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16th December, 2011
Parliament Expresses Concern Over Budget Estimates
Budget estimates for sector ministries as approved in the budget statements not tallying with those provided for in the reports of the select committees on the annual estimates of some ministries was a sources of concern for some Members of Parliament in the approval of the 2012 budget estimates.
Yesterday the issue came up in Parliament when the Minority Spokesman on Finance,Dr Anthony Akoto Osei(NPP-Old Tafo) raised the question of due diligence by some select committee’s when he drew the attention of the speaker to the figures of some committee’s notably, the Committee on Transport, the amount in the report not matching with the estimates provided by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
The Speaker Joyce Bamford- Addo occasionally had to step down the approval of the estimates of some ministries to enable the chairs of the affected committees to go out to iron out the differences.
Mrs. Bamford-Addo apparently not satisfied with the trend of affairs in the remarked “we have to apportion blame even though we sometimes say we should not apportion blames” urging the house “to take the bull by the horn” to iron out the differences in the figures before the issue confronted the house in the passage of the Appropriation Bill to authorize government expenditure for 2012.
The issues generated some sense of urgency among the MPs, especially the chairs of the affected committees as they criss-crossed the chamber to confer with each other to resolve the discrepancies to pave the way for the approval of the estimates.
After ironing out the discrepancies in the figures, Mrs. Dzifa Attivor, Deputy Minister of Transport moved the motion for the debate and approval by Parliament GH¢99,463,777 for the activities of the ministry for 2012 fiscal year.
Ministry of Information received the approval of the house for GH¢29, 201, 381,00 to carry out its plans and programmes for 2012 fiscal year,and in moving the motion John Tia Akologu,the sector minister, said the utilization of the Media Development Fund allocation of GH¢1 million would be backed by a legislation soon to be laid in Parliament for approval ,to ensure proper use of it.
Mr Akologu said the Ministry would undertake education of the public during the 2012 fiscal year to ensure free,fair and transparent electioneering campaign and subsequent success of the Parliamentary and presidential elections.
He said the public relations mandate of the Information Service Department would be expanded to include Development Communication activities at all levels.
Emmanuel Buah,Deputy Minister of Energy also moved the motion for the approval of GH¢657,132,393 to service the sector for the 2012 fiscal year.
Yesterday the issue came up in Parliament when the Minority Spokesman on Finance,Dr Anthony Akoto Osei(NPP-Old Tafo) raised the question of due diligence by some select committee’s when he drew the attention of the speaker to the figures of some committee’s notably, the Committee on Transport, the amount in the report not matching with the estimates provided by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
The Speaker Joyce Bamford- Addo occasionally had to step down the approval of the estimates of some ministries to enable the chairs of the affected committees to go out to iron out the differences.
Mrs. Bamford-Addo apparently not satisfied with the trend of affairs in the remarked “we have to apportion blame even though we sometimes say we should not apportion blames” urging the house “to take the bull by the horn” to iron out the differences in the figures before the issue confronted the house in the passage of the Appropriation Bill to authorize government expenditure for 2012.
The issues generated some sense of urgency among the MPs, especially the chairs of the affected committees as they criss-crossed the chamber to confer with each other to resolve the discrepancies to pave the way for the approval of the estimates.
After ironing out the discrepancies in the figures, Mrs. Dzifa Attivor, Deputy Minister of Transport moved the motion for the debate and approval by Parliament GH¢99,463,777 for the activities of the ministry for 2012 fiscal year.
Ministry of Information received the approval of the house for GH¢29, 201, 381,00 to carry out its plans and programmes for 2012 fiscal year,and in moving the motion John Tia Akologu,the sector minister, said the utilization of the Media Development Fund allocation of GH¢1 million would be backed by a legislation soon to be laid in Parliament for approval ,to ensure proper use of it.
Mr Akologu said the Ministry would undertake education of the public during the 2012 fiscal year to ensure free,fair and transparent electioneering campaign and subsequent success of the Parliamentary and presidential elections.
He said the public relations mandate of the Information Service Department would be expanded to include Development Communication activities at all levels.
Emmanuel Buah,Deputy Minister of Energy also moved the motion for the approval of GH¢657,132,393 to service the sector for the 2012 fiscal year.
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