Initially the EC proposed GHS1.2 billion proposed to Parliament as what it needed to carry out the elections in 2016. However the newly approved figure is GHS400 million less than the GHS1.2 billion earlier proposed by the EC.
Mrs Charloette Osei, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, who was in Parliament on Thursday December 17, 2015 told the House that the Commission needed GHS1.2 billion for the elections.
“… We also premised the budget on an exchange rate of 3.89 cedis to the dollar. The total budget for the elections is GHS 1,470,000,000. …. If we include the administrative and other costs, which are not directly election-related, it gives us a budget of GHS1.2 billion. In the budget ceilings announced by the Finance Ministry, we have a budget of GHS800 million for elections, the first round, so this gives us a funding gap of GHS400 million.”
Mrs Osei also disclosed to the House that the funds do not cater for a review of the voters’ register, but that monies had been provided for a re-run, as well as other costs, which will be incurred in the process of the implementation of proposed electoral reforms.
She said, this budget does not include the cost of auditing a new register.
“There is some provision for a run off, the Ministry of Finance made a provision of 200 million. I think we have a budget of about 350 million, so there is another shortfall there. However, the budget makes provision for all the reforms, which we have agreed with the political parties.”
Nonetheless, the Minority in Parliament disapproved of the estimates, indicating that the cost of elections in the country was too high.
The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu explained that”Now, entering 2012 it shot up to 267 million with a population of about 14. 2 million, it came up to about 18 dollars, 80 cents per capita. That was far above the average for Africa, which is 13 dollars. We are coming to 2016 and the figure that is being given to us is $269 million.”
He also said, there is the need for the EC to conduct an election with integrity, but the amount it needed for the exercise “… is astronomical and it’s getting too high.”
Source: Newsghana.com.gh
