Finance Minister to be quizzed on budget
Minority calls for reduction in prices of petroleum products
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 October 2001 - Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance would appear before Parliament next Wednesday to answer an urgent question on the budget.
The question which stands in the name of Mr Norbert Awulley, NDC-Builsa South, reads: "When will he (Finance Minister) present the 'final' budget statement for the year ending 31st December, 2001 since the one approved by Parliament in March was an interim budget?"
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Majority Leader, told the House when he presented the Business Statement for the third week, ending Friday, November 2, 2001.
On Friday the Minister of Roads and Transport would also come to the House to respond to an urgent question posed by Mr Steve Akorli, NDC-Ho East.
Mr Akorli wanted to know from the Minister: "If he is aware of the importation into the country of right-hand drive vehicles currently operating in the Accra Metropolis contrary to the provisions of L. I. 953 and PNDCL 330".
During the week, the Ministers of Energy, Environment and Science, Education and the Interior would also appear before the House to answer questions.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah called on all Committees and its Chairmen to expedite action on all referrals pending before them and urged all members to endeavour to attend sittings of the House regularly and punctually to ensure the smooth transaction of business.
The Chairman of the Business Committee and the Majority Leader appealed to members to bear with the Ministers and allow them time to answer their questions since some of them were yet to take office due to the recent reshuffle that affected some of them.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 October 2001 - The minority group in Parliament has called on the NPP government to reduce the prices of petroleum products to reflect the fall in the world market prices.
The group has also called on the government to abide by the Petroleum Products Pricing Policy (PPPP), which provides for automatic adjustments in the ex-refinery price of products to reflect changes in the published prices and changes in the exchange rate between the dollar and the cedi.
In a statement on Friday by Mr Abraham Kofi Asante, Minority Spokesman on Mines and Energy on behalf of the Minority Group in Parliament, the MPs recalled that soon after the NPP assumed office the Minister of Energy slapped a 64 per cent increase on petroleum product prices and introduced the PPPP.
The PPPP formula indicated that Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) would adjust the "ex refinery price" whenever there are changes in the offshore prices of products and a significant variation in the Cedi/US dollar exchange rate.
The minority group noted that when the Mines and Energy Minister introduced the 64 per cent increase, the calculation of petroleum product prices was made using 28.64 per barrel in March. "Today the world market price stands at 21.24 per barrel. We are told there is a stable cedi/US dollar exchange rate.
“The combined effect of the cedi /dollar exchange and the prevailing market price of crude oil using the NPP government formula is that, there is more than 50 cedis per litre change or variation" the statement said.
Mr Asante recalled issuing a statement on the matter last August and the Deputy Government Spokesperson replying that the government was making savings.
"Ghanaians would like to know how much savings TOR has made so far and how much of TOR's debt has been paid into the said savings" the statement queried.
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