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Month: May 2018

Ghana would continue to beg if we evade tax—Bantama MP

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama, Daniel Okyem Aboagye has said Ghana would continue to beg for aid if, Ghanaians evade tax instead of contributing to mobilize revenue to build the nation.

According to the Bantama legislator, the introduction of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) is very important to widen the tax net for more people to pay tax to enhance nation building.

And was happy the media in Parliament were being taken through a training workshop, to explain to people to understand the importance of paying tax.

“If we need good things, we should be prepare to pay for it and we can’t continue to be people depending on aid, that is why I support the Presidents stand Ghana beyond aid”, he said.

He made this remarks at a two days workshop organised for the media at Prampram by Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Ghana’s tax system and the need to enhance education on the introduction of Tax Identification Number (TIN).

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Let’s help guard high accounting standard —-Speaker

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye has commended calls made by the Institute of Chartered Accounts – Ghana (ICAGH) to help maintain high standard in the accounting profession when they called on him.

According to the Speaker, professionalism should be self regulatory and those in every profession know best how that high standard can be achieved.

He recounted that the medical and legal profession throughout the world, a lot of undesirable persons may want to creep into the profession, self regulations has a lot to do with professional pride.

“If you want to become one of us, this is the way you have to behave and these are the standards you have to adhere to, that is the way to sustain the respect of any such profession”, he said.  Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye has commended calls made by the Institute of Chartered Accounts – Ghana (ICAGH) to help maintain high standard in the accounting profession when they called on him.

According to the Speaker, professionalism should be self regulatory and those in every profession know best how that high standard can be achieved.

He recounted that the medical and legal profession throughout the world, a lot of undesirable persons may want to creep into the profession, self regulations has a lot to do with professional pride.

“If you want to become one of us, this is the way you have to behave and these are the standards you have to adhere to, that is the way to sustain the respect of any such profession”, he said.

The Speaker made this remarks when the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAGH), Christian Sottie and his counterpart Nick Parker, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountant England and Wales (ICAEW) paid a courtesy call on him.

Parliament being a House of accountability would be very much interested in what the accountants are doing, again we are very proud of the work the Public Account Committee (PAC) is doing, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Speaker made this remarks when the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAGH), Christian Sottie and his counterpart Nick Parker, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountant England and Wales (ICAEW) paid a courtesy call on him.
Parliament being a House of accountability would be very much interested in what the accountants are doing, again we are very proud of the work the Public Account Committee (PAC) is doing, he said.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Leadership of Parliament to have media encounter on Tuesday

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Leadership of Parliament would have media encounter on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, where reporters from Parliament would have the opportunity to ask pertinent questions relating to Parliament.
In attendance to this media encounter would be the Speaker of Parliament Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye, Minister of Parliamentary Affair and Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and Member of Parliament for Tamale South Haruna Iddrisu who is the Minority Leader.
Public Affairs Directorate of Parliament in years past organise such encounter to afford the media, interaction with leadership of the House and answers are provided to controversial issues.

And leadership of the House point out to the media where their work is falling short and the media are also able to point out difficulties they encounter in discharging their duties in the House.

Investigations and checks conducted by ghanamps.com ahead of this encounter indicates that some of the issues that might come up include alleged payment of “double” salary to previous Ministers who double as MPs.

The Minority’s posture on the rulings of the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye among other questions.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Rotary International and Ghana provide sanitation in 6 Regions

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Rotary International and the Ghana chapter are partnering the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to improve sanitation and provide water in six (6) Regions in the country.

The project which started in 2015 is estimated to cost four (4) million dollars, and would end in 2020, whiles the first phase which was carried out in four (4) Regions cost two (2) million dollars.

Mr. Sam Okudzeto, a member of the Council of State disclosed this, when he led a six member delegation from the Rotary International and Ghana chapter to pay  a courtesy call on the sector Minister, Kofi Adda.

They took the opportunity to brief the Minister on projects Rotary has undertaken over the years in Ghana, in the area of sanitation and water.

And pledge their support to the Ministry, while they seek the support of the Ministry in the area of advocacy in the sanitation and water sector.

Mr. Kofi Adda commended Rotary Club for their presence in the rural areas providing sanitation and water and further added that a credit facility of forty-five  point seven million dollars have been given to government, to  be channeled to Community Water and Sanitation Agency for provision of Sanitation and Water facilities.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority Chief Whip unhappy with attitude of Agriculture Minister

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed has said the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Akoto Afriyie is found of sending his Deputies to Parliament to answer questions instead of coming himself.

According to the Chief Whip, respect is even not given to the Speaker Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye by informing him ahead of time that the Minister can’t come to the House to answer questions.

He is always sending his Deputies to answer questions on the floor of the House, as a similar situation was witnessed at the last meeting where three questions were unanswered.

This came to light when the Food and Agriculture Minister failed to turn up on the floor on Thursday 17th May, 2018 to answer an urgent question on the floor of the House.

Mr. Mubarak Muntaka further said he knows the difficulties the Speaker is having because he was not informed ahead of time that the Food and Agriculture Minister would not be on the floor to answer questions but only got to know on Thursday.

“We would plead that the Majority would respect the Speaker and the office he occupy”.
Chairman of the Finance Committee, Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah indicated on the floor of the House that the Minority Chief Whip was wrong in saying that the Food and Agriculture Minister should be hauled before the House.

But the Speaker pointed out that by the standing orders of the House allows Ministers to be compelled to appear before the peoples’ representative to response to questions or any other matter whatsoever the House consider relevant.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Food and Agric Minister to answer question on Friday—Adwoa Safo

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Deputy Majority Leader and Minister of State for procurement, Sarah Adowa Safo, had said the Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Akoto Afriyie would be on the floor of Parliament to answer an urgent question in person on Friday.

The Deputy Majority Leader indicated to the House that the Minister wants to answer the question himself but an equal important assignment had taken him out of the jurisdiction and would be available to address the urgent question on Friday the 18th of May, 2018.

She further noted that the point raised by the Minority is important but the Agric Ministers absence is not intentional and the Ministers permission would be sort to come before the House to answer the question.

Haven been a former Member of Parliament, the Minister takes the work of the House seriously, he would not intentionally disregard this House and today being Thursday is for Cabinet meeting, she remarked.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Seventy percent of deaths are cause by hypertension —Okoe Boye

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

As the World marks hypertension day, Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku constituency Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye has said, Doctors at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital estimate that seventy percent (70) of deaths are caused by hypertension.

Thirty (30) percent of all Ghanaian adults have been determined to be hypertensives, and one third (1/3) of this number are aware of their status. Ninety-two (92) members of Parliament are supposed to be hypertensive with only thirty (30) out of this number knowing their status.

According to the medical doctor turn politician, the High Blood Pressure often referred to as (BP) is silently causing damage to blood vessels in the brain, heart, kidney and the eye resulting in stroke, culminating in early death.

Ghanaians should be reminded that High Blood Pressure does not give any sign or symptoms to signal its presence causing harm secretly, he said.

Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye further revealed that the only way to know of  high blood pressure is to get it checked by a health worker in a statement on the floor of the House to mark the day.

Members of Parliament who are medical doctors used the day to help check the Blood Pressure of their colleagues.

Meanwhile, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings together with his colleague Dr. Okoe Boye working to ensure that MPs’ gym is made available for the law makers within the meeting.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.co

MPs undertake blood pressure check of in Parliament

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Members of Parliament (MPs) from both the Majority and Minority side of the House on Thursday 17th May, 2018 had the opportunity to check for their blood pressure (BP) just after adjournment of the House.

Most MPs gathered at the MPs café just after the chamber where health personnel’s from the Parliamentary clinic were available to undertake the exercise.

The exercise comes in the wake of the celebration of world hypertension day, where Dr. Okoe Boye MP for Ledzokuku announced that medical doctors were in the House equipped with blood pressure equipment and ready to take their BP.

Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, in an interview said MPs have been encouraged to check their (BP) often  with the  nature of their  work and their average age group mostly above 40 years.

Adding, hypertension is treatable, those on medication if they take their medication as prescribed they have a surest way to a long complication free life, sufficient and adequate exercise would help avoid hypertension or minimize its effect on the body.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament to take Appointment Committees report today

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Parliament would today Friday 18th May 2018 debate the unanimous recommendation of the Appointment Committee to approve the Deputy Special Prosecutor nominee, Cynthia Naa Koshie Lamptey.

In the order paper of the House it has been scheduled for the report of the Appointment Committee to be taken today.

Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu in an interview said all depends on the committee and how fast they present their report to the House.

He further indicated that he was impressed with the performance of the nominee when she appeared before the Appointment Committee of Parliament.

On the issue of her not giving detailed answers, the Leader of Government Business said by her training she is not supposed to give a lot away and those asking the question could have pushed further if they wanted detailed answers.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

President should set up committee to determine our salaries early—-Agbodza

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Kwame Agbodza, is urging President Nana Akufo-Addo to set the pace by, setting up a committee early enough to determine the salary of Article 71 office holders.

He noted that over the years, Presidents wait until the tail end of their four year mandate before setting up the committee and if this exercise is done ahead of time would help save a lot of problems.

According to the Adaklu legislator, the single spine salary negotiation is done way ahead of time and it helps address possible problems.

“Article 71 (1) of the Constitution provides: “The salaries and allowances payable, and the facilities and privileges available, to (a) The Speaker and Deputy Speakers and Members of Parliament; (b) The Chief Justice and the other Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature; (c) The Auditor-General, the Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of the Electoral Commission, Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and his deputies, and the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator; (d) The Chairman, Vice Chairman and the other members of (i) a National Council for Higher Education howsoever described: (ii) the Public Services Commission; (iii) the National Media Commission, (iv) the Lands Commission and (v) the National Commission for Civic Education, being expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund, shall be determined by the President on the recommendation of a committee of not more than five persons appointed by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State.”

He was not happy with the way the Legislative and Executive arm of government is organised, in respect of emoluments and called for removal of bottlenecks; “it should be clear where MP Ministers should take their salaries from.”

“If MPs Ministers are paid from Parliament there is nothing wrong with that, in that case there is not transposition for errors”, he said.

We are all aware that the quantum of money advanced to MPS is still on the account,  because no one has determined our actual salary, yet when that comes no Member of Parliament would be able to take more than we are due, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com