The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority has begun the “Putting Out the Facts Series”, to ensure that the right information is put out to enable Ghanaians to know what is happening in the country.
Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corps at Parliament House in Accra said the “Putting Out the Facts Series”, which they had begun was also to ensure that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority did not take advantage of spreading falsehood, especially when the country was in an election year.
He said last week, the NDC Minority held a press conference and among the issues they put out was the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, claiming that state agencies and companies that were state-owned were signing multi-year contracts and as a result of this, there was a breach of the PMF Act, particularly Section 33 of the same law.
“And they juxtaposed it against the Constitution to say that Article 181 requires that such contracts should come to Parliament,” the Majority Leader stated.
“Without prejudice to the general powers of Parliament to oversight, it is important to remind our colleagues that they ought not to make Parliament a busybody, nosing for things that are not part of the mandate of Parliament. Our job as Parliament is provided for in the Constitution.”
Mr Afenyo-Markin urged the NDC Minority to desist from spreading falsehood; saying “by that act they are obstructing government business, by that act they are scaring investors and that affects the economy”.
He said if businesses were hearing such news, basically they were not going to give off their best, and that they would keep their money that would affect the good people of Ghana.
Act 921, Section 33 “A covered entity shall not enter into any agreement with a financial commitment that binds the Government for more than one financial year or that results in a contingent liability except where the financial commitment or the contingent liability (a) is with the prior written approval of the Minister, and (b) authorized by Parliament in accordance with article 181 of the Constitution.”
Article 181 (5) “This article shall, with the necessary modifications by Parliament, apply to an international business or economic transaction to which the Government is a party as it applies to a loan.”
Mr Afenyo-Markin said: “So, the contract under reference or the contract in question must be an international transaction, that is where our colleagues should pay attention to. 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 spreading falsehood.”
He reiterated that every Government engages the private sector, the object of that was 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,” he said.
“So, I would like to encourage them, yes we know it is an election year, but let’s argue about facts, let’s put out the facts.”
Touting the achievements of the NPP Government, Mr Afenyo-Markin mentioned the Free Senior High School (SHS), which he underscored was transforming the lives of Ghanaians.
“If it comes to educational infrastructure, it is for all of us to see with our eyes that not only did the Government introduce Free SHS but we matched it with massive infrastructural development in our various schools. Today, we are witnesses to the massive infrastructural development in various secondary schools and at our various TVET study centres.”
Touching on the Fisheries sector, Mr Afenyo-Markin said construction of all the 13 landing beaches was ongoing; adding that they had commissioned one at Elmina and that it had attracted its first tourist boat.
He also cited the construction of landing beaches at Winneba, Moree, Dixcove and Keta as some of the achievements of the Government.
GNA