Parliament has approved the nomination of Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen and 11 Deputy Ministers of State after two weeks of vetting.

The approved Ministers were vetted on June 2, 3 and 4.

These include; Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister for Railway Development Kwaku Asante Boateng, Deputy Minister for Finance Abena Osei-Asare, Deputy Minister for Energy, William Owuraku Aidoo and Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo.

Others are; Deputy Ministers for Rural Development, Augustine Collins Ntim and Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aqua Culture Moses Anim, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei and others.

Speaking in Parliament Monday, June 16, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu urged the new Deputy Ministers to help their substantive Ministers and not undermine them.

Meanwhile, the Minority has cautioned the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry to be careful he does not find himself in conflict of interest situations.

This was after NDC MP on the Finance Committee Isaac Adongo had urged his colleagues to disapprove Mr. Adu Boahen's appointment because his company Black Star Advisory had won government contracts to serve as brokerage advisors for bond issuances. 

According to him, Mr Adu-Boahen’s private firms Black Stars Advisory, Data Bank and other advisory firms have made GH₵856 million in fees on Ghana’s loans since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) assumed office in 2017.

At a press briefing ahead of the vetting of the Minister Designate, the Bolgatanga Central MP, Isaac Adongo, stated that the conflict of interest situation makes him unfit for the role.

But Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said he has confirmed from the Bank of Ghana that the firm has not been doing business in the bond market.

Reading some excerpts of the Bank of Ghana's response, he stated that “before May 2021, Mr Adu Boahen's entity was not engaged in the business for which we were questioning him. But a potential conflict of interest, is a matter that Mr Speaker, we are looking at.”

Mr Iddrisu said that it would be helpful if Mr Adu Boahen promises the house not to engage in any business from the period he takes office until he leaves the Finance Ministry.