Gov’t releases GHC70m for EC to defray 2016 debt

The Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) has received GH¢70 million from the Ministry of Finance as part payment of the Commission’s budget for the 2016 general elections.

This brings to GH¢870 million the funds released to the Commission so far. The Commission had its budget request of GH¢1.139 billion approved by Parliament ahead of the December 7 elections. GH¢800 million was released for the elections but the rest are yet to get to the Commission almost two months after the elections.

Stakeholders have been on the necks of the Commission for their allowances.

“We would like to assure our vendors, service providers and election officials that the Ministry [of Finance] has by the recent release of the GH¢70,000,000 demonstrated its commitment to honour its promise of meeting the full funding requirements of the Commission for last year’s elections,” the Commission said in a statement on Wednesday, January 25.

The Commission has called for “patience and understanding” on the part of service providers and stakeholders “as we await the Ministry of Finance to fully honour its promise to release the funds for the payment of their costs and allowances”.