Accra, June 22, GNA – Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance is expected to appear before Parliament later Thursday to answer 16 questions from different Members of the house.
The sector minister is also expected to deliver a statement on how government funds have been disbursed in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Ofori-Atta’s absence from parliament last Thursday caused Mr Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, to place a moratorium on business from the ministry until all pending obligations to Parliament were fulfilled.
A 75 million Euro facility approval for a COVID-19 response programme was suspended pending the delivery of the account statement to the House by the finance minister.
The Minister was scheduled to answer questions and deliver an important statement on the floor of Parliament last Thursday, but he put in a late request for the session to be postponed.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader, in his defence of the Minister following the postponement said Mr Ofori-Atta was yet to go over the responses to the questions he was expected to deliver to Parliament.
“Mr Speaker, he pleaded that he should see them [the questions] first, read them and appreciate what the technical people have brought and if there are any other matters to be added on, he does so before he comes to this House so that he will be able to give a comprehensive response,” he told Parliament.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stressed that Mr Ofori-Atta was not running away from the questions.
He said: “For anybody to jump to the conclusion that the minister is running away from responsibility, I shudder to think of how that is coming about.”
GNA