Finance Committee decisions go beyond my friendship with Dr Ato Forson - Adongo

Parliament’s Finance Committee Chairman, Isaac Adongo, says decisions on government bills are based on scrutiny by members from both sides of Parliament, rather than his personal friendship with Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

Speaking on Accra-based Joy News, Adongo said the committee had so far found no reason to raise concerns about bills presented to it.

He was responding to a question about whether he could challenge the Finance Minister and reject proposals that exceeded what Parliament had approved.

“The good thing is that we have not had any reason to be worried. The reason is that almost every bill that has come to us has been scrutinised on a bipartisan basis,” he said.

Adongo explained that the committee’s position was not determined by its chairman alone, stressing that members examined proposals collectively and made decisions with the national interest in mind.

He cited the experience of opposition members, including Ranking Member and former Finance Minister Dr Amin Adam, Deputy Ranking Member Dr Stephen Amoah, and Dr Gideon Boako, as evidence of the expertise represented on the committee.

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“So it is not about the chairman of the Finance Committee. It is the work of that committee taking into account the interests of the nation,” he said.

Adongo noted that members had the opportunity to raise objections to proposals, although the committee had largely reached consensus on the bills considered so far.

He cited the legislation establishing the Ghana Gold Board as an example, explaining that opposition members supported its underlying principle but raised concerns about certain provisions.

He defended the passage of the bill, crediting the Gold Board with making what he described as a “monumental impact”.

However, he acknowledged that weaknesses could emerge in the law over time, making amendments necessary.

“Of course, over time, there will be some lapses that can be identified, and a review is possible at any point in time,” he said.

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Adongo expressed confidence that opposition members would support amendments if the Executive returned to Parliament with proposals to address specific shortcomings in the legislation.

DR/MA

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