Government has justified its allocation of ¢6million for “government communication” despite the Information Ministry having a different budgetary allocation.

Deputy Information Minister, Pius Hadzide, says the money is specifically meant for serialising achievements and challenges in implementing government’s flagship programmes.

“You will notice that in the coming weeks, for instance, there is Ghana at Work series that serializes achievements and challenges that have been identified with some of these flagship programs.

“So the amount that has been allocated under the government’s flagship communication is directed specifically to the dissemination of information relative to the government’s flagship programs,” Hadzide told CitiNews.

National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, Sam George was, however, not convinced with the Deputy Minister’s justification.

He insisted the Information Ministry’s budget should cater for such communication. He said the government is using the taxpayers’ cash for its “partisan affairs.”

“Government is taking our money to sponsor its spokespersons on radio and TV and also to pay party attaches,” the Ningo Prampram MP said.

MP for Asunafo South, Eric Opoku who is the Ranking Member on the House’s Agric Committee raised the issue during the debate on the sector’s budget.

He said government is simply using the money for its political interests.

Speaker Mike Ocquaye, however, blocked his question since it was not related to the topic being debated on Wednesday.

Agric Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto told journalists after proceedings to direct their queries about the GH¢6million to the appropriate quarters.