Parliament has argued that the State should assume full responsibility for the vehicles of Members of Parliament, in much the same manner as other Article 71 holders.
In a press statement on Friday, it stated that “maybe it is time for the state to assume total cost responsibility in the procurement, servicing, fueling, maintenance and replacement of duty post vehicles for members of the Legislature as is done for members of other arms of government and other constitutional creatures.”
The statement, however, called for a collective discussion and determination of the matter of providing official duty vehicles for MPs.
It further debunked claims that a recently contracted loan of $28 million for the purchase of MPs’ vehicles will not be repaid by the MPs, stating that such misconceptions bring the name of the institution into “disrepute”.
The Parliament of Ghana has come under the spotlight every 4 years over the payment of huge end-of-service benefits, popularly referred to as ex-gratia, the most recent payment of which each legislator received at least GHC 300,000.
Ex-gratia payments are given effect by Article 71 of the 1992 constitution.
