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Author: Fred GhanaMPs

PAC: “Our warnings on infractions are being taken serious”—Averdzi

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC), Dr. James Kluste Averdzi has revealed that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are taking warnings against infractions when they come before the committee seriously.

According to the PAC chairman Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are also doing same hence the size of the Auditor-Generals’ report for 2017 has reduced drastically.

He further noted in an interview that he is hoping that infractions would be eliminated completely, as enough notification has been given to the MDAs and MMDAs that with the 2017 report infractions would not be tolerated.

“Our warnings in the past is now reflecting as to what officials are suppose to do,  but there are still issues in the report that should be address, we are saying now that we would not allow you to go and bring receipt to support a transaction”.

Dr. Averdzi emphasised that at the point of audit if you were unable to provide receipt and payment vultures, officials would be sanctioned as they would be asked to refund monies because they were unable to produce those documents at the time of audit.

They would sit up, “I can tell you in the 2020 Auditor-Generals report which would come in 2021 or 2022 we might see a nil infractions in the AG’s report”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Five Technical Universities to appear before PAC on Monday

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

As the Public Account Committee (PAC) wrap up its public hearing on Tuesday 21st January 2020 on the Auditor-General’s report for 2015 to 2016, five Technical Universities would appear before the Committee on Monday.

They are Ho, Accra, Cape Coast, Koforidua and Takoradi Technical Universities where the 2016 Auditor-General’s report would be examined.

Assemblies in the Central Region who could not appear before the Committee last week Monday due to the excuse that they did not receive the invitation letters would come before the committee on Tuesday, as well as Assemblies in the Greater Accra who did not appear and those that gave unsatisfactory answers.

In an interview with journalists on Friday just after adjourning hearing, chairman of the Committee, Dr. James Kluste Averdzi noted that the hearing has been well attended apart from the first two days that had some issues.

And further pointed out that most of the issues raised on the AG’s report had been cleared from the various District, but there are few outstanding issues which are expected to be cleared by the District Auditors.

“We have given them a minimum of a week and maximum of two weeks for them to clear, and feed us with information for us to write our report”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Atiwa East MP presents maternity beds to Abekwase chip compound

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Member of Parliament for Atiwa East Abena Osei-Asare has presented maternity beds to Abekwase chips compound in the Atiwa East constituency, as a way of ensuring that maternal mortality is curbed in the community.

According to the MP statistics show that before 2017 there were a lot of maternal mortality, whiles in 2017 the occurrence came down with one death recorded in 2018, and that of last year is yet to be put out.

She pointed out at the presentation of the beds that the District has to work towards zero witness of maternal death, to help Ghana achieve the Sustainable Development Goal, as good health promotes a lot of good things.

“Our focus should be prevention and not waiting for it to happen then we want to work towards preventing it, this would help us keep the little money we have and use it for other things”.
The MP in addition pointed out the need to take care of the nurses since they are the primary health givers so that they can take care of the patients.

She also admonished the health professionals to desist from the practice of turning patients away when the facility is closed as is the case at some facilities. “Abekwase chips should not allow that to be said of them since that is not the practice there”.

“You should know your work is a sacrificial work, despite you being paid salaries, but as health workers you should go beyond your call of duty, because you work can prevent someone from death. Help us have a health population; it is when they are healthy that you tell them something they would listen”.

She further noted that as the community keeps expanding there would be the need for a clinic again with population growth, and with the government of Nana Akufo-Addo in place what would make life comfortable for them will be done.

“Now you have three school feeding program running here either to you did not have some, we would have discussions with your Assemblyman to note down your needs and address them bit by bit”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

PAC to surcharge Assembly officials over MPs’ common fund — Chairman

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Chairman of the Public Account Committee, Dr. James Kluste Averdzi has given hint that Assembly officials who spend lawmakers’ common fund without their knowledge would be surcharged.

He said this in an interview after it came out during the ongoing Public Account Committee hearing in Parliament House that most of the Assemblies use the MPs Common Fund without consulting the MPs.

“We would apply the rules to ensure that officials involve refund the money into the MPs account, that conduct is unacceptable”, he lamented.

Meanwhile, the committee is expected to conclude its hearing on the 2015/2016 Auditors Report on Tuesday, January 21, 2020.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

ECO implementation: 6 W/A English countries unhappy with French counterpart

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Ministers of Finance and Governments from the Central Banks of six West African English speaking countries have condemned their French speaking counterparts for unilaterally deciding to rename the CFA France as ECO by 2020.

At the end of a crucial extra-ordinary meeting on Thursday when they met in Abuja Nigeria under the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) on the ECOWAS single currency programme, Nigeria’s Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed on behalf of the Central Bank Governments and Finance Ministers presented the communiqué.

Mr.  Mamadi Camara, Minister for Economic and Finance of the Republic of Guinea, who chaired expressed worry by the declaration of His Excellency, Alasane Outtara, chairman of the Authority of Heads of States and Government of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) on 21st December 2019 to unilaterally rename the CFA France as “ECO” by 2020.

The WAMZ Convergence Council emphasised that the action taken by their French speaking counterparts was not in line with the decision of the Authority of Heads of States and Government of ECOWAS for the adoption of “ECO” as the name of an independent ECOWAS single currency.

“WAMZ council reiterates the importance for all ECOWAS member countries to adhere to the decision of the Authority of Heads of States and Government towards the implementation of the revised roadmap of the ECOWAS single currency programme”.

The following Ministers of Finance and Governments of the Central Banks of member states of the West African monetary zone, Mambury Njie  Republic of Gambia Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta Ghana, Mamadi Camara Guinea, Samuel D. Tweah Junior Liberia, Zainab S. Ahmed Nigeria, Jacob J. Saffa Sierra Leone were present at the meeting.

Whiles, Mr. Buah D. Saidy senior advisor Central Bank Gambia, Ernest K. Y. Addison Ghana, Lounceny Nabe Governor Guinea, J. Aloyslus Tarlue Junior Liberia, Kelfala M. Kallon Sierra Leone, Godwin I. Emefiele Governor Nigeria attending the meeting.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

PAC directs three Districts to appear before it today

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The Public Account Committee of Parliament has directed that three Districts Assemblies from the Volta Region who failed to show up on Thursday January 16, 2020 appear before it today Friday the 17th of January 2020.

Chairman of PAC, Dr. James Klutse Averdzi gave this directive at the end of the Committee sitting on Thursday.

The three Assemblies are North Tongu, Ketu North and South Dayi, as the Committee considered the 2015 and 2016 report of the Auditor-General on Assemblies from the Volta Region, on the utilization of the Common Fund.

Meanwhile, the Committee would today consider the Auditor-General’s report on District Assemblies from the West North and Western Regions.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

MP admonishes adults to stop abusing right of children

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare has admonished adult in Awosoase community in the Atiwa East Constituency, to stop abusing the rights of children by posting their pictures on facebook to solicit for funds for their upkeep.

She recounted a case in point when the father of some children died at Awosoase and their pictures were posted on facebook to solicit for funds for their upkeep.

The MP noted that the act does not put the community in good light as social welfare, the District Chief Executive and the MP can be of assistant.

“Putting the pictures of the children who had lost their father on facebook to raise funds is criminal, this offence should never happen again, they are children below eighteen years, they are supposed to be protected by adults”.

She made this remarks when she cut sod for the construction of an Astroturf at Awosoase in the Atiwa East constituency.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

NPP holds primary for sitting MPs in April

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) would hold primaries for its sitting Members of Parliament on Saturday 25th of April 2020.

Nominations would be opened from Saturday the 15th of February and close 29th of same month with vetting slated from Saturday March 7 – 12, 2020.

And the vetting report submitted to the National Executive Committee through the General Secretary not later than 16th of March 2020.

The National Parliamentary Appeals Committee would receive petitions from disgruntled or disqualified aspiring candidates from the 18th of March to the 20th of same month.

Notice of polls shall be published on the 28th of March, this is as a result of a National Executive Committee meeting held in Accra on Thursday the 16th of January 2020.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

PAC should consider using police at public hearing—Atta-Mills

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament for Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem and a member of the Public Account Committee, (PAC) Samuel Atta-Mills has said the Committee should consider using the services of the police going forward.

According to Atta-Mills when an ordinary person on the street steals from a shop the person is called a thief, however public servants misappropriate funds and made to refund, which is not the case for the ordinary person.

“When there are problems the politician is blamed, but we do not sign cheques, it is done by the civil servants, Municipal Chief Executives are politically appointed they are made to respond”.

He said this in an interview at the ongoing PAC public hearing, when issues of infractions keeps occurring in the various Assemblies as the Committee examines how, Assemblies utilized the Common Fund as it appears in the Auditor-Generals report for the year 2015 to 2016.

As to what can be done to address the issues of infractions in the Assemblies, Ministries, Agencies, and Departments, he noted that it is an issue of indiscipline from the top to down.

“Where people feel they are politically connected to people at the higher level, but this is a country of rule and law, we need to crake the whip to compel people to do what they are supposed to do”.

He further pointed out that as a country, we  should not tolerate indiscipline from any quarters, “we have given you funds, come and explain why you misappropriated funds given to you, what is the difference between that and being an armed robber? There is not a difference”.

He also expressed worry over the conduct of some Assemblies, showing arrogance by not responding to the invitation of PAC, all because it is an election year.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Atiwa East MP cuts sod for construction of Astro turf Park

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Deputy Minister for Finance and Member of Parliament (MP) for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare on Wednesday 15th January 2020 cut sod for the construction of an Astroturf at Awosoase, in her constituency.

According to the MP, the ruling government would do all it can to provide facilities that would benefit every community in the country.

She recounted the last time she visited the community and they appealed for an astro turf part, and today work has started on it.

The MP further noted that the people of Awosoase had a library and made a request of books which she also provided with computers.

“Awosoase is a strategic place in the constituency, I believe in the near future other teams would use our facility when it is completed, again this facility would open up economic activities and give people money”.

Also you did not have a school feeding previously, but now you have it here, and added that the little things that government is doing if they allow it to stay, it would continue with its good work.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com