Business News of Wednesday, 31 May 2017

Source: starrfmonline.com

Ofori-Atta given 7 days to brief MPs on $2.25billion bond

Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta

Parliament has ordered Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta to furnish the House with information regarding the issuance of the 2.25 billion dollars bond within a week.

The order is at the behest of the Minority who have maintained the issuance of the bond is shrouded in secrecy.

They have also accused the minister of conflict of interest in the deal.

Invoking a half-hour motion for the first time in the history of Ghana’s parliament Wednesday, minority leader Haruna Iddrisu prayed the House to summon the finance minister

The Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu seconded the motion, adding the move will help bring a finality to the never ending controversy over the bond.

The Speaker subsequently ordered the minister to appear before the House within the assigned time to address the concerns of the Minority.

Earlier, the Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak had said the half-hour motion would be moved to afford the House the opportunity to debate the matter and subsequently seek answers from the finance minister.

“We’ve had a gentleman agreement to move a half hour motion to get the finance minister to answer the questions that is on our minds, what are the issues around it, how was it disbursed and procured. The half hour motion will provide all of us the opportunity to debate it in Parliament”.