STX housing loan deal re-laid before parliament
The STX Korean housing loan deal that generated so much debate between the majority and the minority in parliament and was withdrawn was brought back to the House on Wednesday.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Seth Tekper, moved the motion for the Suppliers Credit financing agreement that was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Works and Housing.
The minority detected several loop holes in the agreement and so its withdrawal for the Select Committee on Finance and Select Committee Works and Housing Water Resources to have a second look at it.
Parliament went through an unending debate over the Supplier Credit Financing Agreement between the government of Ghana and STX Engineering and Construction Ghana Limited, a Korean Company for an amount of 1,525,443,468.00 for the construction of 30,000 units of houses under the Security Services Housing Projects.
Another loan agreement between the government and the Unicredit Bank Austria AU for an amount of 7,300,000.00 for financing the Upgrading of Highway Infrastructure by Implementing Mishuo Bridge and Twifo Praso Bridge was laid before the House.
Members also looked at the University of Ghana Bill 2010 and the Education (Amendment) Bill 2010 which are at the consideration stage.
Members also adopted a report of the Public Account Committee on the public accounts of Ghana for the year ended 31 December 2005 for the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Mr P. C. Appiah Ofori, member for Assikuma/Adoben/Abrakwa said there were losses recorded in the report adding that perpetrators of such fraudulent acts should be jailed else they run away and enjoy their booty.
He said when these reports came to parliament nothing parliament does nothing but adopts it. “Let us save this country by preventing these losses.”
Mr George Kwaku Arthur, member for Amemfi Central, said parliament was a toothless bulldog because they are not able to prosecute financial wrong doers and those involved knew about it.
He said what management of government agencies did was just to prepare to answer the questions put by the accounts committee on their auditors report and that would end it.
Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Chairman of the PAC, said before budgets were read the previous budgets must be scrutinized to see if government had spent the public money well before a new budget was prepared.
He said if that was done people would have confidence in the government.
Source: GNA