Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi has justified the government’s decision to provide US$ 100,000 as car loans for MPs but he [Defeamakpor] will not accept it because of the uproar among the Ghanaian populace.
According to him, all the other arms of government with the exception of the legislature are provided with official vehicles for their use without going for a loan. “I think the criticism of MPs over the car loan is unfair, offensive, and creating enmity for MPs among the populace,” Mr. Dafeamekpor said.
There was a massive backlash from the public after the Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare laid a document on the floor of Parliament requesting approval for the loan facility from the National Investment Bank to purchase the vehicles. In spite of the public uproar, the loan has subsequently been approved by the MPs.
On the back of the criticism, Rockson Dafeamakpor on the Happy Morning Show [HMS] with Samuel Eshun said, “as a second time MP, I won’t accept the MP’s car loan, this is solely because the talk about the car loan is too much.”
Mr. Dafeamekpor also explained that since January this year, monies were being deducted from MPs salaries towards the car loan but have not started using the vehicles yet.
“Even though we have not received the car loan, we don’t even know the colour of the car but they have started deducting the facility loan from our salaries since January. I’m not accepting it so they will refund it to me, this is a policy we have in parliament once it is inaugurated they will start to deduct.”
Mr. Dafeamekpor also explained that the vehicle to be bought with the US$100,000 would not be owned by the MP during the pendency of the loan and they only get the vehicles transferred into their names after they have finished paying for it.
The deal, which has caused an uproar among the Ghanaian populace was unanimously approved by the house.
The House has also approved a tax waiver of 13.3 million dollars for the importation of the vehicles for the MPs and the Council of State members.
The Members of Parliament and Council of State have been given the 13.1 million dollars waiver despite the fact that they are paying only forty percent of the loan being facilitated through the National Investment Bank for the purchase of the cars.
The government will bear the other 60 percent of the loan with the accrued interest.
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