New cars have been purchased already by MDAs- Okudzeto Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said, President Nana Akufo- Addo's ban on the purchase of new vehicles by Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) does not hold as new cars were bought before the directive was issued.

Speaking during the Appointment Committee's vetting of Deputy Finance Minister nominee, Kwaku Kwarteng, the former Deputy Minister said, new vehicles have been bought already by the MDAs so the directive is 'useless.'

Mr. Kwarteng referred to the President's directive as one of the ways to cut cost in the New Patriotic Party(NPP) administration. 

But Mr. Okudzeto vehemently debunked the claim saying on authority that some Ministers of the NPP are currently using new vehicles.

"I have evidence that, this vehicles you are referring to, that is,the letter from the Chief of Staff,that most of them have been bought already."

"If you go to the Ministry of Fisheries, the Minister is already using a brand new V8 Land Cruiser so I do not know what that directive is achieving,"he stated.

A letter written by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, dated March 21, 2017 said the ban holds until further notice as they have been asked to use “existing fleet of vehicles in their respective transport pools.”

Mrs. Osei-Opare, however, noted that in special cases, MDAs that wish to procure new vehicles “shall seek for and obtain the prior express written authorization.”

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