By Ragan M. Conteh
As the 2023 year is running close to its knees for the next electoral cycle, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Chernoh Maju Bah, has, in the Chambers of Parliament, requested for the compilation of documents of all loans and agreements signed and approved in Parliament for the last three years of the Paopa SLPP regime and forward same to Parliament for scrutiny.
According to Hon. Chernoh Maju Bah, since the SLPP government came to power in 2018, Parliament have ratified several loans and agreements running into hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars.
He said the House cannot just approve loans and agreements without knowing how such loans have impacted the nation or how they were implemented by duty bearers. He added that the Ministry of Finance should forward all loans and agreements to the House.
Hon. Bah stated that the Government should not just continue to bring loans and agreements without proper implementation of such loans, but should be there to checkmate and monitor such projects for development purposes.
He furthered that all internal and external loans, secured by Government through the Ministry of Finance, should be forwarded to Parliament for ratification.
The deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Solomon Sengepoh Thomas, who presided over the sitting, agreed with the opposition Leader for the Ministry of Finance to submit the lists of foreign and internal loans to Parliament, especially to the Committee on Finance for perusing.
Hon. Thomas however ordered the Clerk to take note and prepare a letter to the ministry, requesting for such documents, as this will improve governance and promote transparency and accountability at all levels.
The Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Hon. Matthew Sahr Nyuma, said the ministry has forward the documents to the Finance Committee, which is charged with the mandate.
Hon. Nyuma said the request, from the opposition, will be considered. He urged the Committee on Finance in Parliament to take note and inform Parliament after their findings.
Responding, the deputy Minister of Finance, Madam Patricia Lavally, said her ministry is always willing to bring any documents Parliament demanded. “I will inform my boss, Jacob Jusu Saffa, about the request of the opposition Leader,” Madam Patricia Lavally told MPs.