Month: December 2017

Chairman of the Public Account Committee and Deputy Minority leader, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi has said the committee would start looking into the books of the various Assemblies and touch on pre-tertiary institutions in the Country.

He further pointed out that PAC has zoned the country into four and would start working in the second week in January 2018, from the Northern zone.

And added that working on the 2018 budget estimates for the various Ministries has taken the attention of the House and the committee cannot move to the regions to work.

According to Dr. Avedzi the committee had worked on voluminous reports and would lay some of them before the House goes on recess this week.

On the issue of retrieved funds, the committee had worked on, the chairman of the committee noted that it was being compiled and will be laid very soon for Ghanaians to know monies retrieved.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has indicated that Parliament has to come out with a clear laid down rules if Deputy Ministers should not be allowed to answer questions.

Mrs Ekuful further noted that she was happy that the records have been set straight that, her Deputy was not sack from the floor of the House.

Her comment comes in the wake of media publication that the Deputy Communication Minister was sacked from Parliament House.

According to the Communications Minister, she does not think it will ever happen again, that her Deputy will be denied an opportunity to answer question on the floor and indicated she wish the House could apologies but she knew it will never come.

Speaking in an interview, she said she was satisfied with the comment of the Speaker that, the House has nothing against the Ministry and the issue would be looked into. She further admonished Journalist to cross check their facts before publishing their stories in Parliament.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has given a strong indication that all Committees of Parliament will consider budget estimates of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies within the precincts of Parliament.

The Majority leader’s pronouncement came in the wake of bribery allegations against Members of Parliament in the line of duty as Parliament concludes debates on the 2018 budget and sets for the consideration of estimates for the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by the relevant Committees.

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu who supported the issue said the move to hold Committee meetings with government agencies within Parliament will cloth MPs against being open up to vulnerabilities.

In the past most Committees of Parliament either consider budget estimates of MDAs within the premises of these institutions or in hotels across the country.

These are said to have on many occasions compromise the works of lawmakers who are expected to exercise oversight.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in debasing the Minority’s arguments stated that the 2018 budget is based on policies and principles but not superficialities as touted by the NDC.

He chided the Minority for focusing on errors in the budget documents and also gave historical mistakes in previous budgets whiles urging for the need to focus on the substance of the issues raised in the budget.

He stated that it is the vision of President Akufo Addo to create ‘’an optimistic, self-confidence,
and prosperous nation through the creative exploitation of our human and natural resources, and operating within a democratic, open and fair society in which we should trust and economic opportunities exists for all’’

According to him the NDC In 2009 has as its slogan ‘’A Better Ghana Agenda’’ which resonate its subsequent budget which later on after seven years changed to ‘’Transforming Lives’’ seven years afterwards.

He stated that it is government’s objective by the budget to restore and sustain macro-economic stability.
It is expected to attain improved fiscal performance through enhanced revenue mobilization, strengthen the economy and ensure investor confidence in the economy.

According to the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, government in 2017 planted the seeds which have geminated,now,the2018 will put Ghana back to work.

He observed that Government’s agenda for job creation which is expected to engage 500, 000
farmers, 2160 graduates to be engaged, 3000 youth to be engaged by Cocobod, 1070 young people, 15,000 to reclaim lands, Nation Builders programs among others all expected to provides more Ghanaians with gainful employment.

He noted that the macro-economic indicators in just few months of theNPP Administration shows that the NPP are better managers of the economy.

He recounted that both former Presidents Rawlings and Kufour added 580, 3300 megawatts respectively to Ghana’s energy generation capacity. The Suame Member of Parliament also criticized the NDC government for leaving the economy in huge debts

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu has urged government to provide opportunities for all Ghanaians and not only NPP members as postulated by Ghana’s Ambassador to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng.

The Tamale South Member of Parliament was not happy about the tagging government coordinated initiatives such as the Akufo Addo for economic transformation which he said does not augur well for national cohesion.

The Tamale South lawmaker urged government to respect the laws of Ghana stating that majoritarian rule cannot usurp the laws of the land in the scheme of things.

He also chided the allocation of huge sums of money to initiatives such as the agriculture insurance, the Ghana Bauxite Authority which do not exist yet and huge allocation to the Presidency.

The leader also chastised government for what he said was government’s description of loans as novelty and asked “since when has borrowing become a novelty” even as the NPP government leverages on the Energy sector levy instituted by the previous NDC government.

He also cautioned government against competing with the private sector as far as corporate tax regime is concerned and downplays the establishment of the Ghana Development Bankas announced in the 2018 budget.

According to him, the establishment of a Development Bank was not necessary since the National Investment Bank (NIB), Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) and the Ghana Infrastructure Fund already exist to facilitate development.

The leader of the Minority in Parliament was not happy about government decision to withdraw money from the National Health Insurance Levy Fund to pay nurses allowance which was a campaign promises even though the fund is distressed with money to perform its primary function of healthcare.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu charged government to pay particular attention to procurement issues which remains a veritable source of corruption in the country whiles urging government to ensure the unification of pensions in the country with specially focus on the Ghana Prisons Service.

He indicated that the NPP government inherited strong economy and institutions and must build on it and endeavour to support the private sector to create the needed jobs.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Hohoe constituency, Dr Bernice Adiku Heloo has stated that abstinence is key in the fight against HIV/AIDS whiles urging the youth to abstain or stick to one partner and be faithful to them.

She observed that the lack of awareness was a challenge in fighting the menace and noted that the threat of the virus was still real among the populace.

The former Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection also called for the need to stop discrimination and stigmatization against persons living with HIV/AIDS since those behavior skills more than the disease itself.

Discrimination and stigmatization,she said,works against the general good of society. The Hohoe MP who was also a former Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology called for compassion, love and care for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

She urged the youth especially to avoid unprotected sex, avoid risky behaviors saying ‘’Protection is in your hands’’.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Chairman on the Health Committee of Parliament, Dr. Kwabena Twum Nuamah is advocating for the establishment of the Ghana AIDS Commission Fund to formulate policies and coordinate activities in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

According to him, the Ghana AIDS Commission Act that protects the privileges of persons living with HIV/AIDS also establishes the National HIV and AIDS Fund for which the time has come for the government to establish the fund to assist the Management body.

Dr Nuamah who is also the Member of Parliament for Brekum East urged Ghanaians to assist the commission to embark on its operations.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com