Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

The Minority in Ghana’s parliament has noted that for the first time in thirty-two (32) years international banks have rejected Ghana Cocoa Board’s request for a prepayment loan to finance the purchase of cocoa.

The Ghana Cocoa Board in June this year issued a request for a proposal of $1.5 billion loan to purchase up to six hundred and fifty thousand 650,000 metric tonnes of cocoa for this year and next year crop year, but did not attract interest from the international banks due to the poor health of COCOBOARD and the collapse of the cocoa sector under its present management.

In a statement issued by the Minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson a production level of 969,000 metric tonnes inherited from the NDC in the 2016/2017 crop year, cocoa production has declined to just a little over 400,000 metric tonnes for the 2023/2024 cocoa season. The significant decline in cocoa production in the last eight years and the mismanagement of the cocoa sector has impacted Cocobod’s ability to meet its contractual obligations.

Again, Cocoa Board is unable to supply about 250,000 metric tonnes of cocoa and has resorted to the rollover of this contractual obligation due to the poor management of the cocoa sector which has resulted in significant decline in cocoa production under the NPP government. And was chased away from the market due to the fact that COCOBOD is no longer credit worthy, lacks credibility and are unable to produce enough cocoa to meet their contractual obligations.

The Minority Leader further added that, the banks came to the conclusion that out of the projected production of 650,000 metric tonnes of cocoa for the 2024/2025 crop year, which is doubtful, 250,000 metric tonnes will be used to service existing rolled-over contracts, leaving only 400,000 metric tonnes to honour COCOBOD’s obligations for the 2024/2025 crop year. This raised the ability to pay question for the banks, hence their refusal to participate. For seven consecutive years, COCOBOD has recorded huge losses amounting to over GHS11 billion under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

Year                                Loss recorded (GHS)

2017                                395 million

2018                                78.2 million

2019                                320.6 million

2020                               426 million

2021                                2.4 billion

2022                               3.2 billion

2023                                  4.2 billion

Minority Leader in addition pointed out that, announcement by the Ghana Cocoa Board that it has taken a bold decision not to borrow from foreign banks to finance cocoa purchases after 32 years is false, unmeritorious, contrived and face-saving.

“This is to hide the fact that COCOBOD is no longer credit worthy and that a 32-year-old tradition, which has consistently cushioned and provided Ghana’s economy with the most reliable foreign exchange to support the Ghana Cedi, has been destroyed by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. Ghana’s cocoa sector is in crisis, needs urgent attention, competent management and a new direction”.

The NPP government has completely mismanaged and destroyed the cocoa sector. After seven years of decline in production and consecutive losses, the government has shown clearly that it does not have the competence to manage the cocoa sector which has since independence been the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy.

Ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament Dr. James Klutse Avedzi has directed the prosecution of a teacher in Sunyani, Comfort Appiah, over a payroll irregularity involving unearned salary.

This follows a revelation from the Kintampo South District Education Directorate that a headteacher, Bismark Agyekum, who also served as a payroll validator, fled to California with a validation code, enabling him to fraudulently secure GH₵26,000 in unearned salary.

According to the District Director of Education, Daniel Yaw Appiah, Agyekum transferred the funds to the colleague teacher’s account in Sunyani after the money was deposited into his account.

The Public Accounts Committee noted possible collusion between the headmistress and the teacher and instructed that the case be referred to the Attorney-General for prosecution.

Meanwhile, during the same PAC session, Ray Ankrah, the Deputy CEO of COCOBOD in charge of Finance and Administration, revealed that GH₵200,000 out of a total of GH₵1.8 million in unpaid funds had been recovered, with efforts underway to retrieve the remaining balance.

Ankrah also disclosed that GH₵1.6 million of COCOBOD’s investments are locked with Zenith Bank due to the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

Additionally, representatives from the Ghana Police Service, Fire Service, Prisons Service, and Immigration Service appeared before the Committee to address queries raised by the Auditor-General.

The PAC’s public hearings in Accra have concluded, and the Committee will move its proceedings to the regions next week.

Ghanamps.com

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) regarding its failure to recover substantial state funds locked up with various companies and state institutions across the country.

During a session in Parliament to examine the 2023 Auditor-General’s report on the public accounts of Ghana: Public Boards, Corporations and other Statutory Institutions, the Committee stressed serious concerns. The report revealed that a total of GH¢61 billion Ghana cedis of state funds remain uncollected, with only GH¢46 million retrieved so far.

The Auditor-General recommended that the CAGD implement a more robust tracking system to ensure that all transfers are properly recorded and easily traceable.

Appearing before the Committee, Mr. Kwasi Adjei, the Acting Controller and Accountant General, acknowledged the Department’s shortcomings but emphasized that they operate under the Ministry of Finance, providing public financial management services to the government and the general public.

He also mentioned that a joint committee team has been established between the CAGD and the Ministry of Finance to oversee the recovery of the outstanding debts.

In related proceedings, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Yussif led officers from the National Youth Authority and the National Sports Authority to respond to queries raised by the Auditor-General.

Additionally, the Ghana Water Company Limited was represented by the Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Aminu Issahaku Chinnia, who also answered questions from the Committee.

Ghanamps.com

In its public hearing of the Auditor-General’s report on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as of December 31, 2023, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) earn the praise of members of the Public Account Committee.

When SSNIT  appeared  before the Committee on Thursday, August 15, 2024, it turns out that SSNIT in a remarkable way turned a deficit of over GHC 300 million into a surplus exceeding GHC 230million that is 176 percent improvement.

“Last year, you moved from a deficit of over GH¢300 million to a surplus of more than GH¢230 million. That is incredible. What did the trick?” A member of the committee, Isaac Opoku queried the Director-General, Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo
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In response, Mr Osafo-Maafo attributed the turnaround to several factors, including a 29% increase in net contributions and a 49% growth in net investment income.

“The performance was driven by several factors. The first factor – there was a 29% increase in net contributions received. Our net investment income also grew by 49% to about 706 million approximately and there was also a significant increase in other income. We also managed to control costs fairly well. The other income arises from penalties on delays of contributions and also incomes from the sale of our properties,” the SSNIT boss responded.

In a follow-up, Mr Opoku also commended SSNIT for its improved financial ratios, noting that the organization’s current ratio had increased from 1.1 in 2021 to 1.6 in 2023.

“Your current ratio is better than the previous year. In 2021, it was 1.1, and this year, it’s improved to 1.6. So, it’s not too bad, and we can only encourage you to improve upon it,” he remarked.

The Public Accounts Committee applauded SSNIT’s management for the positive financial strides and encouraged the Trust to maintain and further enhance its financial health.

In 2022, SSNIT’s total income surged by 35.1%, reaching GH¢5,272,183,000, up from GH¢3,903,635,000 in 2021. This increase was primarily driven by a rise in net contributions received. Meanwhile, total expenditure grew by 16.9% to GH¢4,930,637,000 in 2022, compared to GH¢4,217,700,000 in the previous year.

The increase in expenditure was largely due to a rise in benefits paid out during the year.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Chairman of the Ad – hoc Committee of Parliament set up by the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament to investigate the Akosombo Dam Spillage Disaster, Sulemana Adamu Sanid has expressed appreciation to some actors for their role in providing relief to the affected persons in the affected communities.

The Chairman made the statement when he led the Ad- hoc Committee to visit the affected communities as part of its fact-finding mission.

In furtherance, the Chairman after a round up fact finding visit to the affected communities such as Mepe / Juapong (North Tongu), Mafi (Central Tongu ) Sogakope ( South Tongu ) in a press briefing at Adidome, indicated that North Tongu is an epicenter adding that what has been put together to the victims is appreciable.

He stated, ‘we commend Hon. Samuel Okudzeto, MP for North Tongu, the DCE, and the NADMO staff for their efforts to ameliorate the catastrophe”.

However, Hon. Okudzeto explained that, his outfit adopted a by- Partisan approach to deal with the humanitarian crisis during the disaster. He said, “I have a very strong reservations about how VRA conducted their affairs and what led to the spillage’’. He placed on record that, he was never invited during the stakeholder engagement and argued that VRA did not help in that regard.

Hon. Okudzeto urged VRA to drop what they describe as safe haven and come out with a different approach. According to him “You cannot describe basic schools as safe haven” and opined that those places must be convenient for human habitation. He revealed that this year VRA has begun media publicity warning communities of a possible spillage.

Ghanamps.com

Ghanamps.com can affirm that work is progressively going on to retrofit the chamber as announced by the Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin.

A visit to the floor of the House on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, saw active work taking place to get the chamber ready ahead of the September 3, 2024, recall.

At the beginning of the year, the Leadership of the House and the Parliamentary Service Board had decided that the chamber be retrofitted in preparation for the 9th Parliament, as made known by the Speaker of the House.

In announcing the refurbishment, the Speaker said, “the urgency of addressing structural defects and replacing the audio and video equipment cannot be overstated as many have witnessed the failure of the equipment and some parts of the structure of the chamber in recent times which has in some instances led to the abrupt suspension of sittings or adjournment”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Despite initial moves by the Minority on the Appointment Committee to halt the public vetting of two nominees for the Supreme Court, Justice Bernasko Essah and Professor Richard Frimpong Oppong, the vetting went ahead after four hours of brouhaha.

After twelve hours vetting process from 10:00am to 9:30pm Governs Kwame Agbodza, the Minority chief whip on the Committee in an interview on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, noted that their side voted against the approval of the nominees.

According to him it was seven (7), seven (7); that is seven from the Minority side against seven from the Majority side for the approval of the nominees.

He further pointed out that the chair of the Committee Joseph Osei-Owusu was not present at the vetting of the nominees.

“We hear some Majority members saying a decision should not be taken all because the chairman was not there, but a decision has been taken by those who were at the vetting of the nominees and what some Majority members are saying is foreign to us that the chairman can remotely vote”.

“All we want to say is that on the Majority side seven voted for their approval, Minority seven voted against; let us take the report to the floor of the House for a decision to be taken”. He added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com