Committee says more comprehensive report on Presidency needed

Accra, June 26, GNA - Parliament's Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has said there was the need to amend the Presidential Office Act 463 to enable the Office of the President to present to Parliament a more comprehensive report on its affairs. It said such a report should be able to capture, among others, some achievements and challenges confronting the Presidency. The Committee said the Annual Report on the Presidential Office Staff for the period from January to December 2008, like those of previous years, provided information on "just the staffing position at the Presidency, which the Committee considered to be unsatisfactory." The Committee's observations were contained in the 2008 Annual Report on the Presidential Office Staff adopted by Parliament on Friday. The report said 613 persons worked at the Presidency during the period 2008 being reviewed.

Earlier, Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways, who was in the House to respond to questions, told members that the 144-kilometre Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road in the Northern Region that links the Kintampo/Tamale road at Sawla had a high priority ranking in the trunk road network of the country. "The importance attached to the road is demonstrated in an earlier attempt to start work on it even when negotiations for an external loan had not yet been concluded," he said. The Minister, who was answering a question on when the road would be tarred, said a sod-cutting ceremony for the commencement of work on the road was performed in December last year but arrangements to secure funds fell through.

"The Africa Development Bank (ADB) has indicated its interests in providing funding to the government for reconstruction of the road. The Ministry has accordingly requested the Ghana Highways Authority to update the estimates to enable the government submit a funding application to the ADB for consideration." Mr Gidisu said it was expected that the reconstruction works would start in the latter part of 2010. 26 June 09