Debates of 9 Jun 2010

MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:20 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:20 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 8th June, 2010.
Page 1 . . . 4 -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Members, we were on Correction of Votes and Proceedings before the lights went off.
Hon Members, page 4 . . . 6 -
Nana Abu-Bonsra 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 5, under “The following Hon Members were absent”, number 23. “Hon Gyan-Baffour, George Yaw (Prof.)”, Member of Parliament for Wenchi. I know for a fact that he has obtained permission to travel for medical purposes but his name has been recorded under Members who were absent without permission and I am drawing your attention to that fact.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Very well.
Page 7, 8 -
Mr James K. Avedzi 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, page 8, under paragraph (c), my name has been wrongly spelt. It is“Avedzi”, not “Avedze”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Very well.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, what is happening?
An Hon Member 10:20 a.m.
Better Ghana.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we should suspend Sitting for 30 minutes.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I understand the difficulties under which we will be operating but I believe this seems to be an intermittent thing. It may be better for us to continue. My fear is that if we suspend Sitting for 30 minutes, by the time we are supposed to be coming back, we would have problems because we would have lost numbers. I do not know if it is impossible for us to work, I believe - [Interruption] - Fine, but I think we could go on with this.
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if we have to correct the Votes and Proceedings, we have to be able to discern the document. At the moment, it is difficult under the circumstances to read the document on the Votes and Proceedings. So, to subject us to this ordeal -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, I have just been informed by the Clerk to Parliament that he has sent for the technical person to come and advise the Leadership, so that we can take a decision. So, let us wait for a while as we wait for the technical person to advise whether it is something that we can resolve now, then we can take a decision.
Dr Anthony A. Osei 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Deputy Minister for Energy is in the House; it may be prudent for him to advise
this House since that is his area. He can give orders for the defect to be corrected immediately. I think that is why he came this morning, so we should avail him of the opportunity to do his job.
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have just been informed by the Clerk to Parliament that Electricity Company of Ghana, (ECG) has some problems and we are in the process of making use of our own generator, so they are working on that one. In the circumstance, it is prudent that we go on break for about 30 minutes so that they can re-activate our own generator and when the lights are on, we come back.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, perhaps, under the circum- stances, we may be forced to suspend proceedings. But I think this matter relating to our own generator is something that we must attend to. This is because whenever we needed the services of our generator, it had failed us and yet we have invested so much in that. This is not the first time, Mr Speaker.
So let us have the matter addressed such that if there is an outage, then automatically, we may then have Parliament functioning as normal.
I will agree with the Majority Leader that we suspend Sitting, maybe, for a determined time; he has suggested 30 minutes, if it is informed by the advice proffered by the technical person, so be it.
But a question has been asked whether the Deputy Minister can be of help and he rose up gallantly; maybe, he has something up his sleeves to inform this august House about. Otherwise, we may accede to the request of the Hon Majority Leader and take suspension.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Deputy Minister for Energy?
Mr Inusah A. B. Fuseini 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
I rose up to inform the House that the problem could be an internal one and since the technical people are coming to give us further and better particulars why the lights have gone off, we should wait until they come and tell us. It might not be coming from the main source, but from internal sources.

10.38 a.m. Sitting suspended .

11.25 a.m. - Sitting resumed.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Members, before the interruption of power, we were on the Votes and Proceedings, so we continue accordingly.
Page 8 . . . 13 -
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sorry to bring you back. Page 9, I do not know whether somebody made the correction. Page 9, paragraph 10, Motion -- It was not deferred, it was withdrawn.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Very well. Table Office to take note.
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sorry for cutting in. You did not call page 13 or maybe, I did not hear it. On page 13, “Closing” - it says:
“The meeting was adjourned at 2.45 p.m.”
Mr Speaker, this was a workshop that the Committee attended and if a committee attends a workshop, at the end of the day, it cannot be adjourned. So, Mr Speaker, I think the right rendition should have been “The workshop was closed”. This was not a workshop by the Committee, it
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
You are a member of the Committee?
Mr J. B. Aidoo 10:20 a.m.
I am a member of the Committee. It was closed and not adjourned.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Very well. [Pause.]
Hon Members , the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 8th June, 2010 be adopted as the true record of proceedings of the House subject to the amendments.
Mr Isaac K. Asiamah 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that as Parliament and as the Legislature, we are so critical to the sustenance of the country's democracy -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Member, we are on -
Mr I. K. Asiamah 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the light that went off delayed proceedings for about an hour. I believe Mr Speaker -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon
Member, please, respect the Chair. Hon Member, I called you because I did not know what you wanted to say. But let us finish the Correction of the Votes and Proceedings and I will give you the floor. We are going to the Official Report, we have not finished. I thought you saw something in the Votes and Proceedings that you wanted to correct.
Hon Members, we now move to the Official Report of Thursday, 3rd June,
2010 -
Mr Anthony E. Amoah 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, column 306, there was a question that I asked and that never appeared at all. The question was about whether in view of the delays for payment, the Ministry of Education was going to take on board the idea of reviewing the contract sum. That question never appeared at all.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Was it a supplementary or substantive Question?
Mr A. E. Amoah 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it was a supplementary question.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
A supplementary question?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
But the substantive Question has been reported on and not the supplementary?
Mr A. E. Amoah 10:20 a.m.
Yes.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
The Table Office should take note.
Any other correction on the Official

Hon Members, in the absence of any other corrections, the Official Report of Thursday, 3rd June, 2010 as corrected be adopted as the true record of proceedings.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Member, I called you early on -- but before I came in the Hon Deputy Minister who was earlier in the House to answer Questions on behalf of the substantive Minister said when it gets to Question time, he would want to take permission from me to explain what happened this
morning. So, what I will do - [Inter- ruptions.] Please, I am equally concerned as you. Since that sector falls directly under him, I thought that when he comes to answer the Questions, we should give him the opportunity to -
Please, you are right. It is not part of Questions and neither what the Hon Member wants to do is within the rules. It is also not within the rules. But at times, we make the rules flexible so that information is made available to this Honourable House.
Hon Members, I will call the Hon Deputy Minister - before I call him, is the Hon Minister in the House?
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to state that for unavoidable reason, the Hon Deputy Minister himself is not available to answer the Questions. I want to take permission from you and my Hon Colleagues to allow the Hon Deputy Minister for Energy, who is a Member of this august House to answer the Questions for and on behalf of the Minister.
Mr Benjamin K. Ayeh 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
would the Hon Leader of the House do us a favour by telling us exactly where the Hon Minister is? This is because it appears this has been going on and on and that particular Minister has not been availing himself to this House.
Mr Avoka 11:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have
explained to the House that for unavoidable reasons -- [Interruptions] - unavoidable reasons, very serious reasons -- [Laughter.] I have just been briefed by the two Deputy Ministers, particularly Hon Dr Buah, Member of Parliament, that the Minister was coming here but because of the challenges that we had earlier,
Mr Emmanuel A. Gyamfi 11:35 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, the explanation the Hon Leader is giving is so simple, very simplistic. The Minister coming to the Chamber to answer Questions and because of the problem that we had, has been summoned to go to the Castle. Is he a technical officer going to do the - he should come clean and give us the reason - because this is not the first time.
The Minister has been avoiding Parliament. This is the issue, so he should tell us; if the Minister is not ready to answer Parliamentary Questions, we should know so that maybe, we would not put the Questions to him but rather to the Deputy Ministers who are capable of answering them.
Mr Avoka 11:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the purpose
of communication is to make it simple for everybody to understand. It is against this background that I gave a simple explanation why the Minister is absent. In fact, the blackout that we had this morning did not affect only Parliament House. When we left here, we were briefed that there was a fire outbreak at one of the generating stations, that affected this place and that is a major issue not just affecting this Parliament but like several other parts of Accra.
It is a national issue and that is why on his way here, he had to go to the Castle so that they can address this issue for us holistically. I must apologise on his behalf, but I am sure that you all know that the Hon Deputy Minister is competent enough to answer the Questions. We would make sure that as soon as the Minister addresses the issues in the Castle, he will come and answer the Questions.
Several Hon Members - rose -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Hon
Members, an application has been made by the Hon Majority Leader/Leader of the House whether the Deputy Minister should represent the Minister in answering the Questions and let us limit it to that, with the greatest respect to Hon Members.
Normally, we take the cue from the Leaders, that is why I called the Deputy Minority Chief Whip. So let me get back to the Deputy Minority Chief Whip. He says he has been summoned to the Castle and he would be coming later.
Mr Benjamin Kofi Ayeh 11:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
I think you can sense from the mood here that my Colleagues are ready to step down the Questions and then wait for the substantive Minister.
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo 11:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
Hon Asiamah was on his feet to say something and then you indicated that because we were dealing with the Votes and Proceedings, he should hold on. Mr Speaker, immediately we went through the Votes and Proceedings, you indicated that in anticipation of what he was coming to say, he should rest his case and then allow the Minister to come and answer the Questions.
Mr Speaker, honestly, and with due respect, if you anticipate what a Member is coming to say on the floor of the House, it goes against our Standing Orders. And then Mr Speaker, when Members rise to --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Hon Members, the Chair interprets the Standing Orders and if you are not satisfied with the ruling, you come by a substantive Motion.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
not challenging your ruling - [An Hon Member - That is what you are doing] - but the most important thing is that there
should be -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Hon
Member, let me give you information. When I suspended the Sitting, I summoned the Director of Power, the Hon Majority Leader and the Hon Minority Leader to my office. I do not want to be the one saying this because as much as possible, I do not want to be part of what happens. Then the Director of Power explained to the Minority Leader and the Majority Leader what happened.
After they left, some other information came and thereupon, the Hon Deputy Minister who is an Hon Member of the House also entered Madam Speaker's Lobby and said that, he had a piece of information and in view of that, if at Question time, the substantive Minister was not in and he was going to answer the Questions, he would offer an explanation. He would inform the House as to what happened and I agreed that that was the proper thing to do because Members ought to know what happened.
We were on Correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report when he got up; he was not correcting the Votes and Proceedings, neither was he correcting the Official Report. Clearly, he was out of order and I said that he should wait, and I gave that information. So I do not know exactly what. So what I intend doing because he is also an Hon Member of this House -- because he has also indicated when he got up, what I thought we should do was that we should not debate this matter. When he makes his statement, then the Hon Member may, depending on the mood of the House, ask him also to make a statement, then we move forward.
This is what I plan doing. You see --
but then the way it is going, if you want us to - fortunately, both Leaders are in the House. So we are on Question time. Let me hear from the Hon Minority Leader and then I will know how to proceed accordingly.
rose rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Hon Minority Leader, the substantive Minister is not in the House to answer the Questions and as the practice and the convention of this House demand, I normally get the sense of the House. The Majority Leader explained but you have just come in, whether we should allow his Deputy who is also a Member of the House to answer the Questions for him. Before you came in --
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:35 a.m.
Mr
Speaker. I think ordinarily, one would not have much difficulty allowing the Deputy Minister to stand in for the substantive Minister. We have often done this. But Mr Speaker may recall that on occasions when persistently, a Minister refuses to come to this House or tries by intent to avoid this House, we have asked that the substantive Minister appears in this House to answer Questions.
self, Sir, that in respect of
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Hon
Minority Leader, can you leave me out?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:35 a.m.
I am
leaving you out, I am leaving the Chair out --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Very well.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
But I
am reminding you, when you were in an earlier life, in an earlier capacity, that this House, when it was noticed that the former Minister responsible for Health, the late Maj Courage Quashigah (retd), for whatever reason, always found a way not to be in this House -- Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister smiling at me now -- [Laughter] - insisted that the substantive Minister came to this House to answer Questions.
Mr Speaker, in an earlier capacity, your goodself acquiesced and the House then took the position that we should step those Questions down until Hon Courage Quashigah appeared in the House. The Hon Inusah Fuseini, the current Hon Deputy Minister for Energy was in the House and he agreed that that was the position that this House should take.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Before I get to the Hon Majority Leader, let me hear from the Hon Minister for Communi- cations.
Mr H. Iddrisu 11:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have, guided by the sense of this House, attempted speaking to my Hon Colleague and I got through and he will certainly be in this House and will join us.
But Mr Speaker, it is important that we appreciate that Hon Dr Oteng Adjei upholds this House, its authority and mandate with utmost respect and would not for any reason - [Interruptions] - Hon
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Minority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point of order. I may want to be apprised. In what capacity is the Hon Minister for Communications speaking? Mr Speaker, we have an Hon Majority Leader, who is in charge of Government Business. It does not lie in the mouth of the Hon Minister for Communications to assume this role in respect of the absence of the Hon Minister responsible for Energy.
Mr Speaker, it is for the Hon Majority Leader to appropriately respond. And may I apply for you to rule that in this assumed capacity, the Hon Minister responsible for Communications is totally wrong and out of order. He is not the Leader of Government Business.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Minority Leader, I was going to call the Hon Majority Leader when I saw him on his feet. And you remember, when you were on your feet making your submission, you did indicate that he was smiling at you and I thought he wanted to respond to the smile. That is why I gave him the floor.
Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Avoka 11:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to
assure Hon Members that I am committed to ensuring that Hon Ministers themselves come to answer Questions on the floor of this House. It is a commitment of this House and I want to assure Hon Colleagues
that all Hon Ministers are dedicated to doing just that -- to performing that role. It is only sometimes due to circumstances beyond their control that this thing happens that they send an Hon Deputy Minister.
Mr Speaker, we have had occasions to admit some Hon Deputy Ministers to answer Questions and particularly this is an Hon Deputy Minister who is a Member of this august House and knows the terrain very well.
Mr Speaker, these Questions are constituency-specific and they are very, very important to the Hon Members who have asked those Questions, so that the Ministry can address the issues of energy affecting their constituencies.
So, without prejudice to what my Hon Colleague, the Hon Minority Leader has said, I think it is in the interest of ourselves and particularly those who are asking the Questions today that we allow the Hon Deputy Minister to stand in for the Hon Minister to answer those Questions so that action can be taken in respect of those constituencies.
It is in the interest of the Hon Members who are asking the Questions, who might have left other assignments, maybe, committee work or trips to their constituencies, to be able to be available today to ask the Questions. Now, if we defer them, it might be to their disadvantage. If we defer them to another day, it might conflict with a programme they have arranged for themselves and they might not be available to ask the Questions.
So, Mr Speaker, I want to assure Hon Members that I would not countenance with any Hon Minister who intentionally avoids the House by way of coming to answer Questions. I would not countenance that. I can assure you that. And we would
make sure that all Hon Ministers who are programmed come to answer Questions.
As time and exigencies of the occasion demand, I crave the indulgence of Mr Speaker and my Hon Colleagues to accept the situation so that we can make use of Hon Deputy Ministers who are indeed Ministers-in-waiting. [Some Hon Members: Oh!] Yes, an Hon Deputy Minister can act when the Hon Minister is not there. That is what I mean by “Minister-in-waiting”. You know it.
Anyway, I am craving your indulgence to allow the Hon Deputy Minister to answer the Questions so that we can progress.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
I am told the Hon Minister has assured that he is on his way coming. If, indeed, that is true, then we may wait for him. I was going to suggest, originally, that we sound a warning to him to take this House seriously and be in attendance every time, anytime.
But given the assurance that the Hon Minister is on his way coming, then Mr Speaker, I may plead that we stand those Questions down and wait for him and then conduct or transact other businesses.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, are you sure he is on his way coming, so that we defer it and wait for him?
Mr Avoka 11:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, deferring the matter and waiting for him will mean that we would be doing other matters in the House.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Yes.
Mr Avoka 11:45 a.m.
From the Order Paper that
we have before us, it does not appear that the Mutual Assistance Bill, 2009 may be taken today -- that would engage the attention of this House. The other business is Laying of Papers. You know, Laying of Papers does not take much time. And I do not think that it is fair to the business of this House and then to our distinguished visitors to also take another break only to go out, wait for the Hon Minister to come before we come again. I do not think it is prudent for us to do so.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, the point is that the Hon Minority Leader made two statements. If he is indeed coming, then we defer the Questions for now. However, if he is not coming today, then the House should send a certain signal to him. That is what the Hon Minority Leader said.
Hon Minority Leader, am I right?
Mr Avoka 11:45 a.m.
Very well, Mr Speaker. I am assured that he is on his way coming. So we can take the Laying of Papers and pray that he comes in before we close that chapter.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Members, by virtue of Standing Order 53 (2), we move to item number 5 - Laying of Papers.
Item 5(a).
PAPERS 11:45 a.m.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think yesterday, we gave the indication to the Hon Majority Leader that when
Mr Avoka 11:45 a.m.
But Mr Speaker, it is there. “Leader of the House” is part of it. The intervention is uncalled for.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
What he is saying is that you should delete “Majority Leader”.
Mr Avoka 11:45 a.m.
I am the Hon Majority Leader at all material times and Leader of the House.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if an Hon Minister lays a Paper on behalf of another Minister, it is so noticed that he is doing so on behalf of the Minister. So, in this regard, the Hon Majority Leader cannot lay the Paper on behalf of either Auditor-General -- [Interruption.]
Yes, he is doing so in his capacity as Leader of the House. That is what I am saying. So, I am saying that it is superfluous indicating that he is the Majority Leader, in this case, that he is doing so as the Majority Leader. That is why I am saying that we do not need that. We need to recognize him as doing this in his capacity as Leader of the House, as simple as that. And so when he says that that intervention is not necessary, clearly, he did not understand the point I was making.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Minister for Communications; after that Hon Member for Ahafo Ano South, then I would get back to the Majority Leader.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have no difficulty with the Minority Leader's assertion as to the Majority Leader laying the Paper as Leader of the House. But Mr Speaker, I clearly have difficulty when he wants to make the impossible separation of “Majority Leader and Leader of the House”.
Mr Speaker, in the most unlikely event that Mr Alan Kyeremateng became President and chose him to be Majority Leader, I am sure he would gladly accept to be “Majority Leader and Leader of the House”.
Mr Stephen K. Balado Manu 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to correct the Hon Communications Minister, that if Mr Alan Kyeremateng becomes President, he would not appoint the Majority Leader. I do not want him to tell us that it was President Atta Mills who appointed the Majority Leader that we have here. [Laughter.] If that is what he is telling us, he should tell us. If the Executive is now hand-picking leaders for the Legislature, he should tell us, and tell us more about the separation of powers in this House. [Interruption.]
That aside, I would like to remind the Majority Leader that, the days when we were saying “Majority Leader and Leader of the House” were the days of Hon Owusu-Acheampong and Hon M. A. Seidu. Those days are gone; that is when he was outside the House.
So now, what is current is that he is the Leader of the House and when he is presenting something, as the Minority
Leader said, he presents it as Leader of the House. The “Majority” thing is anachronistic now. So that is for his information.
Mr Avoka 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, something that is superfluous, but not illegal -- If they were making a point that the position of “Majority Leader and Leader of the House”, the first aspect, “Majority Leader”, is illegal, they cannot come together, then they would be making a point. But you are Leader of the House in your capacity first and foremost, as Majority Leader; then you become Leader of the House.
So the two coming together is harmless for us to split hairs over them. It is harmless and I do not think that we should involve ourselves in harmless situations that would only bog us down. I am Majority Leader and Leader of the House; if we had omitted the “Leader of the House” and put there only “Majority Leader”, then he can say I do not even have the capacity to do so, which I can appreciate. But for the avoidance of doubt, they say “Majority Leader and Leader of the House”. That is appropriate and I do not see the need for us to split hairs over that.
In the circumstances, we take a cue -- Table Office. I do not prepare these things for the attention of this House. If it is the wish of this House that at a point you can -- The document can always speak for itself. So if they put there “Leader of the House” and then it goes out to those who do not understand the system we have here, they would ask, who is the “Majority Leader” and who is the “Leader of the House”? That would bring another problem. So “Majority Leader and Leader of the House” is neat and satisfies the aspiration of everybody; I do not think we should split our hairs over it. They are rather being superfluous.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Members, I have listened to all of you. But I think the point the Minority Leader is saying is that because of the peculiar position of the Auditor-General, if he has dual capacity and he is laying a paper on behalf of the Auditor-General, who is not subject to anybody, any authority, he is laying it on behalf of all of us, not on behalf of any particular side of the House.
Being the Majority Leader, supposes that he is more for a particular side of the House. But as the Leader of the House, he is for both sides of the House and they would be more comfortable to lay it in that capacity than laying it in the capacity of the Majority Leader. I think that that is the essence of the submission being made.
Paper duly laid.
Referred to the Public Accounts Committee.
By the Leader of the House -
(ii) Report of the Auditor-General on the Audit of the Information Technology Systems of the Ministry of Energy.
(iii) Report of the Auditor-General on the Information Technology Systems of the Passport Office.
(iv) Report of the Auditor-General on the Information Technology Systems of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiatives.
(v) Report of the Auditor-General on the Audit of the Information Technology Systems of the Ghana Statistical Service.
Referred to the Public Accounts
Mr Avoka 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if I can crave your indulgence, I am happy to inform the august House that the Hon Minister for Energy is now available in the House to answer the Questions. I apologise again on his behalf for his coming late and you may wish to permit him to answer the Questions now before we do any other business.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Members, we now move back to Question time.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 11:55 a.m.
MINISTRY OF ENERGY 11:55 a.m.
Minister for Energy (Dr Oteng Adjei) 12:05 p.m.
Let me, Mr Speaker, with your permission, apologize to the Honourable House. My dressing indicates that I was coming to this House today. On my way, something happened and I was asked to come to the Office of the President. I would be the last person to directly or indirectly show any disrespect to this House. For three times, I attempted to be a Member of this House and I failed -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon
Members, order.
Dr Adjei 12:05 p.m.
Let me try and explain --
Mr Speaker, the Beposo, Dama Nkwanta and Abease communities form part of the ongoing SHEP-4 electrification project being undertaken by the Ministry. High tension network construction works are 50 per cent, 20 per cent and 30 per cent at Beposo, Dama Nkwanta and Abease respectively. Construction of Low Voltage (LV) networks for Beposo is 60 per cent complete, while that of Dama Nkwanta and Abease are each 50 per cent complete. The projects in these communities have been scheduled for completion by the end of the year 2010.
The electrification project for Zabrama is being executed by China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE), for and on behalf of the Ministry. The project is being executed over a period of four years.
The Ajarja, Kamanpa, Cherembo, Yapare and Krobo communities do not form part of the ongoing electrification projects. The communities will be considered under subsequent phases of the National Electrification Scheme.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Abdul-Rahman 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
satisfied with the Answer given by the Hon Minister. I do not have any supplementary questions.
Thank you.
Electricity to Communities in Pru Constituency
(Extension)
Q. 46. Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh
asked the Minister for Energy what measures the Ministry was taking to extend electricity to the following communities in the Sunyani Municipality:
(i) Nkrankrom
(ii) Kufuor Camp
(iii) Yawsae
(iv) Wawasua
(v) Adedease
(vi) Nsagobesa
(vii) Ohukrom.
Dr Oteng Adjei 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Nkrankrom, Kufuor Camp, Yawsae, Wawasua, Adedease, Nsagobesa and Ohukrom communities do not form part of any of the ongoing electrification projects being undertaken by the Ministry. These communities will be considered under subsequent phases of the National Electrification Programme when funds become available.
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Hon Minister for his Answer. However, I want to find out from him when the ongoing electrification projects will come to an end for a new
phase to be planned.
Dr Adjei 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the policy
says that we are doing this National Electrification Programme up to the year 2020. In between we are running two different programmes. One is the National Electrification Scheme.
In the case of the National Electrification Scheme, you do not do anything. By virtue of economic value that they add to the economy, when it is their turn and the funds are available, the Ministry will pick those communities and pay everything.
On the other hand, if the community decides to advance the timing of their electrification programme, then the communities can apply under the Self- Help Electrification Programme (SHEP). In that situation, the Ministry is induced to look for additional funding so that we can do that quicker.
So it is up to the community and I suppose the district to be able to decide whether they want to wait till the time that they will be put on the programme automatically by the Ministry or they want to advance it; in which case, the rule under SHEP says that you have to be within 20 kilometres of an existing source; you have to be able to procure all the low voltage poles that you need and finally, 30 per cent of the houses within the community will have to be wired, ready to receive electricity. If the community completes this thing, then it is an indication that they are prepared to be under the SHEP programme.
Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as you will appreciate, as Members of Parliament these are very, very important Questions which should give us messages that we communicate to our constituents.
Mr Speaker, when the Hon Minister
Dr Adjei 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the
greatest constraint to us is availability of funds. If the funds were to be available, then we do have enough contractors available, we do have enough technical capacity to run this -- As my Colleague is aware, every year, we are given a limited budget, and that is why we are saying that for now, we do not have a budget. But we believe that as we prosecute this programme, we will somewhere along the line be able to pick up those communities.
Mr Kan-Dapaah 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I definitely appreciate the problem that the Government and obviously, the Ministry have. But can the Hon Minister tell us -- what does he want the Member of Parliament, the one who asked the Question to tell his constituents? -- [Interruption.] No, no, no, these are very important Questions that we ask. Is he saying that we should tell the people there that there is no money and so they should forget about it? There must be a message to be taken to the constituents. What exactly is the message?
Dr Adjei 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that
one of the fundamental principles is that when we are here, we need to as much as possible communicate the whole truth to Hon Members. And I believe that is what I have tried to do.
I gave the Hon Member an option of trying to speed up the electrification project by applying to be on SHEP if they are ready to meet three criteria. I suppose that the Hon Member of Parliament can
work with us to see how we can approach that. Until that is done, I cannot say anything but to try and tell Hon Members here the truth as we know.
Let me also assure the Hon Member that we have now consulted somebody to assess all the work that we have done so far since we started the National Electrification Project. I believe that when the work is done, we will have an idea of when each community is proposed to be on electrification.
At that point, I should be able to put dates on, if that will facilitate the communication to the people. But I believe that on this programme of national electrification, we are on the same side. Our goal is to open up the country so that electricity should never be a constraint in siting industry and we are working together to achieve that.
Mr William O. Boafo 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the thrust of Hon Minister's Answer, he was very emphatic on the fact that funds are not available. But he went further to inform the House that if the Hon Member who asked the Question is prepared to satisfy the three criteria for the SHEP, he would be considered. May I know from him how he is explaining this contradiction and whether he would guarantee that in the event that these three criteria are satisfied, funds would be available?
Dr Adjei 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I suppose that I stated earlier that we have constraints on budget every year. But as we are talking now, these communities are not even under the Self-Help Electrification Project (SHEP) list. So, if next year, we were to get the budget, they would still not qualify because their names are not on the list. So, I believe what we are doing
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
The last
one on this Question.
Mr Dominic B. A. Nitiwul 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in his last paragraph, he is saying the communities will be considered under subsequent phases of the National Electrification Programme when funds become available. I underlined “when funds become available”. What efforts is he making as the Minister for Energy to make funds available?
Dr Adjei 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are making all efforts, there are no shortages of funds within the system but we live in an economy with a constraint. If the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning was to release and open up for me, that I can bring in funds anytime and have no problem with the budget, then I would be able to fund the projects. But the Hon Member should also reckon that as long as there is the constraint of funds, as long as the other sectors are also craving for the same pot of money from the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, there is the need for us to balance it. We have come so far. We started with about 475 communities that had access to electricity at the time that we started this National Electrification Scheme.
As I am talking to you, we have more than 5,000 communities that do have access to electricity. We do assure the Hon Member that, if we work together in the same cordial relationship, we trust that very soon every community within our country would have access to electricity.
Mr Joseph Kofi Adda 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to crave your indulgence to ask the last question on Question No. 464.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Very well, I gave you the floor because I recognized that you are the Ranking Member. So, let us take one and a final question from you.
Mr Adda 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Hon Minister whether the Sunyani Municipality does not qualify as a regional capital and therefore, the communities mentioned under this would not benefit from the Regional Capital Street Lighting Programme through which they should have rural electrification.
Dr Adjei 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there are two arguments here. Sunyani Municipality -- If we accept that it is a regional capital and therefore, we should do it, the argument would be that they have electricity already and for that matter, it is the duties of the utilities to extend the reach of electricity to them. On the other hand, we concede that sometimes we have these urban areas but they are small communities around them that the urban areas are growing towards.
We are trying to treat them as not being part, and that they are communities on their own and we can extend electricity to them. If we take the Hon Member's line of argument, then it would not be under me, I would refer them to Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and these communities cannot afford to pay. On the line that the Hon Member and I have taken, it makes it good for all of us to work together to supply them the power.
Fishermen and Oil Companies (Cordial Relationship)
Q. 552. Mr Anthony Evans Amoah asked the Minister for Energy the practical measures being put in place to ensure that both fishermen and oil companies operating in the Western Region maintained cordial
relationship for the benefit of the country.
Dr Oteng Adjei 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the basic measures that have been put in place to ensure that both fishermen and oil companies operating in the Western Region maintain cordial relationship for the benefit of the country include:
companies are to meet with chiefs, chief fishermen and people of fishing communities to fully explain the expected impact and mitigation measures before embarking on seismic or drilling operations. Large colour photographs of vessels engaged in the operations are provided. Tullow and GNPC for instance, have engaged with over 100 coastal communities stretching from Apam to Cape Three Points in such interactions. Tullow is the operator for the Jubilee Field Project.
a 500-metre exclusion or safety zone has been created around areas of seismic and drilling operations for the safety of fishermen. Fishermen have been provided with large, reflective materials to stick on their boats so they can be identified from a distance in the night.
chase vessels, which are used to ward off maritime intruders, have fishermen who are employed full-time to persuade recalcitrant fishermen to stay out of the exclusion zones; and
to improve relations with fishing communities;Tullow for example, is providing giant TV screens in some fishing communities to enable them watch the World Cup. Later, the television sets would be used to disseminate information. The same company has provided
medicine to combat elephantiasis and river blindness in some fishing communities, in addition to sinking boreholes.
Mr A. E. Amoah 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is aware that the sea is the main raw material for the local fishing industry and just before the oil companies came in, the local fishermen had a free ride. But since these companies came, there had been some restrictions which of course, all of us are aware. In series of meetings with these local fishermen and the Regional Co-ordinating Council, some local fishermen have complained of dwindling income levels. Can the Hon Minister tell us that there is something to be done to abate this situation?
Dr Adjei 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, where the Jubilee Project is, is about 62 kilometres offshore. In reality, it is not as close as the main terrain where the people have been fishing. I have had an opportunity to visit the platform.
Again, the platform area is not as big to deprive them of the fishes. We have sent some people to go and understudy what other countries are doing. In the long-term, we would have to create an area similar to what the rig is doing. The issue is that under the rig, it provides some shade and allows a lot of the fish to come there, and that is why we get most of these fishermen trying to go to fish under the rig.
In other areas , there are new technologies that allow them to create similar areas off the rig. Some people have been sent out by GNPC to go and understudy that. So in the long-term, we believe that we should be able to work with the fishermen, we should be able to adopt the new technology and see how we can resolve this situation.
We also want to say that sometimes the
fishermen are stretching it too much. If you know the area that we are talking about and if the claim is that all the fishes in the sea are within that area, it is too much.
But in the long-term, we will need to create an avenue so that we do not give them the opportunity to complain.
Mr A. E. Amoah 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am happy that the Hon Minister says that, in the long-term, they are going to create a platform that will enable the fishermen to get what they want. But I just want to add that apart from restricting the local fishermen, 500 kilometres away, is the Ministry aware that in the long-run, the operations of the oil companies are going to affect the stock of fish in the local community as far as the coast is concerned? Is he aware? During one of the meetings, we were told that eventually it will affect the stock of fish in our coast. I do not know whether the Hon Minister is aware. If he is aware, what measures do we intend to take in the long-run?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon
Minister, are you aware?
Dr Agyei 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the zone
is 500 metres; -- This is why the Hon Member was saying that even though, scienti-fically, it may be difficult; once it is the perception of our people that in the long-term the stock may be affected, we are trying to study what others have done so that in the long-term we will cater for them.
Other than that, the other argument is that they have been trying to fish under the rig because they find a lot of fish under it. That means that the stock is not going to
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
No, you have exhausted your supplementary -- I will take the last one from Hon Kan- Dapaah.
Mr Kan-Dapaah 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is a very, very important Question which seeks to find out the basic measures that have been put in place so that we can have cordial relationship between the oil companies and the fishermen. I want to ask the Hon Minister whether he is aware that the four points that he has noted here:
1. providing television screens for the fishermen to watch the World Cup;
2. chasing the vessels to ward off maritime intruders; and
3. the 500-metre exclusion safety zone.
[Interruption.] -- Do not respond to the question. Again, when the Hon Minister says companies are to meet with chiefs, is this supported by any regulation, legislative instruments? These are all ad hoc. But the Question is very, very important taking into account what is happening in countries like Nigeria, where there are regular conflicts between the fishermen and the oil companies.
Does the Hon Minister realize that all the four matters mentioned here do not respond to the very important Question of what basic measures have been taken to avoid conflict between the two?
Dr Adjei 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that
the Question is: “What practical measures that we have put in place to maintain cordial relationship”. So if you create an avenue where the people will interact, if you create any avenue that will supply their basic social needs, some things that will let the people in the rural communities be able to feel that they belong --
In the case where people who would want to move into the zone, we are saying that we have employed their own kind and we do not use force. They work with them to explain why they need to co-operate. These are things that will build trust, these are things that will build relationships. And when relationships are created, it is then that in the long-term, other things will show. We know that in the long-term some countries find a way to compensate them, if there is the need to do that. I am saying that if we get to the point where we all believe that we will need to do that, we will come here and ask your permission so that we get the budget allocation to do exactly that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon
Members, even though I said I will take only one more which is Hon Kan-Dapaah, I will take the last one from the Hon Member for Takoradi.
Mr Kwabena O. Darko-Mensah 12:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Hon Minister mentioned the basic measures that have been put in place to ensure both fishermen and oil companies operating in the Western Region to maintain cordial relationship. He then went on to say mitigation measures. I
would like to know from him whether the oil companies have also been telling the fishermen other issues that are happening in the oil sector, for instance, the spilling of drilling mud in the sea, which will also go a long way to affect --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
They
cannot hear you, so take your time and ask the question.
Mr Darko-Mensah 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister, in answering the Question, made mention that the companies have been meeting the chiefs, chief fishermen and people of fishing communities to fully explain the expected impact and mitigating measures before embarking on seismic or drilling operations. What I would like to know from him is whether in these interactions, they are also being informed about the oil spillages that are taking place currently even as Ghana is looking for oil.
Secondly, I am also aware that at the community level, we the Members of Parliament in those fishing communities, all these years have never been consulted on any of their own operations that are taking place in the communities. We are not involved, we have never been involved, the oil companies are not involving the people's representatives.
Dr Adjei 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that
the country has got institutions that have got the knowledge and their job is to monitor the activities of the people and we are doing it. But when they got into the mud spilling, if you recall, our colleagues from the EPA and led by the Minister herself, quickly went there and after understanding, she also went to visit the leadership of the community at that time.
So, we are working gradually to create the platform where we would be able to work with all stakeholders in that area. So, I want to assure the Hon Member of
Parliament that there is the need for us to work together.
On the other hand, if the Member of Parliament has other ideas he believes that given to us can enhance the work that we are doing for the betterment of our people, we are ready to listen to him and work together with him to make sure that we all win as a country.

Electric Power to Kpatchu, Yaboriae, Jato-Chayo, et cetera

(Extension)

Q. 553. Mr Francis Yaw Osei-Sarfo asked the Minister for Energy what plans the Ministry had to extend electric power to Kpatchu, Yaboriae, Jato-Chayo, Motoka and Papaye in the Krachi West District of the Volta Region.
Dr Oteng Adjei 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, Kpatchu, Yaboriae, Jato-Chayo, Motoka and Papaye communities do not form part of any of the ongoing electrification projects being undertaken by the Ministry. These communities will be considered under subsequent phases of the National Electrification Programme when funds become available.
Mr Osei-Sarfo 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister his plans for funding the subsequent phases of the National Electrification Programme.
Dr Adjei 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me take the opportunity to try to see if I can explain the process for securing funds. We do have all these agencies that do apply to the Ministry that they want to support us in electrification. But the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has a criterion that which ever agency that wants to help us will have to get a threshold of 35 per cent concessionality in the funding arrangement.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon
Members, Question number 554, Hon Member for Ayensuano.
Ayensuano Constituency Town Roads (Completion)
Q. 554. Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye asked the Minister for Energy when the ongoing electrification projects in the following towns in the Ayensuano Constituency would be completed:
(i) Dome-Acheansa
(ii) Yawkoko
(iii) Aboabo
(iv) Amanase
(v) Ntowkrom; and
(vi) Onakwasi.
Dr Oteng-Adjei 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Yawkoko, Aboabo and Onakwasi communities form part of the ongoing SHEP-4 electrification project being undertaken by the Ministry. Construction of Low Voltage (LV) and Medium Voltage (MV) networks for Yawkoko, Aboabo and Onakwasi are 100 per cent complete, while that of Dome-Acheansa is about 90 per cent complete.
The outstanding works in these communities are substation works and customer service connections. The projects in these communities have been scheduled for completion by the end of the year 2010. Ntowkrom and Amanase communities do not form part of any of the ongoing electrification projects being undertaken by the Ministry. These communities will be considered under subsequent phases of the National Electrification Programme when funds become available.
Mr Ayeh-Paye 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister made mention of LV network and I believe LV means low voltage metric. The network is made up of low tension poles and cables. Mr Speaker, with the exception of Onakwasi, none of these communities, Aboabo, Dome- Acheansa and Yawkoko is having their low tension poles connected. They do not even have the low tension poles erected . So I want to find out from him who is to provide the low tension poles and the cables. Is it the community or the Ministry of Energy under the SHEP IV project?
Dr Adjei 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, under SHEP
as indicated early on, the communities are
supposed to procure all the poles that they need for their own community. All other materials plus the cost for constructing, the cost of supervising are all borne by the Government.
Mr Ayeh-Paye 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, can I then
say that the Minister's answers contradict each other, as he is saying that the LV is 100 per cent complete but here, he is saying that the community is to provide the low tension cable? When he says the low voltage and the high voltage networks are complete at the point that we do not even have low tension poles and cables, I am confused. Can he please, come again?
Dr Adjei 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that
now the explanation has brought out something I did not get the first time. The MV voltage basically is the high tension side, the ones that we use to draw the electricity to where the tower is. Those are borne by the Government. If the Hon Member is saying that the information given to me by the District ECG person, who is supposed to supervise plus the consultant is false, then I need to work back.
But my understanding now is that you do not even have the LV poles for it to be completed. This raises a lot of questions because that means that your name should not even have appeared on the list for Self- Help because unless you show evidence that you have procured the poles -- but whatever it is, I believe that my technical people will take note and we come back to the Hon Member and work with him to make sure that we resolve this.
Thank you.
Mr Stephen K. B. Manu 12:35 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, in this country, we know that the rural areas are the relatively poor communities compared to urban communities. However, when electricity
is being extended to urban communities which are relatively rich, they are not made to buy low tension poles but the rural areas where we need the electricity for the people to be comfortable and live there to allow the youth to work on agriculture and other areas instead of trooping down to town where there are no jobs, we ask them, the poor ones, to either buy the low tension poles, one of which is costing over
GH¢400.00.
How do we expect these rural folks to be able to procure these low tension poles if we really want to help them alleviate the poverty in which they find themselves through the provision of such facilities as electricity? Are we being fair to the rural poor?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon
Manu, you have asked your question.
Dr Adjei 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that in my other life as Director of Power, I worked with the Hon Member a lot in his own area and I trusted that he understood the rules of the game.
The Government is saying that, we start with district capitals, and at the time, whichever was district capital, was our focus and on our way to electrifying the district capital, we took all communities along the route. Then we began to add communities based on their economic background. But because some communities were going to be electrified in the year 2020, we came back with this Self-Help Electrification which is optional.
So if a community wants to bring forward their electrification period, then it gives them opportunity as a community to find ways of coming together to advance their own development. And I believe that for communities in my own district, working with them to bring all the people who come from the town and contributing, brought us together more and since then we have been doing development work. I think in the previous administration, they
also started the same policy.
So none of us is saying that every community has to go and buy. We are saying that if you are not able, wait; at the right time, when it gets to your turn, the Government will come and do everything. But the Government cannot do all the 4,271 communities at the same time because of constraints on the Budget. That is why it has been divided into these phases.
So Mr Speaker, I believe that if there are communities in his area that do have such problems, we will come to them at the time when it is due them and we will not ask them to pay anything.

Construction of Street Lights on the Accra-Tema Motorway

(Cost)

Q. 555. Alhaji Dawuda Iddrisu asked the Minister for Energy, what was the total cost of the construction of the street lights on the Accra-Tema Motorway.
Dr Oteng Adjei 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the total cost of the construction of the street lights on the Accra-Tema Motorway was GH¢1,832,450.21 (one million, eight hundred and thirty-two thousand, four hundred and fifty Ghana cedis, twenty-one Ghana pesewas). The contract was signed on the 31st October, 2005 between the Electricity Company of Ghana, on behalf of the Ministry of Energy and All Alfra Electric Company Limited. The total distance covered was 20.1 kilometres with 759 poles. The duration of the contract was 18 months after advance payment to the contractor.
Alhaji Iddrisu 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Answer, he said and I read:
“The duration of the contract was 18 months after advance payment to the contractor.”
May I know from him whether full payment has been made so far and whether the work has been completed?
Dr Adjei 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not aware that the work has been completed and for that matter, full payment has been made. The challenges there have been that, over a period of time, anytime they laid the cables, the next morning thieves went and stole them. It became a problem but our lawyers are working on the contract to tell the contractor that it is his duty to make sure that the work goes on.
We are also working with the National Security people to give us back-up to be able to complete that. I am sure that somewhere along the line, when we are complete, I will come back and give you an update of information.
Alhaji Iddrisu 12:45 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Power Generating Sets Imported by Previous Government
Q. 556. Mr Benito Owusu-Bio asked the Minister for Energy what was the current state of the several power generating sets which were imported into the country by the previous government during the energy crisis.
Dr Oteng Adjei 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, during the power crisis in 2006/2007, the Government of Ghana procured 125 generating sets to produce 126 MW as a short-term measure to address the situation. It is to be noted that all the 125 units are available for use whenever they are needed.
We note that seven of the units were given to the following institutions as standby electricity generators upon request:
(i) Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (2 units)
(ii) Accra International Conference Centre (1 unit)
(iii) Akosombo Hospital (1 unit)
(iv) Akosombo Generating Station
For the hospitals and those other bodies, they confirm to us that the cost of unserved energy was higher to them. That is why for those hospitals, we had to let them go out to them.
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister how many of the 118 generators are still at the Tema dry-dock and how many of these have been cannibalized and are now just hollow shells and empty.
Dr Adjei 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my information from the agency that is in-charge of these units, that is Volta River Authority (VRA), is saying that none of the units has been cannibalized and I am ready to work with the Hon Member to check them and that they are located at various strategic positions. Entities that have come, especially those through the Ministry of Health and applied -- I have always worked with my Colleague there -- I will release them to them. If for some reason, any entity seriously needs one, I am prepared to work with the Hon Member to make sure that we provide them.
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is speaking on oath, he is standing on the floor of Parliament. Mr Speaker, is he sure there is none at the Tema dry-dock?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Member, he said the information given to him by the VRA, that is what he is giving to the House and that he is ready to work with you to get -- he gave the House the source of his information.
Dr A. A. Osei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sure the Hon Minister is aware that this morning, we had a blackout in Parliament. I am sure he concedes that Parliament is a strategic place. Is he willing to commit
one of these generators to Parliament to avoid such a disaster like this morning?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Parliament has its own generator. [Laughter.] Parliament has its own generator and I think that at the appropriate time, the Leaders at a Closed Sitting will have to tell the House what happened.
Dr A. A. Osei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am asking a question of the Hon Minister and the Speaker has assumed --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
This morning, we were told by the Hon Minority Leader that we have a generator, I have checked. When the crisis came -- the generator is in good condition and it is working, but as to what happened this morning, why the generator did not work, the Leaders will have to tell this House at the appropriate time.
Dr A. A. Osei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I concede that we have a generator but my question did not allude to whether or not we had a generator. My question was that, given that he concedes that this is a strategic place, would he be willing to commit one of these generators to the House?
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, can I first go backwards and provide more information to the Hon Member?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Minister, I stopped him because I see the danger in pursuing that line, because if you do not --
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
I think you were clearing it for me. They have given me the details and they said they were not trying to hide. They have 61 units at Tema near GRIDCo, 16 units at the dry-dock, 25 units in Kumasi, 8 units in Bolgatanga, 4 units in Tamale and 4 units in Accra. I will be able to give you the details on the
(1 unit)
(v) Kpong Generating Station (1 unit)
(vi) Tema Thermal 1 Power Plant (1 unit).
The remaining 118 units are at various strategic locations of the country.
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my understanding is that, under a distributed generating strategy after the crisis, some of the generators were sent to Kumasi, Tamale, Bolgatanga and Takoradi. Why is it that this strategy is not still being pursued to avoid the current power outages we are facing in these cities?
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, can I get the last part -- “Why is it that . . .?”
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:55 p.m.
I will repeat it. Why is it that this strategy is not being pursued to avoid the blackouts and power outages we are facing in these cities currently -- the strategy of using the generators which were sent to Kumasi, Tamale, Bolgatanga and others as a back-up measure?
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think we said that the 118 generators are distributed at various strategic locations and I am aware that they are still at those strategic locations. So we have actually distributed them. So I am not -- [Interruption] -- why are we not using them? That is money issue. These special units are using diesel and the cost per unit, if you use diesel, is 45 cents per unit and therefore, they will only use them, and as I was saying, for strategic purposes.
If something is happening that calls for it, then they will make that financial decision. But we cannot use them on base- load purposes where for every time we use them. Because every time we use them, it will cost 45 cents per unit compared to the ones that we are talking about now -- even the end-user tariff now, which is 24. So it is more of a financial reason.
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the dry- dock is one of the issues. At the dry-dock, there are some of them which have been cannibalized. They are empty shells, they are not normal generators, and that is what I am asking from the Hon Minister that why are they in such situation.
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will go back to work with the Hon Colleague. It is information that will help the country. If they have done that and they have not brought it to our attention and they have told us, it is incumbent upon us to go and find out. And if they have done that, we will have to let the law have its own ways. So I thank the Hon Member for this information.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Members, Question number 557 -- [Interruption.]
Dr A. A. Osei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, I know the Speaker has the right to change the Order of procedure here. I asked a question and my question has not been answered at all.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
As to whether they will -- [Interruption.]
Dr Osei 12:55 p.m.
Yes. I asked a question as --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
All right. This is the last question on that matter.
D r A d j e i : M r S p e a k e r , m y understanding is that you do have a generator set. In the circumstances that you apply for one, basically, what you are doing is that you are looking for a back- up generator set, and in case yours should go off, then you can use the back-up.
We will look at it in the context of all the others that have applied and especially for those who are using them not as back- up. But this is an august House -- it is fuel purchasing as I said, 45 cent is not an issue. There is no reason we should not work together to have a positive conclusion.
Lifting of Fuel to the North by Volta Lake Transport Company
(Resumption)
Q. 557. Mr Raphael Kofi Ahaligah asked the Minister for Energy what pragmatic steps the Ministry had put in place for the Volta Lake Transport Company to resume lifting fuel to the North.
Dr Oteng Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Volta Lake Transport Company Limited (VLTC) transports all the strategic petroleum stock requirements to the northern part of the country. The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) has to guarantee at least, the transportation of 6,000 m3 to 72,000 m3 per month per year of petroleum products by VLTC to the North in order to generate enough revenue and also sustain the Company's social service operations to the communities living along the lake.
The Ministry is working to address the precarious financial state of BOST. Once completed, VLTC will resume the transportation of strategic petroleum stocks on behalf of BOST.
Mr Ahaligah 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister that, this very Question was posed about a month ago and the Hon Minister for Transport promised that he would be contacting the Ministry of Energy to see to it that the barge starts lifting --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Are you informing the House that you posed this
same Question a month ago? Is it the same Question?
Mr Ahaligah 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not the same Question but it is something which is in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and up till now, the promise has not been fulfilled. So I want to know from the Hon Minister when is the barge that has been promised, will start lifting the oil as soon as possible. Exactly when is it going to start?
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, my Hon Colleague and I have met on this. I have had the opportunity to talk to the Managing Director (MD) of BOST; I had the opportunity to talk to Mr Sarpong, the Managing Director of VLTC.
The core issue here is that BOST, which is in-charge of the strategic stock has not been able to keep to its stock and as long as BOST has not got the stock, then VLTC has no load to move to the North. We have challenged VLTC that there are other bulk distribution companies (BDCs), which have stocks and are using the road to go to the North. It is up to the MD and the management to be business conscious and contact these people.
We are prepared to work with them to create the environment for them and if possible, come out with a policy that if you are moving products to the North then you cannot use the road. In this way, it will help them. But the VLTC is looking solely to BOST as the only source of support to keep to their company going, then the risk is that anything that happens to BOST, will also bring them down. We are working with them to diversify the risk involved in their business and we believe that very soon they should be able to handle the situation.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
The last question on this Question.
Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister said, the Ministry, according to the Answer, is working very hard to address the precarious financial state of BOST. In fact, the Answer, all of it revolves around this statement. Can he tell us what has given rise to this state of affairs?
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would be glad to come to the House with proper numbers if that question is important to the Hon Member. But for now, I believe that I will come back carrying numbers if need be.
Dr A. A. Osei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, the question did not ask for numbers. The question was, “can he tell tell us what has led to the precarious state at BOST”, not necessarily numbers. What is causing it? At a later time, he can bring numbers but what is the problem? Not all of us know the financial --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
They said they are not interested in numbers but if you can give them a general idea about the precarious state. What led to the precarious state at BOST?
Dr Adjei 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to still say that when we took over, we reckoned that BOST had a lot of debts. In order to explain it, I need notice to be sure that I do not give any information that will be misinterpreted outside this House. And I want to plead with Mr Speaker that I am given this opportunity. It was obvious that when we took over, there was debt but I am not going to -- [Interruption] -- It is great and we all understand -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon Minister, they should not tempt you. Do not allow Hon Kan-Dapaah to tempt you.
Mr Kan-Dapaah 1:05 p.m.
You are saving him.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
No, I am not saving him, you are tempting him through the back door.
Drop of City Link Airline Company byTullow Oil plc
Q. 558. Mr Raphael Kofi Ahaligah asked the Minister for Energy why Tullow Oil plc dropped City Link, the Ghanaian- owned airline company in favour of Noordzee Helicopters Vlaandere (NHV) of Belgium for the transportation of personnel and cargo of the oil company to the offshore Jubilee platform.
Dr Oteng Adjei 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, information available to the Ministry of Energy indicates that Tullow Oil went through a competitive tender process to select an airline for its operations in Ghana. The Ministry is, however, not aware of any reasons why City Link did not win.
Mr Ahaligah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister if he is aware that Ghana Air Link was in business with Tullow Oil plc before they terminated the appointment.
Dr Adjei 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am aware that they were in business with them but I am not aware that the appointment was terminated in order to create the avenue for the tendering process.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in terms of local content for provision of ancillary services for these oil companies, what is the present policy of this Government.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Even
though that is not a supplementary, it is a very important question, so I will allow it. Yes, it is a very important question, even though in my view, it is not a supple- mentary.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 1:05 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
But I said he will answer.
Dr Adjei 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, it is a package that somehow I am going to come to this House so that together we would work through and we are even proposing a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) that would manage the local content aspect. But basically, the policy is to ensure that local goods and services, and transfer of technology and skills are maintained in all aspects of engagement within the energy sector.
Mr Kan-Dapaah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as we will all appreciate, the loss of this business by City Link is a very serious matter. Can the Hon Minister confirm that it is the absence of the local content policy that has been responsible for this state of affairs?
Dr Adjei 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am unable to confirm that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Yes, the last one.
Mr David Oppon-Kusi 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in view of the answer the Minister gave, will he then concede that until we are ready with the policy, until the laws are available, we would be rushing to start delivering oil when we are not ready to even make sure that there is local content in the oil industry?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon Minister, did you get the question? [Pause.] If you got the question, then kindly answer it.
Dr Adjei 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the Hon Member is saying that we should stop where we are, get the legal framework in place before we start the production. I believe we are doing both things simultaneously and it will work good for the country.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon
Members, Question number 559.
Mr George K. Arthur 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Prestea/Huni Valley has been locked up at the constituency and has therefore, asked me --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
He has been what?
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:05 p.m.
Locked up at the constituency -- [Laughter.] He has a problem with his vehicle, so he could not come to Parliament today. [Inter- ruptions.] Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Member for Prestea/Huni Valley --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon Member, you have to follow the rules properly. So if the person has a problem with his vehicle, that is not sufficient grounds for you to ask the Question on his behalf. You have to do something and I have to agree before you ask the Question.
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:05 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am therefore, seeking your permission to ask the Question on his behalf.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Has he authorized you?
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he has asked me to seek your permission to ask the Question.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Very well.
Electricity Bills in Prestea (Collection)
Mr George K. Arthur (on behalf of Mr Francis Adu-Blay Koffie) asked the Minister for Energy what measures the Ministry was putting in place to take over the collection of electricity bills in Prestea.
Dr Oteng Adjei 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, following the divestiture of the mine, the new owners, New Century Mines (NCM) indicated their intention to suspend the existing power supply arrangements where the mines paid for the energy consumed by the communities. They subsequently arranged to separate the power supply to the mine site from that of the community. Currently, NCM pays only for the power that it consumes, leaving that of the community unpaid for.
In order to address the issue, the Ministry of Energy has directed the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) to carry out feasibility studies for the resumption of power supply to Prestea. It is envisaged that when completed, ECG would commence operations at Prestea.
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, may I know which company was controlling the mines before it was handed over to NCM? Which company was operating the mines before it was handed over to NCM and when?
Dr Adjei 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sorry, I am not aware of the name of that company. I know the company that is operating now.
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the objective of the Question is to find out measures being put in place to take over the collection of the electricity bills, which means that there is an existing institution which is currently collecting the electricity bills. May I know that institution?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, do you know the institution that is collecting it? Hon Member, do you know the institution? You are asking the Question on behalf of the Hon Member. Which institution is collecting it and you are asking the Ministry of Energy to take over?
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Answer from the Hon Minister did not tell us because the Question says --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, have you read the Question you are asking?
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:15 p.m.
Very well, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
It shows
that some institution is collecting it and now you want the Ministry of Energy to collect it. Do you know the institution?
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in my
genuine opinion, it is the community that has formed a committee to collect the bills from the people.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
You
see; that is the problem when you ask Questions on behalf of Hon Members and you do not know the local conditions in that constituency.
But Hon Minister, if you have any
information to provide, you may provide it to the House.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Kan-Dapaah, he has not exhausted his supplementary questions; he has one more.
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
asking this question because this issue became a problem at the Public Accounts Committee sitting on the Report of the Auditor-General in 2005, page 21, paragraph 88, where three institutions failed to pay the VRA an amount of ¢97 billion of which Prestea Gold Mines alone --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, you know the rules are clear. You are not supposed to argue in asking questions. You can use whatever information you have to lay foundation to ask your question. So, you go ahead and ask your question.
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:15 p.m.
Thank you, Mr
Speaker. I was just arriving at a point.
Mr Speaker, I want to know from
the Hon Minister whether when ECG and VRA take over the collection, they would make sure that the unpaid bills -- because I know currently, that group is still collecting the bills. May I know whether the unpaid bills will be collected by the new institution that will come to take over or it will be declared as bad debt?
Dr Adjei 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we do recognise
that this problem involves two of our utilities, VRA and ECG. VRA, in the sense that at the beginning, supplying power to the mines. The moment they separated the two networks, it means ECG has to come in. That is why we have charged the two entities to work with the mines and the community to make sure that when we move in, it becomes very smooth and do not create any tension within that side.
I want to assure the Hon Member that,
once the two teams from our side get to the place, they will do things such that they will never lose out and the comm-unity's peace will be maintained.
Mr Kan-Dapaah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I can
understand the technical problems that arise here. But can the Hon Minister tell us, is it the case that as a result NCM deciding that they will no longer pay for the bills for the community, the whole community has been cut off and are not enjoying electricity? Is that the case?
Dr Adjei 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not the case. At the time, we were not privy to how they came in, why they had the right to separate. At the time, because we did not want any tension within the area, we advised the utilities to have a temporal programme where the people will still be supplied with electricity but work on together with the team to create a final solution that is acceptable to all the parties.
So, for now, they are -- it involves my Hon Colleague from the mines side when we were beginning to set up the team so that we work amicably.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
The last
question. All right, I would come to you.
Mr David Oppon-Kusi 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
is the Hon Minister telling us that at the period when all of us are being asked to pay upwards of 80 per cent on our utility bills, there is a whole community that is enjoying free electricity and they have been enjoying it for a very long time?
Dr Adjei 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that I
did not say that. I said that when we put the team together, they were supposed to move in with the community, put a temporal solution and I know that and in that temporal solution, they should move on to create a long term.
The problem is that, because the mines
were paying, you needed only one metre. One metre at the entrance of the power and that was adequate for them to pay. Now that you are going to remove that metre, you would need to metre every household. That is why I am saying that it is not as simple as it looks. We needed to bring together the two people who will be in charge of all the electricity issues over the country to make sure that they manage it nicely for us. So, there is no issue of free electricity.
Prof. Dominic K. Fobih 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Answer, the last paragraph, he suggests that the VRA and ECG were to carry out feasibility studies before the resumption of power supply to Prestea, which pre-supposes that there has been a power cut. I want to find out from him, how long this has been and whether now the feasibility studies have been completed in order for power to be restored.
Dr Adjei 1:15 p.m.
Again, for ECG to take
full control, we needed to make sure that each house is metred to be in line with their standards. They had to agree on a short- term measure to make sure that the power still goes to them. But they collect the bill as it is. I am yet to receive the final report as it lays down, to understand the obligations due us.
Most of the time, because these are metres and ECG may not have the plan to get those metres, they will bring the bills to the Ministry and we would assure Hon Members that, in order to make sure that we do not prolong this issue, we would provide the necessary metres.
Prof. Fobih 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, just a small point here. The operative words are “resumption of power supply to Prestea”, which is dependent on the feasibility studies. So, what I want to know is whether now Prestea enjoys power supply.
Dr Adjei 1:15 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
That brings us --
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
I know why all of you are agitating. Both the Question and the Answer are confusing. I know why but that brings us to the end of Question time.
Mr I. K. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, point of information.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Yes?
Mr I. K. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, earlier in your ruling, you did indicate that you would allow the Hon Minister to answer why there was power outage in this House
-- 1:15 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Asiamah, you know that I did not say the Hon Minister because the time I summoned the Director of Power to my Office, the Hon Minister was nowhere near here. He was not in my office. So, I never met the Hon Minister today anywhere until I saw him on the floor.
If you are talking about the Hon Deputy Minister and you want him to do that, I do not know but I thought that we had passed there and I thought that at the appropriate time we might have to address it. Because if I give you some of the information, they are very interesting. So, I would not want to do that on the floor of the House. But if you see me, I would tell you. But as I said, we want the Leaders to brief us at the appropriate time at a Closed Sitting what the situation is.
Hon Members, item 6.
Hon Minister, thank you very much for attending upon the House to answer the Questions. You are discharged.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just need your guidance on this matter. I say so because I think a certain incident might have occurred against the Hon Member and we Members of Parliament should be conscious about it. I come by Order 22, or article 117 of the 1992 Constitution. My Colleague Hon Member told us --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Please, Hon Dr Akoto Osei, you know you are referring me to the Constitution and the Standing Order at the same time. What are you referring me to?
Dr A. A. Osei 1:25 p.m.
Order 22; I am using that as my base for this guidance. Order 22 or article 117 of the Constitution. Mr Speaker, I know you are a lawyer, that is why I needed a base.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Very well.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague told this House emphatically that a Member of Parliament has been locked up --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Member, he corrected himself; he quickly corrected himself. Hon Dr Osei, he corrected himself.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I did not hear him.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Yes, he said that he had a problem with his vehicle.
Hon Members, Item 6 -- Motions. Chairman of the Committee.
MOTIONS 1:25 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Mr James K. Avedzi) 1:25 p.m.
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 Credit Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 74.6 million (US$120.0 million equivalent) to finance the proposed Abidjan-Lagos Trade and Transport Facilitation Project (ALTTFP) may be moved today.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:25 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Credit Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the
International Development Association (IDA)
Chairman of the Committee (Mr James K. Avedzi) 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Credit Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of SDR74.6 million (US$120.0 million equivalent) to finance the proposed Abidjan-Lagos Trade and Transport Facilitation Project (ALTTFP).
Mr Speaker, in doing so, I present your Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The Credit Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of seventy-four million, six hundred thousand Special Drawing Rights (SDR 74.6 million) [US$120.0 million equivalent] to finance the proposed Abidjan-Lagos Trade and Transport Facilitation Project (ALTTFP) was laid in the House on Thursday, 3rd June, 2010 and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with article 181 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 Seth Terkpeh and technical teams from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Ministry of Roads and Highways and presents this Report.
2.0 Background
Over the last 30 years, road transport has become by far the most dominant mode of transport in the West African sub-region with a share of about 85 per cent for passenger and freight. There is an increasing recognition that all of the sub- regional transport corridors are becoming ineffective in terms of reliability, transit time, levels of service and costs.
This could be a t t r ibuted to a combination of factors, most of which are not directly related to the quality of the transport infrastructure but to other factors such as the organization of transit trade and custom clearance processes.
Another major setback is the incomplete implementation of regional transit agreements such as ECOWAS Convention regulating Inter-State Road Transportation (ISRT) between ECOWAS
member States and the Convention relating to Inter-State Road Transit of Goods (IST), which were signed in 1982.
The above factors have all worked together to make the main transport corridors in West Africa expensive to use while continuing to hinder the efficient movement of transit trucks along the corridor as well as contributing to the delays, variability and costs of transit operations.
The West Africa Economic and Monetary Union in 2001 adopted the Community Action Plan for Road Infrastructure and Transport (Programme d'Actions Communautaire des Infrastructures et du Transport Routier (PACITR). The PACITR includes a set of integrated infrastructure and facilitation measures to ensure that the major designated regional road transport corridors provide adequate infrastructure and service standards to facilitate inter- State road transport and trade on the corridor.
Under the first phase of PACITR, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali are undertaking a joint programme known as the West Africa Trade and Transit Facilitation Programme (WATTFP) through WAEMU to develop the transit corridor from the Tema Port through Paga to Bamako. The main activities of the WATTFP being funded by the International Development Association (IDA) include the rehabilitation of the Buipe-Tamale Road and construction of intervening/rest stop areas along the transit corridor.
The proposed Abidjan-Lagos Trade and Transport Facilitation Project (ALTTFP) is another regional project that seeks to establish more efficient transport systems and facilitate the enforcement of
harmonized regulations in the sub-region through dialogue on trade facilitation including customs modernization reforms and improved port efficiency.
3.0 Purpose of the Loan
The purpose of the Agreement is to obtain funds for the implementation of the Abidjan-Lagos Trade and Transport Facilitation Programme to establish a more efficient transport system and facilitate the enforcement of harmonized regulations in the sub-region.
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions of the Agreement are as follows:
LOAN AMOUNT -- SDR 1:25 p.m.
Dr Anthony A. Osei (NPP - Old Tafo) 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and in so doing, just urge Hon Members to approve of this particular loan. It is an IDA loan and the terms are very concessionary. The project is a very important one for the trade facilitation along our borders with our neighbours.
So with these few words, I want to urge all Hon Members of this House to approve of this loan.
Question proposed.
Mr Moses A. Asaga (NDC - Nabdam) 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think this is a standard IDA loan and we do not need to waste much time on it, especially when we have given the reasons for approving this particular facility.
In terms of trade between Abidjan and Lagos, this is very, very important because it also brings about regional integration which we have always been fighting for at the ECOWAS Parliament and the Pan- African Parliament.
So with these few words, I support the Motion and urge my Hon Colleagues to support and approve this facility.
Hon Albert Kan-Dapaah (NPP - Afigya Sekyere West): Mr Speaker, I
certainly do not have any problem with this particular loan. I think it is very good; it would be very useful to the country.
However, Mr Speaker, I want to refer to a comment I made the other day when we were considering a similar facility.
Mr Speaker, we were at an Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) function some weeks ago. Some Hon Members of the House were there. Very, very serious comments were made against this House that documents come here, we do not study them, the way we give approval to some matters leave much to be desired. I would have wished that they were entirely wrong.
Mr Speaker, I am referring to that incident because we are being asked as a House to approve this facility. Some basic information should be available to us. For instance, this would take the total stock of debt that we have, to what level? At least, the memorandum from the Committee should tell us.
Mr Speaker, there must have been a debt sustainability analysis to de- monstrate that when the facility is due for re-payment, we would be in a position to do so.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Is it a point of order?
Mr Asaga 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that the Finance Committee very well knows its procedures for approval. So for him to be introducing debt sustainability as one of the addendum, that we must add to our Report, I do not think that is correct. He has been in this House for all this time. He was a Minister, Dr Akoto Osei was handling the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and he has just clarified that the procedures are correct. So I think this is just mischievous.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Member, I think that the Hon Member is expressing his opinion on a matter. He thinks he is expressing his view and I think
that he is entitled to express his view on the matter.
Hon Member, continue.
Mr Kan-Dapaah 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do
not deny the fact that this is the way we have been doing it. But I think there can be a better way of doing it. We are being asked to approve a loan. If he were a chief executive and this thing was presented to him, there would be some basic questions that he would ask, and I think whenever a facility like this is being sent to the House for approval, we must have that kind of information.
Otherwise, somebody, somewhere -- These things are discussed at the universities, they are discussed by students; a whole lot of people are watching what we are doing and they ask themselves, “on what basis could they approve this facility?” So I am only suggesting that in future some information should be given to us to give us the comfort that we need in approving these things. In approving this document today, I am totally blind.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Have you finished?
Mr Avedzi 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just rose to say that, first of all, the Committee in looking at the terms and conditions of the Agreement, wants to know whether it falls within the criteria that we have as a nation, and secondly, whether this would be in the interest of the nation. We looked at all those things, including debt sustainability. But to put that in the Report for every loan that we take to show the debt sustainability, I do not think it is proper.
That might be a suggestion he is coming with but I do not think it is - If he wants to know from the Hon Minister
the level of whatever loan we take, what will be the effect on the economy -- We ask those questions at the committee level and he is at liberty to come to the Committee and listen to that but to put it in the Report, I do not think it will be a proper thing to do.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
I thought
I said I would take one from both sides and we have exhausted that. But you are the Ranking Member, so let us hear you.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as he said,
the Hon senior Member of this House has been around for a while -- [Inaudible] He thinks he might help our work. But I think that if this august House wants to impose these requirements, we should have an appropriate forum for the Minister to provide this information. But it should not be a condition for this particular one because that has not been the precedent.
So, as much as I do not disagree with him, I think if this august House believes such information would be necessary for future loans, we should have an appropriate forum to dialogue with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning such that that information can be made available. As of now, since I have been here, we have not been doing that but it may be something we may want to consider and for that reason, I urge that we move to approve of this loan facility.
I thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (NPP
- Dormaa West): Mr Speaker, I think that my Hon Colleague has made a very good submission. But when is this House going to make that sort of decision such that we will now demand of the Ministry
Mr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo 1:35 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I am just trying to respond to what the Hon Member has just said regarding the comments made by Hon Dr Akoto Osei.
I think that he is misleading the House from what he has said. Hon Dr Akoto Osei said that if we think that these things that are suggested by Hon Kan-Dapaah are necessary, we should find time and consider them outside the agreement here at another forum and I think it is very acceptable.
But he should not say we should do it right now and here. These are technical issues that need to be resolved outside the House.
Besides, it is the Committee that does these things and all this information was presented to the Committee. One does not come to the floor and demand that there should be put in a report -- So Mr Speaker, I suppose that we should go by what Hon Dr Akoto Osei has said that if we think we need to include all such things in this Report, we do it outside the approval of this loan at this very moment and go ahead.
Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh 1:35 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I just want some information. The terms and conditions, we know the loan amount, repayment period, maturity period, commitment fee and service charge. What is the interest rate or is it interest free? It is not indicated in the Report.
Mr Avedzi 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the interest
rate is zero per cent.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Is it in the
Report? Chairman of the Committee, is it in the Report? That is what the Member is asking.
Mr Avedzi 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the terms and
conditions are shown in here, so if we do not have anything on interest --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, we have had a standard form of reporting and if it is zero per cent, you put in the Report that it is zero per cent. So if it is not there and they are asking, then inform the House that it is zero per cent.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not
believe it is zero per cent. The information was available, it has just been omitted here. It is a typical IDA loan, but it is not zero per cent. The Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is here and he can give us that information but it
was given to us.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Minister, can you help us with the interest charge before I put the Question? If it is not there then we have to defer the Motion because we have to be sure of what we are approving - [Pause.] Hon Deputy Minister, we are waiting for you - [Pause.]
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, if you look at the Constitution and all the rules of this House, our mandate is to approve the terms and conditions of the loan and critical to that is the interest that we have to pay. That is the mandate of this House.
So it is very, very critical that if there is interest, we know the interest. And as to other issues, debt sustainability, that is another matter in terms of improving your Report. But what is critical, if you look at the provisions of the Constitution and our rules, is that the terms of the loan and the conditions must be clearly spelt out and we have to be sure of the terms and conditions before we approve it.
Mr Pelpuo 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just want to request your permission that we stand it down for a moment while we continue with other areas.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Today, we
did not make arrangement to Sit outside the prescribed period and we are left with a few minutes. So then, we have to defer it completely to tomorrow. We have to defer it to tomorrow; so let us be very sure. I would have put the Question if the Ranking Member had not contradicted the Chairman of the Committee. You moved the Motion, he seconded it and the two of you have disagreement over the interest rate. While the Chairman said it is zero per cent, the Ranking Member is also saying that he is not sure that it is zero per cent.
Mr Seth Terkpeh 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Agreement we are putting before the House specifies the terms in terms of a
commitment charge, a service charge on withdrawn credit balance of 0.75, repayment period, grace period and then the effectiveness deadline. The credit was evaluated on the basis of these terms and the service charge and therefore, the service charge is taken to represent the interest charge.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just want
to crave the indulgence of the Hon Deputy Minister to let us stand it down so that he can confirm that, the IDA is actually zero. I do not recall but it may be useful for us to be sure; he can be sure of himself. The Agreement has not spoken about it but he can always confirm with IDA if it is still zero or not.
Mr Asaga 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think the whole point we are making here is that we just want to avoid any confusion and ambiguity. The standard term sheet for Parliament here, we always indicate interest and if it is zero, we put zero. But to say that because the IDA is apparently zero, so we leave a blank space there and say people should understand, is not correct. So we are going by our -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
That is precisely what I am saying.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is why
I said that even though some of us know that IDA is zero, because he is here, I want him to confirm so that the House would not be in doubt.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Members, you know that this House depends so much on committees. So when a committee reports to the House and the Chairman says it is zero per cent and the Ranking Member who seconded the Motion gets up and says he is not sure of the zero per cent -- It is the Committee's Report that we are now approving. The
Mr Avedzi 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I understand the point that you are making. In fact, we should have put the interest rate in the Report as part of the terms but that might be the omission. But for IDA loans, there is no interest, the service charge serves as interest. That is it. So if we can step it down, tomorrow we can amend the term sheet and put in the interest rate and put the zero per cent there.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Very
well. I think that we defer this matter to tomorrow and let us be sure so that we all agree -- Hon Deputy Minister, do you have something to say?
Mr Terkpeh 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think I will go with your ruling. I was reading from the financing provisions of the document but I think I would go with your ruling, and as suggested by the Ranking Member, we would include it in the term sheet.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Yes, that is so.
Hon Members -- Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader -
Mr Pelpuo 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think item 12 has a lapse period and today happens to be the final day, so if we can just ask the
Chairman to move the Motion.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
I do not intend to Sit outside the prescribed period as I indicated earlier, So if there is an agreement that we would be very brief with our comments -- In fact , they have not made provisions for us to go for extended Sitting. So item 12?
Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Public
Utilities (Termination of Service) (Amendment) Regulation, 2010 (L. I.
1964)
Chairman of the Committee (Mr
Kwame Osei-Prempeh): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopt the Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Public Utilities (Termination of Services) (Amendment) Regulations, 2010 (L.I.
1964).
Mr Speaker, in so doing, I present the Report of the Committee.
1.0 Introduction
The Public Utilities (Termination of Service) (Amendment) Regulations, 2010 (L.I 1964) was laid before Parliament on Tuesday, 4th May, 2010. The Instrument was subsequently referred to the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation for consideration and report in accordance with article 11(7) of the Constitution and Orders 77 (a) and 166 of the Standing Orders of the House.
2.0 Deliberations
The Committee met with Officials from the Public Utilities Regulatory Com- mission and considered the Instrument. In attendance were officials from the drafting division of the Attorney-General's Department.
The Committee is grateful to all the
officials for their attendance and for providing clarifications on the Instrument during deliberations.
3.0 Reference Documents
References were made to the following documents during the deliberations:
i. The Constitution;
i i . The S tand ing Orders of Parliament;
i i i . The Public Uti l i t ies Regulatory Commission Act, 1997 (Act 538); and
iv. The Public Uti l i t ies (Termination (L.I 1651)
4.0 Object of the Instrument
The object of the Instrument is to amend the Public Utilities (Termination of Service) Regulations, 1999 (LI 1651) to better regulate the utility services offered by public utility companies to consumers.
To this end, the new Instrument is seeking to amend Regulations 4, 5, 7 and 9 of L.I 1961. It also seeks to insert a new section, 5A to prohibit a utility company from terminating utility service from electricity pole or from water service line.
5.0 Summary of Provisions
Section 1 provides an amendment of Regulation 4 of the Regulations to prohibit termination of services on the eve of a public holiday while section 2 amends Regulation 5(2) of the Regulations to provide for more protection for certain category of residential consumers.
An insertion has been proposed under section 3 to provide for the prohibition of termination of utility service from an
electric pole. Re-connection of terminated service for non-payment has been captured under section 4 to amend Regulation 7 of L.I. 1651 while section 5 covers an amendment of the provisions on offences.
6.0 Observations
The following observations were made by the Committee during the consi- deration of the Instrument:
6.1 The Committee noted that the Public Utilities (Termination of Service) Regulations, 1999 (L.I. 1651) has been in operation for the past eleven years. The Committee was informed that consumers of utilities have sent a number of complaints to the PURC on issues relating to termination of services by public utility companies during the period. The Committee was informed that the Instrument has been proposed to provide remedy to some of the complaints registered by consumers to better regulate public utility companies in the country.
6.2 The Committee also noted that in addition to the existing prohibition of termination of utility services on a public holiday, the eve of a public holiday has been included. The Committee learnt that this provision has been made to prevent public utility companies from disconnecting service at a time when re-connection could not be immediately obtained to enable consumers to have full enjoyment of utility services during public holidays.
6.3 The Committee observed that the Instrument has created additional opportunities for certain category of consumers. It was explained that unlike the existing provision which offered protection under onerous terms, the new Instrument has provided protection to a consumer and all adults above sixty-five years or blind or disabled living with him/
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.


her. The Committee was satisfied that such a special arrangement has been made for the aged who badly need utility services.

7.0 Recommendation and Conclusion

The Commit tee has care fu l ly scrutinized the Instrument and is satisfied that the Regulations meet the provisions of the Constitution and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act, 1997 (Act

538).

T h e C o m m i t t e e a c c o r d i n g l y recommends to the House to adopt its Report and allow the Public Utilities (Termination of Service) (Amendment) Regulations, 2010 (L.I. 1964) to come into force in accordance with article 11(7) of the Constitution.

Respectfully submitted
Mr Emmanuel K. Bandua (NDC - Biakoye) 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Income Tax Rates (Amendment) Regulations,
2010
(L.I. 1965)
Chairman of the Committee (Mr
Kwame Osei-Prempeh): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Income Tax Rates (Amendment) Regulations, 2010
(L.I. 1965).
I present the Report of the Committee.
1.0 Introduction
The Income Tax Rates (Amendment) Regulations, 2010 (L.I. 1965) was laid
before Parliament on Friday, 12th March, 2010 and referred to the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation for consideration and report in accordance with article 11(7) of the Constitution and Orders 77 (a) and 166 of the Standing Orders of the House.
2.0 Deliberations
The Committee met with officials from both the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Internal Revenue Service to discuss the Instrument. In attendance were officials from the drafting division of the Attorney-General's Department.
The Committee is grateful to all the officials for their attendance and for assisting in the deliberations.
3.0 Reference Documents
The Committee made reference to the following documents during its deliberations:
iii. The 1992 Constitution;
iv. The Standing Orders of Par- liament;
iii. The Internal Revenue Act, 2000
(Act 592); and
iv. Income Tax Rates (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 2007 (L.I.
1830).
4.0 Background Information
The current personal income tax rates regime has been in operation since 2006. However, salaries and wages have gone up by about 95 per cent since 2006. As a result, many income earners have suffered a higher income tax rate than originally anticipated.
In 2006, labour groups also proposed
tax exemption for workers earning below the minimum wage. The Government in an attempt to meet the demands of labour, granted concessionary tax rates to workers who earned salaries not more than 5 per cent above the minimum wage. Computation of personal income tax has therefore become difficult because of the complexities involved in the determination of the category of workers entitled to the concessionary tax rates.
5.0 Object of the Instrument
The Instrument seeks to amend the Income Tax Rate (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 2007 (L.I. 1830) and to introduce new Personal Income Tax Rates. The new rates are provided in the table below:
Chargeable Income Rate of Tax
First GH¢1,008.00 Nil
Next GH¢240.00 5 per cent
Next GH¢720.00 10 per cent
Next GH¢14,232.00 17.5 per cent
Exceeding GH¢16,200.00 25 per cent
6.0 Observations
6.1 The Committee noted that the Instrument seeks to make the minimum wage tax free.
The Committee was informed that the eventual implementation of the Instrument would result in an increase in the incomes of low income workers to enhance their living conditions. It is also expected that an increase in the incomes of workers would lead to an increase in productivity in the public sector.
6.2 The Committee observed that the Instrument intends to eliminate the complexities encountered in the assessment of personal income tax payable by workers to the State. The Committee was informed that it is simpler and easier to compute income taxes of workers using the same rates. The application of the new rate would therefore lead to effective and efficient administration of income tax in the country.
6.3 It was also observed by the Committee that the application of the new tax rates would bring respite to workers whose salaries had fallen within a higher tax bracket in the current tax regime. It was noted that salary increments over the past three years had resulted in an increase in the minimum wage. The continuous use of the current income tax rates would therefore defeat the intention of government to make the minimum wage tax free.
7.0 Recommendation and Conclusion
The Committee was satisfied that the Instrument meets the requirements of the provisions of the Constitution and the Internal Revenue Act, 2000 (Act 592).
The Committee accordingly recom- mends to the House to adopt its Report and allow the Income Tax Rates (Amendment) Regulations, 2010 (L.I. 1965) to come into force in accordance with article 11(7) (c) of the Constitution.
Respectfully submitted.
Mr. Emmanue K. Bandua (NDC -- Biakoye) 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the motion
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that at this juncture, the mood is in favour of our adjournment. Threfore, I beg to move, that the House adjourns till tomorrow morning at 10.00 o'clock.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is ten minutes to two o'clock and I thought that maybe, if there was space to transact some other business
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
If the House agrees that we can take the SSNIT Loan within the next nine minutes or so, I have no objection.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:45 p.m.
Well, Mr Speaker, maybe, in that case, I beg to second the motion for adjournment.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
He has seconded your motion, Hon Deputy Majority Leader.
Mr Pelpuo 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, you indicated to us that you wanted to have an adjournment, so we had an impression that you were no longer going to continue and that is why - Even when this motion was moved, you were in a hurry to get it done very quickly. So our impression was that you did not want to continue and we did not want to force it on you. But if you can spare time -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, you know that I know we have a motion which is a financial matter and the attitude -- Even before we took those motions, the one dealing with the IDA Loan, I consulted both the Chairman and the Ranking Member and they said that it is not a controversial facility. But you see that an Hon Member raised an issue with the interest and we had to defer that motion. Nobody knows what an Hon Member will raise when we take that matter. So if we will take and not complete it, it is better we defer it so that we take this motion tomorrow, so that if any issue crops up on the floor, we can adequately address the matter on the floor.
Question put and motion agreed o.
ADJOURNMENT 1:45 p.m.