Month: November 2011

Members of Parliament (MPs) are keenly awaiting the presentation of country’s 2012 budget by Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, to the House on Wednesday, 16, 2011.

This follows the announcement by Mr Cletus Avoka, the Majority Leader, on Friday November 12 that the Minister would present to the House the financial policy of the Government for the year ending 31st December 2012.

The Ghana News Agency learnt that expectation of some MPs was that the budget would give hope to Ghanaians and that it would not be a burden to the citizenry.

Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, New Patriotic Party MP Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, advised Government to identify other sources of revenue apart from taxes, and said the Government had declared this year an action year but so far nothing has been improved.

Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Deputy Minister of Energy and MP for Tamale Central, said the budget would be a continuation of the Government’s economic management, which was heavily driven on investments and infrastructure.

He said: ‘It would be an evidence of the commitment of government to ensuring that inflation is reduced and to continue to have a budget deficit under control’’.

Mr Afred Abayateye, National Democratic Congress MP for Sege, said he expected the budget to widen the tax net to rope in the informal sector of the economy, including hairdressers, seamstresses among others.

The MP said he expected the budget to be flexible and it would not over burden the people.

The House discussed the University of Health and Allied Science Bill, 2011, which was at the consideration stage.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned the manner in which government handled money paid by the Gambian government to compensate the families of some Ghanaians who lost their lives in The Gambia.

According to the NPP, government has shown a lot of callousness, insensitivity and wickedness in the disbursement of the $500,000 earmarked for bereaved families of the Ghanaians who were murdered in The Gambia.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, on Tuesday stated at a press conference that his hands are clean and welcomes a probe into the issue.

However, speaking in an interview with Citi News, the Communications Director of the NPP and Member of Parliament of Okaikoi South, Hon. Nana Akomea said the expenditure is still outrageous even if it was audited.

“Why must the State organise the funeral for them, why didn’t the government give them the money so that they organise their own funerals,” Akomea asked.

“Ghana government has paid nothing to the bereaved families, the monies that came from Gambia, they only gave less than half of that money and they say that they are keeping $200,000 for them. Government should have organised the funerals for them [for free] and set up an endowment fund. ”

According to the NPP, the account of the disbursements of the amount as presented to Parliament by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on Thursday, November 10, 2011 shows betrayal and callousness on the part of government.

The 27 beneficiaries received GH¢10,000 each (or ¢100 million old Ghana cedis). The NDC government claims to have also spent a whopping GH¢25, 000. 00 (¢250 million) on refreshments for “600 people”. Government further claimed to have spent GH¢17,829. 00 (over ¢178 million) to hire carpet and decorative plants.

Further, government said it used GH¢25,000 (¢250 million) on “honorarium” and “other organizational” expenses. A further GH¢5,000 (¢50 million) was given to journalists who reported on the funeral.

Citifmonline. com

The Member of Parliament for the Abuakwa South Constituency, Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea has lauded the MCE for East Akim Municipal Assembly (Simon Peter Asirifi) for his level headedness in managing the municipality.

He commended him for his readiness to share ideas with all stakeholders without biases especially with known political opponents like himself – Atta Akyea, adding that it shows the MCE’s preparedness to enhance development in the municipality.

He described him as a politician whose interest is to achieve results by liaising with various interest groups provided it results in adding value to the lives of the people in the municipality.

Hon. Atta Akyea made the commendation at the Second Ordinary Meeting held in the assembly.

Touching on the issue of galamsey operations in the municipality, Hon. Atta Akyea expressed frustration at the development considering its effect on the people and the environment.

He dumped the blame on the doorstep of the chiefs and traditional leaders as well as land owners who he noted as promoting this unfortunate situation in the municipality.

According to him “nobody can walk into the municipality and engage in galamsey operations without the approval of the chiefs or land owners.”

Other contributory factors are people who crave for money without recourse of the consequences on the health of the people in the society and the environment in general, the MP added.

He therefore appealed to the chiefs and leaders to desist from assisting or promoting illegal galamsey activities while calling on the government to act decisively in dealing with those found culpable because it has become a security issue.

He also indicated that some of these illegal activities have made the Birim River so polluted that it cannot be treated for use describing it as a shameful situation.

Dominic Shirimori/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Asawasi Constituency, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has presented 40 desktop computers worth GHS 12,000.00 to basic schools in the constituency to support the teaching and learning of Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Each of the schools is to receive two computers to enhance the study of ICT.

Some of the beneficiaries include the MA Junior High School, the Sepe Timpon Basic School, Asokore Mampong Basic School and the Asawasi Metropolitan Assembly.

Three brand new desktop computers with printers worth GHS 14,500.00 were also presented to stock the ICT center the MP was building for the constituency at a cost of GHS 110,000.00

The MP also presented 250 dual desks to nine basic schools as part of infrastructure development.

The Adebiya Islamic School received 25 of the desks the Noriya Islamic School, 25; Ussifiya Islamic School, 60; Aboabo Islamic School, 30 and Wateya Islamic School, 30.

Alhaji Mubrak also presented 200 bags of cement for the construction of an office complex for the Islamic Education Unit for the Asawasi Sub-Metro.

The office of the MP awarded scholarship amounting to GHS 6,000.00 to 200 students – 150 in the second cycle and 50 in the tertiary.

Hundred other students were supported from his share of the Common Fund, whilst the remaining had their financial assistance from the Scholarship Secretariat.

The MP said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government had never reneged on its efforts to create a favorable atmosphere for the people.

He further said as MP, it was necessary to support the move by government to provide quality and affordable education to the people, hence the various presentations.

He, however, called on the people to vote for the NDC during the 2012 general elections.

A fully equipped CHIPS compound with a nurse’s quarters has been inaugurated at the Banda Boase-Beina, a farming community in the Tain District in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The facility, which was built at a total cost of GHS 46,000, was financed by the Member of Parliament (MP) of Tain Constituency, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, through his share of the National Health Insurance Fund for Members of Parliament.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim said he decided to provide the people of Banda Boase- Beima and its environs with the facility because of the absence of a health facility in the area.

He said the facility should end the long distance people had to travel to assess health care at Nsakaw, the Tain District capital.

Mr Ibrahim urged the people to patronize the facility since that was the only way it could be upgraded into a higher facility to cater for their health needs.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Foster Agyei Korang, said the NHIA had paid over GHS 33 million as claims to serve providers in the region.

He debunked the notion that the National Health Insurance Scheme was collapsing, considering the prompt payment of claims by the Authority.

The District Chief Executive for Tain, Mr Jones Samuel Tawiah, urged the people to keep faith with the government as it worked hard to fulfill its promises to the people.

He said since the coming into office of the government in 2009, the Tain District had enjoyed a lot of developmental projects ranging from schools, bridges and roads among others, which impacted positively on the lives of the people.

The Member of Parliament for Afigya Sekyere in the Ashanti Region David Hennric Yeboah has put up a 6 unit teachers quarters at Ahensan in the Sekere East District.

The self- support project by the MP was as part of the efforts made to improve on the poor accommodation situations which were previously experienced by some teachers in the area.

The provision of the facility is ample evidence of the MP’s commitment to ensure the delivery of quality education in the area, adding that a teacher with a comfortable life is sure to give out his/her best.

Kofi Agyenim Boateng the assemblyman for the Ahensan electoral area, made this known in an interview with ghanamps.gov.gh.adding that the project will help eliminate the situation where teachers refuse to accept posting to the area due to poor accommodation.

He further stated that, the Ministry of Education (MoE) is also constructing a 6 unit classroom block including a mechanized borehole in the area.

According to Hon. Boateng, the borehole when duly completed will reduce the excessive pressure on the town’s borehole whereas the school block will replace the old wooden structure which was previously occupied teachers and pupils posing threat to the quality of education in the area.

He commended the Ministry of Education for the facility and called on other development partners to emulate the kind gesture shown by the ministry.

He later disclosed that the District assembly through their own share of the District Assembly’s Common Fund is renovating a four (4) unit classroom in the community, adding that the provision of these needed infrastructure will help boost the quality of education in the area.