CJA advocates setting up of Financial Tribunal
The Committee for Joint Action (CJA) has advocated the establishment of the Financial Tribunal as envisioned in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, to deal with cases of embezzlement and misapplication of funds that arise from the Auditor-General’s report.
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The group has, therefore, called on all political parties and civil society organisations to join the call for the establishment of the Financial Tribunal.
Reading a statement on behalf of Mr Kwesi Adu, a convener of CJA, at a press conference held in Accra, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper and a member of the CJA, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, said the absence of the Financial Tribunal had reduced the work of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament to a mere circus.
“The refusal of the relevant institutions to set up this tribunal - from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration - speaks volumes about official commitment to the fight against corruption. This year, the CJA will not compromise its stance on this issue,” the statement added.
Previous CJA concerns
According to the CJA, despite their efforts over a period of eight years, the living conditions of ordinary Ghanaians had not improved significantly.
They averred that there were still employed people who were earning less than GH¢200 a month with no or very limited access to social services.
The CJA also said there were still hundreds of schools under trees and school fees were high, adding that “the Auditor-General’s reports continue to reveal massive corruption, including direct thievery and misapplication of funds.”
In their statement, the CJA stated that last year, the inflation jumped from a single digit of nine per cent to about 13 per cent and the cedi also fell in value from about GH¢2.00 to GH¢2.40 to the United States dollar, adding: “the CJA strongly condemns the imposition of hardship on the people of Ghana last year.”
Proposals by the group
According to the CJA, the full cost recovery which was implemented by both the NPP and the present government could not enhance the battle against the harsh living conditions of the masses.
The group also proposed the direct involvement of government in production as a means of increasing revenue, expanding the tax net and the maximisation of returns on the country’s natural resources.
Press interaction
In their quest to ensure accountability, Mr Pratt told journalists that the CJA had met the PAC to discuss matters concerning the establishment of the Financial Tribunal.
He said many options such as dialogue, street protest, public fora and judicial redress were available to the CJA in case their calls were not heeded.