Media Relations Ministry gets 10.4 billion
cedis
District Assemblies get 436.7 billion cedis
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 March 2001
Mrs. Grace Coleman, MP Effiduase Asokore on Thursday extolled the media for its role in "entrenching democracy in the thought of the ordinary Ghanaian."
She said; "I know that we are almost at the place where every Ghanaian could speak his or her mind on personal and national issues. What could have been the fate of our democracy without our vibrant media?"
The member, who is the Deputy Minister of Finance designate, was contributing to the debate for the approval of the National Media Commission budgetary proposals for 2001 pegged at 538.9 million cedis.
She lauded the government’s policy to scrape the criminal libel law, adding that it will help Ghanaians to be more tolerant.
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Media Relations Ministry gets 10.4 billion
cedis
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 March 2001
Parliament on Thursday approved 10.4 billion cedis for the operations of the Ministry of Media Relations, which now has the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Information Services Department (ISD) the Public Affairs Secretariat (PAS) in the Office of the Minister.
Moving the motion for the approval of the allocation, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, the Sector Minister said the creation of the ministry is to facilitate the flow of information between the executive and the public.
The Ministry is also to foster a closer relationship between the executive and the media practitioners; to monitor, evaluate and provide effective feedback to government on its policies and programmes.
It is also aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity and developing policies that would promote ready access to information on government activities.
Ms Ohene said the ISD is grossly under resourced while the Ghana News Agency, (GNA) which provides a wider network of news coverage, is grinding to a halt.
She said although the GNA is to be commercialized, it needs to be resourced within the next five years to be able stand on its feet.
The House also approved 7.7 trillion cedis being annual estimates for other government obligations, which include payment of pensions, gratuities and debt servicing.
It also passed the Customs and Excise (Concession on Over-aged Vehicles) Law and considered the Value Added Tax (VAT) Amendment Bill, which is seeking to lower the threshold from 200 million cedis to 100 million cedis.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 March 2001
The Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey on Thursday directed the Majority Leader, to work towards the appointment of an Auditor to audit the accounts of the Auditor-General.
The directive followed an observation made by Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South that Parliament was not discharging its duties to audit the Audit Service.
Mr Kedem quoted Article 187 (15), which states; "The accounts of the office of the Auditor-General shall be audited and reported upon by an auditor appointed by Parliament".
He said once Parliament has not done that it was then failing in carrying out its watchdog responsibility.
Mr Kedem was contributing to a debate on the motion to approve 31 billion cedis being financial estimate for the Audit Service for the year 2001.
The Speaker, who endorsed Mr Kedem's observation, said there was the need for Parliament to have a "watchman to watch the watchman".
Mr J. H. Mensah, the Majority Leader responding said the issue would be on the agenda of the Parliamentary Service Board.
Mrs Grace Coleman, NPP-Effiduase Asokore, suggested that committee chairmen of Parliament should exercise supervisory and monitoring role of audit reports of establishments that fall under their committees.
She said the chairmen could then draw the attention of Parliament to act on any adverse audit report.
Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, urged the Ministry of Finance to strengthen and equip district offices of the service to enable them to carry on effective auditing of district assemblies with special emphasis on the use of the District Assemblies' Common Fund.
In a related development, the Speaker, said he would personally investigate the circumstances under which utility bills due to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was allegedly wrongly used by Parliament.
Mr Victor Gbeho, IND-Anlo, who was also contributing to the Audit Service budget, said the first Parliament of the Fourth Republic in 1993 to 1996 used the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) for sitting.
He said the utility bills were charged to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was in charge of the Centre and subsequent investigations showed that the money was rather paid to Parliament.
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District Assemblies get 436.7 billion cedis
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 March 2001
Parliament on Thursday approved the allocation of 436.7 billion cedis for the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund for 2001 fiscal year.
Moving for the approval, the Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo said the Administrator is to develop an equitable formula for sharing and distribution.
He observed that releasing funds to the district assemblies delay thereby affecting their operations.
Mr Osafo-Maafo said the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana and the Administrator of the Fund should impress on the assemblies not to award contracts before the fund is released to them.
Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, NDC Upper West Akim said total national revenue should constitute the base for determining the amount given to the assemblies, which is at five per cent.
Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government said discussions are going to evolve a formula for sharing the fund.
He expressed concern about the delay and irregular release of the fund, which, he said, creates problems for many of the assemblies in executing their development projects.
Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC Hohoe South, said the procedure for releasing the share of the Members of Parliament is very cumbersome and generates a lot of controversy between the MPs and District Chief Executives.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, NDC Wenchi West expressed regret that most of the sector ministers are reneging on their campaign promises and using their party's manifesto as an excuse for promises they made to the electorate.
Mr Seidu Paakuna Adamu, NDC Bibiani, called on the Ministry of Local Government to give some flexibility to the assemblies to plan ahead on the basis of their development programmes.
The House also approved 5.9 billion cedis for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Mr Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance moving for the approval, said CHRAJ exist to enhance good governance through the promotion, protection and enforcement of fundamental human rights and freedom for all Ghanaians.
He said CHRAJ could not achieve its objective of establishing its presence in all the 110 districts due to lack of basic logistics.
Mr Samba E. Zumakpeh, NDC Nadowli South, said the salary disparities among staff of the commissions need to be rationalised to ensure that qualified staff is retained.
Mrs Grace Coleman, Deputy Minister of Finance Designate, called on the Chairman of CHRAJ to be vigilant so as not to erase the credibility of the decentralised offices since there is an upsurge in the cases of intimidation, witch-hunting and discrediting of political opponents at the district levels.
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