General News of Thursday, 20 July 2017
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2017-07-20
Kofi Portuphy said Ghanaians deserves to know how much is paid to his entourage as per diems
The opposition NDC has demanded full disclosure on the President’s travel expenses which it says are a drain on the public purse.
The NDC National Chairman Kofi Portuphy said at a press conference Thursday, Ghanaians deserves to know how much is paid to his entourage as per diems during official travels.
He accused the president of doing “exactly the opposite” of his promise to protect the public purse.
The NDC expressed worry that the GHC1.5bn allocated to the Presidency is bigger than major ministries even though the government has explained that the budgetary allocations to six new ministries – Zongo and Inner Cities Development, Regional Reorganisation, Railway Development, Business Development, Monitoring and Evaluation and Sanitation – have factored into the budget for the presidency.
Citing an example of an expenditure the party deems profligate, the NDC chairman pointed out banquets and dinners organised by government.
He also said the President buys his dinner suit from expensive outlets in UK and France.
Kofi Portuphy berated the President for travelling too much calling him a ‘legal alien’ because he spends more time abroad than at home.
He rehashed the NDC’s long-standing opposition to the size of the NPP government which is a historic 110 ministers and deputies.
Kofi Portuphy noted, several new portfolios are unnecessary. The Railways Development ministry which is different from the Transport ministry, Aviation ministry are examples he cited as an over-elaborate executive over-burdening the taxpayer.
