Use ‘new voter register’ and other monies for COVID-19 fight and leave Heritage Fund
Adnan Adams Mohammed
A former Chairman of Public Interest and Accountability
Committee (PIAC) has cautioned the government to be serious with the management
of state resources in this crisis times.
If the government was serious it would rather use the money
released for the ‘new voter register’ and the missing GHC600 million oil money,
Dr Steve Manteaw stressed when reacting to government’s request to parliament
seeking for permission to use part of the Petroleum Stabilization Fund and the
Heritage Fund for emergency expenditure in relation the COVID-19 fight.
PIAC, in its 2018 report indicated that, a whooping GHC650
million of the oil revenue cannot be accounted for. There were no traces as to
how or which account the said amount was used or lodged. However, the
government had since then not been able to tell Ghanaians of whereabouts of the
money meant for all citizens.
“If we are a serious nation, why don't we stop the new voter
register & use the money to fix our problems due to COVID-19? We are never
serious at all”, Dr Manteaw fumed during a radio discussion in Accra.
“We have lots of money in this country that is why GHC650 million
has gone missing without any uproar”, he intimated.
“We have already mismanaged about GHC650 million of the Oil
Revenue. Do we want to mismanage another US$500 million is the Heritage Fund so
far meant for future Generations? No way!
Meanwhile, what government is asking for has its own
creation already, which are the Stabilization & Contingency Funds.
The Heritage Fund was created out of the Petroleum Holding
Fund for a purpose. It is being saved to be used later when Ghana has stopped
producing oil. Per the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, the government is
allowed to use 91% of our Oil Revenue today and save only 9% for Future
Generations.
The energy and tax expert wondered why has the finished all
91% & now wants to jump into the little 9%? What kind of irresponsibility
is that?
“The Heritage Fund not a contingency Fund so why call for it
to be used today? It is for the future & Generations unborn
“It is a fallacy to say future Generations are children born
today. They are those ones who would come after our oil is finished.
“Those calling for the use of the Heritage Fund today are
vision-less & short-sightedness”,
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