"Parliament approved a $ 200 million loan for 5,000 units" of the Saglemi housing project

General News on Friday, May 31, 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

2019-05-31

Parliament documents intercepted by the Daily Graphic indicate that the House has indeed approved a loan agreement of $ 200 million for the construction of 5,000 housing units for the Saglemi housing project in Accra on October 31, 2012.

The documents challenged the badertion of officials of the former National Democratic Congress (NDC) government that the $ 200 million loan facility was only for the first phase of the project, which involved the construction of 1,502 housing units.

The resolution of October 31, 2012, signed by the Clerk of the Parliament, Mr. Emmanuel Anyimadu, and delivered to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of the time, reads as follows: "Parliament, at its seventh sitting of the third meeting, held on Wednesday October 31, 2013, approved by resolution the loan agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Credit Suisse International of an amount of 200 000 000 USD for the construction of 5,000 affordable housing units by Construtora OAS Limited for the general public. "

A joint parliamentary memorandum for the approval of 5,000 affordable housing units by Construtora OAS Limited dated 20 September 2012 and signed by the Acting Principal Director of the Ministry of Water Resources, Public Works and Housing, Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, was given to the clerk. in Parliament, with copy to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

The memo reads as follows: "The Honorable Members of Parliament are respectfully requested to review and approve the loan agreement between the Government of Ghana and Credit Suisse International in the amount of $ 200 million for the construction of 5,000 affordable housing units. "

"The 5,000 affordable housing units will be sold to the general public through a mortgage provided by Ghana Home Loans.The project will be executed by Construtora OAS Limited, under the supervision of the Ministry of Water Resources, Public Works and Housing, "he adds.

pursuit

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Samuel Atta Akyea, Minister of Public Works and Housing, said the government is conducting a housing audit to determine the risks of diversion of housing. funds.

He added that the government would sue anyone found guilty of embezzling public funds or causing financial losses to the state as part of the deal.

"The Attorney General has indicated that we are referring the case to the investigating bodies for consideration of embezzlement." People will be prosecuted if it is established that they have caused financial losses to the state, "he said.

Atta Akyea rejected comments that the government would "witch hunt", saying "the public treasury we are trying to protect".

He also expressed his surprise as to why anyone would attempt to falsify official documents in order to deceive the public.

"When we deal with Ghana, we forget that Ghana is our only country.When we are dealing with infrastructure, a real way to reduce poverty, we should not have the colors of a party."

"That's why I'm saddened by the country that is in financial trouble, you're going to get $ 200 million to put 5,000 affordable housing units in Saglemi, and people want to give propaganda to this one.

But all transactions are document-based and nobody tries to invent perverse stories or stories against anyone, "he added.

Project conditions

Atta Akyea said that the country's laws did not allow any minister or anyone to change laws pbaded by Parliament.

"People say that when Parliament decides that $ 200 million should be used for housing, a minister can sit in a corner, undermine the work of Parliament and change the scope of the work.

"People will trust the Supreme Court's decision that they are not required to appear in Parliament." The Supreme Court ruling states that, to the extent that a contract is terminated, they may terminate the contract without have to report to Parliament.

"This is not to say that the very substance of the contract, which Parliament has ratified in a resolution, should change," he said, adding: "Can you change and change the character of what Parliament has approved because you are a minister? "