A Fellow at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr John Osae Kwarpong says he is hesitant a bit regarding the performance of the Finance Minister being part of the work of the 8-member committee that is investigating the Finance Minister.
He intimated that he is hesitant because of the precedent it may set that, when, for instance, there are no jobs, immediately the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations is called to question or when prices of food items are going up, the Agric Minister is quickly hauled for questioning.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight Show with Alfred Ocansey on TV3 Tuesday November 15 regarding what transpired at the committee hearing of the Finance Minister on Day One, Dr Kwarpong said “The performance issue, I hesitate a bit because of the precedent that that will set, that going forward, let us say, if you can amass enough people in Parliament who think food prices are high and therefore, it is the fault of the Agric Minister, or there are not enough jobs and and the Minister of Labour and Employment is not doing a good job and it is his or her actions that had caused that, then you also ask yourself, how high or how low do you set that bar on the performance side as to when that can trigger a censure motion?”
“I am paying close attention because I will want to see how the Committee resolves all these issues when the full report comes out on the floor of the House. Already, the Counsel for the Finance Minister raised constitutional objections on whet the Parliamentary committee is the appropriate place to deal with the conflict of interest issues.”
The Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu is making a case for the removal of the Finance Minister at the 8-member ad hoc committee that is investigating some allegations against the Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.
He said that the cost of doing business in Ghana is unacceptably high, for which the Minister must go.
He also indicated that the depreciation of the Cedi is making trading in Ghana very difficult.
In his view, the Finance Minister has filed hence must go.
“The cost of doing business is unacceptably high for businesses. the pharmaceutical industry is complaining because it affects their import and they are made to pay more.
“The depreciation of the Cedi has affected even Markola women who cannot trade effectively,” he said at the committee sitting on Tuesday November 15.
The Tamale South lawmaker added that “His performance is disappointing that he is not fit to be Finance Minister.”
During the hearing, a co-chair of the 8-member committee investigating the allegations against the Minister, Dr Dominic Ayine, has said the proponents of the motion of vote of censure against the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta are not accusers.
Dr Ayine said that the Minority MPs who signed the motion only want the President to remove him as the Finance Minister.
He said “they are not accusers.”
“They just think that the president should not be giving him a place as Finance Minister.”
Source: 3news.com|Ghana