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The Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu says the rumour cannot be true that the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen has been named to deliver the 2021 budget statement in Parliament.

According to him, he does not know how the whole rumour started and where the media got the story from but President Akufo-Addo officially disclosed at the Cabinet retreat at Peduase Lodge that the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs will present the budget statement.

“You were saying that there is a rumour that my senior brother Alan Kyerematen was billed to deliver the budget statement. I don’t know how the whole thing started because I also heard it, but I don’t know where it began and I don’t want to say anything about it. I don’t know where the media got the story from and so I think we should end it here. Officially, the President made this analysis and said that the Minister for Parliament Affairs who doubles as the leader of government business should do the presentation,” he noted.

He maintained that the President choosing the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to present the budget statement comes without any malice and there is no mischief also intended; thus, pleading with people not to read any meaning into it.

“I think it comes without any malice and there is no mischief also intended and so nobody should read any meaning into it. Anybody, the Trade Minister or the Employment Minister could have been asked to do it. The economy is propounded by Agriculture and so the Minister for Agriculture could also have been asked to do it and so it is not something serious,” he argued.

He stressed that Vice President Dr Alhaji Bawumia could have delivered the budget statement as he is not a stranger in Parliament except that he will be lowering himself as the Chairman of the Economic Management Team.

“He can also do it except that in protocol wise, if he had decided to take over that role to deliver the budget statement, he would have lowered himself and I believe that is the reason why he did not take up the role as the Finance Minister report to him as the Chairman of the economic management team,” he posited.