have come to the government and said you owe me, contractors and other people.”
“So, it would have been interesting if he had said not only have we spent less, but we’ve also reduced or kept the level of the arrears sane.
“Because truly if you tell me this month you have spent less and you haven’t included the shares that you bought on credit which is due next month, then I won’t agree with you, and the worrying part is that they’re not paying any of those bills,” he said.
The Finance Minister on Monday, July 31, delivered the 2023 Mid-Year Budget to Parliament.
He indicated that in 2022, the country experienced economic hardships but also assured that the economy is on a path of recovery, and will even show greater results when the measures implemented start yielding fruits.
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