General News of Friday, 27 February 2015
Source: Starrfmonline.com
Minority lawmakers are accusing the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) of spending without an approved budget.
According to the minority, although government is aware of the development, it has deliberately kept quiet about it.
They have therefore demanded the immediate freeze on spending by the GNPC until the Finance minister brings its budget to the lawmakers for scrutiny and approval.
Commenting on the development in the law-making chamber today, Friday, February 27, 2015, the ranking member of the finance committee, Dr. Akoto Osei, accused the government of supervising an illegality.
“At the passage of the budget, there is an agreement that you allow the budget to be passed then they work on it so that when we come back we can look at it.
“But now we are in February scheduled to rise on March 27, and that has not been done, so technically speaking, GNPC cannot engage in any programs because we have not passed so. We (Parliament) pass the act so we must see to its enforcement,” he explained.
But in a reaction, Labour minister Haruna Iddrisu assured the House that government is in the process of submitting the budget of the Commission for approval.