The Finance Committee of Parliament has recommended the discontinuation of giving car loans to Members of Parliament.
This follows public backlash at the phenomenon the latest being the $28 million loan deal for MPs to buy cars presented by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to the House.
The Finance Committee of the chamber expected to consider the loan agreement and report to the house suggested in its report that the practice must be discontinued.
Parts of the report read: “These legitimate concerns are fueled by the fact that, of all the Article 71 officeholders, it is only members of Parliament and Members of the Council of State who benefit from these vehicle loans, a large part of which are re-paid by the state.
“The Committee took the view that, as representatives of the people, Members of Parliament cannot continue to leave these concerns unattended. That weakens the confidence Ghanaians have in us. We have a responsibility to reflect the values and ideals of the people we represent.
“Accordingly, the Committee strongly recommends to Parliament the discontinuation of the current vehicle loan arrangement for MPs and Council of State Members. Members of Parliament and Members of the Council of State should have similar duty post vehicle arrangements as other Article 71 officeholders. And the Committee respectfully recommends that Parliament and the Parliamentary Service take the necessary steps to ensure that this happens. The instant vehicle loan arrangement for MPs and Council of State Members before us today should therefore be the last one the state is sponsoring.”
