Minority want to debate financial mismanagement of NHIS

Accra, June 12, GNA - Three minority members of Parliament have filed a Private Member's motion seeking a debate on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The motion also seeks to call on the House to set up a committee to investigate reports of financial irregularities in the implementation of the scheme.

The members of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Mr. Lee Ocran, (NDC-Jomoro), Mr. James Klutse (NDC-Ketu-North) and Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, (Asawase) are sponsoring the motion. A memo from the Minority leader, Mr. Alban Bagbin to the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ken Tachie, made available to the press, stated: "We submit for your attention a motion to grant opportunity to the House to debate the operational challenges of the NHIS and set up a committee to investigate reports of financial irregularities in the implementation of the scheme."

It is expected that the memo would be forwarded to the Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hugues, for his directions.

Aljahi Muntaka, later, told the GNA that they had filed the motion because the Auditor-General's report on the NHIS for 2005, covering January to September, which was just out, showed some irregularities, misappropriation and over payment in consultancy. He said the second major reason for filing a motion was that monies totaling 563 billion cedis, being VAT and the SSNIT contributions for 2006, which had to be lodged with the NHIS Levy account, in accordance with ACT 650 of the NHIS, had not been carried out.

Alhaji Muntaka said nothing has been heard about the 2007 VAT and SSNIT contributions.

Earlier, Parliament had to delay sitting until around 12 noon and only sat for some few minutes because of the state funeral of Ghana's premier First Lady Madam Fathia Nkrumah, which was attended by members of the House.

Members used the little time to contribute to a statement on climatic change and global warming made on the floor of the House by Ms. Elizabeth Agyemang (NPP-Ofori Krom).

They called on the communities to desist from degrading the environment, indiscriminate felling of trees and polluting water bodies to stop further depletion of the ozone layer and destruction of water bodies.