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The Finance Minister’s request for GH₵500 million from the Contingency Fund to combat the dry spell ravaging eight regions has been opposed by minority members of Parliament’s Finance Committee.
The lives of over 900,000 farmers and the nation’s food security are at risk, thus the Agriculture Ministry has already put emergency measures in place, such as a grain export.
However, the Minority is challenging the timing and reasoning behind the financial request as well as the choice to decrease the budgets of the Agriculture and Road Ministries and allocate nearly GH₵8 billion to solve the situation.
According to the Deputy Ranking Member and MP for Bia East, Richard Acheampong, in the 2023 budget, the Agriculture Ministry had allotted an amount which would help solve these difficulties, particularly the dry season.
“But the question is just go to the 2023 budget, the Ministry told us that they are importing drought resilient seeds to deal with this very issue that we are talking of so what happened to those seeds that they procured?” he quizzed.
He said that the matter was not clear, nevertheless.
Additionally, the Bia East MP stated that little action seems to be taken to improve the situation despite the losses incurred by the populace as a result of the Bagre dam disaster.
Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Agriculture, proposed that a list be submitted to Parliament in order to ascertain if the individuals on it are eligible for such help.
Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, the Minister of Finance, has asked the Contingency Fund for permission to spend GH₵500 million.
This is a component of the emergency response plans to deal with the impending food insecurity that is anticipated as a result of the eight regions of Ghana going through a dry season.
It happens only a few days after President Akufo-Addo gave the Finance Ministry the order to generate GH₵8 billion for a relief fund to help farmers who are suffering greatly from the prolonged drought.
The Minister stated in a letter to the Finance Committee of Parliament that “considering that we are eight (8) months into the implementation of the 2024 Budget and the proposed interventions are unplanned expenditure occasioned by a “force majeure”, Government cannot fund the request of GH¢8.36 billion solely from a reallocation of existing budget lines in the 2024 Budget.”
“In light of the foregoing, we write to request approval from the Finance Committee for the withdrawal of GH¢500 million from the Contingency Fund, in accordance with Article 177 subsection 1 of the 1992 Constitution, Section 36 subsection 1 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) as well as Section 227 subsection 1 of the Standing Orders of Parliament of Ghana.”
This sum is anticipated to “complement this withdrawal, as government is mobilizing support from Development Partners as well as realigning approved fiscal operations in the 2024 Budget.”
According to the Ministry, the National Emergency Response Programme would assist the government in putting the necessary measures in place to deal with the crisis.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
