Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

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.

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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
.
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

The Appointments Committee of Parliament has dismissed a motion filed by the Minority to halt the public hearing of two Supreme Court nominees, Justice Bernasko Essah and Prof. Richard Frimpong Oppong.

The nominees, selected by President Akufo-Addo, were scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
However, Minority members on the Committee objected to the process, citing unconstitutionality.

The NDC MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, led the charge, arguing that the President’s nomination lacked constitutional foundation.

“I think that we have been doing an illegal thing, an unconstitutional thing. The President has been exercising the power without any foundation in the constitution or any law that I know, and I want to raise it and have it captured, object to the nominations on the basis of the fact that it is unconstitutional.

It flies in the face of Article 128 of the Constitution, and it is not founded in Article 144 of the Constitution. It offends the discretionary power provisions of Article 296. It doesn’t satisfy the Parliament’s powers to fill in voids under Article 298 of the constitution”.

“I don’t know if you want to continue with this exercise, but to tell you the truth, we’ve been doing the wrong thing,” he said.

His argument was supported by the Deputy Minority Leader and NDC MP for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.

The Majority Leader and New Patriotic Party (MP) for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, counter-argued their claim and emphasized the Appointment Committee’s role in vetting nominations made by the President.

“We are only to vet and report to the preliminary for a decision to be taken. We are not determining whether we are going to take a matter under a certificate of agency which will be determined by a committee. No, this is vetting. Madam Chair, I am ready for her to start,” he said.

The Deputy Majority Leader and NPP MP for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, who presided over the Committee in the absence of the First Deputy Speaker and NPP MP for Bekwai, Joseph Osei Owusu, suggested capturing concerns raised by the Minority members in the committee’s report for plenary consideration.

After the debate, the committee voted, resulting in a tie (7-7), thereby dismissing the motion. The committee comprised 15 members, with 7 from each side, plus the Chair.

Ghanamps.com