{"id":2728,"date":"2026-06-25T19:00:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T19:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/?p=2728"},"modified":"2026-06-25T19:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T19:00:21","slug":"parliament-must-scrutinize-loans-or-voters-will-punish-us-also-majority-leader-warns-as-govt-rejects-leaky-loans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/index.php\/parliament-must-scrutinize-loans-or-voters-will-punish-us-also-majority-leader-warns-as-govt-rejects-leaky-loans\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cParliament Must Scrutinize Loans or Voters Will Punish Us also\u201d \u2014 Majority Leader Warns as Govt Rejects \u2018Leaky\u2019 Loans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Accra, Greater Accra Region<\/em> \u2013 The Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mahama Ayariga has warned Parliament that approving bad loan agreements and unchecked budget deficits will come with an electoral price, just as voters punished the previous administration in the 2024 elections.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on the floor of Parliament during a debt management debate, the Majority Leader said the current NDC government is drawing a \u201csharp contrast\u201d with the past by rejecting loans where only 30-40% of funds reach actual projects while 60% goes to vehicles, consultants and \u201cirrelevant matters\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLoan leakage is killing us\u201d<\/strong><\/em>
He disclosed that new analysis done by government shows a typical loan is structured to spend just 30-40% on the actual project. \u201cAbout 20% goes to vehicles, 15% goes to consultants, 10% goes to irrelevant matter. Yet, we are begging for money, and then ultimately we are using 60% of the money for things that are not relevant. But we are supposed to pay 100% of the money,\u201d he told MPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of this, he said, \u201cthis government upon coming to office has had to reject a lot of loans on the basis of that analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New rule: No budget, no contract<\/strong><\/em>
The Majority Leader blamed the debt crisis on the old system where \u201cevery minister could award contract and then the government had to go borrow to pay contractors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the new rule, he said: \u201cNo minister can, unless you have commitment authorization. That means that finance minister has budgeted for it. If it is not budgeted for, you cannot even commence procurement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that government has \u201ccut down on the number of ministries\u2026 because we want to ensure that we have discipline\u201d and will only engage in external borrowing \u201cwhat we can show that we can pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parliament also culpable<\/strong><\/em>
In a rare rebuke of his own House, the Majority Leader said Parliament \u201chas not been helping matters\u201d because it continues to approve loans that \u201cviolate debt limits\u201d and only plays \u201cpolitical football\u201d after a crisis hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recalled that 88 NPP MPs, signed a petition to remove the former Finance Minister before the crisis. \u201cWe told them if they listen to us this country will not be where it is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voters are watching<\/strong><\/em>
Warning both sides of the House, he said: \u201cIf we fail in all these, those who have voted for us end up paying the price. And it will reflect in the kind of numbers that we saw on your side in the last election. So this time, if we don\u2019t do it well it might reflect on this side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 Debt Report to settle debate<\/strong><\/em>
He said Ghanaians will get hard proof when the \u201c2025 Public Debt Management Report\u201d is presented. \u201cWhen it comes we will debate, we will scrutinize it. And that report will show the contrast between NDP government and NDC government, between Mahama and Akufo-Addo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His ambition, he added, is for President John Mahama to \u201cset a bar that even if NPP ever come, they cannot go below that bar.\u201d The goal, he said, is proper debt management that \u201cgives you the international image that attracts investment\u2026 towards creating an economy that creates jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Clement Akoloh\/parliamentnews360.com <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Majority Leader has warned Parliament that approving bad loan agreements and unchecked budget deficits will come with an electoral price, just as voters punished the previous administration in the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,1],"tags":[1263,1113,193],"class_list":{"0":"post-2728","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"category-news","9":"tag-hon-mahama-ayariga","10":"tag-majority-leader","11":"tag-parliament-of-ghana"},"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n