The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Dr Kabiru Tia-Mahama, has taken a swipe at the government for what he described as an unwarranted tone of self-congratulation regarding recent gains in the Cedi’s value and perceived economic stability.
He argued that it is misleading to tout success while failing to honour verified debts.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, 17th May, the MP—who also serves on Parliament’s Finance Committee—asserted that responsible financial management must begin with the settlement of outstanding obligations.
“You cannot owe and go round in town claiming that you are doing well. You have to first settle your debts,” Dr Tia-Mahama stated.
He further emphasised: “And if the Finance Minister says they are going to spend, I agree, you have to spend in the productive sector. But the amount you’re owing — some of them were done in the productive sector — you have to pay. If you don’t pay and you’re holding people’s money and you’re in town saying that you’re doing so well… you should be seen paying your debts and then be seen managing your debts with your opulence. Then people can then begin to say that, well, he is really doing well because he is servicing his debt.”
Dr Tia-Mahama stressed the importance of striking a balance between spending on development and meeting financial obligations.
“Design an act of balancing between the two. And I think that the Finance Minister has not done that so far. He has not balanced between satisfying obligations that are expected of him.”
He dismissed claims that delays in debt repayment are due to pending audits, pointing out that several debts have already been verified and must be settled without further delay.
“Auditing is not an excuse — because there are some of the debts that have been audited and certified. You can start paying those.”
Citing the ongoing crisis in the energy sector, he referenced the government’s indebtedness to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), particularly a substantial outstanding amount owed to Karpower.
“For instance IPPs, why is Mr Jinapor crying? He is crying because Karpower alone has $400 million. Every government owes some debts and they pay to keep the lights on. So it is irresponsibility that the amount is due at your time — you should pay.”
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