Kweku Kwarteng urges Parliament to cut down on expenditure

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi West Constituency and Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng, has suggested a solution to control expenditure in the budget.

Mr Kwarteng, in his speech during a debate on the budget in Parliament, argued that it is time the government puts a lid on the number of MPs in Ghana.

His suggestion stems from the fact that the number of MPs in the country contributes to the high expenditure captured in the budget for the running and development of the country.

“We cannot continue, administration after administration to be creating districts, be creating constituencies, be creating more MPs,’’ he stressed.

Mr Kwarteng again argued that the procurement of resources for Parliament annually contributes to the cost component of the government’s budget.

“Mr Speaker, should we continue for example to procure these glossy calendars and glossy dairies year on year for Parliament? For which we have very little utilisation?’’ he rhetorically asked.

“Mr Speaker, I proceed by saying; as Parliament not only should we be approving and supporting government in these initiatives, Mr Speaker, we as Parliament must also lead by example,’’ he stressed.

He urged his colleagues to be truthful and committed to the promises they have made to Ghanaians in their various constituencies.

“I am inviting my colleagues on the other side that we have come to a point where we need to call a spade a spade.

“Let us be committed to the things we are saying, let us not just pretend in that position of taxes are against the interest of the people. And, therefore, we side with the people and pretend we will be out there supporting the people,’’ he cautioned.