In a bid to clear the air on the funding of the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has vehemently denied claims that the initiative is being funded with the MPs Common Fund.
Speaking at the distribution of DRIP equipment in Tamale, Dr. Adam described the allegations as “falsehood” and “not a fact.”
He explained that the government allocated GHS5.7 billion to the district assembly common fund this year, with only 5% (GHS285 million) going to MPs as their share.
“How can GHS285 million procure equipment that costs billions of Ghana cedis? That is not possible,” he argued, adding that the MP share of the common fund has already been released to the MPs for the first and second quarters.
The DRIP initiative aims to improve road infrastructure in districts across the country.
However, opposition MPs had claimed that the government was using their share of the Common Fund to finance the program, sparking controversy.
Dr. Adam assured the public that the government is committed to transparency and accountability in its projects.
However, he urged citizens to disregard the “misinformation” and focus on the benefits of the DRIP initiative.
-BY Daniel Bampoe