North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has thumbed down Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta’s request for access to Ghana’s petroleum Heritage Fund for money to fight the deadly coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Instead of the covetous advances at the Fund, which has been planned as heirloom for future generations, Hon. Ablakwa urged the Akufo-Addo Government to undertake more pragmatic measures, including reducing the over bloated size of government.
“After listening to the Hon. Finance Minister in Parliament earlier today justify the need to use the heritage fund in the fight against COVID-19, I shall humbly submit that before the Akufo-Addo administration depletes the heritage fund reserved for the next generation, we first consider the following 10 suggestions:
“50% pay cut for all political office holders;Reduce by 60% the number of Ministers and Presidential Staffers; Close and realign many of the Ministries which would become redundant after the ministerial downsizing; Lay off all Personal/Special Assistants to Ministers and Presidential Staffers; Suspend all Ex-Gratia payments; Interim closure of at least 50% of our diplomatic missions abroad and recall staff to Accra; and Cancel contracts of all consultants in the public sector.
“Put a freeze on all prestige projects which can wait including the national cathedral, marine drive project, new passport office and the regional coordinating council offices for the six new regions; Suspend the phenomenon of free fuel for the category of public servants who benefit; Repeal all tax waivers granted in recent years for non-essential services and commodities with the view to abolishing the practice moving forward,” Hon. Ablakwa posted on his Facebook timeline minutes after Ken Ofori-Atta defended his request for money.
According to the Finance Minister, the money is badly needed to fight the disease, as government among other things sets up a Covid-19 Alleviation Program (CAP) to mitigate the impact of the disease on the conomy.
“Amend the PRMA to allow a withdrawal from the Ghana Heritage Fund to undertake emergency expenditures in periods of national emergency. There is an estimated US$591.1 million in the Ghana Heritage Fund,” the Finance Minister had earlier told Parliament on Monday.
But according to the North Tongu MP, the Akufo-Addo government is refusing to exercise the proper political will to raise the needed money.
“If we muster the political will to do these, the heritage fund will most likely be left intact for our children.
“May the generation that will come after us not be disappointed that we bequeathed them with virtually nothing because we refused to sacrifice and consider other patriotic options in this watershed period of history.”