GRi in Parliament Ghana 04 - 10 -
2000
Parliament divided on severity of
fuel situation
Minister reacts to Graphic story
Parliament divided on severity of fuel situation
Accra (Greater Accra) 4 October 2000
The inconsistent fuel supply in Accra and some
parts of the country was the subject of contention in Parliament on Tuesday as
the minority and majority could not find common grounds on the extent of its
severity.
Mr. Kan Dapaah, Minority spokesman on Mines and
Energy, spearheaded the attack with a statement that called for the resignation
of the sector Minister for lying to Ghanaians about the capacity and efficiency
of the oil industry.
"We were assured in this house by the
Deputy Minister that, by the government's deregulation policy, a formula had
been put in place, which would allow the refinery full cost recovery and
additionally provide for various duties and levies to the government equivalent
to about 32 per cent of the ex-pump price."
He said it was a surprise that the current
shortage had been attributed in part to the fact that the Tema Oil Refinery was
in a huge debt because of a long history of cost under-recovery.
"What is driving ex-refinery prices is not
so much the cost of crude oil. After all, the last time we increased the
ex-pump price it was based on a traded price of crude oil of 32 dollars per
barrel.
"Indeed, what is driving the cost is
rather the falling cedi which is the direct result of the failed economic
policies of the government.
"Unless Ghanaians are told the truth,
people will not support the difficult measures which need to be taken to arrest
the situation."
Mr. J.H. Mensah, Minority leader, described the
situation as a "national crisis that should not be trivialised".
Most Majority members criticised the Minority
for trying to score political points out of the situation and asked that all
should help contain the problem since it is a global one.
Dr. John Abu, Minister of Mines and Energy, attributed
the "perceived" fuel shortage to panic buying, smuggling and
hoarding.
He said petrol and diesel have been
over-delivered in the past week and promised that the government would not let
the situation go out of control.
The minister quoted Ghana's ex-pump petroleum
prices as the lowest in her immediate environment.
"In Ghana, we sell petrol for .98 cents a
litre while it is sold in Togo for 2.35 dollars a litre, 3.27 dollars per litre
in Cote d'Ivoire and 2.57 dollars per litre in Burkina Faso.
GRi…/
Minister reacts to Graphic
story
Accra (Greater Accra) 4 October 2000
The Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development, Mrs. Cecilia Johnson, on Tuesday asked the "Daily
Graphic" to retract its front-page headline of September 30, saying it is
misleading and likely to create disaffection between her and Members of
Parliament.
She told parliament that the headline -
"Disbursement of District Assemblies' Common Fund: Ministry lashes at
MPs" - had no bearing with the contents of the article.
"I do state emphatically that I never
intended to, nor did I lash at honourable members of this House."
Mrs. Johnson said she had no complaint about
the contents of the reportage on her answers but took exception to the headline
of the report.
"No wonder the word 'lash' or anything
remotely relating to it in meaning cannot be found in the contents of the
report."
The minister pointed out that the said headline
was totally misleading and likely to cause disaffection between the House and
the ministry and therefore called on the Speaker of Parliament to direct the
paper to correct the erroneous impression it had created in the interest of
justice and fair play.
The minister was in the House last Friday to
answer parliamentary questions relating to her ministry, especially the
reporting system on the use of the District Assemblies' Common Fund.
GRi…/