Speaker defends MPs' loans

As public outcry over the $20,000 vehicle loans for MPs gets heated, the Speaker of Parliament, Peter Ala Adjetey, has defended the necessity for the loans saying it is important that the MPs have their own means of transport to enable them to discharge their parliamentary and constituency duties efficiently.

"Democracy is very expensive and our going HIPC doesn't mean that certain necessities and obligations should not be undertaken," he told The Statesman in an exclusive interview in Parliament House on Wednesday, in reaction to public criticism against the decision by Parliament to grant $20,000 loans to MPs to acquire vehicles.

"Without cars they can't visit their constituencies and attend to parliamentary duties. If the state can give them loans to discharge their fundamental duties, it should be implemented," he said. The Speaker said this is not the first time that Parliament has provided MPs with cars and "this should be done on its merits and not be rejected on emotional and narrow political grounds.