New notes waste of public purse - Dery

Edward Kaale-Ewola Dery Member of Parliament for Lambussie-Karni Constituency has chided the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for introducing new cedi notes.

According to him, the introduction of the new notes is a waste of public purse.

He said the move is a means to perpetuate corruption. Mr Dery who is the Vice Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament speaking to TV3 said the move completely defeats the aim by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to have a single currency.

The Bank of Ghana on Friday introduced two higher denominations of GHS100 and GHC200. GHC2 coins were also unveiled.

The Governor of the Bank, Dr Ernest Addison, told journalists that the introduction of the higher notes and the coins should not be misinterpreted to mean a shift away from the policy of pursuing a cashless society and pursuing electronic modes of payment.

He said the move was as a result of a market survey conducted from March 2017.

But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP said the Governor and, by extension, the government strongly denied reports of a similar introduction about a year ago.

“Go back to what they said at that time,” he told host Paa Kwesi Asare.

For him, the whole move smacks of corruption.

“They can print dollars but what is written is written,” he said, insinuating a defeat for the government in next year’s polls.

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