Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is said to have tabled a loan agreement for $28 million to parliament for the purchase of 275 vehicles for members of the 8th Parliament.
The Finance Committee of the chamber is expected to consider the loan agreement and report to the House.
The Minister also presented a similar request for a $3.5 million car loan for members of the 8th Council of State for them to purchase vehicles.
The decision to get the lawmakers new cars has got many Ghanaians talking, especially on social media.
Scores of Ghanaians on social media have called on Parliament to dismiss the proposal or request by the Finance Ministry for the $28 million loans for the purchase of cars.
According to social media users, the procurement of vehicles for MPs is not the most important need of the average Ghanaian now.
They say the government should place priority on providing quality education by ensuring schools under trees are a thing of the past, as well as providing quality healthcare, good roads, and security for the people first.
Meanwhile, parliament has also approved an amount of $200 million as additional financing for the Ghana COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project.
The Financing Agreement is between the government of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and the International Development Association (IDA).
The purpose of the additional financing will enable the government to fund the procurement of vaccines to inoculate about 7.6 million people.
Among other interventions, the financing would provide improved access to affordable and equitable COVID-19 vaccines, strengthen the system for effective deployment as well as enhance preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evans Effah