The Ranking Member of the Committee on Works and Housing, Sampson Ahi, has come up strongly against the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources for earmarking an amount of GH₵18,768 out of its GH₵246,966,071.00 2019 budgetary allocation to be spent on entertainment.
Ahi does not also understand why the Ministry could allocate additional GH₵100,000.00 while at the same time allocating GH₵110,000.00 for office equipment.
Further to that, the Ministry has earmarked an amount of GH₵230,000.00 to be spent on Domestic Servant Allowance with additional GH₵81,000.00 to be spent on recruitment (thus enlistment into security).
Contributing to the discussion on the approval of the budgetary allocation for the Ministry, Wednesday, Mr. Ahi called on the House to have a second look at the budgetary allocations made for the various items listed on the budget chart.
He also called on the Ministry to critically examine the way they manage the scarce resources at their disposal to ensure that it inures to the benefit of all not some individuals.
“Mr. Speaker, the Ministry must look at the way they manage the meager resources that they have because if you have for instance, watchman allowance and under it you have watchman extra days allowance, what it is?” he quizzed.
He added “I think that the Ministry should judiciously use the meager resources that is given to them not to spend it on watchman’s allowance, watchman extra days allowance – which is which”.
However, the Chairman of the Committee on Works and Housing, Nana Amoako, responding to the claims said Mr. Ahi’s argument is baseless and unfounded, urging the public to treat it with the contempt that it deserves.
According to him, the mount earmarked for recruitment and or enlistment into security is very necessary, noting that the Ministry needs a taskforce to protect some of its major installations as well as aid in revenue mobilization.