Parliament considering $28m car loan for MPs

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday tabled a loan agreement of $28 million to be sourced from the National Investment Bank (NIB) to purchase vehicles for the 275 Members of Parliament (MP).

Each MP is expected to receive over $100,000 for the purchase of a vehicle.

Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei Asare laid the request on behalf of the Minister on the floor of Parliament and said the medium-term loan would soon be disbursed to MPs and expected to be paid back by the members in the course of the four-year duration.

The Finance Committee of the House is expected to consider the loan agreement and report to the House.

“The medium-term loan agreement among government, represented by the Ministry of Finance, members of the 8th Parliament 2021 to 2024 and the National Investment Bank Limited for an amount of $28 million, to finance the purchase of vehicles for members of the 8th Parliament,” Mrs Osei Asare said.

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu, who was in the chair, referred the request to the Finance Committee for consideration and report.

The Minister also laid in Parliament an agreement for a $3.5 million car loan for members of the Council of State.

Meanwhile, the House on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, approved $200 million additional funds from the World Bank for Ghana’s COVID-19 response programme.

The funds will be used to procure vaccines and other activities to strengthen the health system.

Source: GNA