The Minority in Parliament has raised serious concerns over what it describes as prolonged delays by the Ministry of Finance in disbursing funds necessary for the smooth operation of parliamentary activities.
According to the Minority caucus, the failure to release budgeted funds is severely hindering the work of parliamentary committees, many of which are reportedly unable to carry out their core functions due to financial constraints.
Addressing the matter on the floor of Parliament on Friday, June 7, Chairman of the Assurances Committee and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, urged the Ministry of Finance to act promptly.
“Parliament is now literally begging for money to enable its committees to function. As a committee chair, I could not access funds to carry out our duties. We had a scheduled workshop, but not even a cedi was released. Members across committees are fully aware that there is no money. Why aren’t we demanding that the Finance Minister release the funds?” he questioned.
Despite the Minority’s concerns, the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, rejected the claims, insisting that Parliament is not facing a financial crisis.
“They are alleging that Parliament is struggling to do what? As Members of Parliament, our salaries and allowances have been paid. The Finance Minister has released funds, and no one has officially raised concerns about not being paid,” he countered.
The Finance Ministry has yet to publicly respond to the dispute over the alleged delays.
