Debates of 9 Mar 2007

MR. SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:08 a.m.
CORRECTION OF VOTES 10:08 a.m.
AND PROCEEDINGS AND 10:08 a.m.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:08 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10:08 a.m.
Order! Order! Correction of Votes and Proceedings, of Thursday, 8th March 2007 -- Page 1…12. [No Corrections were made.] Hon. Members, we have the Official Report for Thursday, 15th February 2007. [No Corrections were made.]
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 10:08 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee presents its report to this honourable House as follows 10:08 a.m.
Arrangement of Business
Question(s)
Mr. Speaker, the Committee has scheduled Seven (7) Ministers to answer various Questions.
The details are as follows:

No. of

Question(s)

i. Minister for Health 7

ii. Minister for Public Sector Reform 1

iii. Minister for Lands, Forestry and Mines 1

iv. Minister for Local Gov't, Rural Dev't and Environment 6

v. Minister for the Interior 5

vi. Minister for Tourism and Disaporan Relations 1

vii. Minister for Harbours and Railways 2

Total Number of Questions 23

Mr. Speaker, in all, twenty-three (23) Questions are expected to be answered during the week.

Statements

Mr. Speaker may allow Statements duly admitted to be made in the House.

Bills, Papers and Reports

Mr. Speaker, Bills, Papers and Reports may be presented to the House for consideration and other business which have already been presented to the House would also be considered.

Motions and Resolutions

Mr. Speaker, Motions may be debated and the appropriate Resolutions would be taken where required.

Mr. Speaker, the Business Committee wishes to remind the Leadership of the Finance Committee to expedite action on

the following referrals so that the reports could be submitted during the week as programmed.

(a) National Reconstruction Levy (Repeal) Bill

(b) 2006 Supplementary Appro- priation Bill

(c) Data Processing Control Board Decree (Repeal) Bill

(d) Loan Agreement between the Government of Ghana (GOG) and Commerzband Bank AG, Belgium for an amount of Euro 14,417,425.00 for the supply of the second batch of 75 VDL Joncheere Buses, Spare Parts and Insurance Premium under Belgian Government Conces- sionary Financing.

(e) Ministries (Retention of Funds) Bill, 2006

(f) Customs and Excise (Duties and Other Taxes) (Amendment) Bill

Leadership of other committees are also reminded to expedite action on their referrals so that the reports could be submitted and considered before the House goes on recess.

Conclusion

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160(2) and subject to Standing Order 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 Public Sector Reform

-- 904

Minister for Health -- 768, 769,

813, 836, 837, 838 & 878

Laying of Papers

Report of the Finance Committee on the following:

(a) National Reconstruction Levy (Repeal) Bill

(b) 2006 Supplementary Appro- priation Bill

(c) Data Processing Control Board Decree (Repeal) Bill

(d) Loan Agreement between the Government of Ghana (GOG) and Commerzbank Bank AG, Belgium for an amount of Euro 14,417,425.00 for the supply of the second batch of 75 VDL Joncheere Buses, Spare Parts and Insurance Premium under Belgian Government Concessionary Financing.

Committee Sittings.

Questions

Minister for Lands, Forestry and Mines -- 663

Minister for Local Government, R u r a l D e v e l o p m e n t a n d Environment -- 671, 720, 721,

722, 758 & 759

Laying of Papers

Report of the Finance Committee on the following: (a) Ministries (Retention of Funds)

Bill, 2006

(b) Customs and Excise (Duties and
Mr. Speaker, the Committee presents its report to this honourable House as follows 10:08 a.m.
Other Taxes) (Amendment) Bill
Committee Sittings.

Questions --

Minister for the Interior -- 749, 819,

820, 860 & 862

Laying of Papers

Motions --

i. Second Reading of Bills --

( a ) N a t i o n a l Reconstruct ion Levy (Repeal) Bill

(b) 2006 Supplementary Appro- priation Bill

( c ) D a t a P r o c e s s i n g Control Board Decree (Repeal) Bill

ii. Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Loan Agreement between the Government of Ghana (GOG) and Commerzbank Bank AG, Belgium for an amount of Euro 14,417,425.00 for the supply of the second batch of 75 VDL Joncheere Buses, Spare Parts and Insurance Premium under Belgian Government Conces-sionary Financing.

Consequential Resolution

iii. Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the request for Exemption of tax liability of equipment/materials to be imported or purchased locally, corporate
Mr. Speaker, the Committee presents its report to this honourable House as follows 10:08 a.m.
Consequential Resolution
Consideration Stage
Food and Drugs (Amendment) Bill
Committee Sittings.

Questions

Minister for Tourism and Disaporan Relations -- 612

Minister for Harbours and Railways

-- 747 & 829

Laying of Papers

Motions --

Second Reading of Bills

(a) Ministries (Retention of Funds) Bill, 2006

(b) Customs and Excise (Duties and Other Taxes) (Amend- ment) Bill

Committee Sittings.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon. Members, we will now take Item 6 -- Presentation and First Reading of Bills.
BILLS -- FIRST READING 10:20 a.m.
PAPERS 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Item 4, Oral Answers to Questions, Minister for Education Science and Sports. Question number 609, hon. S. K. Balado Manu, Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10:20 a.m.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, 10:20 a.m.
SCIENCE AND SPORTS 10:20 a.m.
Minister for Education, Science and Sports (Papa Owusu-Ankomah) 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker. Mr. speaker, H. E. the President on assumption of office, upon evaluation of the country's educational system with respect to the current economic realities and the global economy, has decided to embark on a far-reaching educational reform which seeks to provide the nation with a more relevant educational system more responsive to our human resource needs and capable of meeting the human resource requirements of a nation poised for accelerated economic development and, thereby, make the country globally more competitive.
Among other things, the National Vocational Training Institute of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment would expand its network of 29 vocational institutions substantially to cater for the large number of J.S.S. leavers produced annually who may not opt for secondary education. The goal is to establish at least one well resourced vocational institute in every district comparable to the one at Biriwa in the Mfantsiman District of the Central Region.
As part of the Educational Reforms, Government also intends to build at least
Alhaji Karim 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, according to the Minister for Education, Science and Sports the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment would establish at least one resource vocational institution in every district. I want to know when exactly the scheme will take off nation-wide.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the question can be answered by the Minister responsible for Manpower , Youth and Employment.
Mr. S. Asamoah-Boateng 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, can I know from my hon. Colleague, what measures he is taking to improve some of the conditions especially infrastructure at Biriwa Vocational Institute. Mr. Speaker, it is in my constituency and there is a lot of work to be done. I just want to know when those infrastructural developments will take place in Biriwa.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon. Minister, this is not a supplementary question. This is outside of the Question asked.
Mr. Joe Gidisu 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, arising out of the Government White Paper on the educational reforms which he referred to in his Answer in reference to the setting up of technical schools of the Kumasi Technical Institute status throughout the country, what measures or what projections has his Ministry made to reflect this national aspiration, in terms of time-frame?
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr. speaker, I am sorry I cannot address the question now. I will plead with my Colleague to ask a substantive Question and then I will give a full and comprehensive Answer. Mr. Speaker, the Answer was to give a broad overview in the context of the Question posed by the hon. Member for Wulensi.
Mr. Gidisu 10:20 a.m.
Mr. speaker, I can hardly agree with the Minister. The Question asked by the hon. Member for Wulensi as a follow-up was when there is going to be a technical school in his district. And in the Minister's response he said the Government has plans to establish technical schools of the status of Kumasi Technical Institute.
This i s wi th reference to the White Paper of the Government on the educational reforms. As the sector Minister it is expected that he should be aware of projections as to when these set-ups will be put in place. With regard to technical education, when is this going to take off and how long is it going to take Government to put in place this projection?
10. 30 a.m.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, further to the answer I gave, I will refer to the last paragraph of the Answer in the Order Paper.
“In pursuance of the above policy objective, the Ministry of Education,
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.


Science and Sports and the Ghana Education Service (GES) are developing appropriate time-frames during which every district will come on board.”

That is in respect of providing a compulsory one year apprenticeship to all post junior secondary school (JSS) leavers who would opt to pursue programmes in vocational or technical education, which was the subject of the Question. So Mr. Speaker, I am saying that, the hon. Member could pose this question as a substantive Question and then I will give a comprehensive Answer to that Question.
Mr. Manu 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would graciously ask that you indulge me.
Mr. Speaker, the question posed by the hon. For Wulensi, creates the impression that it is when the children do not get admission to secondary schools that they would go to vocational or technical schools. Mr. Speaker, this is the very thing that the Ministry seeks to disabuse our minds of.
Vocational and technical education are equally important as secondary education.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon. Member, do you have a supplementary question?
Mr. Manu 10:20 a.m.
No. That is why I said you should indulge, me Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
You may then resume your seat, if you do not any supplementary question. Question number 611. hon. Member for Zebilla?
Zebilla Secondary/Technical School
Q. 611. Mr. John A. Ndebugre asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports whether Zebilla Secondary
Technical School in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region had been selected for modernization into one of the model schools during the 2006 financial year.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, Zebilla Secondary Technical School has been selected among the 25 secondary schools to be upgraded into model schools in the second phase.
The contracts for the second phase of 25 have also been awarded and work has commenced on most of them including that of Zebilla Secondary/Technical School in the Bawku West District.
Mr. Speaker, the upgrading of the Zebilla Seconeary Technical School involves the construction of a new computer centre and a 12-seater W.C. toilet block as well as rehabilitation works on the existing administration and classroom blocks together with a sports field all valued at the cost of about ¢1.9 billion.
The upgrading project is expected to be completed within 18 months from the unified commencement date of 15th January, 2007 being 14th July, 2008.
Mr. Ndebugre 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister, whether the construction involved in this exercise of transforming these schools into model schools has a standard or it is schools specific.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Indeed, we have a general standard, that is to improve upon academic facilities. In the case of the first phase, after the award there were some add-ons which were not part of the original standard requirements given for the schools. So with that as an expe- rience, we will try as much as possible to limit it within the requirements, but that
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.


does not preclude certain other facilities being added on as and when we get the necessary funding.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, it is the intention of the Government that most of these schools which have been captured as part of the model school project will be completed within one and half years after commencement.
Mr. Ndebugre 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister, what constitutes the sources of funding for this exercise. Are the funds Government of Ghana funds or they are from donors?
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, they are Government of Ghana funds obtained through support from donors. So it is part of Government of Ghana funds. However, because of the substantial amount required and having regard to the state of our finances as a country, we try as much as possible to get some funding from other sources.
In respect of the first phase, it was a
mixture of the two, even though originally it was donor funding that was earmarked for it.
Mr. Ndebugre 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, finally, I would like to know from the hon. Minister if he is aware that the Zebilla Secondary/ Technical School was developed out of a middle boarding school and so the structures are still middle boarding school structures. And following upon that, whether he does not see that the amount of ¢1.9 billion as against the scope of the exercise, will be inadequate to bring the school up to a model status.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, indeed, I recognise that the amount earmarked may not be enough. But we
are hoping that as we proceed, we may get some under funding to complement what has already been earmarked. As I said earlier, in respect of the first phase, there were a lot of add-ons that was why completion exceeded the date set for the project.
But I wish to assure the hon. Member that what I have stated is not cast in concrete. However, due to the limitation we have in terms of funding, we would try as much as possible to cut our coats not according to our size but according to our cloth.
Mr. A. K. Agbesi 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to know from the hon. Minister, whether schools which were to be upgraded in the first phase, but for some reason were not so upgraded, will gain automatic selection to the second phase. A school like Ashaiman which was taken was later dropped, and I want to know whether it will gain automatic selection into the second phase.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon. Member for Ashaiman, I would have thought you would want to come properly, since you are asking question about Ashaiman.
Mr. Agbesi 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I was given example. Because I know for sure that there were schools which were selected in the first phase but they were later dropped; now that the second phase has come and they are doing the selection. I wanted to know whether those which were dropped in the first phase -- and I gave example of Ashaiman--- will be given chance in the second phase.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon. Minister for Education, do you have the answer?
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, Ashaiman is a bad example. To put it more elegantly, it is inappropriate
example, because in the case of Ashaiman, I believe what happened was that it was the Tema Municipal Assembly which decided that Ashaiman should not be the school that should be chosen for model school. So we have had to deal with that particular conflict.
It is not that Ashaiman was selected in the first phase and was not tackled and would thereby automatically be considered in the second phase. My Colleague is very much aware that there is an internal problem with the choice of Ashaiman as far as the Municipal Assembly is concerned; and I have advised him that this matter must be decided by the TMA.
So there is no school which was selected in the first phase which was not tackled, and Ashaiman certainly is not the most appropriate of examples.

Kintampo Senior Secondary School (Upgrading)

Q. 621. Mr. George Kofi Arthur (on behalf of Mr. Stephen Kunsu asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports when Kintampo Secondary School, which happens to be the only senior secondary school in the Kintampo North constituency would be upgraded to a first- class secondary school.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the contracts for the second phase of upgrading involving 25 secondary schools have been awarded in 2006 and work on most of them have also commenced. Kintampo Senior Secondary School has however not been selected in the current phase.
Mr. Speaker, the criteria for selecting
Mr. Arthur 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the hon. Minister what immediate plans the Ministry has got for Kintampo Secondary School while awaiting the actual consideration he has made mention of.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
plans that the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports has for Kintampo Secondary School are the same for all other secondary schools in the country. That is, to ensure that their facilities are properly maintained and where there is the need for more academic infrastructure, particularly classrooms, they are provided.
Goka Secondary/Technical School (Science Laboratory)
Q. 622. Mr. Alex Asum-Ahensah asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports when Goka Secondary/ Technical School would be provided with a befitting science laboratory.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
the vision and focus of the Government in the New Education Reform and for education in the next decade and beyond is to achieve a ratio of 60:40 in favour of Science-based courses in our secondary and tertiary institutions. In pursuance of this objective therefore, the Government has put in place a programme to provide
modern facilities and equipment in schools.
This is indeed a major component of the upgrading programme of model schools by providing them modern and standard facilities such as computers, science laboratories among other facilities.
Additionally, the Government has started a programme of providing well resourced science laboratories for all secondary schools which is being funded with resources from the GETFund.
A study has also been conducted by the University College of Winneba and the findings will be used to upgrade the Science Resource Centres in the various Secondary Schools.
After the first phase which is currently ongoing is completed, a second phase will also commence. Goka Secondary/ Technical School will be considered alongside other secondary schools.
Mr. Asum-Ahensan 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in the hon. Minister's Answer, he said the Government has started a programme of providing well resourced laboratories for all secondary schools. I want to know when exactly this programme started and which are the beneficiary schools.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
the programme has been ongoing since 2001. The model secondary schools have some secondary schools benefiting from them, among others. So it has an ongoing programme. It has started in earnest and with the science resource centres it was started in 1999 by the previous Government.
It is the intention of this Government after having received a comprehensive report on the state of all these science resource centres, to refurbish and rehabilitate them to serve the purpose
for which they were initially established. And of course, other secondary schools which have science laboratories have also had some of their facilities improved. Goka Senior Secondary School, at the appropriate time, will be considered alongside others.
Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in
the Answer given by the hon.
Minister he said 10:40 a.m.
“Mr. Speaker, the vision and focus of the Government in the New Education Reform and for education in the next decade and beyond is to achieve a ratio of 60:40 in favour of science-based courses in our secondary and tertiary insti-tutions.”
The vision is for 60:40 ratio. Could the hon. Minister tell us the ratio now.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:40 a.m.
Mr.

I am saying that it is 30 per cent for science and 70 per cent for arts and humanities, on the average, in secondary schools. Yes, that is the ratio. [Interruption] -- No, in the tertiary, it is also in the region of between 25 to 30 per cent for science and 75 to 80 per cent for the arts and humanities. But we are pursuing this programme quite aggressively and it may mean that universities, for instance, would be encouraged to offer more distance education programmes for the arts and humanities, whilst we improve upon science equipment and laboratories; and then also try and improve the conditions of

service of faculties generally, particularly those members of science and science related faculties.
Mr. Lee Ocran 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, arising
out of the hon. Minister's answer, I wish to know from him whether there will be special arrangements to motivate more students at the universities to take science by awarding them special bursaries.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it will interest the hon. Member to know that it has already started. With the Students Loan Trust presently students offering Science and science-related courses have access to a sum greater than those offering Arts and Humanities. This is the beginning and eventually it will mean those offering Science having the greater bursary than those offering subjects in Arts and the Humanities.
And we are even in discussions with the various universities so that even in terms of the support for the universities it will be based on the number of students offering Science as against the others offering other courses -- Arts and Humanities. But we must maintain a delicate balance and we must, as much as possible, let this particular programme of the Government be well understood by Ghanaians to enable us engender the necessary support, cooperation and understanding.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Question No. 623, hon. Simons Addai, Member of Parliament for Techiman South.
Mr. Alex Asum-Ahensah 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, hon. Addai is not here. He has told me to ask for permission to ask the Question.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Permission granted.
Tanoso Community Integrated Centre (Upgrading)
Q. 623. Mr. Asum-Ahensah (on behalf of Mr. Simons Addai) asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports what plans the Ministry had to upgrade the Community Integrated Centre at Tanoso in the Techiman Municipality.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Integrated Community Centres (ICCESS) are currently under the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment and not the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports.
Mr. Joseph Yieleh Chireh 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, from the hon. Minister's Answer I want to know whether they work as a team, at Cabinet; and that if a Question that was directed to him really belongs to his Colleague, why did he not give it to him to write the Answer?
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon. Member for Wa West, you have asked a hypothetical question, is that not it?
Mr. Chireh 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, he said that
the Question really belonged to Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment and I am saying that as a Cabinet - and it is a team-work -- In his view is it not right for him to ask his Colleague to answer the Question rather than to come and tell us that it should belong to somewhere else?
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon. Member, I will not allow this because Questions asked specially are directed to Ministers and if this Question was directed at a particular Minister, it is for him to come and answer; that is all.
Mr. Alfred Kwame Agbesi 10:50 a.m.
Mr.
Speaker, I want to know from the hon. Minister whether at the time this Question was asked it was under his Ministry and subsequently made to fall under the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment; because he used the words “is currently”. We want to know whether at that time it was under his Ministry; and if it was, then it is appropriate for him to give us an Answer.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon. Member for Ashaiman, the hon. Minister has not answered the Question so there cannot be a supplementary question.
Ms. Dansua 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to know from the hon. Minister whether at the time the Question was filed the ICCESS was then under his Ministry.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon. Member, I think this question must come appropriately. My view is this that you ask a supplementary question when that Question has been answered but not when the Question has not been answered. So there cannot be any supplementary question.
Hon. Minister, thank you very much for appearing to answer these Questions; you are discharged.
STATEMENTS 10:50 a.m.
Mr Lee Ocran (NDC -- Jomoro) 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have been motivated to rise and speak to the Statement made by the hon. Minister for Railways and Harbours. I am motivated because as a Western Region person, railways is part of my life. In fact, life in Sekondi/Takoradi revolves around the harbour and the railways. It is not only in Sekondi/Takoradi, but Tarkwa and Prestea as well. With the decline of the railways economic activities in Sekondi in particular have declined tremendously and Sekondi is almost a ghost town. Therefore, I am happy to hear that great efforts are being made to revamp the railways.
Railway transportation has played a role, not only in the economic development of the country but also in its political evolution and you all know the role played by the Sekondi/Takoradi workers in the agitation for independence. However, I am unhappy because not much was said about the western corridor.
The hon. Minister gave time-tables for the development of the various stages of
Mr Lee Ocran (NDC -- Jomoro) 11:10 a.m.


the railway lines in the eastern corridor; he just made a passing sentence about the western corridor and that is the most important part of the railways system where goods and services have to be moved from Awaso, Tarkwa and Nsuta to Takoradi port.
rose
Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Minister, do you have a point of raise?
Prof. Akumfi 11:10 a.m.
I have a point of information . Mr. Speaker, I would want my hon. Brother to feel relaxed. In a maximum of three weeks another Statement would be made on the western line. Indeed, a company that is going to operate on these same lines is being processed; that has gone very far. So the western line will also be revamped.
Mr. Ocran 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear that. I however wish that all these proposals -- Because a foreign company is going to operate our railway lines, the railway lines would traverse many communities - farms, towns, villages, and so on. According to the hon. Minister, the concession company is going to operate for 35 years. I believe that the documents would be brought to this House, irrespective of the fact that under the Railway Company Code, Ghana Railways has the right to go into partnership with any foreign company in the execution of its mandate.
However, since this is going to be a national asset and construction of a railway line takes a lot of farmlands and community lands, the Agreement would have to be brought to this House for us to have a look at it and see how well the Agreement would favour this country. I do not think Parliament is usurping the
rights of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Railways, but we must have a look.
Mr. Speaker, with these few words I am happy to lend my support tyo what the hon. Minister has said.
Mr. O. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (NPP -- Suame) 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. I believe that we have before us a very progressive policy, as has been alluded to by the hon. Minister. Mr. Speaker, I would want to believe -- I heard the hon. Minister talk about the existing gauge of the track and he said currently we are using 1.067 gauge. I want to believe that he really meant 1.067; that is what it is, not thousand.
If it is thousand, Mr. Speaker, it would take a new -- But, Mr. Speaker, I did not hear the hon. Minister talk about altering the design of the gauge and it is very important because the 1.067 metres gauge has become old-fashioned, it is accident prone and most of the engines that are being manufactured today do not traverse that track any longer. So I want to believe that the technical aspect would take care of this.
But talking about the concession coverage in relation to the eastern corridor, Mr. Speaker, I did not hear the inclusion of Ho in this whole enterprise and I believe if we are going to do this as a major project, we need to consider taking on board the line from Tema to Ho.
Indeed, now that many of our compatriots are using the eastern road and sometimes going through Togo to get to Yendi it would be of crucial importance to also consider the one, not only from Tema to Ho, but from Ho through the various communities to Tamale. Mr. Speaker, I believe that would rather complete the eastern corridor.
Then also he talked about the linkage through Mampong, if I heard him correctly,
to Nkoranza to Techiman. Mr. Speaker, I believe that they should also consider the capital of Brong Ahafo, that is, linking Techiman to Sunyani and, indeed, also linking Sunyani/Wenchi to Wa so that we have all the regional capitals are not served. G
Prof. Akumfi 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, still on point of information. In my narration I did correct the unit. I said it was millimeters. Mr. Speaker, any new development in the railway area would be done using the standard gauge -- 1.435 mm. So the old gauge would be replaced by the new gauge.
Now, why not include Ho? There is a line which will run from Tema to Akosombo as a first phase and then cross the river into the Volta Region, but that programme is different from what I am describing. I also did indicate that there is a western line which eventually would pass through and get to Techiman before going off through Bamboi, Bole, Wa and then to Hamile.
So that line is there. As I promised, in about a few weeks, I will come back to the House to introduce the company that is going to take care of that one. Mr. Speaker, I hope these areas of clarification would help my hon. Colleague.
Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Majority Chief Whip, you may now conclude.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy with the new information provided and we want to take that one on board. But to add to what my hon. Colleague for Jomoro, Mr. Lee Ocran said, I believe that we shall have the due diligence and also the cost implications, and so on. Because in my view the 35- year concession period is a bit overboard and of course we need better particulars, that is, to inform ourselves whether the 35-year period is not too long, because this is a BOT programme -- [Inter-ruption.]
Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Please, conclude.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:10 a.m.
Indeed, if we are to lease it out for 35 years before it is handed over to us, we have to do another construction.
Alhaji Amadu Seidu (NDC -- Yapei- Kusawgu) 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you -- [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Not yet. Hon. Member for Yapei/Kusawgu, please be brief.
Alhaji Seidu 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, an efficient and effective railway system all over the world plays the role of a life-line to the economies of various countries. But in Ghana if you look at our railway system one can attribute two reasons to why the railway system had not been effective in the past.
First, everything that is done by human beings in engineering has a designed life, and in-between the designed life, from the construction to the designed life of the project, if you do not institute an effective, periodic and routine maintenance to maintain the system, the system will fall out of place. Besides, railways systems all over the world are capital intensive.
Alhaji Seidu 11:10 a.m.


Therefore, for Ghana to get enough money to keep the trains running without the supporting base of a reliable revenue, definitely the railway system will fall out of use; and this is exactly what has happened to us in this country.
MR. SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr. Second Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Minister, I thought it would be useful if you just noted this very well. Maybe that will shorten your -- [Interruption]
Prof. Akumfi 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member on the Transportation Committee needs some help here. In looking at Phase A, all that has been done is in doing the work; you take it in bits. So the first phase will be the Tema - Accra - Nsawam portion of that stretch. And of course, when you come to the second portion, you would have completed your Tema - Nsawam and you go to Nkawkaw - Ejisu; that is how it has to be looked at. The inland port on the Tema - Kumasi Corridor of course is referring to the Boankra Inland Port.
The idea was that they are going to provide the lines that will serve the inland port but they are all going to build the inland port. I think that is how we should look at it, when you look at the last one Bususo - Kibi, that is a separate line which will be linking with the Eastern line. And that is how we should look at the steps involved rather than saying that they are separate lines; this is a developmental progression and I think that clarification will help you understand the approach.
Mr. Second Deputy 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Member, can you wind up.
Alhaji Seidu Amadu 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, what I am saying is not very different from what the Minister has said. Here is a straight line from Accra to Kumasi and you are now talking about Tema - Kumasi Corridor, and I am saying that the two cannot be taken separately. It is just like the highway that we have that runs through a lot of towns and will get to Kumasi.
Now, if it is the same track that the trains are going to use, the only difference I can try to explain is the type of train that will move on the tracks, either the coach or the wagon, depending upon what you want to use the railway for. But they use the same tracks all over the world unless you want to tell me that they are in phases; and if you are building something in phases then you should be talking about Accra - Tema but not Tema - Kumasi. This is what I was just trying to say. It is quite laudable and I am only hoping that the necessary amounts of money will be raised in order to implement this project.
Like the hon. Member too has said, I think we need to go back to the drawing board so that we come out with an effective line distribution to take care of the interest of everybody. But from the way it is now, it does not really do us good and it does not capture the interest of the public, because it does not serve the interest of so many people as far as the railway network is concerned.
One other thing I want to talk to the Minister about is the issue of the group that we have in this country that he himself alluded to in his contribution. Goods that are supposed to be hauled by railways are now being hauled by vehicles and it is like an intentional effort to more or less sabotage the railways. So if we do not
Alhaji Seidu Amadu 11:20 a.m.


start correcting these things now it will be difficult in future to have a very viable railway system in this country.

The same applies to the haulage of wet cargo. There is a barge that ferries wet cargo from Akosombo to Buipe in the Northern Region and even Burkina Faso, and you realize that most of the people who own the tankers, we are told -- somehow it could be wrong accusation -- that they are the same people who are in top management positions of this railway system and the Volta Lake Transport Company.

So instead of servicing this public transport for these commodities to be moved so that the Government can get more income or the public can get more income, private people are making more money and destroying our roads in addition. In spite of all that has been done in building good goods, you see that they are falling out.

Mr. Speaker, one other good thing that the NDC did was to build a parallel road to the border of la Cote d'Ivoire from Asenkro to Elubo. The road that was built to Norbikor, the idea was to take all the timber and cocoa off the main routes that come through Kumasi to the Western Region so that they use the back-door to Takoradi.

It will be good if again this idea is adopted into this particular system for there are a lot of cocoa and timber in that part of Ghana -- Western Region. And if you build a T-Line to take the items to Takoradi Harbour, I think it will be saving our roads and also enhancing the viability of the railway system.

Mr. Speaker, with this, I want to call on the Minister to come back well on the contribution of the Ghanaian company, this M/S Peatrak, because it is not clearly stated what they are bringing on board as
Alhaji Seidu Amadu 11:20 a.m.


far as this particular project is concerned.
Mr. Second Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
If Members are brief, a couple more can make some contributions.
Mr. J. B. Aidoo (NPP - Amenfi East) 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I will try as much as possible to be brief. Mr. Speaker, I am also moved by this Statement to make some comments on the railway sector.
Mr. Speaker, the railway sector is the ‘sick-man' of the transportation system in Ghana and this sickness is not new; it has been there for a long time. Mr. Speaker, at the moment -- I stand for correction -- the railway sector employs 4,500 workforce but then we have only 1,500 of this workforce who are actually actively working, to the extent that for months workers are not paid their salaries and so many problems arise out of that.
Mr. Speaker, at the moment, taking even the western line, we still have some of our major mining companies, the bauxite industry and the manganese industry transporting their bulk commodities by road instead of by our rail. Mr. Speaker, we have cocoa, timber, cement, as the maker of the Statement, the hon. Minister indicated but these bulk commodities are all being transported by road, and this is having a bad effect on our roads.
Mr. Speaker, aside the accidents that they cause, immediately roads are constructed, including even very new roads, they are in no time rendered useless. A very efficient railway system should be able to deal with most of the problems relating to employment in this country but because, as I have said, our railway system has been sick for a very long time we have not been able to see the benefits of a railway network.
It is therefore gratifying to hear from
the Minister today that at long last at the end of the tunnel some light is seen for an improvement in the railway sector.
Mr. Speaker, it is also gratifying to hear that the Minister is introducing a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) and this is very, very (important taking into consideration the fact that we have the Western line, we have the Eastern line, we have the Central line and now the Ministry is even proposing a Northern line from Ejisu to Paga.
Mr. Speaker, if all these lines could be given out on a BOT arrangement for individual investors to operate I am sure it will go a long way to improve the railway system, enhance our transportation system and improve the lives of people as well as enhance economic activities along all these corridors.
Mr.Speaker, we only encourage the Minister to go ahead with this project. It is very, very important and it is even long overdue. And as he has said, there will be another Statement on the Western line. I do not know why he has singled out the Western line to be brought here for a special occasion but we wish to see the subsequent Statement which will be brought to this House specifically to talk about the Western line, that is the Western corridor, because that is a very important line and we want to hear something positively about it.
Mr. Speaker, with this brief comment I want to commend the Minister for bringing such a very important Statement to the floor of this House.
Mr. G. K. B. Gbediame (NDC -
Nkwanta South): Mr. Speaker, I also rise to make a contribution to the Statement by the Minister. In doing so Mr. Speaker, I also want to draw his attention to this Eastern corridor road that the hon.
Majority Chief Whip mentioned. In fact, the eastern corridor road, that is from Akosombo, Hohoe, Jasikan, through Yendi to Tamale is a road that we have always mentioned as being shorter to Tamale than passing through Kumasi.
And there are a lot of foodstuffs along that line through Bimbilla, Krachi, Nkwanta and all those places. I think that for a long term programme, as they are talking of 35 years, if in the drawing they consider this part of the road, to open that section it will go a long way also to improve transportation in that corridor.
So I want to really appeal to the Minister that, that corridor is worth considering. I think it will open up the whole country if we have the Western line, the Central line through Kumasi and then the one through Ho, Hohoe up to Tamale. This is what I want to draw his attention to and in their scheme of things they must take that into account. It will really open up the place and help the transportation of foodstuffs to Accra and the southern sector of the country.
Mr. S. K. B. Manu (NPP - Ahafo Ano
South): Mr. Speaker, I rise to contribute to the Statement by the Minister for Harbours and Railways. Mr. Speaker, in doing so I must admit that the Statement being made at this time is timely, in the sense that the railway system in this country has been a thing forgotten about. Until recently, the Eastern lines and the Western lines were very helpful to traders and passengers in the ir normal travels and hauling of luggage.
But it got to a point that one could just not think about the railways system as a means of transport in the country. It got so deteriorated that even workers of Ghana Railways were considered as just being there for being there sake. They were not paid their salaries, as mentioned by the
Mr. J. B. Aidoo (NPP - Amenfi East) 11:40 a.m.


hon. Member for Amenfi East.

Our visit to Takoradi a few days ago revealed the plight of the workers there. They were seriously building the coaches, rehabilitating the coaches, doing the best they could but we were surprised to be told that for months they had not been paid. If we want to bring life back to the railway system I want to appeal that the railway workers should be given what is due them so that they would have the motivation to do the work.

If they are going to be considered ‘dead' workers then the railway system that we are talking about may not be what we would have.

Mr. Speaker, I am also happy about the

involvement of a Ghanaian company in the whole affair because when Ghanaians are also involved they make use of local experience to guide the foreigners who come. If you look at the railway system that we had, it was then not in the interest of the Ghanaian. They were constructed to where the mining centres were just to haul out the gold and the diamonds and the timber to be taken abroad for building those nations.

If you go there now you can see. If you ever visited Paris and you went to where the King lived, there you would see what gold is really meant for. We cannot find such a thing in Ghana where gold is mined, not even in Obuasi the city of gold in Ghana.

So if today we are thinking about constructing the railway lines to the northern parts side of the country, I know it is going to help a lot in the transportation system, in hauling heavy luggage -- the cattle and those other things that we

produce up north. I would therefore appeal to the hon. Minister that these things that we are hearing should not just be rhetoric; we want to see action in the very near future so that Ghanaians would have hope that what we are talking about in this Chamber is going to materialise to their benefit.

With these few words, I want to thank the hon. Minister for coming to brief us on what his Ministry is doing to revamp the railway system in this country.

Mr. E. K. D. Adjaho (NDC -- Avenor

Ave): Mr. Speaker, I rise to contribute to the Statement made by the hon. Minister. But I believe that all well meaning Ghanaians ought to support any effort to reconstruct our railway setup provided the design and implementation of the project are transparent.

Mr. Speaker, I have listened carefully to the hon. Minister and I believe that even though he has given some pieces of information to us we still demand more information as a House. And it is on that level that I associate myself with the hon. Member for Jomoro and indeed the hon. Majority Chief Whip that certain pieces of information must be put before this House.

Mr. Speaker, we have also been told

by the hon. Minister that the Agreement is being drafted by the Ghana Railways Board. I believe that if this Agreement is drafted it would be made available to us. For example, we want to know more about M/S Peatrak Limited. We want to know whether any due diligence has been done on this company.

We want to know whether it is a Ghanaian company or a foreign company because if you look at the Saturday's issue of the Daily Graphic we were told that it is a foreign based company. We have also heard the Ranking Member for the Committee on Transport indicating on the floor of the House that it is a Ghanaian or local company. We do not know whether
Mr. J. B. Aidoo (NPP - Amenfi East) 11:40 a.m.


it is the Daily Graphic that is misleading the people of Ghana or it is the hon. Minister who is misleading this House because the two statements, the one in the Daily Graphic and this one cannot be true.

Mr. Speaker, I want to also find out whether due diligence has been done on all these companies that we are told are collaborating with M/S Peatrak Limited. When we talk about due diligence we want proper due diligence because the record of due diligence being brought to this House is not on the positive side.

I do not want to make any particular reference but if the hon. Majority Chief Whip wants one from me I would be very glad to provide an example of a due diligence that had been brought to this House that turned out to have a lot of problem. So we want some of these things to be made very, very clear to us.

We want this programme to go on; we want the project to be done; we want it. But again, as I said earlier on, it must be in a very transparent manner. It is very, very important. There are obligations on the part of the Government of Ghana and there are obligations on the companies involved and we want to know the nature of those obligations. This is because the amount of money and the number of years (that is the concession period) involved are all related.

You cannot separate one from the other. If it says five billion and the number of years -- then we can look at the five billion and find out whether the 35 years as the concession period is reasonable or is not reasonable. This House ought to be furnished with those pieces of information. But the whole policy, the whole framework in terms of developing and revamping and reconstructing our railway sector ought to be supported. What we are asking for are more and better particulars to be provided

to this House.

We also insist that when this Agreement is drafted it is made available to the House. We are also saying that the due diligence conducted on these companies should be provided to this House so that therefore we can be in a position to openly give our full blessing to the announcement that he has made on the floor of this House. Mr. Speaker, these are my few words.

Some hon. Members -- rose --
Mr. Second Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Well,
if you promise me one minute, then you can go ahead before the hon. Minister winds up.
Mr. A.O. Aidooh (NPP -- Tema West) 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I do not speak so much.
Mr. Speaker, I have had occasion to
raise this matter in this House, in fact, in the last Parliament, that Tema was the only port city that I know of that had no rail line. It is good news for us that at long last we have this huge project which would once again position Tema as perhaps the most important city in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I know that the bit of
the rail line that links Tema to Accra is under construction. I just want to caution that, that little stretch of land between the ocean and the lagoon is the only solid land that is sustaining Tema. The lagoon is prone to flooding when there is heavy rainfall. What is even worse is that the land reclamation exercise that is holding the city has also been abandoned.
I went to school at Tema New Town and
where we used to walk to school at Tema New Town has all been eroded now and the buildings have collapsed. I therefore find it a bit disturbing that while the rail line linking Tema Harbour to Accra is almost completed the land reclamation exercise that would sustain that enterprise has been abandoned.
rose
Mr. Second Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
You have a real point of Order?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is a point of information and if my hon. Colleague would yield to me.
Mr. Speaker, I would want to assure my hon. Colleague that the land reclamation has not been abandoned. Indeed, at the Committee level suggestions were made to the effect that the piecemeal approach to land reclamation has not worked. We spread our resources thinly and we do not achieve the desired result. And so the Ministry was urged to concentrate effort and resources at particular places because talking about the area he is referring to, one realises that over a 10-year period, every year they were doing not more than about 50 metres and before you get to the end some damage has been done to where you started from.
So the Ministry has now undertaken to do this in a very comprehensive and holistic manner. So that exercise, particularly from the Sakumono area to Tema has not been abandoned; it would be done and done effectively.
Mr. Second Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
You have to take that on board when you wind up.
11. 50 a.m.
Mr. A. O. Aidooh 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, for
the first time I must question my hon. Colleague's understanding of the word “abandon,”; that is English language.
Mr. Speaker, no work has been done
on that project for the past six years or more; and from his information, he said the Ministry found that approach unwise, more or less and so it has been abandoned. That exercise has not been continued, Mr. Speaker. What is even worse is that the Ministry of Harbours and Railways is undertaking this enterprise, going by what he said, without coordination with the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that these two enterprises go together.
Again, I would advise the Ministry that additional storm drains must be built to enhance the outflow of water from the lagoon into the ocean so that the rail line would not be flooded. Mr. Speaker, I would emphasize that it is important that more land is reclaimed from the ocean to sustain the life of this project.
Apart from that Mr. Speaker, I want
to congratulate the hon. Minister, being from Tema. We are happy that once agai, Tema would see massive transformation and we shall also be re-positioned as the most important city in this country.
Minority Leader (Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin) 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a few comments on the Statement that has been made this morning, trying to give more information on Government policy on the Railways.
Mr. Speaker, really, when we read from the Daily Graphic of Saturday March 3, 2007 on the issue, it did not make up for a complete story and there were a lot of gaps and doubts raised. So this Statement definitely is meant to erase some of those doubts and I think that is what we should encourage Ministers to be doing.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague raised on of them where we were told that

Peatrak Ltd. was a foreign based company, whilst it is a local Ghanaian firm that is in a joint venture with these foreign investors.

Mr. Speaker, again, the newspaper talked about the first phase being completed within three years and people tried to fathom how fast our technology is in this country that you can complete a rail line between Tema-Accra-Kumnasi within three years. Now, we are being told that it would be within a period of five years. Mr. Speaker, it is not advisable to always try to raise the hopes of people too high and when you fail to achieve that, you dampen their spirit and they start distrusting the leadership and the credibility of politicians.

So Mr. Speaker, this Statement is welcome; all Ghanaians would be supportive of Government's efforts at trying to improve the railway system in the country. I know that in the last years of the former regime, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), efforts were made to get private investors into that sector. It led to the rehabilitation of some coaches and wagons but not much on the rail lines.

When the new regime took over, I can recall that we approved a five million dollar credit facility for the Accra-Tema rail line. It is yet to be completed; so it takes a lot of time to construct rail lines and the way people want to present it, sometimes creates doubts. We have used, since we approved the loan in 2002, about five years but it is still a big problem.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity

to discuss these things with some of the proposed investors and I was told how they intended to proceed with the construction, even how they intended extending the railway to Wa, through my holy village and on to Hamile to link the rail line at Bobo-Dioulasso so that we can

have an ECOWAS rail line.

I think those are very good intentions but they would need the support of all of us; they need the cooperation of the land owners, the villages and the communities to be able to move faster. I know it is not easy acquiring land; as Government has taken up that responsibility, because of the land tenure system.

The land policy in the country is not yet well defined so we would have to urge Government to start now, trying to talk to the various communities where this rail line would be passing through, so that they can come on board. In doing that, definitely, our public relations (PR) should be very strong because the communities have to see that they would benefit a lot from it; that it would not be like the hydro electric dam where the whole country is benefiting but the communities that lost their farms and villages suffered a lot from health problems.

Mr. Speaker, it is also important to continue this policy of openness, transparency, because of our experience with the United Rail which also attempted investing in the sector. So it is important that from time to time, the hon. Minister should come to the House with whatever documentation is available so that together, we can help him carry across the message to the people.

I would also want to add, Mr. Speaker, that public-private partnership is the way forward these days. Private sector investment alone is seen not to be the best because sometimes the profit motives are too high but public involvement tries to maintain the public interest and this is something we should encourage.

But it is a difficult area. The rail sector is very difficult all over the world and even
Mr. Second Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon. Minister, a few remarks but those who have not been able to speak, he is coming back and you would get the chance to speak.
Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the House for the suggestions made. Attention has been drawn to the need to modify the network to cover as much of the country as possible; all these would be taken on board. But Mr. Speaker, I wish to assure the House that given the experiences that we have gone through, not too long ago, we have been quite serious with our due diligence and I would, as has been suggested, get the appropriate committee briefed on the steps that we have taken.
Specifically, I wish to assure the hon. Member from Avenor-Ave (Mr. Adjaho) that in my Statement, I did indicate what we have done with the various groups. Mr. Speaker, we have done all that and we would continue to work within the law but what I also want to point out is that this is the first time that we are getting a group
that has come forward to do this on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. That removes a lot of financial commitment on the part of Government.
It does not mean we have to go through agreements which would be to our disadvantage. Maybe, it is precisely because we want the best for the country that we have taken so long in talking to this particular group. Time is not on our side, but working within the law, I hope that I would be supported to push this project as fast as we can. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Second Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
The reasons that informed the deferment of the Consideration of the Polytechnics Bill are still valid today so the Consideration of the Polytechnics Bill would be deferred further so that the right consultations would be made for the Consideration Stage to continue. That being the case, what is the advice from the front Bench?
Mr. A. O. Aidooh 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we have agreed to take this Bill again on Tuesday 13th March, 2007. So I beg to move, that we adjourn proceedings to Tuesday the 13th of March 2007.
Mr. Adjaho 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion for adjournment.
Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 11:40 a.m.
  • The House was accordingly adjourned at 12.00 noon till 13th March, 2007 at 10.00 a.m.