Parliament discusses funds for ministries

Page 15, Dec 14, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Parliamentary Committee on Environment has expressed its dissatisfaction with the inadequate allocation of funds to the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology to enable it to implement its programmes and activities.
According to the committee, for instance, although the ministry requested GH¢95,600,704 for its programmes and projects, it was allocated only GH¢41,320,001 for that portion of its entire budget in 2009.
Likewise, in the 2010 budget, the ministry estimated GH¢124,969,618 for its programmes and projects, but only GH¢50,481,439 was approved.
In a report presented to the House and signed by its Chairman, Mr Raymond Tawiah, the committee had expressed surprise at the margin of the variance and wondered how the ministry would be able to effectively implement its programmes and projects in 2010.
The committee, therefore called on the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to allocate more funds to the ministry, should there be the need for a supplementary budget in order for it to have the necessary resources to achieve its goals.
The sector Minister, Ms Sherry Ayitey, moved the motion for the approval of the budget for the ministry and the House unanimously approved GH¢131,529,124 for it.
When it was the turn for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the sector Minister, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, called for the approval of GH¢233,811799.00 for his ministry.
He told the House that for the year 2010, the ministry intended to focus on the implementation of policies, programmes and projects, which would enhance local level development and the decision-making at the local level.
It also intended to harmonise the various laws and statutes impinging on the local governance in the country.
Presenting the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government, its Chairman, Mr Dominic Azimbe Azumah, asked the ministry to use part of its HIPC allocation to equip the newly created district assemblies.
“The committee wishes to urge the ministry to use some of its allocation from the HIPC sources for the newly created district assemblies, since any further delay in ensuring their setting up would affect the decentralisation process.”
For her part, the Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, moved the motion for the approval of GH¢8,518,670.00 for the operations of the ministry for the ensuing year.
Various MPs who supported her motion expressed worry about the acute financial constraints facing the ministry.
The report of the Gender and Children’s Committee of Parliament, signed by its Chairman, Mr Sampson Ahi, noted with concern the overreliance on donor funds for programmes and activities of the ministry.
For instance, in 2009, projection for donor funds was GH¢6,769,571.00, out of which only GH¢1,752,092.94 had been released as at the end of November.
In 2010, donor funds allocated to the ministry was GH¢4,371,404.00.
Although the amount had been slashed compared to the approved amount for 2009, it represented 53.62 per cent of the total budgetary allocation made by the ministry.
The committee also observed that the situation was not a healthy development, since any delay encountered in accessing these funds would disrupt the service and the investment programmes of the ministry and also impact negatively on its performance.
It recommended that in reducing the ministry’s overdependence on donor support for its service and investment activities, the Government should develop innovative ways of raising the needed revenue to meet the budget needs of the ministry.