Parliament is expected to pass the COVID-19 National Trust Fund Bill 2020 into law today. Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, last night laid the Bill before Parliament and requested that it be considered under a certificate of urgency. Second Deputy Speaker, Alban Bagbin, who was presiding over the sitting, subsequently referred the Bill to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
The Bill, when passed into law, will give legal backing to the establishment of the COVID-19 National Trust Fund to complement the efforts of government in the fight against the disease. The fund will receive donations for disbursement to individuals who have been negatively impacted by the disease. The bill will also make provisions on how the fund should be managed.
Still in Parliament, opposition MPs are strongly opposed to the use of the Heritage Fund for the fight against the virus. Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta in his recent statement on the floor of the House, outlined a number of measures to source funds for the fight against the disease. This includes amendment of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act to lower the cap on the stabilization fund from 300 to 100 million Ghana cedis and the use of the Heritage Fund.
However, Minority MPs are vehemently opposed to the idea, insisting that the Heritage Fund is purposely established to take care of the future generation as the resource is exhaustible. The minority rather proposed a drastic reduction in the size of ministers and presidential staffers, a cut in salaries of article 71 officeholders and scrapping of ex- gratia among others. However, the finance minister in an interview last night said the proposal from the minority will not yield any significant impact.
Meanwhile, the Immediate Past Chairman of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee, PIAC, Dr Steve Manteaw has described the move by the Finance Minister as unnecessary. He said the initiative is unplanned and a failure of leaders to have planned for such emergencies.
