Business News of Friday, 4 November 2005

Source: GNA

Minister presents Budget on Thursday

Accra, Nov. 4, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, would present the Budget Statement and economic policy of the Government of Ghana for year 2006 to Parliament on Thursday, November 10, 2005.

Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader, announced this on the floor of the House when he was presenting the Business Statement for the third week, ending Friday November 11, 2005.

He said a meeting had been scheduled for the Leadership, chairpersons/ranking members and clerks of committees during the week to strategise for consideration of the 2006 Budget of which details would soon be communicated to all those concerned. The Majority Leader said five Ministers of State had been scheduled to respond to various questions that would be asked of them. They are Mr Charles Bintim, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development; Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City; Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Harbours and Railways and Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Road Transport.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said the House would adopt the report on the loan agreement between the Government and the African Development Fund for an amount of 6,640,000 Units of Account (UA) for the financing of a sustainable tsetse and trypanosomiasis free areas in East and West Africa.

The House would also adopt the report on the loan agreement between Ghana and the African Development Fund for an amount of UA 44 million for Second Poverty Reduction Support Loan (Multi Donor Budgetary Support Loan).

During the week the Valued Added Tax (Amendment) Bill would also be considered.