Parliament principally approved a number of loans put before it by the government yesterday, with the minority raising alarm about the numerous loans in the ‘last days’ of the government.
The approved loans were a $112 million loan facility for the construction of a new bridge over the Volta River in the lower basin of the Volta at Volivo in the Shai-Osudoku District of the Greater Accra region; a $83.4 million facility for the construction of a 3-tier signalised interchange at Pokuase Junction on the Ofankor-Nsawam highway as part of the Accra Urban Transport Project (AUTP); a €72.8 million for the development of the Kumasi Airport; a $56 million loan for the phase two of the design and construction of the Tamale Airport.
The rest are €13 million for the construction of three regional offices of the Ghana Audit Service at Cape Coast, Koforidua and Ho, as well as 22 district offices whose locations could not be immediately provided by government; €3.5 million for IT training for Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) officials; approval of a waiver of $922,371 being the local component relating to project materials and equipment for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital in the Upper East Region.
Another major loan of $398.3 million is awaiting approval to be used to design and construct an 84.8km railway line from Tema to Akosombo and the construct railway terminals at Tema and Akosombo.
The Minority, led by the minority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and ranking member of the Finance Committee, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, said the loans are being rushed in Parliament with just three days for Parliament to rise so members hardly get time to scrutinise them.
The minority leader said for instance that the loan facility for the construction of three regional offices and 22 district offices for the Ghana Audit Service did not provide enough details as to whether furnishing of the offices was part of the agreement.
The Majority National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by the chairman of the Finance Committee, James Klutse Avedzi and the Minister for Roads and Highway, Inusah Fuseini, said the minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) must keep quiet over such ‘last minute’ loans because during their tenure in 2008 they did the same thing.
Inusah Fuseini, who is the MP for Tamale Central, argued that the loans are not going to be ‘chopped’ but used for the intended purposes and will increase the country’s debt stock.
He said Article 58 of the constitution gives power to the government to run its business until elections are held and new government is sworn into office.
He said he does not understand why the minority is crying foul because they did worst things when their government was in power.
Most of the MPs however welcomed the news of the construction of a new bridge over the Volta River at Volivo to link the new Eastern corridor road because they believe it will help ease traffic from the south to the north and the neighbouring northern countries like Burkina Faso and Mali.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr