Parliament gives nod to Defence budget
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 March 2000
Dr.
Kwabena Adjei, Minister for Parliament Affairs, on Friday said Parliament still
has a number of annual estimates of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
yet to be considered and approved before the end of March when the House is
expected to rise.
Presented
the business statement for the week ending Friday, 31 March, when the House is
expected to go on recess, he said the time limit at the disposal of Parliament
is very limited and, therefore, urged all the committees to expedite action on
the estimates and report to the House on schedule.
On
outstanding bills, Dr. Adjei said there was the need for the timely and
simultaneous passage of the Ghana Education Trust Fund Bill and the Valued
Added Tax (Amendment) Bill because of their importance to educational funding
in the country.
He
told the House that the Ghana Education Trust Fund Bill requires an in-depth
consideration as well as fine-tuning.
The
Committee on Education is, therefore, working tirelessly to report on the bill
for passage.
Dr.
Adjei urged the House to ensure that, in the unlikely event that the Education
Trust Fund Bill is not passed before the end of the meeting, monies accruing
from the 2.5 per cent increase in the rate of VAT, should the bill be passed,
are secured and reserved solely for the purpose of the Education Trust Fund.
During
the week, the House will be pre-occupied with the approval of the financial
estimates of the remaining sectors.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 28 March 2000
The
Parliamentary Committee on Finance on Friday expressed concern about the
inability of the Ministry of Finance to release on time, funds approved by
Parliament for the operations of the sector ministries.
The
Committee noted that the late releases of budgetary allocations to the sectors,
remains a major risk to the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the new
system of budget planning, and have impacted negatively on service and
investment activities of some of the ministries.
In
the Committee's report on this year's budget estimates of the Ministry of
Defence, presented to Parliament following a motion for the approval of 219.33
billion cedis for the operations of the sector, it said the delay in the
release of funds in 1999 by the Ministry of Finance, adversely affected service
and investment activities within the Ministry of Defence.
The
House endorsed the budgetary allocation after Lt-Col. E. K. T. Donkoh (rtd),
the sector Minister, had moved the motion requesting for the approval, and the
subsequent debate on the request.
The
report, which was submitted by Commodore Steve Obimpeh, Chairman of the Committee,
said this year's figure of 213.33 billion cedis exceeds that of 1999 budget of
158.06 billion cedis by 61.27 billion cedis or 39 per cent.
The
Committee said that due to the late release of the funds the Ministry could not
achieve its objectives as planned.
It,
therefore, urged the Ministry of Finance to make budgetary allocations
available on time.
The
Committee noted that the Ministry overspent its 1999 budget of 158.06 billion
cedis by 6.76 billion cedis or four per cent and said the explanation for the
over expenditure, which occurred in personnel emolument, was due to salary
adjustment approved by the government during the year.
The
report said some outstanding utility bills of 25.65 billion cedis, which the
Ministry incurred before the MTEF, should have been paid direct from a central
vote.
It,
therefore, urged the Ministry of Finance to take the necessary action to absorb
the additional pressure on the already inadequate Defence budget.
The
outstanding bills covered electricity, water, communication and road fund levy.
The
Committee noted that the Ministry spent 26.46 billion cedis out of the 1999
provision of 44.78 billion cedis, leaving an unspent balance of 18.3 billion
cedis not provided for in the 2000 budget.
It
expressed concern about the decision by the Ministry of Finance to pay the
bills against the 2000 budget, since the investment budget can barely meet the
Defence Ministry's contractual obligations.
The
Committee recommended that current events, nationally and globally require that
the Ghana Armed Forces be suitably equipped and motivated to respond
effectively to any given security situation.
It
noted that over the years, the Ministry of Defence has been under-financed
resulting in the deterioration and in many cases, total run down of logistics
and welfare infrastructure.
The
Ministry has had to employ its professional competence, discipline and loyalty
to accomplish its mission in the face of acute deficiencies.
Lt.
Col. Donkoh in the motion told the House that the Ministry's budget for the
fiscal year 2000 would be used to improve the logistics and infrastructure
facilities of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The
Ministry would also build the capacity of the personnel to perform their primary
role of defence of the country and other subsidiary role demanded by the
Constitution.
He
said 33 billion cedis has been provided in the budget for the procurement of
defence equipment to ensure that the armed forces is combat ready to respond
effectively to any given national security situation.
Lt.
Col. Donkoh announced that four billion cedis has been earmarked for the
continuation of the Ghana Armed Forces Housing Project, adding that the phase
of the project, for which the government provided 12 billion cedis, is
scheduled for completion in June, this year.
In
addition, he said, a provision of one billion cedis has been made for the
maintenance of garrisons.
The
Minister told the House that the Ghana Armed Forces would continue to support
international peacekeeping operations to enhance global peace.
To
this end, he said the Ministry has made a provision of 10.5 billion cedis to
equip Ghanaian troops serving with the United Nations Assistance Mission in
Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).
In
the debate, Mr Joseph Darko-Mensah, the Minority Spokesman on Defence, said in
spite of the limited resources of the Armed Forces, the personnel have made
enormous sacrifices to ensure peace and stability in the country.
Mr
Darko-Mensah, therefore, urged the government to resource the military
adequately to enable it to perform its constitutional functions effectively.
Squadron
Leader Clend Sowu, decried the deplorable accommodation at the military
barracks and called for decent housing for the soldiers.
Alhaji
Al-Hassan Malik, the Minority Spokesman on the Interior, stressed the need to
promote cordial civilian-military relationship.
Major
Samuel Kwame Amponsah, NDC-Mpohor-Wassa East, praised the vital role civilians
workers in the military are playing to enhance efficiency in the Ghana Armed
forces.
Mr
C.O. Nyanor, NPP-Upper Denkyira, urged the military to insulate itself from
party politics and focus on its role of defending the country against external
aggression.
Mr
Doe Adjaho the Majority Chief Whip, called on the legislature, the executive
and the military to promote dialogue and build trust based on mutual respect,
as a means of ensuring peace, stability and durable democracy in the country.
Papa
Owusu-Ankomah, NPP-Sekondi, urged the military to be conciliatory and not
threatening in their statements concerning civilians, so as to win their trust
and support.
Nana
Akufo Addo, the Minority Spokesman on Constitutional and Legal Matters,
commended the Ghana Armed Forces for their peacekeeping initiatives.
He
said, however that the Committee's report was silent on the financial
implications to the country's involvement in peacekeeping in the West African
sub-region.
Nana
Akufo Addo said that Parliament should have been briefed on the re-organisation
of the command structure within the Armed Forces.
The
ranking member urged the military to adapt to the new circumstance of
democratic dispensation in the country and to desist from acts that affront the
rule of law and infringe on the fundamental human rights of the civilian population.
Mr
Kojo Armah, CP-Evalue-Gwira, urged the Minister to investigate all cases of
alleged military brutality against civilians and take the appropriate action to
ensure cordiality between the military and the civilian population.
Mr
J. H. Mensah, the Minority Leader, asked the Minister to furnish the House with
information that would enable the legislature to effectively exercise its
oversight functions of the military.
The
Minority Leader said peacekeeping accounts should not be shrouded in secrecy to
give rise to security problems.
Winding
up the debate, the Minister disagreed that there is any secrecy in peacekeeping
accounts and explained that this is among issues that are discussed daily at
durbars.
He
said the Armed Forces could not isolate itself from the regime of change and
reform, adding that the military has sacrificed in no small measure to ensure
peace and stability not only in the country but also in the West African
sub-region.
Parliament
also approved a 1.032 trillion-cedi budget for the Ministry of Education for
its activities this year.
The
money represents 19.4 per cent of the total national budget and exceeds the
sector's 1999 annual budgetary allocation by 34.3 per cent.
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