By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Majority caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has cautioned members from the minority side to refrain from spreading falsehoods and misinformation about the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led government.
The members of the majority led by its leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu Constituency in the Central Region, Mr. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin also accused the minority caucus of sabotaging the economy by recklessly driving away investors with its continuous misinformation about government contracts to the public.
According to him, it’s not every government contract with a multi-year value should come to parliament approval. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament has for some time now expressed concerns about the government’s blatant violation of the Public Financial Management Act.
The NDC caucus contends that the Nana Addo-Bawumia led government has on countless occasions failed to obtain Parliamentary approval for awarding the contracts. One of such cases is the contract awarded for the construction of the Kasoa-Winneba section of the Accra-Cape Coast highway.
The Minority Leader, and MP for Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam constituency in the Central Region, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, addressing some members of the press in one of his recent media briefings questioned the government’s source of funding for the project.
In their response, the majority says the minority group’s persistent accusation of government agencies of signing contracts in blatant violation of the Public Financial Management Act is misleading.
The Majority Leader, addressing some journalists of the Parliamentary Press Corps at the Job 600 office complex in Accra on Wednesday explained that “the contract in question must be an international transaction.
“That is where our colleagues should pay attention. It does not mean that every contract with a multi-year value should come to parliament. So they should stop misleading the public. They should stop peddling falsehoods. Every government engages the private sector. The object of that is to create space for economic growth.”
“So if you recklessly scare off the businessmen and where you know that what you are putting out is not true what you are trying to do is to sabotage the economy.”
The Majority leader admonished the minority to be cautious of their actions which he said was impacting negatively on the economy.
“I would want to encourage them that we know it’s an election year but let’s argue on facts. Let’s put out the facts,” he stated.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also urged the business community to desist from hoarding dollars as the government works to ensure the stability of the cedi.
