Debate on budget starts amidst suspicion

Parliament today began debating the 2016 financial statement in spite of a stiff opposition from the Minority who are suspicious the Finance Ministry is smuggling in figures and fresh items for approval.

Finance Minister Seth Terkper last week presented the 2016 Budget to the House. This week the house was expected to spend the next two weeks to debate and approve the itemised statement.

But the debate got off to a controversial start Thursday, having been delayed for a day. The house failed to form a quorum yesterday.

Members from the Minority appear confused and unclear about which statement the debate should be centered on after three documents emerged for consideration.

The Deputy Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson argued that there was a printer error, when some figures were transposed by the printer during printing of the document to be presented to the house.

But the Minority would not buy that explanation.

More soon