House rejects Second Deputy Speaker's amendment proposal
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 June 2000
Mr Fredie Blay, Second Deputy Speaker, could only attract few sympathisers on Thursday as he battled in vain to insert a clause in the Education Fund that will prohibit it from using more than half of its funds at any given time.
The CPP member for Ellembelle said that his proposal would ensure that the fund would at any given period have some resources to meet emergencies.
The Ghana Education Trust Fund bill is currently at its consideration stage where the nitty-gritty of the draft language and substance under go scrutiny.
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, NPP-New Juaben North, who struggled against heckling to support the mover, said the proposal would ward off temptations on the part of the government to borrow from the fund since the remaining fifty per cent would be invested in safe securities.
He urged members to support the proposal so that the fund would not suffer the fate of the Social Security Fund or the Road Fund where monies were taken for other purposes other than what they were set up for.
Mr George Buadi, NDC-Amenfi East, opposed the proposal on the grounds that it lacks clarity.
He said the fund is being set up to address a specific problem so it should not be restrained by legislation in any way.
The member said the board should be allowed to evolve its own traditions and conventions that would stand the test of time "so let us not legislate on everything."
Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, a Deputy Minister of Education, expressed support for the principle behind the proposal but said that since it has already been incorporated into other parts of the general regulations governing the fund, the proposal when accepted would be superfluous.
He said Parliament would have oversight responsibility on the general use and investment of the fund to ensure that its objectives are carried to the letter.
GRi../