Donating state money into Covid-19 Trust Fund unethical – Minority

The Minority Leader in Parliament is unhappy with government institutions making donations of public resources, into the National Covid-19 Trust Fund.

According to Haruna Iddrisu, the Fund was established for private benefactors and sees no reason public funds must be expended in this manner.

This follows a demand by NDC MP, Mahama Shaibu, for monies donated to the Covid-19 Trust Fund by state bodies to be refunded to them.

Shaibu, a member of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs committee of Parliament, says public institutions have no standing to donate the monies to the Covid-19 Trust Fund.

Some state institutions such as the National Health Insurance Authority and others, have made financial commitments to the Fund which they deem part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

But Mr Haruna Iddrisu will have none of that describing the development as worrying.

The Tamale South MP believes that parliamentary approval is required if these state bodies are to utilise the funds secured from the taxpayer in contributing towards the said Trust Fund.

He says the action is unethical and defeats the purpose of volunteerism, the spirit in which the fund was instituted.

“If every now and then every public institution wakes up [and] takes money from their kitty to go and support a private trust fund, that defeats the purpose and volunteerism of it,” the Minority Leader told JoyNews on April 30.

Mr. Iddrisu, who also doubles as the Vice Chairman for the Special Budget Committee of Parliament said, the Majority resisted his stance during the consideration stage where he proposed the source of funds be included in the terms of the bill at the time.

“At the consideration stage, I supported an amendment that we should add the source of funds, monies appropriated by Parliament. The Majority resisted it and said ‘no’ they don’t anticipate monies appropriated by Parliament.

Source: myjoyonline