Audio By Carbonatix
The Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Kwaku Kwarteng has disclosed that the Minority members of the Committee have agreed that the $750m loan requested by the Finance Ministry be presented to the plenary for approval.
Earlier the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu had asked for “further and better particulars” on the loan agreement before his side of the House will consent to its approval.
The Tamale South MP in an interview with JoyNews on Tuesday noted that although government needs the loan facility urgently, it must provide more clarity on the deal before the Minority Group can consent to its approval.
“I know that they are in dying need of resources for our import cover and therefore if they provide further and better particulars on the $750m, we are open and amenable to getting that approved as soon as practicable,” he stated.
However, speaking on Joy FM's Top Story on Tuesday, Mr. Kwarteng explained how the latest development was arrived at, “What we did at the Committee level today was to look at one of the two facilities and thankfully we got the approval of the Committee to submit this to the plenary.”
He added that he is of the hope that it will be considered on Wednesday for it to be passed.
“What it really means is that when we passed the 2022 Budget, we indicated how much you will borrow so you will programme your revenue, you know the expenditures and the gap you say you would finance, so you would find money and finance that gap. Now the facility government is looking for in the name of the $750,$250 are supposed to help finance that gap.
So already, the expenditures for which government is going to apply this facility have already been listed and approved in the 2022 Budget statement when Parliament approved it late last year,” Mr. Kwarteng explained.
Reacting to the Minority's call for a breakdown and clarity on the loan facility, he opined that, “it is not very necessary, because every cedi is cedi once you add that to your revenue basket, it goes to finance the budget.”
“What I understood the Minority to be asking today is to isolate from the bigger budget which expenditures this particular $750million and $250 million will apply to,” he clarified.
According to Mr. Kwarteng, the Finance Ministry has responded to their request and provided some information, and “so tomorrow it will be part of the report that will we consider on the floor of Parliament.”
Latest Stories
-
DENSTAR project: Global consortium launches €11m dengue vaccine initiative for Africa
9 minutes -
TEIN-KsTU lists Mahama government interventions easing tertiary student financial burden
10 minutes -
A rainfall tax for Ghana: Is it time to finance flood resilience differently?
19 minutes -
Telecel Foundation Healthfest extends healthcare service to Konongo for Ashanti Month
24 minutes -
Business Week’s Kofi Ahovi calls for stronger international partnerships to drive climate solutions
29 minutes -
Avenor building collapse victim identified as Esther Donkor, a trader and mother of 4
36 minutes -
GSA PhD cohort in UK expresses frustration over delayed scholarship payments
36 minutes -
Academic City’s Dr Lucy Agyepong honoured at 2026 Ghana Women of the Year Awards
37 minutes -
GJA applauds stakeholders for successful World Press Freedom Day Honours Night
46 minutes -
‘Cool heads must prevail’ – Health Committee Chair urges resolution of KATH impasse
50 minutes -
West Ham co-owner accused of preying on women for sex
51 minutes -
Nearly GH₵24bn of 2026 Q1 budget left unspent as revenue shrinks by GH₵2.7bn – Finance Ministry data
55 minutes -
Concerned Patriots of Ahafo Ano North injuncts NPP polling station elections
57 minutes -
Starmer tells Apple and Google to ban nude images on children’s phones
1 hour -
‘Lives lost cannot be reversed’ – Minority appeals to KATH striking staff to resume work
1 hour