President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that his government will soon lay before Parliament a Divestiture of Public Property Bill aimed at regulating the sale, transfer, or privatization of state-owned assets.
According to him, the proposed legislation will ensure that public property – especially government lands-cannot be sold or leased without the approval of Parliament.
“And so any public land processing will not be processed at the Lands Commission unless it is ratified in Parliament,” President Mahama said during an engagement with the Ghanaian diaspora community in Lusaka, Zambia, on Wednesday, February 4, evening.
He added that the move would “stop the rampant sale of government assets.”
The engagement formed part of President Mahama’s three-day state visit to Zambia at the invitation of President Hakainde Hichilema.
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President Mahama cited the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) as an example, stating that the facility was now working again, after what he described as an earlier attempt under the previous government to hand it over to a private entity for 15 years.
“So one government can come and just mortgage public property without the say of the people’s representatives,” he said.
He explained that once the bill is passed, any plan to sell public land or auction state assets would have to be approved by Parliament.
“And if they (Parliament) think that it is fair, they will approve it. If they think it’s not fair, they don’t approve of it,” he said.
“And if they don’t approve of it, then it can’t happen. And so I’ve asked the Attorney General to work on something.”
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
