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Parliament defers agreement for 10
million dollars for NHIS
Accra, July 19, GNA – The Speaker of Parliament on Thursday
deferred until further notice the approval of the Finance
Committee’s Report on the Agreement between the government
of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development
Association (IDA).
The agreement was for an amount of 15 million dollars
towards the financing of the Health Insurance Project.
The deferment by Mr Freddie Blay, Second Deputy Speaker,
followed the Minority’s opposition to the motion, arguing
that the specific object of establishing a management system
for the National Health Insurance Scheme has not been
adequately accounted for under a previous budget that had
been approved earlier by Parliament.
Mr Lee Ocran, NDC- Jomoro made the first move after the
motion was laid by Nii Adu Daku Mante, Chairman of the
Finance Committee.
Mr Ocran said it was important for the House to examine
critically what the National Health Insurance Council has
done with the 102.8 billion cedis approved for the NHIS
under the formula approved and what the money had been used
for.
He noted that it was significant to note that the Scheme
also had enough money to undertake projects of its own,
“instead of seeking for extra funding when nothing is known
of earlier funds approved for their use.”
“Mr Speaker I therefore move that we stand down on this
motion and look into how the monies were accounted for. We
therefore should not be asked to approve more funds before
then.”
This brought Mr Sallas Mensah, Chairman of the Public
Accounts to his feet saying, “We would not have approved
this motion to be laid if we had been informed that there
were discrepancies in funds allocated to the Scheme. Mr
Speaker I support the motion that we stand this motion down
until we address the inadequacies that have been brought
forward by the honourable member. The point is relevant and
we must look at it.”
Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, NPP-Sunyani said it was fair comment
but called for the adoption of the motion to approve the
loan since it is for a future date and later look at the
discrepancy.
“We cannot be held back by this. We should approve this
agreement and look at the issues in subsequent
deliberations, Mr Speaker.”
But this was not countenanced by the Speaker who said there
was merit in Mr. Ocran’s point. He then asked Professor Gyan
Barfour, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to
explain the situation.
Prof Barfour said the fact that the Scheme was highly liquid
with over trillions of cedis in its account did not mean
that “we should not look ahead.”
“Mr Speaker, I think that we should be looking ahead. The
fact that we have some extra money today does not mean that
we should fold our arms. We have to seek extra funding to
make the Scheme more viable and sustainable.”
When Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka, NDC-Asawase caught the
Speaker’s eye, he was not happy that even though the law
prescribes that the funds should be allotted to the NHIS in
the preceding month, this is not being done, “ and as we
speak 563 billion cedis is locked up in the Ministry of
Finance and Economic Planning accounts.
“Today, money accruing to the NHIS for January to May has
not been paid, yet the scheme has excess of 1.5 trillion
cedis. It is therefore wrong for the Committee to be
requesting us to approve extra funding to the Scheme to do
something they can easily source money to do locally.
Besides we do not know what the funds approved earlier are
doing.”
Mr Blay then asked the leadership of the House to seek a
durable solution to the difference and ensure that the
process is well taught out.
Earlier, the House had approved a number of motions and
resolutions including a 90 million dollar facility between
Ghana and the IDA to support the implementation of the urban
transport project.
The House also approved a motion for 10 million dollars
between Ghana and the IDA to finance the Small Towns Water
Supply and Sanitation Project.
The motion on the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, which should
have gone through the second reading, was deferred.
GNA
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