Akufo-Addo increases Parliament’s budget after Bagbin’s threat

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has increased the budgetary allocation for the parliamentary service and parliament by over 180 million cedis.

The sudden u-turn by the presidency comes weeks after the Executive slashed the budget estimates of the legislature by over 190 million cedis.

The move was met with a threat by Speaker Alban Bagbin who stated that if the move was not reversed he will block the passage of the appropriation bill.

The speaker in a strongly worded reply to letters by the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, described the move as unconstitutional.

The Presidency has, however, pacified the Legislature in a new correspondence to the speaker where the estimates for both legislature and judiciary have been increased significantly.

The over 533 million cedis estimate presented by parliament has now been cut by just 10 million instead of the earlier 190 million. Parliament now has been allocated over 532 million cedis.

The judiciary has also been a beneficiary of the crusade by the speaker with their over 77 million slash has now been increased by over 30 million.

Out of the over 470 million cedis requested, the Judiciary has now been allocated 437 million.

The Speaker of Parliament has consequently directed the special budget Committee and other Committees concerned to consider the estimates for approval.