In his concluding statement to the committee probing the matter in Parliament on Friday, Mr. Kyerematen said Ghana’s reputation risked incurring serious damage because of the allegations that his Ministry charged expatriates to sit by the President at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) in December 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”7PSM6Z4DWL0FcvhkQUO14UfhjFrYZPOX”]However, according to the Minister, the absence of any adverse findings after the committee finishes its work could redeem Ghana’s image in the eyes of the international community.

“It is our hope that we go throughout this process and by the grace of God, no adverse finding are established. It will be a matter of deep regret that as a country, we have had to endure a controversy that has the potential of making very significant damage to our international reputation.

“If in the minds of the international public, it is indeed the case that the government of Ghana is extorting money from expatriates, do we not believe or appreciate the impact it will have on Ghana’s capacity to mobilize investment into this country?” Mr. Kyeramaten questioned.

The Minister also reiterated his assertion that there was no wrongdoing and stressed that: “I have not heard or seen any individual make a specific allegation in respect of extortion or levies.”

Mr. Kyeramaten appeared  before the Committee of Friday, a day after the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak also gave their testimonies.

Background

The Ministry of Trade was alleged to have charged between $25,000 and $100,000, to enable expatriates to sit close to the President at the awards ceremony, which was organised by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

The allegation was first made by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, in Parliament in December 2017.

Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry’s accounts.

The issue was further reinforced by Mr Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry initially dissociated itself from these allegations.

The Trade Ministry, in a statement, said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

But the Ministry after an order from the President to probe the matter clarified that an amount of GHc 2,667,215 was realized from the event.

The organizers of the Awards had also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President and that the amount was raised from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Cash for seat’ scandal may scare investors away – Alan warns appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

[contextly_sidebar id=”tFnHHM7zKgkUo8TfzluuZQKAtw30qDC1″]Making his submission to the committee probing the matter in parliament yesterday [Friday], Mr Kyerematen said the event organizers, the Millennium Excellence Foundation, handled all issues of sponsorship.

“To article 14 preceding the definition of the responsibilities, which says that the MEF, that the foundation, will solicit all funds to hot the Durbar price event, from inception to hosting of the event and that all funds will be lodged into  the MOTI [Ministry of Trade and Industry] account, till after the event is completed,” he said.

He also stated that he has ‘no doubt’ in his mind that there was clarity between the two parties [MOTI and MEF] in regards to the responsibility bestowed on them.

Background

The allegation of extortion against expatriates at the awards ceremony was first made by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, in Parliament in December 2017.

Mr Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry’s accounts.

The issue was further reinforced by Mr Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry initially dissociated itself from these allegations.

The Trade Ministry, in a statement, said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

But the Ministry after an order from the President to probe the matter clarified that an amount of GHc 2,667,215 was realized from the event.

The organizers of the Awards had also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President and that the amount was raised from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.

Ablakwa, Muntaka face committee

The Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Muntaka appeared before the committee in its first public sitting on Thursday to provide further details on why they called for the probe.

–

By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Cash for seat’ scandal: Alan Kyerematen denies wrongdoing appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Government is looking at involving farmers in the development of a sugar cane plantation and giving them shares in the processing facility, Mr. Kyerematen indicated to Parliament’s Appointments Committee.

He also explained that government’s general plan for the $35 million Komenda Sugar factory is anchored on engaging the private sector, adding that such processes have been initiated.

“I think that the right thing to do is to bring in private sector participation. My understanding is that a process has been initiated. I intend to review that process and have it completed,” Mr. Kyerematen noted.

The Trade Minister nominee also spoke to concerns over the absence of a plantation to provide raw materials to feed the factory which is expected to produce about 1,250 tonnes of sugar each day.

“The defect that has been occasioned by not having a plantation developed to precede the establishment of the factory is being cured by a loan that has been approved by Parliament, $24 million, to establish a plantation to support the factory.”

“Hopefully government would also bring in private sector participation in the plantation development and more importantly to involve the farmers and make sure that they are given part of the shareholding in both the processing facility and the plantation development,”  Mr. Kyerematen stated to the committee.

Reducing sugar import bill

Government is also looking to significantly reduce Ghana’s sugar import bill given the right level of financing and conducive agronomy, according to Mr. Kyerematen.

Ghana is known to import about $300 million worth of sugar each year but with the coming on stream of the sugar factory at Komenda, the previous government expressed hope that it will reduce Ghana’s import bill on Sugar by more than 60%.

Mr. Kyerematen insisted that “Government ought to be interested in reducing our import bill for sugar. Producing sugar is not rocket science except that you need a combination of things, the right level of financing, the right agronomy to support the plantation development and so on and so forth.”

“I will support any move that will bring in additional investors to establish an additional sugar factory in Ghana so that by the end of the term of office of our government, we will probably have significantly reduced the import of government to the barest minimum,” he stated.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t to engage farmers as shareholders in Komenda Sugar factory appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.