News:
August 29, 2018
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, James Klutse Avedzi has blamed the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta of what he called ‘’deceiving’’ Parliament on the actual debt status of the country as at December 2016.
The Minister in the 2017 budget statement told Parliament that the country’s debt as at December 2016 stood at GH¢122 billion, but the Controller and Accountant General (CAG) in its 2016 report on the consolidated fund reported that the debt stood at GH¢120 billion.
Mr Avedzi who pointed this out when the Deputy Minister, Abena Osei Asare representing the Ministry appeared before the Public Accounts Committee said Mr Ofori Atta deliberately deceiving Parliament whiles pointing out the discrepancies in the figures.
“Our domestic debt was GH¢52.179 billion and external was GH¢68.149 billion. The two put together will give you GH¢120.3 billion,” he stated.
“The accounts of the Controller and Accountant General confirmed GH¢120 billion and the auditor also verified and confirmed that figure. My question is, why did your minister say GH¢122billion when the actual debt was GH¢120 billion?” he questioned.
By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com