Debates of 24 Feb 2006

MR. SPEAKER
CORRECTION OF VOTES 10:05 a.m.
AND PROCEEDINGS AND 10:05 a.m.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10:05 a.m.
Order! Order! Correc- tion of Votes and Proceeding,
Thursday, 23rd Februrary, 2006. Page 1, hon. Chief Whip -
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
the first item, at the commencement of the meeting, it is recorded that the House met at ten minutes after ten o'clock in the morning, prayers were read and then you took the Chair. Mr. Speaker, if my memory serves me right, we were very time conscious yesterday and the time of meeting was indeed exactly 10.00 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10:05 a.m.
That is so. Correction
ought to be made. Page 2… 17.
Hon. Members, I am in possession of Official Report for Tuesday, 14th February. Majority Leader do you have a copy of Official Report for 14th February?
Mr. Owusu-Adjapong 10:05 a.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, I have a copy.
Mr. Speaker 10:05 a.m.
Hon. Members if you have any omissions or corrections kindly bring them to the attention of the Table.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 10:05 a.m.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs/ Majority Leader (Mr. F. K. Owusu- Adjapong) 10:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Business Committee met yesterday, Thursday, 23rd February 2006 and determined Business of the House for the Seventh Week ending Friday, 3rd March 2006.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee accordingly presents its report to this august House as follows:
Arrangement of Business
Questions --
Mr. Speaker, the Committee has programmed Nineteen (19) Questions to be answered by various Ministers during the week.
The details are as follows:
No. of Question(s)
i. Minister for Energy 5
ii. Minister for the Interior 3
iii. Minister for Health 2
iv. Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing 4
v. Minister for Road Transport 5
Total Number of Questions 10
Statements
Mr. Speaker, may allow Statements which have been duly admitted to be delivered on the floor of the House. Bills, Papers and Reports
Mr. Speaker, Bills, papers and Reports
may be presented to the House for consideration and those which have already been presented may be taken through the various stages of Passage.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr. Speaker, Motions may be debated and the relevant Resolutions taken where required.
Mr. Speaker, the Business Committee wishes to remind the various Committees to expedite action on their respective referral for consideration of the House.
Conclusion
Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order No.160(2) and subject to Standing Order No.53, the Committee submits to this honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week.

Questions --

Minister for Energy - 190, 191, 192, 193 and 239

Statements

Laying of Papers

Report of the Committee of the Whole on the Proposed Formula for Sharing the District Assemblies' Common Fund for the Year 2006.

Motions --

Second Reading of Bills

Insolvency Bill

Committee Sittings
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs/ Majority Leader (Mr. F. K. Owusu- Adjapong) 10:05 a.m.
Questions --
Minister for the Interior - 269,
270, 271
Minister for Health - 285 and 286
Statements
Laying of Papers
Report of the joint Committee on Finance and Roads and Transport on the following:
(a) Sale and Purchase Agreement between the Govrnment of Ghana and VDL Bus International B.V. of the Netherlands for an amount of twenty-three million, one hundred and fifty thousand euro (E23,150,000.00) for the supply of one hundred and fifty (150) Inter-City/City Commuter buses for tehe Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT)
(b) ORET Grant of nine million and eighty-s ix thousand, eight hundred and fifty euros (E9,086,850) to finance 39.25% of thecost of the purchase of the 15-buses from VDL Bus Internatinal B.V. of the Netherlands.
(c) Loan Agreement between the Government of Ghana and ING Bank N.V. of the Netherlands for the Export Credit Facility of fourteen million and sixty- three thousand, one hundred and fifty euros (E14,063,150.00) to finance 60.75% of the cost of the purchase of 150 buses from theVDL Bus international B.V. of the Netherlands.
(d) Commercial Contract Agree- ment between the Government of Ghana and the VDL jonckheere Bus and spare parts at a cost of nine million, nine hundred and sixty-five thousand Euros to be imported for the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT).

Questions --

Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housisng - 418, 419, 420 and 421.

Statements --

Motions

Adoption of the Report of the Committee of the Whole on the Proposed Formula for Sharing the District Assemblies's Common Fund for the Year 2006.

Consideration Stage of Bills

Insolvency Bill

Committee Sittings

Questions --

- 207, 208, 209, 210 and 211

Statements Motions

Third Reading of Bills

Insolvency Bill

The Subvented agencies Bill

Committee Sittings.
Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, on the Business Statement unfortunately I was not present yesterday at the meeting even though I am supposed to be a member of the Committee. My little worry, Mr. Speaker, is that over the one-and-a-half weeks most of the Questions which have been fielded have come from our Colleagues opposite whom we are trying to locate because they did not tell us where they went to; we are searching for them. We hope they come back to the House. Until they come, Mr. Speaker - and I hope they come very early -- we need to get our Ministers work.
I do know that many Questions have been fielded from this side of the House and I am pleading that the Business Committee would ensure that Questions that are asked of Ministers from this side of the House would be programmed, Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence such that the Ministers would not have a field day like they have been coming and one Question is asked of them and they go away; they must be made to work. Mr. Speaker, I thank you very much for your indulgence.
Mr. Owusu-Adjapong 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is a good advice except that one is not too sure when they will be coming. The problem we face is that when you jump Questions, Members do complain. And if you do not programme in order of presentation you may one day have a problem where the person would be in and then he would complain that his Question or her Question should have been put first; but we will take this into account with the hope that they come back quickly. In any
case, according to our rules, even when the person is not there to ask the Question, it would be recorded and the Answer would be available so that the constituents would know exactly what the Minister was saying about the particular topic; but we would take his advice into account at our next meeting.
Mr. Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Item 4, Questions - Minister for Road Transport.
Mr. Owusu-Adjapong 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister has got to rush to do a quick inspection somewhere; so he has asked his Deputy to represent him and I want to crave your indulgence to allow him to answer the Questions.
Mr. Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Granted - Deputy Minster, Road Transport.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10:15 a.m.
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Deputy Minister for Road Transport, thank you once again for appearing. You are discharged.
Item 6 -- Minister for Manpower, Youth and Employment.
Mr. Owusu-Adjapong 10:15 a.m.
Mr. The Minister is in fact, attending a funeral up country and I will crave your indulgence to allow his Deputy to lay this Paper on his behalf.
Mr. Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Granted.
BILLS - FIRST READING 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Majority Leader, at this stage, do you have any indications?
Mr. Owusu-Adjapong 10:15 a.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday you referred some Agreements, I think five or so, to the joint Committee on Finance and Road Transport. Mr. Speaker, the later information I got is that there seems to be some urgency relating to these particular Agreements for the importation of buses especially that could be used in the northern part of the country and I have discussed this with the Finance Committee Chairperson and there is the
need for us to encourage them to meet. Therefore, I want us to adjourn earlier than usual so that they can meet. I am also aware that the Privileges Committee will be meeting. I therefore move that this House do now adjourn till Tuesday at 10 o'clock in the morning.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to second this very important motion on the floor.
Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 10:15 a.m.