Odekro | What has your MP done for you?

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon. Members, we have problems with the Votes and Proceedings for yesterday's Sitting and therefore until they produce the corrected one, the proper one, I will move on straight to item 3, dealing with Business Statement.
Chairman of the Business Committee,
Hon Majority Leader?

Mr. Speaker, the Commit tee accordingly submits its report as follows

Arrangement of Business
Question(s)
Rt. Hon. Speaker, the Committee has programmed the following Ministers to answer the specified Questions during the week:
No. of Question(s)
i. Minister for Food and Agriculture 1
ii. Minister for the Interior 2
iii. Minister for Employment and Social Welfare 1
iv. Minister for Local Government and Rural Development 5
v. Minister for Energy 5
vi. Minister for Roads and Highways 5
Total Number of Questions 19
Rt. Hon Speaker, in all, six Ministers are expected to attend upon the House to respond to nineteen Questions during the week. Statements Mr. Speaker may allow Statements
duly admitted to be made in the House.
Papers, Bills and Reports
Mr. Speaker, Papers and Bills may be presented to the House for consideration. Committee Reports may also be submitted to the House for debate.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr. Speaker, Motions may be debated
and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
Outstanding Business
Mr. Speaker, the Business Committee wishes to inform Honourable Members that any item of business which has not been completed at the end of the Second Meeting on Friday, 17th July 2009 would be placed on the Order Paper for the next Sitting day in the Third Meeting on Tuesday, 20th October 2009 in accordance with Order 55 of the Standing Orders. Committees are however, advised to expedite action on their respective referrals.
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.
I implore that the Hansard captures the details.

Questions --

Mr. George Boakye (Asunafo South)

To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture why work on the Nobekaw Irrigation Project has come to a standstill.

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East)

To ask the Minister for the Interior why State resources and facilities were allowed to be used for the recent June 4 Celebration when the event has no legal or official status in Ghana.

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua)

To ask the Minister for the Interior what is being done urgently to assist flood victims in the Atwima Mponua Constituency.

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua)

To ask the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare when negotiations for wages and salaries for workers will be concluded in view of the rise in fuel prices and the subsequent increase in cost of living.
Statements.
Committee Sittings.

Questions

Prof. (Emeritus) Samuel K. Amoako (Akim Abuakwa North)

To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development when will the New Tafo market in the Akim Abuakwa North Constituency, which constitutes the basis of economic life in the East Akim Abuakwa District, but currently in a state of disrepair be

rehabilitated.

Mr. Leo Kabah Alowe (Chiana- Paga)

To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development how soon will adequate offices and staff bungalows be constructed in the newly created districts, especially the Kassena- Nankana West District, to enable the new District Assemblies to be functional.

Mr. Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla)

To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development what concrete plans the Ministry has put in place to find alternative places for traders on the streets of Kumasi, Takoradi and Accra who have been asked to leave the streets where they sell within two weeks.

Mr. George Kuntu Blankson (Mfantseman East)

To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development when Mfantseman Municipal Assembly will be bifurcated.

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua)

To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development what measures have been put in place to ensure that people do not suffer unduly as a result of the decongestion exercise to be embarked upon by the Accra Metropolitan Authority.
Statements.
Committee Sittings. Thursday, 22nd October 2009
Questions --

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North)

To ask the Minister for Energy when electricity will be extended to the following communities:
(i) Asukese
(ii) Berekum
(iii) Aworokrom
(iv) Fianko
(v) Gyasikrom
(vi) Mfama
(vii) Anwianwia
(viii) Nkwanta
(ix) Kumaho
(x) Akwaduro
(xi) Nkyenkyehene.

Mr. Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla)

To ask the Minister for Energy when the following towns will be connected under the Rural Electrification Programme:
(i) Bakpaba
(ii) Lanja
(iii) Bincharantanga
(iv) Juase
(v) Nakpa
(vi) Dipa
(vii) Juanayili
(viii) Taali
(ix) Sabonjida. Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East): To ask the Minister for Energy when the following towns
will be connected to the National Electricity Grid:
(i) Subriso
(ii) Nyamebekyere on Oppon River
(iii) Abotareye
( i v ) C a m p o n O p p o n Valley Road.

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East)

To ask the Minister for Energy when the following towns will be connected to the National Electricity Grid:
(i) Nkonya (ii) Saa (iii) Abenabena (iv) Pewako (v) Babianiha (vi) Dompaase (vii) Ntwintwina (viii) Priciso-Ataase (ix) Huntaado (x) Akoreso (xi) Epom (xii) Akrofereim (xiii) Abrokyiri-Krobo.

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East)

To ask the Minister for Energy when the following towns will be connected to the National Electricity Grid:
(i) Adonnoi (ii) Dawurapon (iii) Suhyenso
(iv) Mansiso (v) Akodaakrom (vi) Grumisa (vii) Tweapease (viii) Maafo (ix) New Somanya.
Statements. Committee Sittings.

Questions --

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North)

To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when will the paving and tarring of the Mim Town Roads continue.

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North)

To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when will the Aworakese Bridge (near Asumura) be constructed.

Mr. Kwasi Anno Ankamah (Atiwa)

To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways what measures are being taken to ensure that the road works from Abomosu through Asunafo to Jejeti is completed on time.

Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko- Mensah (Takoradi)

To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways the Ministry's plans for the two major economic roads namely, new Takoradi road and Kokompe road, in view of the economic potentials of the region, especially the discovery of oil in the region.

Ms. Grace Addo (Amansie West)

To ask the the Minister for Roads and Highways when work on the road from Amankyia to Ahwerewa through to Assuoyenyun will resume, since construction work has come to a standstill.
Statements
Committee Sittings.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon
Members, that is the Business Statement for the First Week of the Third Meeting ending Friday, 23rd October, 2009.
H o n M e m b e r s , t h e s t a n d a r d
parliamentary practice is that Public Business takes precedence over Private Business but in consultation with the Leadership of the House we decided to take the Questions. But I would crave your indulgence, only Hon Members in whose names the Questions are standing will ask the Questions so that we can quickly move on to Public Business. So Hon Members, Question time.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon
Member for Ashaiman, is any Question standing in your name? I see you on your feet.

Mr. Agbesi

No, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wanted your direction on a matter and that is why I rose up.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Very
well, I am listening to you.

Mr. Agbesi

Mr. Speaker, I witnessed a scenario in the House yesterday. Mr. Speaker, the Majority Leader who is the Leader of this House made his contribution on an issue on the floor. Mr. Speaker then
called upon the Minority Leader to also make his contribution. Mr. Speaker, the Minority Leader ceded his chance to an Hon Member of the Minority.
Mr. Speaker, I want your direction in this matter as to who should speak first on a matter between the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader; who should be the first to speak? Mr. Speaker, I am raising this because when the Minority Leader ceded his position to the Hon Member of the Minority, the Minority Member then made statements on behalf of the Minority Leader. I see this as an anomaly, Mr. Speaker, because the Majority Leader is the as Leader of the House and after his word, after his contribution, I do not think that somebody should also come in.
But more seriously, the Minority Leader
should speak before the Majority Leader. That is my view and I want your direction, not a situation where the Majority Leader speaks and then the Minority Leader also comes in and cedes his position to an Hon Member of the House, thereby creating an anomaly in my view. Mr. Speaker, I want your direction on this matter.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Members, we have a lot of Business to do today and I would crave your indulgence, I am not going to let this issue drag the business of the House. I think that the only person who can make people speak is the Speaker; the person presiding, and once the person presiding has given the authority to person to speak, that cannot be questioned. So, for now, let us proceed with the business of the day.
Question number 53 --

Mrs. Afeku

Mr. Speaker, as supplementary, I would like to ask the Hon Minister: Axim has been elevated to municipal status and it is quite sad to get a bridge that is not economically viable to the municipality.
As an alternative, we would like to find out if the Hon Minister would consider a wooden bridge because it is actually an economically viable part of the community.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon
Members, before we move to the next Question, I want to crave the indulgence of the House, coming under Standing Order 53 (2), to have some Papers laid. Item (6) - Presentation and First Reading of Bills.
Majority Leader (Mr. A. S. K.
Bagbin): Mr. Speaker, I was just looking round for the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning or his deputy. Since we decided to take this earlier than programmed, they are not yet in I will crave the indulgence of the House and your permission to allow the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways who is available to lay this Bill, the National Stabilisation Levy Bill for and on behalf of the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.

Dr. A. A. Osei

Mr. Speaker, I know we have laid the Bill, but I think it is important that for such an important matter of tax that the Hon Minister deems it urgent to bring it to us only today, at least, either he or his deputy should be here.

We were told this morning that it was coming and this House's business should be taken seriously. You are going to engage us in a very important task.

Mr. Speaker, even for item 7 (a), we are being told that this cannot be laid; that is also the same Minister. We beg you; let us take this business seriously. How do you expect Hon Members to look at these matters and then the person who we are doing it for is not even available? Mr. Speaker, I thought that we would wait, call them here so that they can tell us how important it is. This is too serious.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon.
Ranking Member, you have a genuine concern; that is why the Majority Leader took permission of the House before I invited the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways to lay it. That has been recognized, that is why he took permission of the House before it was done. But it is a genuine - Maybe, they have some difficulties. They were with us the whole of yesterday and we closed very late from here.

Dr. Osei

Mr. Speaker, you are right.
I know he sought permission and I think it is proper, it has been laid. But I think that officially, we should render this concern. That is the only reason.

Mr. Speaker, I thought 7 (a) could be a joint - [Interruption.]

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Yes, I
have corrected myself. I added “Gender and Children”.

Mr. Assumeng

Mr. Speaker, it is 7 (a)
- Works and Housing rather.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

You want
me to add Works and Housing?

Mr. Assumeng

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Very well.
It is hereby directed that the Committee on Works and Housing be added to the Finance Committee.
7 (d) - are the reports ready?

Mr. Speaker, indeed, when it is reshaping and it is not spot improvement, they may wash away some of the gravel as indicated by the Hon Colleague. And if that is the case, we may be making specific interventions under spot improvement along those stretches.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Question
69.
Darkuman Circle Station Junction -- Afropa Road (Regravelling)
Q. 69. Mr. Justice Joe Appiah asked
the Minister for Roads and Highways when the road from Darkuman Circle Station Junction to Afropa linking Demod would be gravelled and sealed as it was a busy and major road that linked Odorkor, Official Town and Kwashieman.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mr. Speaker, the
Darkuman Circle Station Junction to Afropa linking Demod or Korlegon Street is located in the Ablekuma Sub-Metro in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly of the Greater-Accra Region. The road is 1.2 kilometres long. Drainage works along this road were completed in 2005 by Messrs Eagle Noir Limited.
I can assure my Hon Colleague that the work has started and will definitely reach that stretch.

Mr. Speaker, the Dormaa-Ahenkro-Nkrankwanta road is 40 kilometres. It is a regional road on highway route number R54. This stretch of road traverses important food-growing centres like Maasu, Nsuhia, Odiabakrom and Brofoyedu. The section of the road from Nkrankwanta to Krakrom which is 24 kilometres is gravel-surfaced.
The last 5 kilometres to Nkrankwanta was upgraded to bituminous surface in the year 2006 by Messrs Cymain Ltd. Additionally, the first 10 kilometres from Dormaa-Ahenkro was also upgraded to bituminous surface in 2007 by M/s Mawums Ltd.
Following the successful completion of the first 10 kilometres, an addendum was issued in September 2008 for the construction of a further 8 kilometres (km 10-18) over a period of one (1) year. At the moment, the contractor has not mobilized to site. The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) is taking steps to have the contract terminated.
Future Programme
As part of the GHA routine main-tenance works for 2009/2010, the remaining gravel section between Dormaa-Ahenkro and Nkrankwanta (km 10 km 35) and the 24-km gravel section from Nkrankwanta to Krakrom will receive grading and sectional regravelling.
Currently, bids for the routine maintenance works have been received and evaluation of the bids is ongoing.
The future plans of the Ministry for the road is to continue with the upgrading programme on the road in phases till the entire 64 -km stretch from Dormaa-Ahenkro through Nkrankwanta to Krakrom is sealed up to bituminous surface.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to second the motion on the floor that this House approves a loan facility of US$6,000,000.00 from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the Rural Agricultural Finance Programme (RAFIP).

Mr. Speaker, we have looked at the

terms of the loan and we think they are appropriate, the repayment period as was said by the Hon Finance Committee Chairman is quite tolerable and should be accepted.

This loan of $6 million is part of a $41.9 million loan that the Government of Ghana is contracting to help the rural finance sector. But the problem we have is the usage of this particular loan. This loan, we were told, is for capacity building - US $41.9 million for capacity building alone. That is where we have our problem and our problem is that this capacity building is earmarking some

Mr. Ignitius Baffuor Awuah (NPP - Sunyani West)

specific organisations like ARB Apex Bank, Credit Union Association (CUA), and then association of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in financial sector.

Mr. Speaker, our fear is that this amount is so huge that the ordinary person in the agricultural sector should benefit but then should not be left just at the apex bodies I have just talked of. What is it that we are going to do at the ARB Apex Bank, at the CUA apex body, at the susu collectors apex body that would demand a whooping amount of US$41.9 million?

We have been told that we are going to be very prudent in the usage of money especially in this tenure of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government . That is where we are so much concerned. We are pleading with the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to see the possibility of using part of this facility to finance some other aspect of agriculture rather than to use it for only capacity building.

Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time we are contracting a facility from IFAD. In the early 1990s the Government of Ghana and IFAD entered into an agreement for an on-lending facility to rural farmers. This actually led to increase in food production and also helped in alleviating poverty at the grassroot. We will want to suggest that in contracting this particular loan we should not lose sight of the ordinary farmer at the farm side.

Mr. Agbesi

On a point of order. Mr.
Speaker, the Hon Member is misleading the House. At page 2(iii) of this report the purpose of the loan is stated and the purpose is said to be, and Mr. Speaker, with your permission I beg to quote:
“The facility is to support the implementation of the rural and agricultural finance programme in providing improved and sustainable livelihoods to rural poor particularly women and the vulnerable groups by improving their access to sustainable financial services.”
Mr. Speaker, he is misleading the House by saying that the loan is purposely for capacity building. So he should speak to the issue and speak to why the motion is being called for. He should not continue to mislead the House.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon. Member, the motion is for the adoption of the Committee's report and when you look at the Committee's report, the point that he is raising is very, very relevant.

Mr. Awuah

Mr. Speaker, I am the Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee [hear, hear.] I am saying that as a Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee I have access to more information on the loan. So I am speaking based on the information which was given to us as members of the committee. In fact, we did ask and the answer was provided that this amount of money is not for capacity building. That is where we have our concern. They are meant for workshops - [interruption.]

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Member, you are right when you say that you are the Deputy Ranking Member you have more access. Not every Hon Member is a member of the Committee but the motion is for the adoption of the report and if I refer you to page 3 - Hon Member,
if you look at page 3 of the report, the last paragraph from down -- [interruption.] No. For the adoption of the -- So if there is something, then the problem is with the report and not - [interruption.] Yes. So the problem might be from the report because where you have stated the purpose and you tell us that poor farmers are going to benefit from it in this report, then those of you on the Committee must be misleading this honourable House. So the hon. Member for Ashaiman is absolutely right and I rule in his favour.

Mr. Awuah

Mr. Speaker, I must admit that the information carried in this section of the report is quite misleading in the sense that it creates the impression that the ordinary farmer is going to benefit. But that is not true. [Interruption.]

Mr. C. K. Humado

On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I think the Hon Member is getting confused. What is before us is a motion on a loan agreement for US$6 million. What he is trying to say is completely outside the motion before us. If what he is saying is that part of the $6 million is supposed to be used for capacity building, then he may be right. But that is not what is contained in the motion. A separate loan is being acquired altogether for capacity building and that is not part of the motion before us today. I therefore think that he is wrong and must be called to order.

Dr. A. A. Osei

Mr. Speaker, I think this relates to the point I was trying to make earlier. It is important when reports are being brought, there is appropriate consultation so that at least -- if the motion is to adopt this report -- We have serious difficulty with this report precisely because of the point he raised. The report does not capture what was discussed at the Committee. This is why the report is - and we want to adopt a report and

Dr. A. A. Osei

you said it. It could be misleading. The truth is that the entire $41.9 million is for capacity building, not credit to farmers and $6 million is part of it.

You see they are talking about the US$6,000,000 but it is part of the total picture of US$41.9 and this is why - his point is that he has a difficulty with the Report. [Interruptions] The Hon Member on the other of the House was confused because his impression was that this is credit that is going to farmers. It is not true. In fact, if you look at the documentation that was given to us, there are issues about workshops and so and so forth called $440,000 unallocated. So this Report is inadequate.

In fact, I am just getting a copy. So there is a serious reason why my Deputy Ranking Member - that is why he needs to refer back to that original document, it is not his fault. Mr. Speaker, with respect.

Mr. Avedzi

Mr. Speaker, I want
to first of all respond to what the Hon Deputy Ranking Member said by saying that the Report is incorrect. When he was supporting the motion, he said he was rising to support the motion. That is what he said, he has read the Report, he took part in the meeting, read the Report, accepted the content and he said he was rising to support the motion. But when he was pushed to the wall, he is saying that the Report is incorrect. Which one is he telling us to do?
If he knows that the Report is incorrect why does he want to support the motion for the adoption of this particular motion?
Mr. Speaker, the memorandum that
accompanied the Agreement which was submitted to this House by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning talked

Mr. Avedzi

about the justification for this particular loan and when I read the conclusion of the Hon Minister's memorandum, he said “in view of the benefit to be derived by Government from the implementation of the programme Parliament is hereby invited to approve this initial financing Agreement involving US$4,050,000 SDR equivalent of US$6,000,000 to support the rural and agricultural finance programme.”

That is what we are approving, that is all we are asking for for approval. This is only US$6,000,000 and if you go further into the document that was given to us which they all accepted at the meeting, the breakdown of this 6,000,000 was given in a document and with your permission, I quote,

“Mr. Speaker, the 6,000,000 is broken down this way, “vehicle, goods and equipment which is 70,000; technical assistance in the form of registry management units - US&50,000: and other technical assistance for registry management unit - US$660,000: studies, training and workshops - US$2,240,000: [Interruptions] performance based lump sum - US$290,000: salaries and allowance - US$190,000: operating cost US$130,000: and unallocated - US$420,000”. This information was given to us at the Committee level and they all supported it. What are they saying now?

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon
Members I think that the issue before us which made the Hon Member for Ashaiman rise up on a point of order is whether the US$41,000,000 of which the US$6,000,000 is going to be used exclusively for capacity building. And listening to the components that he has given now with regard to this 6,000,000,

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development.

Mr. J. Y. Chireh

Mr. Speaker, the
Hon Members should sit down before I talk. They are standing.

Mr. Ambrose P. Dery (NPP - Lawra/ Nandom)

Mr. Speaker, I think what the Hon Deputy Ranking Member was saying is spot on. The point he was making is that, this amount of money, none of it is going directly to the farmers and although it appears to create the impression that it is financial assistance to the farmers,it is actually going to be used for capacity building and the items that have been read out support that fact.
So Mr. Speaker, I think that we should allow the Deputy Ranking Member to finish his submission, because his case has been made that all that has been read, no financial assistance is going directly from this money to the farmer and that is the point that he made and that point is spot on.

Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin

Mr. Speaker, I think we need further and better particulars.
This is because when you are talking about workshops, who are the participants in the workshop? Are they only technical people or they are farmers whose capacities are to be improved upon to be improved upon as to how the farmers themselves either as individuals or as group will learn to access credit. Because the fourth one, which is the total package, is for the rural farmer. Part of it is to be used for capacity building.
The capacity building is not only for the technical man in Accra, it is also for the farmer, men and women and vulnerable groups in the rural area. Their capacities have to be built. Now, you have to look at it and that is why I said we need better particulars whether in those workshops, training programmes, farmers are included. If farmers are included, then it is being applied for the right purpose. It is not only the technical people in the cities who will need their capacities to be built or enhanced.
The farmer too and when we are talking about credit, the credit is not only given to them to go and buy seeds. The credit is also given to them to learn how to farm - [Interruptions -- ] that is why we need more information from you. We need to get that.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Member for New Juaben North, I think that the Majority Leader's explanation has cleared some of the doubts [Inter-ruptions] -- so you this thing - [Interruptions.]

Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang

Mr. Speaker, there is a fundamental difficulty in this House and I hope the Chairman of the Finance Committee will listen.
What is happening is that reports of the committees are not cleared at the

Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang

Committee level. Because if they had been cleared at the committee level, all these confusion will not have arisen. The Ranking Member has complained many times that he has not seen the Report. Let them make sure that there is no hurry, get these Reports properly appraised, properly imputed and then you can bring them to the House.

I think the House is being short- changed with all these long winding discussions which are not relevant.

Today, I have seen three reports which the Ranking Member has not cited. In some instances, even committees have not met and they have produced reports. What are they taking us for? Let - [Interruptions] -- Mr. Speaker, I personally will not accept that in this House because it is not right.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Member, I will take the last one from here. Ordinarily, after hearing from the Leaders of the House, I would not have entertained any comments, but because you have spoken several times, I called you, let me call one person from my right side of the House and I will go back to the one who was on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I still
stand by what I said that the Report is misleading and it is not representing the true discussions we held at the Committee level. This is because at the Committee level, it was made explicitly clean to us that it is the apex bodies of the aforementioned organisations that are going to get those technical support.
And Mr. Speaker, the distance between the apex body and the ordinary farmer is so wide, because if you take the ARB Apex Bank for instance, they are the supervising bank of all the rural banks. So if you build their capacity, they would use that capacity they are building to also improve the capacity of rural bank. It is only through a third tier that the ordinary farmer would benefit and this loan is not targeting that aspect. It is only targeting the apex bodies of these organisations that I am talking of.
So let us not create the impressions
that the ordinary farmer at the grassroot is going to benefit from this facility.
Mr. Speaker, with this, I second the
motion on the floor.
Dr. Ahmed Y. Alhassan (NDC -
Mion): Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the motion and to remark that finally, financing agriculture in this country has been extremely difficult. I know because

local banks have shown very little interest in the agriculture sector and most of the times, rural farmers and rural agriculture find a lot of difficulty in accessing finance mainly because the small scale agriculture is seen to be not profitable. This is because when you produce to feed yourselves, it seems to be non-profitable. Thank God that this facility has come and it is going to assist in that direction.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that financing for rural agriculture is extremely important if Ghana's agriculture is supposed to grow, and I am particularly happy that this facility is dedicated mainly to enhancing rural agriculture.

A lot has been said about financing our rural agriculture. It has never been in vacuum because the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) have helped and I believe that their advocacy has helped to bring to us this particular facility. The lack of rural financing for agriculture has encouraged and sustained the collapse of rural-based industries such as the cotton and the rice industries in northern Ghana, and I am happy that this facility targets northern Ghana for sustainable financing.

A lot has been said about capacity building and I would like to state that the reason why a lot of the money is going to these particular institutions is mainly because these are the only financial institutions that dedicate themselves to providing finance for rural agriculture. Most of the other banks are urban-based and are either not interested in agriculture or if they are, not in rural agriculture. And I am happy that most of these moneys are going to co-operatives, it is going to rural banks and therefore that would help build their capacity to deliver finance to rural agriculture. I am happy that this is happening.

Mr. Speaker, capacity building has

two versions or even more: we have institutional capacity building and personal capacity building, and if the institutions that are to deliver credit and finance to rural agriculture are weak, it is important that facility is found to build the capacity of such institutions so that they can deliver finance to rural agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to state that it is because of this lack of interest in rural financial institutions to deliver credit to rural farmers or rural agriculture, that is why agriculture in the rural communities have collapsed for so many years now and it is good that some life line is being delivered to such institutions.

Indeed, in the last ECOWAS Parliament, which was held in May, 2009 the Speaker of the Parliament had cause to remark that if African Governments want to deliver themselves from food shortages, they have to take a look, a very close and hard look at financing rural agriculture because that would be the bedrock - enhancing rural agriculture would be the only way of absolving rural communities from poverty and from hunger.

Mr. Speaker, this facility could not have come at a better time. Indeed, I am happy that some portion of the money is being devoted to financial literacy training for rural people. This is extremely important because even the small paltry sums that are often delivered to our rural farmers to manage their small scale farms have collapsed because they lack the capacity to manage such small sums.

So if there is a facility dedicated to training the farmer to manage his resources such that such the management would be profitable, I think it is only God

sent and government must be encouraged to do so. I also believe that if rural agri- culture is moving through a transition, that is graduating from small scale towards medium to large scale, these graduations would cost money and the only way to do so is to deliver capacity building for institutions that would provide such support.

Mr. Speaker, this facility must be supported by all who have concern for rural poverty alleviation or reduction and for rural agriculture to improve.

Mr. Speaker, a lot is being said about

farmers not getting direct investment from this facility. This is absolutely incorrect, and it is absolutely incorrect because seedlings, machinery et cetera have to cost money, and that money will not come from IFAD to the rural farmer. It has to come through a local financial institution and that is why the ARB Apex Bank has to come between the farmer and the loan facility so that the rural farmer can benefit.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Start
winding up.

Dr. Alhassan

I absolutely disagree
with that because the rural farmer has got to be empowered technically to be able to deliver food for us who are sitting here and deciding on their fate.
Mr. Speaker, finally, I would like to
say that I urge everybody to support this facility and I believe that capacity building is important because institutions have to be given the capacity to deliver service to

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Ranking Member.

Dr. A. A. Osei (NPP - Old Tafo)

Mr.
Speaker, I do not think there is anybody here, either on that side or on this side who is against access of credit to rural people. I think there is a fundamental issue - the motion is not about the credit facility, the motion is to adopt the Report of the Committee.
My senior Hon Colleague, the Majority Leader has told us why we need more information. You see, if you look at the documentation that was given to us, there is some information contained in there that would have allayed some fears.
As it is, even the breakdown of the US$6 million is not here. What we have here is the breakdown of the $41.9 million from various sources. My Chairman got up and read to us the breakdown of the $6 million. It is not reflected in the Report and that is my difficulty. The Leader told us, maybe, if we withdrew the Report and provided the proper information his fears would be allayed.
There is no direct credit to farmers. There is capacity training for some farmers but it is not even in this Report. That is all I am saying. We are not doing ourselves a favour by pretending that this Report is all right. It is not, and that is why I go with the Leader of the House. Nobody on the Committee is against rural credit to farmers.
In fact, the problem we had was that the technical people unfortunately had the audacity to tell us that there is enough credit in the system for rural farmers. What a misleading statement. We were opposed to it. We know there is not, but that is the information and it is not captured here. So here we are approving $6 million, most of us do not even know
what it is for, except what the Chairman read - 440,000 unallocated - unallocated in that breakdown. Is that what we want to approve? Vehicles, that is what the Chairman read and that is the difficulty I have with this Report.
As a Ranking Member, I would not have passed this Report if I had seen it before. We are not doing ourselves a favour. That is the problem I have - [Some Hon Members: Withdraw.] -- If we want to do the right thing and approve a facility that will equip the human capacity of the rural farmers, let us provide proper documentation. Let us not do something that will give the impression that this House is not serious. We are very serious.
Capacity building for the headquarters and for the farmers, it is good. This is only $6 million out of the $41.9. We are going to be going back to IFAD for $9 million, ADB for $9 million - we need to know what it is for. It is not here. So we Members of Parliament want to pretend that we know that we are getting $6 million and most of us do not know. Why pretend that we know? He was reading from a document -- [Interruption.] - that most people do not have access to -- [Interruption.]

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon
Chairman of the Committee.

Mr. Avedzi

Mr. Speaker, I appeal
to my Ranking Member to stop behaving as if he is fighting with somebody here -- [Laughter] -- He is not fighting with anybody. He should relax and then make his point. The way he is behaving as if he is fighting with -
Mr. Speaker, the information that he is talking about that I read to the House, this document was distributed to every Member of the House and he also has a copy. When we went to the meeting, he
had a copy of this, the breakdown was read to him, he accepted it at the meeting. I do not know why he is not playing to the gallery. He should stop playing to the gallery because he is aware of everything in that Report. So he should stop playing to the gallery, he is not fighting with anybody.

Dr. Osei

Mr. Speaker, with respect, I
think my Chairman is veering off. I am not playing to the gallery. This Report is unacceptable to this House, that is my difficulty. It is an insult on my integrity that is what I am angry about. I will not endorse this type of Report to this House and I am helping him as the Chairman to - and he thinks that I am playing to the gallery? He read to us a breakdown of the $6 million, is it in this Report? Mr. Chairman, please, this is about serious business.
This Report should have come to the Committee, we should have properly vetted it. It is not good, I am not angry, but I think we should be ashamed that this type of Report is allegedly coming from our Committee. That is what I am angry about as a Ranking Member. This is not the type of work I will produce for this House - and then you are telling me that I am angry? Anything that insults my integrity, I should be angry about and you should be angry about as the Chairman of the Committee.

Mr. Bagbin

Mr. Speaker, I just want
to say one or two things.
First, just to urge the Ranking Member that in putting across his point, it is not that he should be angry about failings but he should be passionate. Anger is not too good for this House. He can show passion that he wants quality Reports, but he should not be angry about the fact that the Report is inadequate.
Mr. Speaker, it is true that copies of the supporting documents were made available to Members. In fact, among those documents as the programme loan agreement which is dated 21st November, 2008. This meant that this programme loan agreement was negotiated by our Colleagues when they were in government. Now, attached to it is the memorandum from the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, also explaining and accepting the terms of the loan agreement. These were made available to Hon Members.

The issue we have is that we have so many documents that if Hon Members are not in the Committee, they will not pay much attention to those issues. So we have the documentation but we expect that the Committee's Report should be comprehensive enough to draw our attention to the essentials.

Now, attention is being drawn to some

of the essential ingredients that are missing in this Report. And that is what the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee supplied. With this information, what we have now, that is the Report, and what has been given by the Hon Chairman from the documentation that has been given to all of us, is it sufficient for us to approve this motion? We should look at it that way.

Now, let me address the other issue. I think when people say a person or an

institution is not benefiting directly, I have a problem with it. This is because one needs to go further than just the general terms of not benefiting directly. For example, I am aware that GIMPA applied for money for capacity building under their governance programme. And part of it included the capacity building of Members of Parliament. And how is it done? It is done in a workshop.

So when they mention workshop, workshop is not about drinking tea. [Uproar.] Workshop is not about taking Akple or Tuo Zaafi; it is for the capacity building of the people who attend. I think that is why I said there is the need for us to go further than what is stated.

Again, I do not want Hon Members to give the impression that when one is supporting one's wife, one's baby is not benefiting directly because it is going to one's wife or one's woman. The baby would be benefiting directly. [Some Hon Members: Indirectly.] -- Directly; not indirectly because the baby is taking the blood and everything from the mom. [Some Hon Members: Indirectly.] - Direct. Direct.

So let us agree that it is the exigencies of the situation. We have referred so many things to this Finance Committee.

Again, we should have referred this one as a joint Committee with the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs. They would have been in the position to give the technical aspect of this loan agreement. I believe that in spite of inadequacies of the Report, we have sufficient information to work on this motion. And it is a plea to Hon Members that we take this motion and then in the subsequent reports, these things that we have just mentioned are included in all those reports. We havea problem with

Mr. Bagbin

time. Once we all agree that the facility is necessary for the rural farmer, I think that we should proceed on that basis to approve the motion and then we go to the next item.

Question proposed.
Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi (
NPP - Techiiman North): Mr. Speaker, I took a quick look at the Report and I think this is what we expect from our delegation to the various parliaments. Regrettably no such report has come from the Pan-African Parliamentary delegation with specific reference to a communiqué on climate change which was seen in London two weeks ago. I would entreat the delegation to that Parliament to make available to this House a report such as this.
Mr. Speaker, when you look at item
7, the Country Report, Ghana should have commented or presented a report on environment and climate change. I do not see anything on this in the text and the Chairman or the leader of the delegation did not touch on it at all. I am just wondering whether at their session they did consider it. If they did not I will urge the delegation to work very, very seriously at getting some report on climate change discussed during their session because it is a problem which is becoming very prominent especially in our sub-region.
Mr. Speaker, with this I commend the
delegation for providing us with this rather sketchy report and we hope that in future we would see details on various aspects as requested by the Parliament.
Mr. E. T. Mensah (NDC -- Ningo/
Prampram): Mr. Speaker, I also rise to express some concerns about the Report which has been ably submitted by the Hon Deputy Majority Leader who happens to be the leader of the delegation and also raise a few issues.
My first issue is about free movement of people and goods across our borders. When we look at all the various conventions and protocols signed by our Heads of State, one of the key issues which would send a clear message to the world that we are serious about our
union, ECOWAS, the Commission, is the removal of these barriers.
When one sets off to go to London and
another person wants to go to Cotonou, one will get to London while the one going to Cotonou would still be at the Togo border. So if we are very serious - This ECOWAS thing started years back and we have not taken the first step. So I am at a loss as to how we are going to respond to the assignment that has been given to Ghana and Nigeria to see to it that the Eco is introduced soonest.
When we look at the convergent
criteria, which has been put out there, I do not think that in the next hundred years, if we do not do anything about that criteria, any country in this sub-region would meet the convergence criteria which will lead to the introduction of the Eco. So like my Hon Colleague the Professor said, what needs to be done is for these things to be broken down properly. It is important that clear signals are sent as to why we have not been able to achieve these objectives that we have set for ourselves and also how Ghana and Nigeria can help in addressing this issue of the introduction of the Eco.
Quite often we just copy things without
looking at the details. We had the Euro because the European Union (EU) countries had introduced it. They travelled on a certain road. I do not know whether we are educating ourselves about the “hows”, the “whys” and the “why nots” as to not doing certain things and as to how they got there. So it is important that our delegation takes note and at the next meeting put this out there. Anytime we meet in the African Parliamentary Union everybody talks about this, the concerns about the first step. The first step is about removal of the barriers throughout the ECOWAS countries.
With these few words, Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the delegation for submitting the Report. Even though Hon Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi says it is sketchy, it is better to have some report than to have nothing at all.
I thank you very much.

Mr. Ken Ohene Agyapong (NPP

- Assin North): Mr. Speaker, I rise to contribute to the motion on the floor. I am also a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament, and in fact, I will thank my leader for appointing me because we have learnt a lot. Especially when we are in Ghana here, we do not appreciate what Ghana Parliament does until we get elsewhere.

ECOWAS Parliament, when one hears the name, one thinks it is big. I will be honest with you, when Ghanaian Parliamentarians rise to contribute in debates over there, then one appreciates what Ghana Parliament is, especially when Hon Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was the leader. And now, my leader has also taken over, one can tell from his initiatives, this is the first time we are getting a report from our delegation.

What is important for us to know is

what my Hon Senior Colleague talked about, the migration. Most of the times, we get complaints from Ghanaians that the influx of foreigners into this country is giving us problems. But if one happens to be there, in Abuja, Nigeria, one would realize that it is a very difficult situation. If we get a Nigerian in Ghana here, he stays for about two, three months, there is no way we can send him back home. At the same time when it comes to crimes, we are confronted with difficulties because all the fifteen Member States are seen as one.

Hon
Members, before we suspend Sitting, I want us to take one or two businesses. I am looking at item 16.

Mr. Akologu

Mr. Speaker, items 15,
16, 17 and 18.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Very well.
Item 15, Hon Ministers? Suspension of Standing Order 128 (1)
Minister for Women and Children's
Affairs (Ms. Akua Sena Dansua): Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that notwith- standing the provisions of Standing Order 128 (1) which require that when a Bill has been read a Second time it shall pass through a Consideration Stage which shall not be taken until at least forty-eight hours have elapse, the Consideration Stage of the Human Trafficking (Amendment) Bill may be taken today.

Mr. Sampson Ahi (NDC -- Juaboso)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Item 16 -- [Long Pause.] Hon Members, we are at the Consideration Stage of the Human Trafficking (Amendment) Bill.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

The
Human Trafficking (Amendment) Bill is duly considered.
Item 17?
Suspension of Standing Order 131(1)

Minister for Women and Children's Affairs (Ms. Akua Dansua)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 131(1) which require that when a Bill has passed through the Consideration Stage, the Third Reading thereof shall not be taken until at least twenty-four hours have elapsed the motion for the Third Reading of the Human Trafficking (Amendment) Bill may be moved today.

Mr. Sampson Ahi (NDC -- Juaboso)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.

Mr. J. T. Akologu

Mr. Speaker,
as has been suggested, we may suspend Sitting to enable the Finance Committee complete its work for us to reconvene and continue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon
Members, before suspending Sitting, I would want to direct that Sitting will go beyond the prescribed period under Standing Order 40 (3) of our Standing Orders .
Sitting suspended for an hour at

Sitting Resumed.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Members, which of the reports are ready? [Pause.] Hon Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, you can now come and make your Statement.

Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture (Mr. Alexander Asum-Ahensah)

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to make a Statement on the floor of this august House on the Conference of West African Traditional Rulers to be held in Accra on the 23rd and 24th July, 2009.
Mr. Speaker, an international seminar for traditional rulers in the West African sub-region is being organised in Ghana

from 23rd to 24th of July, 2009. This seminar of traditional rulers with the theme, “The Role of Traditional Rulers in the Integration of African States,” is being hosted by Ghana and the Chairman of the African Union will be in attendance. The seminar which takes place in Accra at the International Conference Centre will be opened by the Libyan Leader and the Chairman of the African Union Brother Muamar Gaddafi.

The impending seminar of traditional rulers brings together over 600 traditional rulers from all over West Africa. By any standard, this is a seminar or conference which is historic and one that the Government of Ghana regards as laudable as it seeks to acknowledge the important role of our enduring traditional institution.

The institutions of chieftaincy have stood the test of time. They are the custodians of our culture and tradition. By virtue of their obligations, our chiefs work closely with our people. There is no doubt that bringing our traditional rulers together will complement our respective governments' efforts at greater continental union. As key players in society, our chiefs cannot be left out in our effort to integrate more fully. Indeed, the engagement will further help to re-establish our connections as one people seeking a common developmental objective.

Ghana was chosen as the host to coincide with the centenary celebration of the birth of the President of the 1st Republic of Ghana and the foremost pan-Africanist, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. That Osagyefo was a key pioneer of the idea of the African Union cannot be denied. His unparalleled achievements constitute our proud legacy.

It may be recalled that at the just-ended African Union Summit in Sirte, Libya, the African Union adopted a resolution calling

on all African States to commemorate the centenary celebration of the birth of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, we are happy as a nation to play host to chiefs coming from all over the West African sub-region as a prelude to the centenary celebration of Osagyefo who was a true son of Africa.

On this note, Mr. Speaker, I once again thank you for the opportunity.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Thank
you very much, Hon Minister. Hon Member for Ashaiman, very briefly.

Mr. A. K. Agbesi (NDC - Ashaiman)

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. This Statement is very laudable. The idea contained in this Statement is very good.
Mr. Speaker, this conference, we are being told, is going to bring chiefs together and Ghana is going to host them. As is said, our chiefs are the custodians of our culture and custom, our traditions. As we all know, we give a lot of reverence to our chiefs because they epitomise what is Ghanaian, what is our custom, what is our tradition, and this conference coming on in Ghana, I think all of us must support it, all of us must give it a big boost so that it is successful in Ghana.
Mr. Speaker, we know that there are a lot of our chiefs who, as a matter of course, are doing well in various areas of human life. Apart from keeping our tradition, they are also engaged in advancing education, agriculture and industry. I wish that this conference comes on as early as possible and Ghana being the host will gain a lot from other chiefs who may come from outside Ghana.
With these few words, I congratulate the Hon Minister for making the Statement
and wish the chiefs who are coming to Ghana Akwaaba.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

I will take one or two more.

Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that notwith- standing the provisions of Standing Order 80 (1) which require that no motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the motion is given and the date on which the motion is moved, the motion for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Associa-tion for an amount of ten million, two hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR10,200,000) (US$15.00 million equivalent) to provide a second additional credit for the proposed Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project (STWSSP) may be moved today.

Prof. G. Y. Gyan-Baffour

Mr.
Therefore, we pray that at this point when they are all coming from different background they will be able to come up at the end of the day with certain pragmatic measures that will foster Africa's development.
Mr. Speaker, we are only praying that at this conference they will not dwell on the culture the people but then they will also help to make sure that we eradicate a lot of the conference that are plaguing Africa.
Indeed, conflicts are a setback to development and especially in Ghana we have a lot of the conflicts emanating from chieftaincy and I pray that at the end of the day they will unanimously come together and eradicate some of these conflicts that are plaguing us and setting our development backwards.
Also, much as it is important to sustain culture, certain cultures have become outmoded and I think that they should be able to come out and strike out some of these cultures that are no more to be practised much as we want to sustain the culture for posterity.
Mr. Speaker, we want to welcome
all these eminent traditional rulers who are coming to the shores of Ghana, we give them Akwaaba and give them a very fruitful deliberation.
Thank you for the opportunity.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Thank you, that brings us to the end of Statements. Hon Ranking Member for Finance Committee, we have been given another Order Paper, an Addendum to the original Order Paper. I want to know whether those Reports are ready, whether you have cleared them.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Speaker, I beg to second the motion.

Question put and motion agreed to.

Resolved accordingly.

GOG/IDA Financing Agreement to Finance Small Towns Water Supply

and Sanitation Project

Chairman of the Finance Committee (Mr. J. K. Avedzi)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Associa- tion for an amount of ten million, two hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR10,200,000) (US$15.00 million equivalent) to provide a second additional credit for the proposed Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project (STWEEP).
Mr. Speaker, in doing so, I present your Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of ten million, two hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR10,200,000) (equivalent to US$15.00 million) to provide a second additional credit for the Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project (STWSSP) was laid in the House on Wednesday, 15th July, 2009 in accordance with article 181 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
Pursuant to Article 103 and Order 169
and 171 (1) of the Standing Orders of the House, the Agreement was referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report.
The Committee subsequently met and considered the Agreement with the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Hon Fifi Kwetey and officials from the Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning and Water Resources, Works and Housing as well as the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) and hereby presents this report. 2.0 Background
In the past decade, small towns in Ghana have received focused attention as a result of the creation of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) and subsequent implementation of a series of community water and sanitation projects.
The Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project (STWSSP) is the second phase of an Adaptable Programme Loan (APL) that emphasizes decentralized rural water supply and sanitation delivery in Ghana. The first phase of the APL which closed in December 2004 successfully provided potable water to over 750,000 rural population.
The implementation of the STWSSP is a continuation of government's efforts in providing access to potable water supply and improved sanitation in small towns and also a contribution to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets in the water sector.
3.0 Purpose of the Loan
The purpose of the facility is to provide additional financing to the Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project being implemented by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency under the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.
4.0 Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions of the facility are as follows:
Credit Amount -- S D R 1 0 . 2 m i l l i o n
(equivalent US$15.00 million)
Interest Rate -- Nil
Service Charge -- 3/4 of 1 per cent (or 0.75 per cent) on withdrawn credit balance
Commitment Charge -- maximum of one half of one per cent (0.5 per cent) p.a. on unwithdrawn balance
Grace Period -- 10 years
Repayment Period -- 24 years excluding the grace period (June 15 and December 15 of each repayment year)
Payment Currency -- United States Dollar
5.0 Observations

Chairman of the Finance Committee (Mr. J. K. Avedzi)

The Committee observed that this loan facility would help support the completion of twenty-two (22) ongoing small water supply systems and several sanitation facilities (with US$6 million) and to provide eleven (11) additional small towns water systems (with US$9 million).

Components of the project would include:

Community subprojects supporting the provision of water supply systems and institutional and household sanitation facilities and promoting hygienic practices in small towns;

Sector support through training and technical assistance for major stakeholders to improve their capacities, and Project Manage- ment: Providing Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) with a management fee of five per cent (5%) of the funds disbursed

under the project and to support incremental costs incurred by the Agency in implementing the project.

The Committee was informed that cost overruns have occurred largely as result of drastic increases in world crude oil prices in mid 2008 which resulted in increases in building materials and equipment. Even though crude oil prices have since come down, prices of building materials and equipment still remain high.

The Committee was further informed that this additional financing will enable CWSA to scale up the project in eleven (11) additional towns where access to clean water supply remains low compared to the national average for rural areas and small towns and in districts with high incidence of water-borne diseases such as guinea worm infections.

The Committee noted that the on-going Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project (STWSSP) would contribute to enhancing Ghana's progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals' (MDG) target of 76 per cent

coverage for water by 2015.

The technical team from the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing informed the Committee that forty (40) small towns water systems have already been completed under the project; currently, twenty-two (22) are ongoing and with the additional eleven (11) to be implemented under this Loan facility, the total number would come up to seventy- three (73).

The Committee noted that the project initially targeted six regions namely: Upper East, Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Central and Western Regions.

As to why the other four regions were not included, the technical team explained that at the time of the inception of the project, the other four regions were benefiting from a similar project sponsored by Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and that is why the STWSSP concentrated on the remaining six regions.

Some Members expressed dissatis- faction with the late presentation of the facility to the House, considering the limited time available before the House rises sine die. They advised Government to endeavour to bring such businesses to the House in good time so as to afford Members ample time to study and deliberate on them.

6.0 Conclusion

The Committee respectfully recom- mends to the House to adopt this report and approve by Resolution, the Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of ten million, two hundred thousand Special Drawing

Rights (SDR10,200,000) (equivalent to US$15.00 million) to provide a second additional credit for the proposed Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project (STWSSP) in accordance with Section 3 and 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) and the Standing Orders of the House.

Respectfully submitted.

Dr. A. A. Osei (NPP - Old Tafo)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion and in so doing, I want to give my contribution to the motion.
Mr. Speaker, first, it is important to understand that this is more or less a supplementary funding for a project that has been on-going for a while. When the question came up as to why the other four regions were not part of this programme, as my Chairman said, it is quite explained on page 5 of the Report.
Mr. Speaker, the key here though is that we want to urge the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to be mindful that because there is an expiry date on the loan, it is important that it be approved at this time since project completion takes about eight months.
So we want to urge him that giving the past record of cost overruns, that as soon as this House favourably approves it, and I want to urge everybody to approve it because water is so important. We have been assured that the implementation team is working with them to make sure that the contracts are given such that implementation would continue, and these additional eleven constituencies would benefit from the project. The credit term conditions are not on dispute because they are typical International Develop-ment Association (IDA) ones but it is going to be the implementation which is important.
With these few words, I want to urge all Hon Colleagues to support the motion numbered 3 and approve it overwhel- mingly.
Question put and motion agreed to.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Conse- quential Resolution - Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning?

Mr. J. T. Akologu

Mr. Speaker, I beg your permission and crave the indulgence of the House to allow the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to stand in for his Minister.

Mr. Benjamin Kofi Ayeh

Mr. Speaker, I think it is all right. [Laughter.]

Chairman of the Committee (Mr. J. K. Avedzi)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Item 5 on the Addendum Order Paper.

Suspension of Standing Order 80 (1)

Mr. J. K. Avedzi

Mr. Speaker, I beg to
move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80 (1) which require that no motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the motion is given and the date on which the motion is moved, the motion for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Associa- tion for an amount of six million, eight hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (US$10.00 million equivalent) to support the implementation of a Second Natural Resources and Environmental Gover- nance Development Policy Operations may be moved today.

Dr. A. A. Osei (NPP -- Old Tafo)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
GOG/IDA Financing Agreement to Support the Second Implementation
of Natural Resources and Environmental Governance
Development Policy Operations
Chairman of the Committee (Mr. J.
K. Avedzi: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Association for an amount of six million, eight hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (US$10.00 million equivalent) to support the implementation of a Second Natural Resources and Environmental Governance Development Policy Operations.
1.0 Introduction

The Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of six million, eight hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR6,800,000) [US$10.00 million equivalent] to support the implementation of a second Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (NREG) Development Policy Operations was laid in the House on Wednesday, 15th July, 2009 and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with article 103 of the Constitution and Order 171(1) of the Standing Orders of the House.

The Committee met and considered the Agreement with the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Hon Fifi Kwetey, and a technical team from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and presents this Report.

2.0 Background

T h e N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s a n d Environment Governance (NREG) Programme is a multi-donor sector budget support programme aimed at preventing the degradation of the country's natural environment and resources.

Activities under the programme focus on sectors that are concerned with the erosion of the country's natural capital. These sectors include the forestry, biodiversity and the mining sectors as well as the environmental protection agencies. 3.0 Purpose of the Loan

The purpose of the loan is to support the implementation of the Natural Resources and Environment Governance Programme.

4.0 Terms and Conditions The terms and conditions of the Loan

are as follows:

Loan Amount -- SDR 6.8 million (Equiv. US$10 Million)

Interest Rate --

Nil

Grace period -- 10 years

Repayment period -- 25 years

Dr. A. A. Osei (NPP -- Old Tafo)

Maturity -- 35 years

Commitment Charge -- Maximum of 0.5 per cent per annum on unwithdrawn amount

Repayment of the Principal -- Semi-annual installments payable on each January 15 and July 15, commencing July 15, 2019 and ending January 15, 2044.

Payment Currency -- United States Dollar

5.0 Observations

The Committee observed that the NREG programme would enhance Ghana's growth potential by improving upon policy development for natural resource extraction and use. It will also promote environmental protection activities and efforts towards minimizing the export of illegally acquired natural resources, especially wood.

The Committee again observed that the NREG programme has an implementation period of 5 years and that the following Development Partners (DPs) have pledged to support the programme with the amounts listed below:

Netherlands -- €35 million

European Commission -- €12 million

World Bank -- €23.3 million

AFD (France) -- €5 million

DFID (UK) -- €9.5 million

The Committee noted that the project will strengthen the institutional and legal framework of the targeted sectors, ensure a better law enforcement and improve the financing of agencies involved in environmental protection. It will also enhance the predictability, execution and efficiency of sector policies aimed at

controlling natural resource exploitation.[

The Committee noted that the facility would be disbursed in a single tranche and that the programme would comprise three components, namely, forestry and wildlife, mining and environmental protection.

6.0 Conclusion

The Committee recommends to the House, in view of the foregoing observations, to adopt this Report and approve by Resolution, the Financing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of six million, eight hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR6,800,000) [US$10.00 million equivalent] to support the implementation of a second Natural Resources and Environmental Governance

(NREG) Development Policy Operations in accordance with article 181 of the Constitution, section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) and the Standing Orders of the House.

Respectfully submitted.

Dr. A. A. Osei (NPP -- Old Tafo)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion and to also contribute to the work.
Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of things we ought to note about this particular credit. Even though this House is approving only US$10 million, the NREG programme is a big project and I am glad this is one of the projects that the NDC Government has found necessary to continue, and the reason is that, it is one of the few projects that attach the issue of transparency. It is linked to the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and I hope that we would find time next time to extend it to the oil sector.
Mr. Speaker, if you look at page 3, the World Bank itself is contributing a total of €23.3 million, we are only approving US$10 million now. But The Netherlands €35 million, European Commission 12.5 million CFA and - 9.5. So it is something that is not just US$10 million today. Over a 5-year period, we are going to spend a lot of money in those sectors where we are looking for transparency, particularly in the mining sector. Mr. Speaker, we are all worried about approving contracts for the mining companies with all kinds of clauses and this is an opportunity for us to ensure that this particular project goes on very well.
The second point to note is that it is the last leg of the 535 million support from the World Bank that this House already approved of, the first two, the budget
support and the transport sector. This one is for US$10 million and I think it is important that having completed the first two, we bring closure to it by completing this one. But at the appropriate time, the House ought to look at the project not in terms of approving of loans but in terms of its efficiency. If it is intended to bring out the issues of transparency in the national resources area, then we ought to be paying more attention to it.
With those few words, I urge all of us to support the motion.
Question proposed.

Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, does it mean that we are taking nine reports there? I need to be guided because we have nine items there, and that I need to know how you have grouped them so that I would be very clear in my mind.

Mr. Akologu

Mr. Speaker, that is why I was mentioning them one by one. I said Item 33 (ii), (iii), (v), (viii) and (ix), which means that Item 33 (i), (iv), (vi) and (vii) will not be taken.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Very well. Chairman of the Committee? [Interruptions.] Hon Member, Order! Order!
Suspension of Standing Order 80 (1)

Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Sampson Ahi)

Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80 (1) which require that no motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the motion is given and the date on which the motion is moved, the motion for the adoption of the Report of the Joint Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Gender and Children on the
(i) United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
(ii) United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (Resolution 34/180 of December 1979),
(iii) United Nations Optional Prot-ocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (Resolution 54/4),
(iv) Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime,
(v) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children Supplementing the United Nations Convention A g a i n s t T r a n s n a t i o n a l Organised Crime,
(vi) International Labour Organi- sation Convention concerning Equal Opportunities and Equal Treatment for Men and Women Workers : C156, Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981,
(vii) International Labour Organi- s a t i o n R e c o m m e n d a t i o n concerning Equal Opportunities and Equal Treatment for Men and Women Workers: R165, Workers with Family Respons ib i l i t i es Recom- mendation, 1981,
(viii) Amendment to Article 43, Paragraph 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and (ix) Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict may be moved today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to second the motion as amended and moved by gender sensitive chairperson Hon Sampson Ahi.
Mr. Speaker, CE DAW is just a reference instrument at the international level in respect of women's human rights and as a country we have committed ourselves to ensuring gender equality and respecting the human rights of women. And these are some of the things that we do that show to the whole country and also the international community that we are indeed committed to gender equality.
This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of CEDAW. It was adopted in 1979. And I am sure people in government will be at the conference and the President as well as the Hon Minister and even the Hon Member for Bantama will also be there and they will show that indeed Ghana as a country, as President Obama also said in his address that Ghana is a force to reckon with and that in talking about democracies in the world, Ghana matters as well as Rome and other

Mrs. Gifty Ohene-Konadu (NPP - Asante Akim South)

countries. So I think that as a House we should support these amendment which are all ipso facto harmless.

If you look at the Report, one of them is just to extend the time because there are cases, so many of them piled up and the time given is not enough to deal with all these cases so if we add one week to it, it would give them the opportunity to look at these cases and give fair treatment to all.

Again, it also gives women the opportunity when they have exhausted all legal processes in the country and they think that they have not been treated fairly to go to the international level and appeal. So these are harmless amendments and I think that all my Hon Colleagues should support the passage of these amendments and give credibility to Ghana as a country in terms of promotion of gender equality.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker for the

opportunity, I support my Chairman of the Committee and I urge all my Hon Colleagues to do same.

Question proposed.

Mr. I. A. B. Fuseinu (NDC - Tamale Central)

Mr. Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the concerns expressed by the Chairman of the Committee on Gender and Children's Affairs and the Ranking Member and to support the call of Hon Members of the House to ratify the protocols and conventions that have been outstanding for some time now.
Indeed, if you look at all the conventions and optional protocols, they are in one way or the other extending the frontiers of liberty for individuals wherever they might be found. Indeed, we can see clearly that an attempt to increase the number of the panel members on the committee for the amendment to article 43 paragraph 2 of the United Nation's Convention on the Rights
of the Child, is to ensure that reports that comes before the committee set up for reviewing state party reports deals with the report adequately because that was limited for dealing with this report and the number of panel members on the committee were so limited that they could not deal with the Report.
So it is consistent with the laws of the Republic that, since Ghana was the first country to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child that it is only important that we signify that we still believe in the ideals of the Convention and to ratify the Protocol on the Convention on the rights of the child.
Mr. Speaker, clearly, we have seen that indeed there is also an attempt to establish a monitoring mechanism where women who face discrimination in their own countries can appeal to, in the event that they exhaust all internal fora in addressing their problems or the discrimination that have been brought against them. If they are unsatisfied with the way that discrimination has been addressed within the local country, within the state, they should have recourse to a higher mechanism under the United Nations.
It is laudable that, yes, people can have more confidence in the institution of the United Nations to determine whether or not they are subject to discrimination in their own country and it will cause state parties to act in ways that will protect women against discrimination.
Mr. Speaker, with these few words, I urge all Hon Members that, since we are a responsible state party to United Nations and have signed almost all the state protocols, we should just do what is right in the circumstances by ratifying
these conventions for the state to continue to enjoy the high recognition and respect in international community. Thank you very much.

Mrs. Irene Naa-Torshie Addo

Mr. Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to contribute to this debate. While I agree with my Hon Colleague who has moved this motion that we ratify these treaties, I disagree that we ratify the convention. Motion 32 (ix)- “Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.”
And I am urging my Colleagues to vote against it at this juncture until we are well informed about it. I remember that I raised an objection to it during the Committee and the answer given to me - I asked why we were rushing, the answer was, His Excellency the President was travelling to the UN in September and because of that he wanted it ratified. I do not think that is the reason why we the legislature should ratify a convention just because His Excellency the President is travelling. That convention has three legs and I believe that there is a cost implication on that one. There is an explanation -

Mr. Fuseini

Mr. Speaker, the Hon Member for Tema West is misleading the House. Indeed, yesterday during the meeting, we told her that these conventions have been outstanding for some time and that in fact, it is important when we attend United Nations functions, we are seen to be giving effects to conventions that we ourselves have signified that we intend to ratify.
And so one reason why this was being done, was to ensure that when the President is outside the country and at the United Nations, these matters will not come out to embarrass the state not the

Mr. Fuseini

President; to embarrass the state because how can you justify that a country that was the first to ratify the convention on the rights of the child -

Mrs. I. T. Addo

Is that a point of order?

Mr. Fuseini

Mr. Speaker, I think this House is a House of rules and the Hon Member is a member of the bar, I think she should obey the rules of this House.
Now what I am saying is that-

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Member, kindly make your point and -

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

- the point I am just making is that, it is not because of the President, she is misleading the House. It is because of the state, it is the state to which she is a citizen, the prospect of the state being embarrassed in international fora, not the president. So she has to get that right, it is not the President, it is the state.

Mrs. I. T. Addo

Mr. Speaker, I believe that -

Mr. Speaker,
so what I am asking is that at the next occasion when we are asked to ratify treaties, I think the proper thing should be done. Somebody from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attorney-General's Department and all that should come. It should be a proper workshop when we understand the issues
But I am asking my Hon Colleagues in here, and this is not partisan, it is our duty as legislatures to make sure that we are ratifying what will help --
Being members of the United Nations (UN) does not matter. Others are members of the UN, they come in and they do not ratify some of them because it affects them.
Mr. Speaker, I am calling on the Hon Members of this House to look at this particular treaty, and let us make sure that we have informed ourselves properly. We know what it entails and then we will be all right with it.
Mr. Speaker, I am asking that we vote against it today.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Member, all right. I thought the Deputy Ranking Member has spoken, but I will

take the Hon Joe Ghartey.

Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.

Chairman of the Committee (Mr. J. K. Avedzi

Mr. Speaker, I rise to second the motion and in doing so I present the Report of the Finance Committee on this particular Bill.
1.0 Introduction
The National Stabilisation Levy Bill was presented and read the first time in the House on Friday, July 17, 2009 and subsequently referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House.
The Committee met and considered the Bill with the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Hon Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Hon Fifi Kwetey and officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning as well as the Internal Revenue Service and hereby submits this Report.

Chairman of the Committee (Mr. J. K. Avedzi

2.0 Reference Documents

In considering the Bill, the Committee referred to and was guided by the following enactments:

The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana

The Internal Revenue Act, 2000 (Act 592)

The Budget and Economic Policy of Government for the year 2009

The Standing Orders of the House.

3.0 Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of the Bill is to impose a special levy on the profits of specified companies and institutions in order to raise revenue for fiscal stabilization of the economy and to provide for related purposes.

4.0 Contents of the Bill

The Bill contains a total of ten (10) clauses and one schedule.

Clause 1 imposes a levy of 5 per cent on the profits before tax of specified companies and institutions.

Clause 2 provides for the scope of application of the levy.

Clause 3 provides that levies payable under the Bill is not an allowable deduction for the purpose of ascertaining the income of a person.

Clause 4 stipulates the profits affected by the Bill.

Clause 5 provides for the assessment of the levy payable under the Bill and empowers the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to make provisional assessments

using his/her best judgment.

Clause 6 gives the time of payment of the levy.

Clause 7 mandates the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to collect the levy.

Clause 8 requires the Commissioner to pay the monies collected under the Bill into the Consolidated Fund.

Clause 9 makes provision for recovery of the levy.

Clause 10 gives power to the Minister responsible for Finance and Economic Planning to amend the schedule to the Bill through a Legislative Instrument.

Schedule outlines various institutions/ companies required to pay the levy.

5.0 Urgency

In accordance with Order 119 of the Standing Orders of the House, the Committee has determined that the Bill is of an urgent nature and should be taken through all its stages in one day pursuant to article 106 (13) of the Constitution.

6.0 Observations

The Committee observed that the 2009 Budget has a fiscal gap for which revenue needs to be raised to fill.

It was also noted that the levy is payable quarterly starting from the end of September 2009 (taking into account the effective date of implementation) and ending in December 2010.

The Committee was informed that the levy is a form of national call to the companies and institutions involved as part of their extra corporate responsibility

Some members wondered whether this levy would not be passed on to the consumers of the affected institutions.

The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning however, explained that the tax is a direct tax which is chargeable after declaration of net profit (before tax) and should therefore not be passed on to consumers.

The Committee wishes to appeal to the affected institutions to view this levy as a sacrifice they are making towards the fiscal stabilization of the economy and not to pass it on to their clients/consumers.

7.0 Amendments Proposed

The Committee respectfully proposes the following amendments to the Bill:

i. Clause 2 - Amendment Proposed - Subclause (1), line 3, delete “an” and insert “any”.

ii. SCHEDULE - Amendment Proposed - I tem 4. After “companies” add “ l iable t o c o l l e c t a n d p a y t h e Communications Service Tax”.

iii. Short Title - Amendment P r o p o s e d - B e t w e e n “ N A T I O N A L ” a n d “STABILIZATION” insert

“FISCAL”.

8.0 Conclusion

The Committee recommends to the House to adopt this report and pass the National Stabilisation Levy Bill, subject to the amendments proposed.

Respectfully submitted.

Question proposed.

Dr. A. A. Osei

Mr. Speaker, Hon Agyeman-Manu and Hon Bosompem will
speak on it. We have had ours already.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Very well.

Mr. Kweku Agyemang-Manu (NPP - Dormaa West)

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the motion but in doing so, I will want to draw the attention of the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to the fact that, this levy is not new at all and I am wondering why he would not have been preferred to use Reconstruction Levy instead of National Stabilisation Levy. Because in its content, and in every aspect of it, it is the same Reconstruction Levy that was introduced in this House and got approval to be levied and was operational in the early part of the HIPC days which was later taken off from our tax regime because of its implications of businesses.
Mr. Speaker, we currently have a situation in the country where the private sector is finding things very, very, very difficult. And to bring back Reconstruction Levy, is a very serious act that we are going to put on the private sector, especially, companies that have been cited to be levied with this tax.

Alhaji A. B. Sorogho

Mr. Speaker, I just want to draw the attention of my senior brother, perhaps, it has escaped him or whatever. He continues to say that bringing back the Reconstruction Levy. I think what is before us is not a Reconstruction Levy, so if he can use what is written: Stabilisation Levy. So I just want to draw his attention to the fact that it is not a Reconstruction Levy, this is a Stabilisation Levy, he should use the word properly. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon

Mr. Kweku Agyemang-Manu

Mr.
Speaker, I do not think I have done anything that suggests that I want to replace National Stabilisation Levy with Reconstruction Levy. My Hon Friend is saying that we are bringing back Reconstruction Levy. That is what I said and that does not mean that I am taking away the new name and I am trying to replace it with the old name.
Mr. Speaker, I will ignore his comments and try to move on. I was talking about the implications of this levy on businesses and its effect on the expansion, growth and survival and the ability to continue to create employment which we are all looking forward to.
Mr. Speaker, you are well aware that,
one of the loans that this Parliament has approved for Government to take from the World Bank, is putting some freeze aspect of employment in our country. Companies plough back their profits, now as much as about 5 per cent is going to be taken away from the profit of companies like; all the banks, the non bank financial institutions; some of them are now transforming to get banks registered and operate in them. Communications companies, which already have taxes that my Hon Friend the Minister there even agrees with, but not using. And we are over burdening them with this levy as well, all the mining companies and the breweries.
Mr. Speaker, if you take away as much as 5 per cent of the profit of these companies, what investments are they going to plough back into their companies, for them to see expansion so that they will be able to employ some of our unemployed youth for us in this country?
Mr. Speaker, we will all support

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Order!
Order! Hon Members, order! Hon Member continue.

Mr. Kweku Agyemang-Manu

Mr. Speaker, she had very good prospects as at December to get herself employed in January. [Uproar] Today all her hopes have been dashed and now that we are going to approve of this levy, I do not see how any communication company is going to be able to employ a few of these young people including my daughter into their areas of operation.
Mr. Speaker, I dare say that one of the challenges faced in the private sector are the type and taxes and levies we levy on them. The Reconstruction Levy, when it was brought here had serious complains from the private sector and that is what prompted the then Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to come back to the House after about two or three years of its operation, to withdraw that tax and these revenues to go back to the private sector.
Today, we are bringing back that same thing in a different jacket. Mr. Speaker, we are bringing back that same thing in a different jacket with a different color and I believe that it will not be good for the private sector, it will not be good for job creation, it will not be good for the expansion of our economy and I want
to urge this House to have a second look at this non innovative way of raising revenue to support critical activities in our economy.
Mr. Speaker, I will wish that the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and the whole House look at this bill once again probably in October, but not now.
Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Minister for Communications (Mr.

Haruna Iddrisu): Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the National Stabilisation Levy, 2009. Mr. Speaker, in doing so, may I refer you to page 3, specifically paragraph numbered 6.0:

“The Committee observed that the 2009 Budget has a fiscal gap for which revenue needs to be raised to fill.”

The economy is in a very, very challenging state and if we make an assessment of Government's projected revenue against expenditure, we are likely to end up with a deficit and it is important that Government was seen preparing by way of enhanced revenue measures to implement this Levy.

Mr. Speaker, my suggestion which I would discuss with the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is that, if we approve of this, I suggest that for the 2010 fiscal year, at least 10 per cent of the money from this Levy must be reserved to support the Venture Capital Fund. I do recall that when the National Reconstruction Levy was being taken away, one of the major concerns that we

raised was that 25 per cent of the then National Reconstruction Levy fed into Venture Capital Fund.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that even though this is targeted for the Consolidated Fund, if the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning can consider a 10 per cent for the 2010 fiscal year, is set aside to feed the Venture Capital Fund, because it is also can help support other private sector entities to be able to create employment opportunities. So I wish to make that.

Dr. A. A. Osei

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, it is just to warn my Hon Colleague on the floor to take back - it is not one year. The Report is very clear about this so maybe, he has not read it yet.

Mr. H. Iddrisu

Mr. Speaker, thanks for that guidance. I am told that once we pass it I am still reading paragraph 6:
“It was also noted that the levy is payable quarterly starting from the end of September 2009 …… and ending in December 2010.”
There is some optimism expressed in the Committee's Report and in the request of the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, I would wish that in future, the Committee is not definite and that the request is not definite because by 2010 none of us here can project what the state of the economy is. If it does proved to be a useful source of revenue to Government, the better for the Government of Ghana,

Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order.
Mr. Speaker, I think my Hon Colleague on the floor is misleading and making a very, very serious error in his submission. Mr. Speaker, it is wrong for him to say that none of us here can project the situation of the economy by 2010. That is very wrong and I want him to withdraw and correct himself.

Dr. Osei

Mr. Speaker, I think that my good Friend is a Cabinet Member and he helped to pass this thing through Cabinet. This is a policy matter. His Government has decided - [Interruptions.] His Cabinet has decided and the Minister said in last but one paragraph:
“The Levy would be applicable in 2009 and 2010 fiscal years and it is not intended to be permanent feature of our fiscal regime.”
Mr. Speaker, if you go to Cabinet and you have made a policy decision, why would you want to come and stand in front of the House and say I want to tell the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning he should not make it permanent. They have chosen. So please, it is a collective responsibility and he should
please support the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning. He should not come and change his mind otherwise, then he is giving me the impression he is opposed to it.
If he is opposed to it he should say so because it is a policy matter. It is in the principles and that is why he put it here. He should look at the memorandum, the memorandum is explicit. Maybe he opposed to it in Cabinet; I think he can tell us if he opposed to it, we will not harm him at all, it is all right.

Mr. H. Iddrisu

Mr. Speaker, from the onset of my argument, I have given absolute indication of my absolute support as a revenue enhancing measure and indeed, but for the fact that the economy was left in such a challenging stage, we would not be imposing such an issue. But necessitated by the fact that we have to improve upon our revenue base in order to fill the revenue gap, it is important that we support it.
I was just making a suggestion that, I recall that when we were speaking on the National Reconstruction Levy, we indicated that at least once the National Reconstruction Levy was withdrawn, the Venture Capital Fund no longer had a source which would feed into it. And I am just making a suggestion for Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to take it on board.
But the primary objective is to stabilise the economy and indeed, part of my support is even to the effect that why are we tying our hands that after one year that would be end of it. I added that if it is proven to be a reliable and a sustainable source of revenue, let us maintain it, we do not need to come back. That is why we should not have tied our hands with that

Mr. Speaker, they should tell us how much it is. We need to know because we cannot continue to fetch water when we do not know the size of the pot. And this is why I am saying that it is important for us to know the quantum of the fiscal gap. I know it is GH¢209 million. If it is not true let us be informed. Let Ghana be informed. But I believe that is the position. And indeed, if that is the position we need to help government to fill it. It is a huge one.
Mr. Speaker, the Hon Minister responsible for Communications told us that he was urging the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to decide to offload about 10 per cent of the levy to the Venture Capital Fund. It is useful suggestion but I believe that it will not even be for the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to decide. If we consider it as a useful suggestion, it will be for this House to decide that about 10 per cent or 20 per cent should be set aside for the Venture Capital Fund. So I believe it is for the consumption of this House.
I believe that it is a very useful proposal. If indeed we estimate that we can have something extra then perhaps we may decide, as a House, that about 10 per cent of it should be set aside for the Venture Capital Fund.
Mr. Speaker, the final thing that I may want to talk about relates to the scope of application of the levy. And Mr. Speaker, clause 2(1) says:
“Subject to subsection (2) the levy imposed under section (1) applies to the specified companies and inst i tut ions despite any provision to the contrary in any enactment relating to a tax holiday or exemption from any direct or indirect tax applicable to a company or institution.”
Mr. Speaker, I know that these are for the exigencies of the times. But my worry is, for now, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, for instance, has advertised corporate Ghana. People have taken advantage; they have come to invest in the system and all of the sudden they are being told that:
“… despite any provision to the contrary in any enactment relating to a tax holiday or exemption from any direct or indirect tax applicable to a company ….”
this levy is imposed. Mr. Speaker, that is my worry about the suddenness of this application. Some companies, particularly the very fragile ones, some of the smaller mining companies maybe affected. The bigger ones, we would not worry so much about them. But the smaller ones who want to take advantage of the tax holiday, now all of the sudden, there is this imposition. Mr. Speaker, would we not consider that we are stabbing them in the back having, so to speak, “lured” them to the country only to turn round to tell them that in spite of what we have told them they were not going to enjoy any tax holiday? How are we going to woo companies into our system?
Mr. Speaker, and I notice, rather
noticeably, that when I made this point, the Hon Minister for Communications, who was looking at me directly, eyeball to eyeball, immediately I said that, turned his head to look in some other direction.
Mr. Speaker, we need to be very serious
on this matter because otherwise we will collapse many of our industries. And if we do, it will affect the people who will be giving employment. And that, indeed, will also go to negatively affect the declaration of the fiscal policy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). And I would want to end on that. The fifth paragraph of page 45, there is a bold declaration in the manifesto:
“The tax policy of the NDC will be used to encourage people to work; not to put them out of work.”
Mr. Speaker, what is this going to do to the working class of this country? We should be careful. And that is why I am saying that while supporting the general principle of this Bill, there are certain aspects that we should be careful about.
Mr. Speaker, I rest my case for the time being.

Mr. Bagbin

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much; just a short intervention in support of the motion. Mr. Speaker, we all know that reconstruction is different from stabilization. Just like how we know that redeployment is different from retrenchment.
Mr. Speaker, if we were prepared even
to tax talk, now we are just being asked to tax profits - Profits. What is wrong with that? When we make profit we pay some tax out of it as part of our social co-operate responsibility; that is all. And that is in the report; it is a tax on profit.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Madam Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader should also inform us that in this House and in the Government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) termination is also equal to suspension. He should tell us. When in this House we were told - [Interruptions.] It is there; Hon Member for Garu/Tempane (Mr. Azumah), it is there. He is saying that it is neither here nor there; it is there.
Because we have been told that recruitment into the police, the armed forces, they have only been suspended. When we went into it and realized that their appointments have been terminated, the Hon Minister said, it is a matter of semantics, it is the same. He may go on.

Mr. Bagbin

Well, I think that my Hon Colleague, before I continue, I would want to dispel this misinformation. Now, when the Hon Minister spoke about suspension, actually the suspension was done by his regime. It was their regime that identified that the process of recruitment in the army was faulted and they identified the insertion -- [Interruptions.] I am a Christian; I am a Catholic; go and check. It was their regime that suspended; our regime nullified the exercise, but their regime suspended it; that is the clear position.
Mr. Speaker, I was saying -- and I want to continue on that -- that this tax is on profit. It is a call, in fact, a national call on companies and institutions to get involved in the stabilisation process. That is all. This not taxing companies so as to collapse the companies and to stop them from employing people. It is a tax on profit. Mr.. Speaker, I am happy

Thank
you, Hon Majority Leader. Hon Members, Madam Speaker has
asked me to close this Meeting by reading her closing remarks. I therefore proceed to read same.
Remarks by the Speaker of Parliament, Right Hon Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo at the conclusion of Business of the Second Meeting of the First Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
Hon Members, we have come to the end of yet another Meeting. I thank you for your co-operation which has contributed in no small way to the successful deliberations of the House. I also thank Leadership and all Hon Members for rising to the task in the midst of your many assignments and challenges both here in the House and at the constituency level.
Even though we are breaking for recess, I am aware that many of you still have to undertake some assignments for the House as we have always done and I have no doubt that you will rise to the occasion as usual.
My appreciation and gratitude also go to the Clerk and his staff who have always worked quietly behind the scenes to assist in the work of the House. The Parliamen- tary Press Corps also deserves special commendations for the dispassionate manner in which they have discharged their work.
I wish you all restful and peaceful recess. May God continue to shower His mercies upon you in all your endeavours even during the recess.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Hon Members, the House stands adjourned sine die.

Debates of 17 Jul 2009

PRAYERS 10:40 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, the Commit tee accordingly submits its report as follows 10:40 a.m.

Mr. George Boakye (Asunafo South) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua) 10:40 a.m.

Prof. (Emeritus) Samuel K. Amoako (Akim Abuakwa North) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Leo Kabah Alowe (Chiana- Paga) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. George Kuntu Blankson (Mfantseman East) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Kwasi Anno Ankamah (Atiwa) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko- Mensah (Takoradi) 10:40 a.m.

Ms. Grace Addo (Amansie West) 10:40 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Agbesi 10:40 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Agbesi 10:40 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10:50 a.m.

MINISTRY OF ROADS AND 10:50 a.m.

HIGHWAYS 10:50 a.m.

Mrs. Afeku 10:50 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 10:50 a.m.

Mrs. Afeku 10:50 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11 a.m.

Mrs. Afeku 11 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.

BILLS - FIRST READING 11 a.m.

Dr. A. A. Osei 11 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.

Dr. Osei 11 a.m.

Mr. Bagbin 11 a.m.

Dr. Osei 11 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.

Dr. Osei 11 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.

Dr. Osei 11 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.

Dr. Osei 11 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.

Mr. Bagbin 11:10 a.m.

Mr. Bagbin 11:10 a.m.

PAPERS 11:10 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.

Mr. Bagbin 11:10 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.

Mr. D. T. Assumeng 11:10 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.

Mr. Assumeng 11:10 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.

Mr. Assumeng 11:10 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Avedzi 11:10 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.

MINISTRY OF ROADS AND 11:10 a.m.

HIGHWAYS 11:10 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu (Minister for Roads and Highways) 11:20 a.m.

Mr. S. Addai 11:20 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:20 a.m.

Mr. S. Addai 11:20 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:20 a.m.

Mr. S. Addai 11:20 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:20 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.

Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:20 a.m.

Mr. J. J. Appiah 11:20 a.m.

Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.

PRAYERS

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

Mr. Speaker, the Commit tee accordingly submits its report as follows

Mr. George Boakye (Asunafo South)

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East)

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua)

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua)

Prof. (Emeritus) Samuel K. Amoako (Akim Abuakwa North)

Mr. Leo Kabah Alowe (Chiana- Paga)

Mr. Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla)

Mr. George Kuntu Blankson (Mfantseman East)

Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah (Atwima Mponua)

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North)

Mr. Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla)

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East)

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo (Amenfi East)

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North)

Mr. Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North)

Mr. Kwasi Anno Ankamah (Atiwa)

Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko- Mensah (Takoradi)

Ms. Grace Addo (Amansie West)

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. Agbesi

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. Agbesi

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

MINISTRY OF ROADS AND

HIGHWAYS

Mrs. Afeku

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mrs. Afeku

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mrs. Afeku

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

BILLS - FIRST READING

Dr. A. A. Osei

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Dr. Osei

Mr. Bagbin

Dr. Osei

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Dr. Osei

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Dr. Osei

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Dr. Osei

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. Bagbin

Mr. Bagbin

PAPERS

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. Bagbin

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. D. T. Assumeng

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. Assumeng

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. Assumeng

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. J. K. Avedzi

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

MINISTRY OF ROADS AND

HIGHWAYS

Mr. J. K. Gidisu (Minister for Roads and Highways)

Mr. S. Addai

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mr. S. Addai

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mr. S. Addai

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. J. K. Gidisu

Mr. J. J. Appiah

Mr. First Deputy Speaker

Mr. J. J. Appiah