Tema, Jan. 16, GNA- Members of the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) on Thursday criticised Members of Parliament who use their MPs common fund to undertake projects without any consultation with elected assembly members in their area.
The Assembly members held that due to lack of consultations with them, some of the MPs’ projects did not suit the priority needs in the development programme of the area.
The assembly members were discussing the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) from 2004 to 2006.
According to the members, part of the regulations for the disbursement of the MPs Common Fund directs that the MPs should consult assembly members and opinion leaders in the constituency to discuss the projects they would like to undertake before they disbursed the fund. They called on the Municipal Chief Executive, who sees to the approval of the projects undertaken with the MPs’ common fund, to ensure that Assembly members were consulted.
Some of the assembly members complained that sometimes MPs took credit on projects that had been initiated by the assembly members by telling their constituents that they had used their MP common fund for such projects.
Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Municipal Chief Executive explained that MPs do not access HIPC fund to fund their projects in their constituencies.
He said an MP could only use the HIPC fund if he makes a good representation to the Ministry of Finance for a project that is covered by the fund.
Such projects are on sanitation, education, health and water, he said, adding that no MP had assessed the HIPC fund to undertake any project outside these areas.
Source: GhanaWeb
