The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning designate, Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that he did not collect salaries or per diems in the four years he served in President Akufo-Addo’s first term.
He said his role as the Finance Minister does not come with any financial incentives.
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Mr. Ofori-Atta revealed this when he met the Appointments Committee of Parliament for his vetting 25.
“I suspect you know that the issue of public service is one that really has been with the family [Ofori-Atta family] for a long time and I came into it with that aspect. I do not take a salary, I do not take per diem, so those are not the objectives that I come with,” he said.
Ken Ofori-Atta was responding to a question posed him by the North Tongu legislator who quizzed him on why most of his close associates and those associated with businesses he has interest in are placed in strategic areas of the country’s financial sector and whether that could not be giving him some undue advantage.
He added that, the issue was more of cynicism by some persons who believe that the situation is so because he wants to enrich himself.
The Minister-designate also responded to questions about the controversial Agyapa deal which many have accused him of engaging in a bid rigging for Databank.
Mr. Ofori-Atta, who is also a co-founder of Databank, has said there was no conflict of interest as far as the investment and brokerage firm’s involvement in the controversial Agyapa deal was concerned.
Defending Databank’s involvement in the deal, which he said was clean and without any influence of his, Mr Ofori-Atta told Parliament’s Appointments Committee that: “In my situation, I truly do not engage in these procurements and transactions, as we think broadly on the economic freedom space for people, our international relationship to make sure that we get the best people. So, I can give you my commitment. Certainly, I’ve not been on the boards of Databank since 2014, 2012, I’ve retired from that. I think we built two great companies”.
