Ghana’s parliament, on Wednesday, 15 December 2021, approved the sum of GHS 921,843,000.00 for the services of the Ministry of Transport and its agencies to carry out their programmes and activities for the 2022 fiscal year ending 31 December 2022. The allocation represents an increase of 40.13% over the 2021 budgetary allocation of GHS 657,839,197.00. The programme budget covers the ministry’s headquarters as well as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Marine Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority, the Regional Maritime University, the Volta Lake Transport Company and the PSC Tema Shipyard. It also covers the Ministry’s Road Transport Services including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, National Road Safety Authority, Metro Mass Transport Limited, Inter-City STC Coaches Limited as well as the Government Technical Training Centre. A deputy minister of Transport, Mr Fredrick Obeng Adom, moving the motion for approval in parliament, explained that the objectives of the ministry include increasing the efficiency and capacity of port operations, ensuring the safety and security of all categories of road users and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of road transport infrastructure and services. The policy objective of the ministry, as derived from the Medium Term Development Framework, is to also enhance the contribution of inland waterways for safe and efficient transportation of goods and people and to ensure effective and effective flow of goods, services and related information to meet consumer requirements. The Chairman of the Committee Roads and Transport Committee Kennedy Nyarko Osei presenting the Committee’s report said the Committee observed with concern the arbitrary fees charged by shipping lines which significantly increase the import cost of importers and ultimately sours up cost of imported commodities. The Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee and the MP for Adaklu, Mr Governs Kwame Agbodza, called for the liquidation of the position of Director of the non-existent Keta Sea Port, which he described as a drain on the nation’s scarce resources. The house has also approved the annual estimates totalling GHS575,970,000.00 for the services of the Ministry of Railway Development for the year ending 31 December 2022 instead of the required capital expenditure of GHS 2,520,033,185.00 The Minister of Railway Development, Mr Peter Amewu, in moving the motion for approval, noted that the objectives of the ministry are to modernise and extend the existing rail network, ensure effective and efficient flow of goods, services and related information to meet consumer needs as well as develop associated infrastructure to enhance well-functioning regulatory bodies. The Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee, Mr Kennedy Nyarko Osei, in presenting the Committee’s report, disclosed that the Tema-Mpankadan standard gauge railway project is about 90% done and is expected to be fully completed in 2022. In another development, the house has approved the sum of GHS574,856,000.00 in annual estimates for the services of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation for the year ending 31 December 2022. —classfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Appointments Committee approves 22 ministers, eight pending
Twenty-two ministerial nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have been unanimously approved by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Asaase Radio’s parliamentary sources have confirmed. Asaase Radio can also reveal that the committee wants clarification on five others while three may require majority decision via voting on the floor of Parliament. Three on hold According to Asaase Radio’s sources in Parliament and at the Office of the President, the Ministers-designate for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Fisheries, Hawa Koomson, could not get the approval of all 26 members of the Appointments Committee and must secure approval through voting on the floor of Parliament. The sources say, members of the minority side of the Appointments Committee accused Oppong Nkrumah, as being the one who called for a member of the legal team of the petitioner in the ongoing Election 2020 petition, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to be cited for contempt, after Ayine told the media on 16 February 2021, that the Supreme Court has a predetermined agenda to rule in favour of President Akufo-Addo. In the case of the Minister for Food and Agriculture-designate, Kwaku Owusu Afriyie Akoto, members of the Minority side of the Appointments Committee accused him of being arrogant when he appeared before the committee and on that basis, they will not approve of his nomination. On Koomson, the Minority side of the Appointments Committee, are of the opinion that she is not fit for the job. Clarifications on five Information available to Asaase News further suggests that the Minority side of the Appointments Committee will formally communicate to the appropriate authorities to indicate the clarifications they need with regard to the remaining five nominations of President Akufo-Addo. It is believed that on the Roads and Highways portfolio, the clarification they may be seeking has to do with the Tema road contract, before they approve the nominee, Kwesi Amoako-Atta. The approval of the Minister-designate for Communications and Digitization, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, is also on hold because the Minority side says they require some clarification on the closure of some radio stations in the country. The Health Minister-designate, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu‘s appointment, according to our source is on hold because the Minority side of the Appointments Committee say he did not satisfy them with his answers on questions regarding the engagement of Frontier to offer COVID-19 testing services at the airport some time in September 2020. The Agyapa Gold Royalties deal and the answers given by the Minister for Justice and Attorney General-designate, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to questions posed by some members of the Appointments Committee ought to be clarified and to that end, the Attorney General’s nomination is also on hold, one source disclosed. John Peter Amewu, the former Minister for Energy who supervised the PDS deal and has been nominated by the president to serve as the Minister for Railways Development in his second administration, has his approval also on hold. The minority side of the Appointments Committee say they require some clarification on some answers the minister-designate provided during his vetting on the PDS deal. Asaase Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093









