PRESIDENT JOHN Atta Mills’ austere and cost-cutting measures are said to be skewed in favour of government appointees, as the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) blows a whopping amount of ¢56 billion or GH¢5,606,176.11 on the comfort of ministers of state.

As part of the expenditure, the Atta Mills-led social democratic, modest and ‘I care for you’ governing party spent ¢8.58 billion on the renovation and furnishing of seven ministerial bungalows, with an average cost of ¢1.2 billion or GH¢122,581.45 per bungalow.

The startling figures, which were contained in a written answer by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, to a question raised by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, a copy of which is in the possession of DAILY GUIDE, also revealed that government spent ¢41.1 billion or GH¢4,110,396.74 on 57 ministerial bungalows in Accra, tossing the bill to the Ghanaian tax payer.

Additionally, ¢6.37 billion or GH¢637,709.21 was used for the renovation and furnishing of 18 bungalows for senior civil servants, further emptying national coffers at a time that government is claiming to be cutting down cost.

The total expenditure on the renovation and furnishing of the bungalows, according to the document, was on civil and electrical works, furniture, appliances, curtains and carpets.

As also explained by the ministry’s written answer, the civil works was said to consist of demolishing and alteration, re-roofing, carpentry, joinery, metal works, plumbing installations, electrical installations, finishes, glazing, painting, and decoration and external works.

The use of such colossal amounts on renovation of ministerial bungalows has set tongues wagging, as some MPs and former ministers of state are questioning the rationale for what they described as the profligate dissipation of public funds on buildings that were recently occupied by ex-government appointees.

They are questioning the level of deterioration of buildings to warrant the use of colossal amounts for their renovation and furnishing by the current government, especially when President Mills has been preaching modesty and cost cutting in almost all his public speeches.

The expenditure, the MPs from the Minority side contended, was particularly questionable since these bungalows were occupied by former ministers of state who were reportedly living lavishly in these buildings.

Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, who asked the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing how many government bungalows had been renovated or were under renovation, the total cost of all the bungalows and the cost of each unit or bungalow, was at a loss as to why the ruling NDC, which claims to be pro-poor, did not use the colossal amounts for the provision of essential facilities such as potable water for the people but rather chose to use the money for the comfort of ministers of state.

Although the answer was written to Hon. Nitiwul, his question could not be answered on the floor of Parliament during question time yesterday as the rules of the House did not permit the Sector Minister, Albert Abongo, to do so.

However, Mr Abongo’s deputy, Dr Hannah Bissiw, was in the House to answer other questions pertaining to the ministry.

According to the Standing Orders 64 (4) of the House, “A member who desires an oral answer to a Question shall mark it with an asterisk. Answers to Questions not so marked shall be communicated in writing to the Member, asking the Question and shall be printed in the Official Report”.

Hon. Nitiwul however stated on the floor of Parliament that he was comfortable with the written answer.