Parliament has unanimously approved GH¢250 million budget estimates for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, for the year 2019.
Presenting the 2019 budget estimates at the Plenary as the Chairman of the the Committee on Works and Housing, Mr. Nana Amoakoh, stated that for the implementation of the policy objectives and associated programmes, the Ministry’s total budget estimates amount to GH¢246,966,071.
On the expenditure of the Ministry, Mr. Amoakoh indicated that compensation of employees covered GH¢12,177,432, goods and services covered GH¢1,869,923, and capital expenditure (CAPEX) covered a total amount of GH¢57,000,000.
Committe on Works and Housing and its outcomes
Following the presentation of the 2019 Budget and Economic Policy Statement of the government on Thursday, November 15, 2018, the 2019 Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources were referred to the Committee on Works and Housing for consideration and report in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders 140(4) and 180.
The Committee was assisted in its deliberation by the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, her Deputies, Mr. Patrick Yaw Boamah and Mr. Michael Yaw Gyato, and a technical team from the Ministry.
Officials from the Budget Unit of the Ministry of Finance were also in attendance, to assist the Committee with clarifications on some of the items and figures in the Estimates.
2019 outlook on water management programme
For the year 2019, the Ministry in line with the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030, will continue its nationwide water monitoring exercise under the watch of the Water Resources Commission, to improve water quality.
The Ministry, through Ghana Water Company, will lay 190 kilometer pipelines across the country and implement the Enhancement Nationwide Water Network Management.
The Ministry, through the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, is expected to construct nine water systems in the Northern and Central Regions.
Inadequate budgetary allocation
In the Committee’s report, it was noted comparatively that the 2019 allocation of GH¢246,966,071 is about 34.49 percent increase over the 2018 allocation of GH¢183,632,577.
It was also indicated that the Ministry’s share of the infrastructure sector allocation constitutes only 5.3 percent of the total allocation, which is also a drop from the 2018 share of 10.2 percent.
However, considering the Ministry’s programme outlined for the year coupled with the numerous demands for water and sanitation facilities across the country, the 34.49 percent increase in the allocation will still not be enough to adequately carry out the various programmes the ministry aims to achieve.
In the Committee’s report, it was revealed that as at September, 2018, only employee compensation and donor funding had relatively high disbursement rate of 72 percent and 65.8 percent respectively.
Goods and services, and retained Internal Generated Fund (IGF) also had a disbursement rate of 58.45 percent and 35.07 respectively.
It came to light that the untimely release was occasioned by the untimely initiation and submission of requests by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
