He told TV3’s Parliamentary correspondent, Komla Klutse in an interview on Wednesday July 7 that this is a loan that MPs are going to pay back hence, he does not understand the concerns being raised against the facility.
He said “In some cases when MPs are living office the vehicles are even auctioned to them. That comes with a huge cost but the people are not aware of this and so the general public is not even looking at this.
“All they hear is that MPs are taking loan to buy vehicles. This is a loan we are taking and the loan will be paid back. By four years is ended I should have paid back the loan. So I don’t see where the problem is. I don’t blame them because we have refused to engage them and to explain to them exactly what is happening.”
Meanwhile, his other colleague MP who is also Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has said if he has his way, he will tell the legislators to reject the facility.
“For me, if I have my way I will tell my colleague MPs to reject that facility for the simple reason that all the other arms of government vehicles are procured for them without having to go through this process where the media is always on the back of MP s for contracting a loan.
“I don’t see the reason why we should be the subject for this public bashing,” he told journalists on Wednesday July 7.
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has submitted to parliament for approval a loan agreement of $28 million pending consideration by the Finance Committee.
This is for the purchase of 275 vehicles for members of the 8th Parliament.
Parliament has also approved a $200milion World Bank loan to buy covid-19 vaccines.
The amount which was approved on Tuesday July 6 will also be used to cater for other activities to strengthen the health system.
A report by the Finance Committee indicated that out of the 200million, $137.15million will be spent specifically on vaccine procurement.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana
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