KT Hammond is embarrased with use of "Ghana cedi"

KT Hammond, MP for Adansi Asokwa

The Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa has a problem with the name of the local currency - the Ghana Cedi.

K. T. Hammond is of the opinion that the use of "Ghana" is needless and must therefore be taken off.

He expressed his frustrations on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday on the issue which he says has been bugging him for years.

"Mr. speaker there is this thing going on about Ghana cedis. I have travelled widely throughout the world and I haven't come across anything like Mongolia cedis.

“It is only in Ghana that we have cedis; what is this business about Ghana cedis?” he quizzed.

His comments were retorted by the some members of the majority side who screamed about the existence of US dollar to justify why the Ghana cedi must be maintained.

But the Adansi Asokwah MP will not yield: “They haven't travelled before; US dollars is used because we have Jamaican dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars you have so many dollars.”

“…Ghana is the only country with cedis. So why do we go on with Ghana cedis.”

The Deputy Speaker Doe Adjaho who presided over Wednesday's sittings however ruled him out of order.

The Bank of Ghana at the introduction of the new currency during the redenomination exercise found it necessary to re-designate it Ghana Cedi to distinguish it from the then existing currency because the two were to co-exist for some time.