Ministry Highlights Potential Financial Repercussions of Bill’s Passage.
The Ministry of Finance has called on President Akufo-Addo to refrain from signing the recently passed Anti-LGBTQ Bill into law, citing potential severe repercussions on the country’s financial support from international organisations like the Bretton Woods Institutions.
In a statement, the Ministry expressed concerns that the enactment of the bill could jeopardise the expected US$300 million financing from the First Ghana Resilient Recovery Development Policy Operation (Budget Support), currently awaiting Parliamentary approval. Additionally, ongoing negotiations on the Second Ghana Resilient Recovery Development Policy Operation (Budget Support), amounting to US$300 million, could be suspended if the bill is signed into law.
The Ministry highlighted that these potential outcomes could lead to a significant loss of financial resources, resulting in a financing gap in the 2024 budget. To address these challenges, the Ministry called upon the President to engage with religious bodies to discuss the implications of signing the bill and to establish a robust coalition and framework for supporting key development initiatives.
The statement suggested that the President may need to defer assenting to the Bill until the court rules on the legal issues tabled by key national stakeholders, including civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
The Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill, categorises engaging in unnatural carnal knowledge as a misdemeanor, carrying a maximum imprisonment term of three years.