The Parliamentary Committee on Trades and Industry has put on hold the approval of GH₵80 million allocated for the construction of the National Cathedral.
Parliament is yet to approve the appropriation bill for the 2023 Budget presented by the Finance Minister which included the GH₵80 million allocation to the National Cathedral.
The allocation, made to the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), has failed to receive endorsement by the Committee because members want more answers from the sector Minister.
Tamale Central Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Murtala Mohammed who disclosed this to some members of the Parliamentary Press Corp, explained that until the members of the Committee are satisfied, they will approve the Ministry’s estimates without the funds allocated to the National Cathedral.
“What the Committee decided was that we cannot just approve this GH₵80 million, we must know how the other GH₵339 million was spent. What did it constitute?
“The GH₵80 million you want us to approve, how did it find space in the budget line of the Ministry of Tourism when the Minister and the Directors could not speak to the questions we were asking? What constitutes the GH₵80 million, they should give us a breakdown,” he stated emphatically.
The Tamale Central lawmaker hinted that the Committee had invited the Finance Minister and other stakeholders to explain the already expended GH₵339 million on the National Cathedral.
“Those who expended the money we are inviting them, we are inviting the Secretariat to come and explain, the Minister for Finance to come and explain to us how they spent those monies. If not, it will be unconscionable if we will go ahead to approve this,” he stated.
