$20m breakdown will be done in 2008

Accra, March 15, GNA - Government says a breakdown of the full utilization of the 20 million dollars approved for the Ghana@50 Secretariat will be available in next year's Auditor-General's Report, and urged the Minority in Parliament to wait till then before asking for accountability on the spending procedure.

Moving a motion for the approval of the 2006 Supplementary Appropriation Bill, Professor George Gyan-Barfour, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning said it was necessary to hold on for the full utilization of the amount to be effected.

Prof. Gyan-Barfour was responding to comments by Mr John Mahama, NDC-Bole Bamboi that Parliament 93should never make the mistake of approving an omnibus amount without requesting the full breakdown of what it was going to be used for."

Mr Mahama had argued that Parliament as the keeper of the national purse had the right to know what and how any amount it approves is used. "Rather when we the keepers of the national purse ask for an explanation on how monies we have approved for national development is being used, we are 93arrogantly snubbed" and not given the full facts, but omnibus figures."

This brought, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Deputy Majority Chief Whip to his feet to ask Mr Mahama to withdraw his point that Parliament was arrogantly snubbed by officials of the Ghana@50 Secretariat. "We did not approve the 20 million dollars for Dr Charles Wereko Brobbey, hence this honourable House could not have invited him to answer any questions on the matter," he added.

Mr. Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader said even though there was a constitutional provision on when the Supplementary Bill be brought before the House, it should be done within a time framework. Contributing to the motion on the second reading of the repeal of the National Reconstruction Levy, Mr Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader said even though he supports the repeal of the law, it was sad that it had already caused devastating blows and deaths of many companies.

Mr Mahama said there was nothing to congratulate government about on the matter and likened the situation to a group of people who hijack a plane, kill the pilots and after being helped by the control tower to land safely, they want to be congratulated.

"There was no need to kill the pilots in the first place," saying that, 93similarly there was no need to introduce the law in the first place. It is too little too late, having seen to the collapse of several companies". Mr. Manu S.K. Balado, NPP-Ahafo Ano South congratulated government for the courage in introducing the law and using it wisely over the period it existed.