Month: August 2018

The Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah has stated that Parliamentary approval of €47m facility for the completion of Phase II of the University of Ghana Medical Center will enable the hospital to become fully operational with all the departments being functional and all services being provided.

Dr Assibey-Yeboah who said this when he presented the Committee’s report on the loan facility on the floor stated that government will take over the payment of the loan facility for the UGMC project.

According to him, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Abena Osei-Asare informed the Committee that the loans will be repaid from the Central Government Debt Service Account and that there will be no on-lending agreement with the University of Ghana.

Parliament approved the ASHRA Export Credit Facility agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Bank of Hapoalim B. M. for an amount of up to €40,643,000.00 and a Tied Commercial facility agreement in the amount of €6,520,000.00 between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Bank of Hapoalim B. M.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

The Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Joseph Yieleh Chireh has bemoaned the general lack of urgency on the part of government towards issues of health in the country.

The Wa West Member of Parliament recently in contributing to the report on the credit facility for expansion works on the University of Ghana Medical Center wondered why the proposed date by the government for the opening of the facility was not met.

He observed the delay in making hospitals and CHPS compounds across the country operationalized clearly shows that the government is not focusing on the health sector as a priority area.

Mr Chireh emphasised that such decision to make functional existing facilities “is the reason the no bed syndrome is manifesting clearly” with its attendant challenges.

The Wa West lawmaker expressed worry the loan approved may not be enough to complete Phase II of the project sitting changes in exchange rate of the major trading currencies against the Ghana Cedi as his reason.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Health Committee of Parliament, Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah has stated the University of Ghana Medical Center (UGMC) which was recently opened after long delays has been fully equipped to rope in Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to run and maintain the facility.

According to him, one challenge associated with most health institutions in the country is that once they are put up, they begin to run down because of the fact that they don’t make enough revenue to be able to maintain their facilities.

The Brekum East Member of Parliament noted with excitement that the UGMC facility has been equipped with the necessary income generating component to be able to generate revenue and run the facility.

He also stated that the delay in operationalizing the UGMC was due to the absence of equipment and tools which are critically needed to treat referral cases.

“You need such components to be able to treat referral cases” he said.

Dr Twum- Nuamah said these when he contributed to a motion for the approval of a €47m facility for the completion of Phase II of the University of Ghana Medical Center.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Lambussie Karni, Edward Kaale-Ewola Dery  has said the Public Account Committee is preparing to put out gains made during the 2017 to 2018 public hearing of the committee.

According to the Lambussie Karni legislator a lot of gains had been made as a way of protecting the public purse and the committee is compiling list because of its voluminous nature and at the right time the figures would be put out in the public domain.

“We need to let the Public know what the infringements are and what we have been able to retrieve and what is being done to minimize the occurrence of such infractions”, he lamented.

In an interview he pointed out that the committee realized that most of the financial infractions happen before the auditors get to the scene, and added further that by the end of the life span of the seventh Parliament the public would come to appreciate the work of the Public Accounts Committee.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

In the wake of the gory accident that occurred at Ashiaman, the Member of Parliament, Ernest  Henry  Norgbey and the Municipal Chief Executive Albert Boakye Okyere would team up  to embark on a decongestion exercise.

According to the lawmaker, the incident brings to fore the need for an urgent impartial decongestion exercise along the shoulders of the main market area towards the Ashaiman Valco Flat area to safeguard lives and property.

He repeated that clamoring for space on the shoulders of the roads, though can be attributed to the inadequate space within the Ashaiman main market, the Assembly has constructed about five hundred sheds near the Adjei Kojo underpass and I’ll urge traders to contact the Municipal Assembly for allocations, he said.

“We need to crack the whip to bring sanity into the system, a huge  investment  has been made in the provision of these markets and we cannot afford to look on while it is being underutilized”.

It is unfortunate that the lack of political will on the part of successive governments and the general indiscipline on the part of some traders in the constituency have brought us into this mess, he lamented.

Last week Thursday was indeed a very sad day for the people of Ashaiman after losing a 21 year old SHS graduate with six others in critical condition at the Tema General Hospital.

“The situation will only get worse with the increasing level of migration into the community if drastic and prompt action is not taken, I pray we can count on the support of all my constituents.

My heart aches terribly in this unfortunate accident and I send my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured a speedy recovery.”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has said Ghana’s Parliament should fashion a system that should allow introduction of a Private Members Bill which has no financial implications.

According to the Majority Leader in other advance democracies, they have been able to work around a system where there is a private members Bill that has no financial implications.

The private members bill is part of the reforms the Speaker Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye wants to introduce when he assumed office and there had been raging debate on this issuea and how to introduce it.

Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further added that MPs should be guided against coming up with bills that has cost, when government had already worked out its budge and know how much it would be spending.

He added that he believes Parliament would be able to work around the private members bill looking at the commitment of the Speaker on this issue.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu has said information circulating on social media that he is oppose to the candidature of former President John Mahama’s  bid to lead the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is not true.

According to the Minority Leader he has not issued a statement to that effect, neither had he instructed any one to issue a statement on his behalf.

He further added that the objective of the purported statement is to create disaffection with the NDC and the unity with the Minority caucus.

And urged the public to treat the statement with contempt it deserves in a statement issue by the Minority Leader.

“My primary objective as the Minority Leader is to lead the group to support the leadership of the party in its effort to mend out differences and unify the rank and file of the party following the 2016 election defeat”.

We have to build a strong opposition to the ruling government and therefore it would be odd to openly oppose to or in support of any of the candidate biding to lead our party in election 2020, he lamented.

“As a leader of the Minority Caucus I remain neutral in the process of electing a flag bearer for our grate party and I pledge to respect the will of the delegates and to support whoever emerges as the eventual winner.”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com