YED Kicks Against GH₵10m Constituency Offices For MPs

The Youth Economic Dialogue (YED), after an initial study of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2013 financial year, argue that Government was not audacious in proposing measures to reduce the budget deficit.

The government's projected deficit to GDP of 9% is also too high since most of the causes of the higher deficit, as witnessed in 2012, will not reoccur. We therefore request Parliament to develop a better framework to monitor executive spending and also institute punitive measures targeted at the MDAs to deter fiscal indiscipline going forward.

We are of the opinion that the provision of GH₵10,000,000.00 for the construction of MPs Constituency Offices is a misplaced priority and would want government to channel that resource into areas that will be beneficial to the constituents of the members of Parliament.

Our Case:
• The recurrent expenditure in running the 275 offices across the country will add to subsequent government budgets. We project that a whopping amount of about GH₵16million (recurrent expenses such as administrative, utilities and maintenance costs among others) will be spent to operationalize these offices when completed overthe 4 year tenure of a Member of Parliament.

• Following a case study conducted on some constituencies by Youth Economic Dialogue, it was discovered that MPs spend close to 70% of their legislative work time in Accra and much less time on their respective constituencies.It was further established that, an MP who visits his constituency is most likelyto devote his time or efforts on attending to social events and community meetings outside a single location.

• We strongly believe that, the most pressing need of many a constituent isemployment. Youth Economic Dialogue holds the opinion that the projected Gh₵10million could be channeled into setting up revolving funds in the 275 constituencies as seed capital to support innovative activities, creation of jobs and provision of social amenities.

• We encourage members of Parliament to adopt the use of virtual office facilities such as Facebook, twitter, emails and mobile phones for easy communication with their constituents as Ghana currently enjoys over 100% Mobile penetration and the highest in Africa and sufficient internet penetration and speed.

Finally, the group will cease this opportunity to urge government to ensure the speedy completion of the Parliamentary Tower Block (Job 600) to facilitate the legislative duties of our MPs.

Signed:
Nana Yaw Adutwum- 0209900009
Davis AduLarbi- 0244426826
Yaw AduGyamfi- 0202471174
Harold Boateng- 0244955898
The Youth Economic Dialogue (YED)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yedafrica
Twitter: @yedafrica
Website: www.yedafrica.org
About YED
The Youth Economic Dialogue is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to empower the African youth in policy making and devote their services for the economic uplift of Africa.YED operates as an Economic Think Tank for youth and by the Youth. The key focus for YED is; articulation of problems and aspirations of the youth, and the role which they can play in dealing with key contemporary challenges.