Samuel Okudzeto, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu
• Okudzeto believes that MPs should not accept the loan offer
• He believes that MPs should be able to contract private loans to purchase their cars
• He and Patrick Yaw Boamah have filed a bill to stop government from making deductions from the salaries of MPs
Samuel Okudzeto, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu and colleague Patrick Yaw Boamah of Okaikwei Central have initiated moves to stop Parliament from approving a request by the Ministry of Finance to provide a $28million loan facility to members of parliament for the purchase of cars.
The two MPs on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 sponsored a bi-partisan Private Members Bill with the aim of stopping the house from approving the loan.
In the bill, the two MPs argued that like all groups under Article 71, the government must provide vehicles for MPs for their official assignment and not for them to purchase cars personally.
Confirming the development on Asempa FM, Okudzeto Ablakwa said the bill will cure the age-long practice of MP purchasing their own cars for official duties instead of government doing it for them as stipulated in the constitution.
He insisted that MPs who desire to buy their own cars should enjoy no support from the state in doing so.
“That will simply require that government stops the monthly deductions from MP’s salaries so we will be free to broker individual car loan deals based on our salary structure, constituency terrain and other personal preferences,” he added.
In an earlier interview, the lawmaker had called for an overhaul of Article 71 to meet current demands.
“I have long held the view that the entire Article 71 emoluments regime is in urgent need of a major overhaul. We need to demolish this apartheid superstructure and create new conditions of service framework for public officials which are more equitable, transparent, justifiable, and acceptable to the people who employ us.
“If the executive branch of government does not have the resources to provide duty vehicles for MPs as it does for MMDCEs, CEOs of State Institutions/SOEs, Ministers, Judges, Civil Servants, Security Services, and so on and so forth, then MPs who need car loans should be allowed to make their own private car loan arrangements with the banks just as most private-sector workers do.”