Appointment Committee Ends Vetting Of Three Nominees

The Appointment Committee of the sixth parliament today vetted three of President John Mahama�s minister-designates without the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). The nominees, Mr Seth Terkpeh, Minister designate for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister designate for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr Collins Dauda, Minister designate for Water Resources, faced the Majority members of the Committee chaired by Mr Ebo Barton Oduro, First Deputy Speaker and member for Cape Coast North. Minister designate for Finance and Economic Planning, Seth Tekper who was the first to appear before the committee in a response to a question on the issue of borrowing, said he would work hard to ensure that Ghana was not declared a HPIC country due to excessive borrowing. He observed that when given the node he would work with the AG�s Department and also strengthen the Legal Department of the Finance Ministry to curb the abrogation of contracts leading to debts and subsequent payments. "One of the things that as a ministry we will do is to work with the Attorney General�s Department and strengthen the legal department of the ministry of Finance as well as the MMDA�s to ensure that contracts that underlie these works protect the state," he said. He assured that the ministry would conduct the necessary audits to ensure that judgement debt did not bother the Ghanaian population as it was now. Mr Tekper also noted that government would deepen fiscal discipline in the management of the economy under his leadership in the ministry. He disclosed that a new mechanism known as the Budget and Accounting System had been put in place to ensure that all government transactions were put into one simple system to cut out the duplication of payments. According to him when given the node he would ensure that the process of tendering contract formulation would be strengthened to blot out the loopholes in the award of contracts. Mr Tekper observed that the proceedings and outcome of the Sole Commissioner�s work would be used to enhance the work of the Finance Ministry. In a response to a question relating to the existing ghost names on pay roll, Mr Tekper said the results of the biometric registration for public workers would go a long way to enhance the pay roll system. He disclosed that the ministry is currently collaborating with the Head of Civil Service to establish an Electronic Human Resource Management System (EHRMS) to complement the pay roll system to totally eliminate the ghost name phenomenon. On the issue late payment of contractors of government projects, the Finance Minister designate assured that when the financial system was improved, the Ministry would effectively monitor the situation and do a proper cash flow. The other two nominees- Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister designate for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr Collins Dauda, Minister designate for Water Resources-had also been vetted.