Gabby Otchere-Darko questions #FixTheCountry planned protest against 2022 Budget
A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Otchere-Darko, has questioned the relevance of a planned demonstration by the #FixTheCountry Movement against the 2022 Budget.
On Friday, November 19, the conveners of the #FixTheCountry Movement announced their plans to protest the 2022 Budget Statement on November 26.
According to the social advocacy group, certain aspects of the Budget are ‘inherently’ ridiculous hence their intended protest.
The group further alleged that the 2022 Budget smacks of “purposeful deceit” and “the absence of truth and genuine accountability”, hence their decision to pour unto the streets.
Based on their reservations, the group also urged the 275 MPs to reject the 2022 Budget.
But reacting to this development, private legal practitioner Gabby Otchere-Darko says he doesn’t understand the reasoning behind the intended demonstration.
According to the NPP stalwart, given that the #FixTheCountry Movement has been clamouring and advocating for better living conditions for Ghanaians, he does not understand why the same group will decide to protest a budget that seeks to generate revenue to address their concerns.
“It is only in Ghana that a group crying for the country to be fixed will want to protest against raising revenues to do just that. You may question the motive, not necessarily of those supporting them, but those leading it’, Gabby Otchere-Darko questioned in a Facebook post on Monday.
The comment by the founder of the Danquah Institute has triggered mixed reactions from his followers and friends on Facebook. While some have agreed with his reasonings, others have vehemently opposed his sentiments altogether.
On Wednesday, November 17, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, presented the 2022 Budget estimates to Parliament for approval.
As part of his presentation, he indicated that government intends to abolish all road tolls and the imposition of a 1.75% E-levy on all electronic transactions.
These two items in the Budget have since sparked a series of debates in public discourse, with many splitting hairs on the two proposals.
Source: Ghana News
