Debates of 16 Jun 2010

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:55 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 15th June, 2010.
Page 1 . . . 6 --
Mr Edward K. D. Adjaho 11:55 a.m.
I am sorry, Madam Speaker. I crave your indulgence to take you back to page 5.
On page 5, paragraph 4, number 6, I was marked as being absent. Madam Speaker, I was absent with permission.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Page 6 … 8 -
Mr John Gyetuah 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, on page 8, the first paragraph under “Adjournment”, it reads:
“And at seven minutes after one o'clock in the afternoon the House was adjourned till Wednesday next at ten o` clock . . .”
Madam Speaker, the “next” should be deleted, to read 11:55 a.m.
“. . . at ten o'clock in the forenoon.”
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Today is Wednesday, is it not? I think, that is how we put it. He does not want the word “next” there. What do we do?
Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu-Ansah 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think that the expression there is perfectly good. It is an English construction which means the next Wednesday and that is probably today. So, it is perfectly correct --
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Well, I have been advised that if a date was there then we would not need the next, but with no date, “Wednesday next” shows immediate Wednesday and that is how it is put here, so it is correct.
Anyway, thank you for drawing our attention.

The Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday,

15th June, 2010 as corrected is adopted as the true record of proceedings.

We have two Official Reports of Thursday, 10th June, 2010 and Friday, 11th June, 2010 for correction.
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Official Report of Thursday, 10th June, 2010, column 613, the third paragraph, the last line, it should read: “He should be very practical to us” and not “It should be very practical to us”.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Thank you.
Any other correction in the Official Report of Thursday, 10th June, 2010?

Hon Members, in the absence of any corrections, the Official Report of Friday, 11th June, 2010 is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.

The next item is Question time.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 11:05 a.m.
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT 11:05 a.m.
Minister for Transport (Mr Mike Allen Hammah) 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Government has approved an amount of US$3.0 million for the rehabilitation of Ferry ‘A' for the Kete-Krachi-Kojokrom crossing of the Volta Lake. It is expected that the contract for the rehabilitation will be concluded with Messrs Arab Contractors by the end of June, 2010 and that by December, 2011, the re- conditioned Ferry ‘A' would be able to provide reliable ferry crossing between Kete-Krachi and Kojokrom.
Mr Osei-Sarfo 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister has not finished answering the Question; there is a part (b). But in any case, if I may go on with my supplementary questions.
Madam Speaker, I want to know
from the Hon Minister whether he has plans to privatise or to encourage private participation in the lake transport business, especially the ferry crossings.
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, yes, as a long-term objective of the Ministry, we intend to attract private sector participation in the provision of lake transport services. But Madam Speaker, the difficulty has been that the cross-lake services are basically a public service obligation and it has been quite difficult to attract the private sector to provide this service.
But we believe that it is an area that if well packaged, if we can put the cross-lake services together with some commercial activities along the Volta Lake, we would be able to entice the private sector to provide those services.
Yes, it is an area that we are looking at. In the long-term, I am sure we would come out with -
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Minister, I cannot hear you. Can you speak into the microphone? I could not catch what you were saying; I do not know about the rest but I did not hear you.
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, is it because of the microphone?
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Well, you have answered that question but I mean in succeeding questions.
Yes, can we have your next question; have you finished?
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, with your indulgence, I want to go over the second one, (b), so that -
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
You did not read (b)?
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
No, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
All right.
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, neither the Ghana Highway Authority that previously had responsibility for ferry crossing on the Volta Lake nor the Volta Lake Transport Company Limited that currently has responsibility for lake transportation has ever operated a ferry crossing between Gubi and Gulubi on the River Dakar. However, Government is currently planning to revamp ferry activities on the Volta Lake and the Grubi-Gulubi crossing will be considered accordingly.
Mr Osei-Sarfo 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I did ask the Hon Minister whether there were plans for the Government to privatise or to encourage private participation in the lake transport business.
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, yes, because Government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of providing effective lake transportation system. So, as part of the Ministry's transport policy, we intend, in the long term, to attract private sector participation in the provision of services on the Volta Lake. But as I said earlier, the difficulty has been the fact that the cross-lake services are purely public service obligations. Because the catchment in the lake influence area that it serves, most of them are in the lower income bracket level.
So if you have to charge economic rates, it will be very difficult for them to be able to meet those costs. So Government
then intends to, maybe, put it together in the package where we can have some element of commercial activities and the cross-lake services so that if the private sector wants to do commercial activities on the Volta Lake, maybe, transport petroleum products up to the North, then you would be compelled as a matter of fact to also provide some cross-lake services. It is something that the Ministry is looking at, Madam Speaker.
Mr Osei-Sarfo 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister whether he has some interim arrangements to get goods and people across the Kete Krachi- Kojokrom crossings.
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, for now it is difficult, since we are very constrained in terms of the areas that we have to serve as far as ferry-cross services are concerned. So for the moment, it is very difficult, we do not have enough ferries to do those services. But as I said earlier, we are working tirelessly on it and we would make sure that we rehabilitate the ferry as quickly as possible so that we can deplore it to provide the services that they need.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Member, any more questions? Is that the end?
Dr Anthony A. Osei 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in his Answer, the Hon Minister said that Government had approved an amount. Could he tell us whether it was through the regular budgetary provision or through a contingency? [Pause.]
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Member, can you repeat your question?
Dr A. A. Osei 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in his Answer, the Hon Minister said the Government had approved an amount of GH¢3 million for the rehabilitation of the
ferry and my question is, was it through the regular budgetary provision for 2010 or through a contingency funding?
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry just put in a request to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and we had a letter telling us that the request had been approved and the money had been made available for us to repair the ferry. Where the money came from, whether through the Contingency Fund, I do not know; I am not in a position to say. But we put in a request to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning -
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
I continue to say, I do not catch what you are saying. Can you speak through the microphone?
Dr A. A. Osei 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, he is the Minister for Transport. If the amount was approved in the budget, he would know. This is because he would have made provision for it. But his Answer tells me that it was through contingency funding, because it was not part of the regular budgetary provision. That is why I asked the question; was it through the normal budgetary provision or through contin-gency funding?
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Minister, he has asked a question; do you know the answer?
Mr Hammah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think the Hon Member knows that whenever you do a budget, there are always contingency funds, which are also part of the monies that have been approved for spending. So if you put in a request, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning can look at the contingency fund, which had been part of the budgetary allocation that had been approved previously.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Transport put in a request to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, then the Ministry of Finance and Economic
Planning in turn told us how the money would be made available to us. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning wrote to tell us that our request had been approved and that funds would be made available to us. I expected that, of course.
I am sure that the Supplementary Budget would be put before Parliament very soon and in it, this would be captured. And once it is approved by Parliament, I am sure that the moneys would be made available to us.
Dr A. A. Osei 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I asked a very simple question. Very, very simple question.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
I have noted the presence of Hon Prempeh. Can we hear him?
Dr A. A. Osei 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am not questioning the capacity of the Hon Minister to release funds but I expect that as the Minister for Transport he would know what is a normal budget; so anything outside the budget, it is a contingency. That is the question I asked.
The question again, Madam Speaker. Was it through the normal budgetary allocation or through the contingency funding?
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Do you need time to answer that question?
Mr Hammah 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to explain to my Hon Colleague that because of the urgency of the situation -- the Kete-Krachi ferry -- they were in a very serious situation. So, we made an emergency appeal to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to look at the problem and provide funds for it.
Mr Sampson Ahi 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
because the money was transferred to the Ministry of Transport by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, would the Hon Minister consider enquiring from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning the source of the transfer so that the necessary information would be given to this House?
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
I do not know whether the Minister got the question.
Mr Ahi 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, my observation is that it appears the Hon Minister is unable to tell this House --
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
The Hon Minister has provided the answer.
Mr Ahi 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, it was not part of the budget approved for the Ministry, otherwise, the Minister would have been able to tell us. And he is unable to tell us whether it is from the contingency fund or not. That is why I
want to find out from the Hon Minister for Transport whether he will go and consult and find out from the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning the source of the transfer so that he can give this House accurate information.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
So your question
is what? Any objection to the question?
Dr A. A. Osei 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think by saying that it is not part of his normal budgetary provision, he is implying that it is through contingency funding. So I accept that, I do not have any problem.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
I thought you had accepted it?
Dr A. A. Osei 11:15 a.m.
Yes, that is why I am wondering why he is trying to say that he has to come back.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Do you have another question? That question was answered.
Shall we move to the next Question then? It stands in the name of Hon Joseph Osei-Owusu, Bekwai.
Headlamp Testing (Private Entities)
Q. 536. Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu
asked the Minister for Transport the legal basis upon which the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) intended to engage private entities to undertake “headlamp testing” as advertised in the Daily Graphic of Monday, 1st March,
2010.
Mr Mike Allan Hammah 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the DVLA was established by Parliament through the enactment of DVLA Act of 1999, Act 569.
Section 3(1)(j) enjoins the Authority as part of its statutory functions to license and regulate private garages to undertake vehicle testing.
In pursuance of section 3(1)(j), the Authority, through the previous Board
of Directors, granted to Messrs S-Class, approval on 19th June, 2003 to enable it undertake pilot projects in testing of vehicle lamps in Accra and Tema. The company as of 1st January, 2009, however, extended its services to cover 19 offices countrywide. During an audit inspection by the Auditor-General of the operations of Messrs S-Class, it was found that no formal agreement was signed between the company and the Authority.
The Auditor-General in its report on the operations of Messrs S-Class and the Authority dated 16th November, 2009 advised in paragraph 64 that --
“The procedure for the award of contract should be in accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2003, Act 663, in future procurement and contract dealings.”
In order to ensure transparency, competition and fairness, the Public Procurement Act, 2003, Act 663 enjoins all MDAs, which are to undertake procurement either of goods, services or works to go through any of the approved procurement methods as in the Act.
The current Board therefore, looked at the existing partnership between the Authority and the private service providers and decided that such services must be de-monopolised.
The intention of the Authority, therefore, is to provide fair and equal economic opportunities to all citizens of Ghana instead of only one company performing the services in almost the whole country.
Mr Osei-Owusu 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, before I proceed to my follow-up question, I wish to put on record that the Answer
provided by the Hon Minister in paragraph 3 of page 32, the first line, is not in tandem with the facts on the ground. Messrs S-Class was never given permission or licence to test headlamps. Messrs S-Class was permitted to repair headlamps that have failed the test conducted by DVLA. So, the emphasis is testing.
Madam Speaker, the question is, section 3(1)(j) of DVLA Act gives DVLA the function to license and regulate private garages to undertake vehicle testing. The advertisement questioned about is for headlamp testing only, not the whole vehicle -- just the headlamp. May I know from the Hon Minister who will undertake the remainder of the components of the vehicle to make it roadworthy?
Mr Hammah 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think that the Hon Member who just asked the Question happens to be the Director of DVLA and during the previous Administration. And as he rightly said, the headlamp testing was on a pilot scheme which they began and as a process of making sure that we can attract private sector participation in vehicle testing.
As I speak to you now, the Ministry is in the process of concluding a legislative proposal for regulating the activities of the private sector in terms of vehicle testing. What the Hon Member is telling me about headlight is also part of the inspection, it is a process that we are going through but then we had to start on a pilot scheme which they began in their time.
But what we are doing now, we thought that in a situation where we had a monopolistic situation where one company was doing the testing, we felt that we had to open up so that other companies could also take part. The idea is to introduce transparency and competition and fairness in the provision of the services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Osei-Owusu 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister enjoys going back to what has been pointed out to be incorrect. He referred to me as the Director, indeed, the immediate past Chief Executive. Under my leadership, no private organization was ever approved or appointed to test - [Interruption] -- Test, please. Note the difference. Messrs S-Class was permitted to repair vehicles that failed the test. The test had always been conducted by DVLA. If you fail the test -- and all the correspondence and the documents at DVLA would attest to this fact.
My next follow-up question. The Minister and I know that under this section 3(1) (j), DVLA advertised and invited the private sector to build vehicle testing facilities. Six of such facilities have been completed, completely automated vehicle testing, ultra-modern, which the Ministry is refusing to grant licence to because in accordance with the Ministry, the regulations to regulate them are not ready.
May I know what regulation would govern those that are being invited to do the headlamp testing?
Mr Hammah 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I think with the legal regime, he knows his rights because the law says quite clearly that DVLA will license private companies to participate in vehicle testing. That is the parent law. We are talking about the regulatory regime but he knows that in a regulatory regime, you have to go through a legislative drafting process, and that process is ongoing. In the meantime, there is the need to allow the private sector to participate in vehicle testing because it is an area which is very crucial when we talk about road safety.
The Hon Member knows that through administrative procedure, once the parent
Mr Osei-Owusu 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, with respect, he has not answered the question. Under what regulation will this advert, which is the subject matter before us now -- under what regulation would those people be permitted to do the work? They are now inviting fresh people. They have already stopped others because they say there are no regulations; those they are inviting, what regulation will govern their operations?
Mr Hammah 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, it is a process. The first process is that they are being licensed. It is a process that we are going through. The parent Law would allow you to license because the law says that you will license and regulate. So first step, we open them, let us get the reaction because it is running pari passu, we need to go through a process. In selecting them, we have to go through a process. The regulation is also being handled at the Attorney-General's (A-G) office.
So hopefully, when the regulation is completed, the legal and regulatory framework would be there and then we go ahead and give them the green light
to operate. I do not understand what he is talking about because the legal basis is there, the parent Act that allows the private sector to participate is there and then the regulatory framework which also has to be put in place to operationalise the law, is being handled at the A-G's office.
Dr Matthew O. Prempeh 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, by his admission today to this House by that his Ministry, being the policy body for the DVLA, is inviting a request for vehicle headlamp testing, Ghana would probably be the only country in the world where licences are granted to garages - [Interruption.] Madam Speaker, there is distraction from his back-bench, so I will start again.
Madam Speaker, by his admission of the fact today in this House, when companies have been invited to do complete testing and because of regulatory status not being available, they are not able to do their work would he advise the DVLA to cancel this tender because Ghana would be the only country in the world where road headlamp testing is done and no vehicle testing?
Mr Hammah 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the answer is no, because they have not done anything which is against the law.
Madam Speaker 11:25 p.m.
Yes, any other questions?
Hon Prempeh, I have finished with you.
Mr Emmanuel K. Duut 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, am I to understand from the Hon Minister that these days Ghana has adopted a system whereby we start the process, license people without the regulatory framework, then we get the regulatory framework, and we then review the licence before they start? That is what I want to ask the Hon Minister because it
looks strange and it looks again that we are putting the cart before the horse.
Is he saying that we have now changed our system of doing business where we do the thing and we later on, as an afterthought, get a regulatory framework?
Mr Hammah 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I do not know whether I got the Hon Member right. But in developing the legal - When you have a policy framework, the legal and the regulatory environment would have to be put in place to operationalise the policy so that the policy can achieve its objectives.
As I said before, the parent Act of DVLA allows you to do the licensing. But of course, we also know that time is not on our side and when we are talking about road, it is a very, very serious business in this country. You know how accidents are costing this country in terms of human resource and in terms of loss of productivity.
Madam Speaker, it is an area which is very dear to our heart. So in our process of developing the regulatory framework, nothing stops us from also licensing it. But of course, before we can give them the green light, the regulations should be in place and then they can begin operating.
Madam Speaker, as I even speak to you now, we have embossment companies that are currently operating. I am sure - Hon Osei-Owusu is looking at me and he knows that those companies were licensed. They are also providing private sector services. But why are they operating now? They are operating because they are licensed and because they need to provide very important services.
We had to have some administrative directives to allow them to operate while we go through the process of developing the regulatory framework so that at least,
Mr Osei-Owusu 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, he was mentioning my name --
Madam Speaker 11:25 p.m.
He just said you were looking at him. I was too - [Laughter.]
Mr Osei-Owusu 11:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am saying that the operators of the embossment were licensed under the Road Traffic Regulations of 1974 and not the DVLA Act. They are two different statutes.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
That is a point of correction.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I had intended to set the records straight but indeed, the former Chief Executive of DVLA has said that. Regarding the licensing, I think the Hon Minister got it wrong. It was done under a different regime and so, he got the facts mixed up.
The critical issue is, there is a scheme that is being piloted. The Hon Minister stops it because there are no regulations. Now, the same Hon Minister turns round to start the same process that he has stopped.
We want to know under what regulations he is doing what he is doing now when the same Hon Minister has stopped an earlier piloting of a process because according to him, there were no regulations. Under what regime, under which regulatory regime is he doing what he is doing?
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minister, answer it. The question is, you stopped once and you have started without
Mr Hammah 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want the Hon Minority Leader to come clear. What he said, did I stop it or we have not actually given them the go ahead to operate the garages because they did not start it? We did not stop it. So, I want him to come clear on that first then I will answer the rest.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Well, that is an explanation you have given. Can you answer the question then?
Mr Hammah 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, with regard to the second question, I think that normally we have administrative guidelines. As I said earlier, this is a very important service that has to be provided by the private sector. We cannot say that because regulations are not in place, we do not have to do it.
We issue administrative directives, give administrative guidelines and I am sure it is based on that that we have the private sector providing these services -- embossing services. The headlight is just a minor - I would not say minor because it is a major security feature in any vehicle and it is important that, at least, we ensure that, the testing of headlights is encouraged well over -- Even voluntarily, between mandatory periods because it is a major safety feature in our vehicles. So, through adminis-trative directives and guidelines, we allowed Messrs S-Class to continue.
But then the fact is that we thought that,we needed to de-monopolize in line with the spirit of the Constitution to introduce competition, fairness and equity. So we cannot have one company providing that service and that is why we introduced - we thought that we had to introduce some other private sector to provide the service.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, without doubt, we are dealing with human life and as per the narration given by the Hon Minister, it is important that the right things are done. And so, if he wants to act to save lives, within the confines of the law, he must be encouraged. But the critical question is, under Act 569, what his Ministry has done which is being questioned -- is it provided for -- to be done under administrative regulations or is it covered by the regulations that he is supposed to bring to this House?
Mr Hammah 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think I have explained it adequately. I do not know what the Minority Leader is talking about.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Can you repeat it? He said, is it under administrative authority or is it under a legal authority?
Mr Hammah 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I said under administrative guidelines and I said it early on. I said that because there is a need for it, the vehicle headlight is an important thing. If we are going to wait for regulations to be completed, we will be losing lives on our roads, so through administrative guidelines, we issued the directives to allow -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister is navigating himself round the issue that I have asked. I am asking him, how is he to do it, by administrative fiat or by regulations as per the law -- Act 569? How is he supposed to do it under Act 569? He should not tell me that lives are at risk and so on; how is he supposed to do it under Act 569? Is it by regulations or by administrative guidelines? How is he supposed to do it under Act 569 because the law is very explicit on this? He should tell us.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
If you have said so, repeat it. Do not say you have said so before.
Mr Hammah 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think that I have made it quite clear, that it is important the law says clearly that the Hon Minister would be empowered to make regulations to give full effect to the parent Act and coming up with the regulations, a process that the Ministry had to go through. But currently, the headlight testing is a very important element of road safety.
Madam Speaker, when it was introduced during the previous Administration, knowing how important those services were, they allowed it to be done on a pilot scheme. What we have sought to do is that, instead of having somebody monopolizing the services that are being provided, we said, let us introduce some other competitions to it so that we can have transparency, equity - I have answered it.
I am saying that through administrative guidelines and directives, it can be done. And that is what we have done.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Yes, I think we have beaten this Question enough. Let us move on.
I must discharge the Hon Minister now.
Hon Minister, we thank you for coming here to answer our Questions. I think, we are clearer in our minds now.
The next Minister will be the Minister for Health.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH 11:35 a.m.
Minister for Health (Dr Benjamin Kunbuor) 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, funding constraints have made it difficult for the Ministry of Health to rehabilitate existing health centres nationwide. However, the Ministry has prioritized the rehabilitation of the health centres at Chiana, Paga and Mirigu-Kandiga in its 2012 capital budget.
Mr Alowe 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I would further like to ask the Hon Minister whether he is aware that when I say “these health centres are in a very deplorable state”, I really mean that things are so bad that it is difficult to wait up to 2012? For instance, there is no running water in these health centres, toilets are not working, the laboratories are not working because we have very few laboratory equipment.
Some of the living bungalows are really now in a very deplorable state, the ceilings are falling in, there are gaping cracks and that will be a health hazard even for the staff working there. Would he consider doing something urgent about this state of affairs?
Dr Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I actually returned from a tour of the Northern Region, particularly Paga, on these facilities. There is a project that will commence possibly in the next two weeks, in which we intend to provide borehole water for almost all the health facilities in this country that our study has revealed. Chiana, Paga and the Mirigu facilities are included in this.
On the specific issue of the laboratories not working, I am afraid, he might be talking about the dispensaries because there is no laboratory in any of these places properly known by the Ministry. But I know they do have dispensaries where they examine some particular issues. The consideration for getting laboratories
would normally be at the level of the polyclinics and district health facilities.
So referrals can be made from the health centres because laboratory issues are a bit more complicated. So I am afraid that broken down laboratory equipment might not be appropriate, it might be the dispensaries that you have in these communities.
Mr Alowe 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am definitely referring to laboratory equipment in the health centres because basic tests are done for pregnant women, for children to check malaria and other things for the various heads of the health centres to give appropriate medical attention. And I am saying that these equipment are not available. I am not talking about big laboratories as he may be referring to. But then, I am also saying that, can we wait for 2012 before we address these issues? I think something can be done. What does he say about that?
Dr Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, Ghana has since migrated away from the type of tests that we knew to one that is instant. In fact, there is no health facility that you would go to --today if they want to carry out even malaria test, they just take a needle and prick you and there and then, they would be able to tell you whether you have got malaria parasites in your body or not.
So you might not find them in a laboratory environment but these test kits are in every Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound. I can assure you that they are available in every CHPS compound, including the communities that are in question. But should there be a peculiar problem in any of them where this equipment is not there, he can draw my attention and we will make sure that they are made available.
Mr Alowe 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon

Minister said that they had prioritized the rehabilitation of these health centres for the 2012 Budget. I am wondering why he is not saying they are prioritizing it for the 2011 Budget. Why would we have to wait for 2012 before attention is given to these deprived and distressed health centres?
Dr Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, we used the word “prioritize” guidedly. There are standard requirements for actually locating, rehabilitating and improving health facilities. If you look at the catchment area that you are talking about, most of them satisfy the World Health Organisation (WHO) requirement of 3 to 5 kilometres to the nearest health facility. There is a major rehabilitation work that is taking place over the main referral hospital, which is in Navrongo.
There is a proposal for Chiana to actually have an eye clinic; but because of the scarcity of resources and the equity need for distribution, we will make sure that we prioritize within the 3-year Medium Term Expenditure Frame Work (MTEF) rolling budget framework and we believe that in terms of the health needs, the communities in question would become critical in 2012 and that is why we are budgeting for it within that period.
There are other projects that would take place within the catchment area that are being implemented and others will start in 2011.
Mr Alowe 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I would like to know from the Hon Minister -
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
How many questions are you going to ask?
Mr Alowe 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, it is just a supplementary question based on the Answer he has given.
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
All right.
Mr Alowe 11:45 a.m.
The Hon Minister indicates and still emphasises 2012. What I want to understand is, why can provision not be made in the 2011 Budget? That is my question.
Dr Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the budgetary processes in relation to the Ministry has to do with health districts and location of facilities. Why we needed to prioritize is that our health districts are not coterminous with our administrative districts. So we look at the location and distances between facilities and in the best judgement of the Ministry, we think 2012 is a more probable time that we could commence work.
So, we do not just have to put there 2011, when we know in terms of other demands, it will not happen. But we are sure, based on the programme of work in the medium-term 2012, would be a more appropriate time, Madam Speaker.
Mr Alowe 11:45 a.m.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Thank you.
Shall we move on to the next Question?
Assemblies of God Medical Centre at Saboba
(Upgrading)
Q. 541. Mr Joseph Nikpe Bukari asked the Minister for Health what plans the Ministry had towards the upgrading of the Assemblies of God Medical Centre at Saboba to a district hospital.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the policy of the Ministry of Health is that where there is a mission hospital in a district, the Government of Ghana will support the development of that hospital rather than build another one to compete with it. The Assemblies of God Medical Centre was built by the Government of Ghana and handed over to the Assemblies of God Church to manage.

Since handing-over, the Ministry has been investing in infrastructural development, together with the District Assembly and Assemblies of God Relief and Development Services to enable it function more effectively as a district hospital.
Mr Bukari 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, as
we speak, the hospital lacks a lot of infrastructure - no bungalows for doctors and nurses and the hospital has no district administration block. I want to find out from the Hon Minister what plans the Ministry has in providing these facilities for the use of the nurses and other staff in order to put in their best.
Dr Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, there are plans generally across the entire country to make sure that health infrastructure is actually upgraded and scaled up in some particular areas. In the particular request for an administration block, it has been a major demand from most health facilities. But in terms of priorities of the Ministry, we are more interested in concentrating first on clinical environment in terms of wards, out- patients‘ department and then we can make some other temporary arrangements for administration block. But there are plans afoot to make sure that is done across the country.
Mr Bukari 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the hospital also lacks a lot of human resource needs and as such, we have one expatriate doctor who is on contract and her contract would soon end. We do not have the full complement of nurses. I want to know from the Hon Minister what the Ministry will do in order to get a full complement of medical staff to this hospital.
Dr Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the shortage of health human resources or personnel has been a perennial one; it particularly started becoming acute two decades ago. And I can assure you that
until we can scale up the output from our training institutions, we are unlikely to meet that gap and we will continue to have these equity gaps.
Madam Speaker, it might interest you particularly in relation to midwifery that we produce only four hundred midwives in a year and eight hundred actually retire. And this is a gap that has been consistent and it is beginning to go into other areas of our health resources, even up to medical doctors.
It was put in the Sessional Address that thirty-six health training institutions would actually be graded. As we sit now, we have got in touch with every District Assembly that can provide the minimum infrastructure for us to commence the training schools and we have found that it is actually difficult for a number of District Assemblies. This has been forwarded to the economic advisory team to advise us on the best way forward.
The second major issue in relation to this is that, it is not just also the gap but it is the training needs. When we started training nurses at diploma level, then we started noticing that at the clinical level, they were very scarce. Once you are trained as a diploma nurse, in three years, you move out of the clinic into a district directorate or a regional directorate. That is why this academic year, we have reverted 35 per cent of our health facilities to produce certificate nurses who we can retain in the clinics.
Mr Bukari 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will want the Hon Minister to know that the Saboba Medical Centre is at a border town. We share a border with the Republic of Togo and as such, there is free movement of people and animals. These people and animals do not go alone, sometimes with sicknesses. The hospital has a lot of

constraints -- no emergency ward, no surgery block, no dental and eye units and also no mortuary.

I will want to ask him what emergency plans he would put in place to ensure that we have these facilities for proper functioning of the hospital.
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I guess, since the onset of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), transhumance has been a reality with us in terms of movement across the borders.
In terms of the Saboba area, there is no indication yet that it has become a dangerous area. Should the danger emerge, we have enough internal capacity to cope with it.
Mr Bukari 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to say that we would not want to be in the situation of danger before the Ministry will come to our aid. We want to make the appeal that we want the facilities in order to prevent the danger.
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will take note of it but it was because the danger was in specific relation to the movement of animals and human beings. I am saying that from the health perspective, that has not yet posed a danger in a particular community.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
But you did not answer the second question. That question was loaded. He said mortuaries are not there, this and that are not there and really, what he wanted to hear from you was what you were going to do about them.
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the issue of mortuary facilities has become a very interesting one because there are a lot of arrangements actually, and fridges are being brought in and mortuaries are being located. But we have started receiving
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.


other signals from the communities that we deliberately allow the clinical environment to become death traps so that we can build mortuaries and rather put people in. So, on specific issues of mortuaries, we negotiate and enter the community very carefully so that the communities themselves define their priorities for us.

If Saboba has mortuary as a priority, I will ask my Hon Colleague to get in touch and we will see what mechanisms we can put in place.

Packages for Retired Directors of Mutual Health Insurance Schemes

(Payment)

Q. 542 Ms Gifty Klenam asked the Minister for Health when the Government would authorise payment of retirement packages for retired Directors of Mutual Health Insurance Schemes.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has directed the District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes to compute the indebtedness of all erstwhile members of their Board as some of them are reported to have taken loans and advances from their schemes and some have been over-paid allowances. When this is completed, it would be possible to pay allowances that are due them after deducting the indebtedness of those of them who owe the schemes.
Ms Klenam 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, at least, for once, I want to thank God that the Government recognises the fact that the former Board members have to be paid. But before I go further to ask my question, I want the Hon Minister to tell the House how much retirement and welfare packages were approved by the former Council to the Board.
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, to the best of my knowledge, the NHIA did not have conditions of service, properly speaking. So when this issue came up and the conditions under which they were
paid, it was decided that conditions of service should be worked out as a matter of urgency and actually presented to the Board. I hear that has been done.
Whatever computation that has to be done in payment, will have to be based on the conditions of service.
Ms Klenam 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I have a copy of a letter of appointment to the Board members here that indicates how much remuneration that should be allotted to them and with your permission, if I may read it -
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
How much remu- neration, not end-of-service, is it not?
Ms Klenam 11:55 a.m.
It is included, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Is it?
Ms Klenam 11:55 a.m.
Yes, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
We will take your word for it. Ask your question without reading it. You tell us; you have read it.
Ms Klenam 11:55 a.m.
Yes, Madam Speaker. The question I want to ask him is -
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
What did the letter say?
Ms Klenam 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the letter says - I am reading just a bit of it. They have indicated here that some of them have taken allowances, loans and other things. But bullet six of the letter - it is written here that apart from these rates, no Directors or Chairpersons are to take any other allowances from the Scheme. So, I want to find out how that was able to occur.
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, there are quite a lot of challenges because of the transitional nature of the National Health Insurance Authority and we have found
out that some payments were given some descriptions that had become difficult in terms of financial arrangements.
I would want my Hon Colleague to give me the opportunity to have a personal discussion with her on this specific matter.
Madam Speaker, I am saying that because people's integrity is at stake and unless you can reach a definite position, there are some explanations I could have given but I think we should hold on to that until the clinical audit has been completed.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Should she come and have official discussions?
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
I will go to her, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
All right.
Dr Matthew O. Prempeh 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister's Answer goes to support the fact that these gentlemen were sacked illegally because the National Health Insurance Act makes them a legal entity. The District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme is a legal entity. They were not appointed by the National Health Insurance Authority. The Hon Minister should come back to the Dispatch Box and tell Ghanaians on what basis these gentlemen were sacked.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
I think the question is, were they sacked and if so, on what basis?
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, to the best of my knowledge, before I went to the Ministry, I also heard that all Boards were dissolved and once they were considered to be Boards, I assumed they were dissolved to be reconstituted. This purely, I guess, is an administrative directive that was issued. I am not in the position to indicate the legality or otherwise of that type of directive.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
He went there after this decision had been taken.
Dr Prempeh 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I just want to draw the Hon Minister's attention to a fact. The National Health Insurance Act was passed by this House and he was an Hon Member of this House. He is a lawyer of international repute and he knows that the District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes are legal entities that can be sued. So, on what basis does an administrative Act negates a parliamentary Act or a law of the country?
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
If I get his question correctly, he says, “they are Boards,” or you did not get that one? And the Boards were dissolved.
Dr Prempeh 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the gravamen of my question is that, this particular Board is a Board set up by an Act of Parliament; so an administrative letter cannot sack this Board.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Let us hear from him. Remember he has said he was not there.
Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I do appreciate the concerns of the Hon Member, but no matter what he thinks about me in terms of being a lawyer, I am constitutionally incompetent to provide a legal position on behalf of Government.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Yes, I think that is the best answer he could hazard, is it not? Yes.
We move to the next Question.
Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, Hon George Boakye is not available today because he has been called to the constituency to attend to an
urgent matter. He has requested me to seek your permission to ask the Question on his behalf.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Well, I do not mind giving the permission but if your Questions are not listed, you see the furore you cause. So when they are listed, can Members make it a point to come? Every time, “sick, gone to constituency”, it does not show any seriousness. When it is not listed, then you show that furore -- I would advise if they could try and put this first.
Anyway, ask your Question, it is not every day we get the Minister here.
Free treated mosquito nets to all under five years in Ghana
(Supply)
Q. 543. Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh (on behalf of Mr George Boakye) asked the Minister for Health when the Ministry would begin the supply of free treated mosquito nets to all children in Ghana who were under five (5) years of age.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health adopted the distribution of highly subsidized insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) at GH¢2.00 to children under five years and pregnant women since 2003 and these nets are made available at all health facilities throughout the country. Private medical and midwives facilities and NGOs have also been benefiting.
Apart from these subsidized nets, free nets have also been distributed on regular basis during maternal and child health campaigns, national immunization days, and malaria control week celebrations to children under five years and sometimes to pregnant women since 2003.
A total of two million, one hundred thousand (2,100,000) and one million, five

hundred thousand (1,500,000) ITNs were distributed free of charge in November, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

The Global Fund is funding the procurement of 1,900, while USAID/ PMI is procuring 830,000 nets. These are expected to arrive in Ghana by November,

2010.

There is, however, a shortfall of six million which we intend to cover up by December, 2010.
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister said that over two million nets had been ordered to arrive by November. What I want to know from him is, when would those nets be distributed when they arrive?
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Minister, can you answer the question?
Dr Kunbuor 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the nets are an addition; there is already a distribution mechanism and once they arrive and delivery is taken, they will follow the normal processes in accordance with what I have just indicated in terms of pregnant women and under five years.
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, would the Hon Minister be kind enough to apprise us of the distribution mechanism he talked about?
Dr Kunbuor 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, that is a very technical area and if I have notice of the Question, I will come to answer it.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Member, your last question.
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister has indicated that there is a shortfall of 6,341,622 nets before they can meet the target of 2010
and that effort is being made to source funds from both within and outside Ghana. Would he tell us if any progress has been made in sourcing those funds?
Dr Kunbuor 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, fortunately, I happen to be a Board member of the Global Fund and I just returned from the Board meeting. In Round Nine, which is the Global Fund Allocation Formula, we already have been able to secure US$23 million for malaria and insecticide-treated nets intervention is one area that would benefit. I am also aware that there are some donor supports that would be coming in when the mid- term review takes place, which will be devoted solely to malaria.
Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, on page 34, paragraph 2 of the Hon Minister's Answer, he said and I read, with your permission:
“In line with the Global Malaria Action Plan of attaining universal coverage, ITN will be distributed free beginning this year. The strategy is ‘One ITN to two people'.
Two million, seven hundred thousand ITNs have been ordered and are expected to arrive by November 2010 for free distribution.”
So which year is he talking about? Is it beginning this 2010? And now, he has said here that it has been ordered; I do not understand the Answer.
Dr Kunbuor 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I had this difficulty myself when I went to the health sector in terms of the way their timing is done. What we are talking about is a rolling programme and because it is a rolling programme that has actually commenced, what else is coming? The commencement period or what they call the base period is January this year.
So,we will be accessing it from January to December. When we are receiving it, and that is commencing this year, it means in effect, it has commenced but because the year has not ended, you cannot use it in the past tense. I guess that is the context because I asked for some clarification when I got this Answer. By January next year, we would then be saying that it commenced last year but it is commencing this year because we are still within the period.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Members, we move to the next Question which stands in the name of Hon Benito Owusu-Bio, Member for Atwima Nwabiagya.
District Hospitalfor Nwabiagya (Provision)
Q. 545. Mr Benito Owusu-Bio asked the Minister for Health when Nwabiagya District would be provided with a befitting district hospital.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health is aware of the need for major rehabilitation and expansion of the Nkawie District Hospital to appreciable standard to meet the health needs of the district.
However, funding constraints have made it difficult to embark on the rehabilitation and expansion of the hospital. Expansion and further upgrading of the Nkawie District Hospital would commence as soon as funds are available.
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, is the Hon Minister aware that there is no befitting hospital from Kumasi Suntreso all the way to Bibiani; likewise on the other road, that is from Kumasi Suntreso again, all the way to Tepa, which is a very, very vast area? Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister's Answer, provided that
“when funds are available”. When does he think funds would be made available for Nkawie, which is in the centre of this vast area that I talked about, to have a befitting hospital to save lives?
Dr Kunbuor 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, we are living in the real world in which resources are scarce. If the resources were available, I could tell him tomorrow, but the reality of our economy and where we stand now is that the resources are scarce and there are competing demands. But we pray that when the situation improves, we will consider it.
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister has been hiding behind the clog of “no funds available”. When we have made provision for some funds in his budget to be made available to him to be used in creating hospitals, especially, district hospitals -- So, Hon Minister, when? We want to save lives; when is he going to provide a befitting hospital for Nkawie?
Dr Kunbuor 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I definitely share hundred per cent, the sentiment of my Hon Member, and I am saying that I wish that the resource scarce clog was not one I should like to wear. In fact, if resources become abundant, I would be happier for it.
But I would ask him to continue to bear with us and we at the ministerial level and Parliament, will find the pathways to actually get the necessary resources and I am sure that will be done very soon.
Secondly, on the budgetary allocation, there has been no single allocation of resources that has been earmarked and it is not going to a particular facility. Perhaps, we have to re-visit our budgeting and re-
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
You have had two supplementary questions; you have one more to finish.
Mr Owusu-Bio 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I just want the Hon Minister to say that he is going to prioritise the construction of the Nkawie Hospital. I want him to confirm that they are going to give it a priority rather than saying that “when funds are available” -- [Interruptions.]
Dr Kunbuor 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, when you appear before this august House, sometimes it is better to be candid with the House than try to look elegant. And I want to be candid with the House and that is why I am hesistant in making some assurances.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
He does not want to be elegant, he wants to be honest.
Mr Joe Ghartey 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister said that sometimes he is candid to the House. I want to ask him when he is candid and when he is not candid, so that we know when to take his Answers seriously and when to know that he is not being candid.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
I think you need an explanation of the sentence.
Dr Kunbuor 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, when
the circumstances do not require you to be candid, that issue does not arise. But it is not all the circumstances; there are some circumstances that require you to be very candid, that is what I mean by some situations. What I am trying to say is that, if I am asked that how many clinics do you have in Bekwai and I know the answer is three, I will say three. If I do not know, I would not rush to three. That is why I said in some situations, you have to be candid.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
That is his explanation to you.
Mr Ghartey 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am giving him another opportunity. He is my classmate and very good Friend --
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Try again.
Mr Ghartey 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, would the Hon Minister not agree with me that the high office of Minister, indeed, requires him to be candid at all times? And indeed, in his answering of Questions, we believe that at times he is being candid and we do not believe -- Would he agree with me that there is no circumstance -- there can be no circumstances under which a Minister will decide not to be candid.
Madam Speaker, I recognise that he has sworn an oath of secrecy but that does not mean that he is not being candid if he says that he cannot say this thing. It does not mean that he is not being candid.
Dr Kunbuor 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I guess we were not communicating. As far as I am concerned, I now see the perspective whether there are circumstances in which we are not candid. Definitely, as a general principle, all times, you have to be candid to the House, there is no doubt about that. But I am only saying that if the circumstances do not impose a choice between being candid and not being candid, the presumption is that you are candid. That is why I answered it in that way. But I understand where he is coming from.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
We had another Question for the Hon Minister, which was Question No. 544.
Hon Members, Question 544 standing in the name of the Member for Tano South, Hon Andrews Adjei-Yeboah was admitted for a written Answer. In accordance with Standing Order 64 (4), the Clerk's Office has duly communicated in writing the response from the Hon Minister, to the Hon Member.
Hon Members, in pursuance to specified Standing Order, I hereby direct that the Answer to the Question be printed in the Official Report of today's proceedings.
WRITTEN ANSWERS TO 12:15 p.m.
QUESTIONS 12:15 p.m.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH 12:15 p.m.
Minister for Health (Dr Benjamin Kunbuor) 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health is moving away from institutional-based ambulance services to the national ambulance system. It is planned to establish the basic ambulance units at all district capitals including Bechem.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
In which case, Hon Minister, we have come to the end of your Questions, and we take this opportunity to thank you for coming to the House to answer our Questions.
Hon Members, the Chair will be taken by the First Deputy Speaker.
12.22 p.m -- [MR FIRST DEPUTY
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Members, item 4 - Statements.
Madam Speaker has admitted one Statement for the day. The Statement stands in the name of the Hon Minister for Women and Children's Affairs.
STATEMENTS 12:25 p.m.
Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare (NPP - Ayawaso West Wuogon) 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first of all, let me commend the Hon Minister for this very important Statement

and also to take the opportunity to wish the children of Ghana and the children of Africa very well, and to associate myself with the theme.

Mr Speaker, we need to demystify the concept of gender budgeting. The Ministry has a role in this respect to ensure that the MDAs recognise that this is important but not cumbersome and will not really take them through some rigorous processes that really, they cannot handle. So the need to demystify this concept should be a priority for the Ministry as it seeks to promote gender budgeting.

But Mr Speaker, we could also be looking at the concept of social budgeting. How are we looking at sectors that directly improve the situation of children? You look at education, what are we doing particularly in basic education and in fact, looking at pre-school education? Programmes such as school feeding, what are we doing about it? These are direct social interventions that contribute to the welfare of children.

If you look at the health sector, it has a very important role to play. Children under five in Ghana are known as a very malnourished group. It does not help our situation. What are we doing in the area of maternal and child care under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)?

Again, the Department of Social Welfare has a number of social protection measures for the welfare of the vulnerable, particularly children. They have issues of child protection when children become orphans. We have issues of child abuse, which we all know now.

If you look at the statistics of Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), you look at the statistics of the Department of Social Welfare, you look at the media, these issues of child

abuse are on the ascendency. What are we doing to ensure that the budgets allocated to departments such as the Department of Social Welfare are adequate enough to deal with some of these issues that are beginning to emerge even at the family level?

Mr Speaker, let us focus also on the

budget not only at the national level but at the district level because the closer the adequacy of the budget to the child, the better it is.

Our Children's Act enjoins us to set up child protection committees in all districts. Some have been set up but are not funded. Therefore, they are unable to undertake the kind of monitoring that they should do in terms of child labour situations, looking at child abuse and ensuring that all children who are under six or up to six years are going to school. So we must look beyond the national budget towards looking at the district budgets and ensuring that, one, whatever resources are sent there, should be adequate allocation to child welfare issues.

But Mr Speaker, I would like to end by saying that the issues of child welfare should engage Government seriously. Right now, at the international scene, Ghana is being seen as a hub for child abuse, particularly in the area of worst forms of child labour and child trafficking.

I dare say that we do have very friendly child protection policies and laws in the country but our implementation is falling short and our name is not being given the rightful place in the world.

As the Minister for Women and Children's Affairs has made this Statement today, I would like to appeal to her very strongly that we do something about child welfare in this country, particularly in the area of worst forms of child labour and child trafficking so that we would be seen as a responsible country, a country where children's welfare is paramount.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Members, I want the comments to be as brief as possible in line with the rules of the House.

Alhaj i Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC - Asawase): Mr Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the Statement made by the Minister for Women and Children's Affairs.

Mr Speaker, this Statement is a very important one, especially for the African child. Africa is bedevilled with so many conflicts, so many challenges and many a time, when these difficulties arise, those who suffer most are the women and children, they constitute the most vulnerable group.

Mr Speaker, issues that affect children

are basically education, health, child labour, the kind of programmes that we even today allow our television stations to telecast and issues about how we really plan as a community to take care of our children.

Mr Speaker, with regard to education, it is clear that our Constitution has made basic education free and compulsory. Today, you walk the streets of all the major urban centres in our country, you see these children unguided, they are just everywhere; and you simply ask yourself, where is the free, compulsory, universal basic education; you ask yourself, where is that compulsion?

It is a mandate that we have as a country, imposed on ourselves that we are going to make sure it happens. Yet, those who are supposed to enforce these laws watch unconcerned and these children's future becomes endangered, simply because the formative years are left to the

mercy of the environment.

Mr Speaker, if you look at our current educational system where you start primary one at the age of six, you would get to finish junior secondary school by the age of 15, and our Constitution is very clear. At age 15, you are not matured enough to even vote, you are not matured enough to do so many things.

Yet every year in, year out, for the past twenty or so years, Mr. Speaker, when you take the junior secondary school results, you would see that almost more than 30 per cent of these children are not able to move to the next level. Mr Speaker, we do not ask ourselves what happens to this large number of children who do not go beyond basic school.

Mr. Speaker, it is my view that in order to protect children, we must make secondary education compulsory so that they would be able to be covered till they are 18, when we as a country agree that they are then matured to be able to even vote. We should find the necessary resources to make sure that they do not just end at junior secondary school.

We should make senior secondary school also compulsory so that they would be forced to go to senior secondary school so that by the time they complete, they are over 18. Mr Speaker, we have the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); it has covered children under 18, but there are a lot of exemptions in terms of the coverage of the NHIS.

With regard to children, Mr Speaker, I believe that we should just move beyond the exemptions to cover every child. Once he is under 18, every ailment that afflicts any child in this country should be taken care of by the NHIS.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, comments on Statements are supposed to be brief. Now, you are taking us to District Assemblies. I beg you, let us be as brief as possible. We are yet to start Public Business.
Alhaji Muntaka 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just make this concluding statement, that the District Assemblies Common Fund that goes to the districts, in my opinion, is so small that it leaves them with so much in terms of challenges. If we say
that that is the core of development, I think that not less than 30 per cent of the Consolidated Fund should be going to the District Assemblies so that they would be resourced enough to be able to take care of most of these challenges.
Mr Speaker, with the comments made, I thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement.
Ms Esther Obeng Dappah (NPP - Abirem) 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to add my voice to the Statement on the floor of the House. I would like to congratulate the Hon Minister for bringing such an important Statement to the House. I would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate Ghanaian children and African children as a whole, especially children growing under difficult circumstances in Africa.
Mr Speaker, year after year, we make this Statement but we do not see much improvement. It is my wish that after making these Statements, some directives are given somewhere, somehow, that would make a difference in the lives of our children in this nation. Mr Speaker, as a nation, we cannot pat ourselves on the back and say that we have the interest of children at heart; it is sad to note.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On Statements of this nature, when you are making a contri-bution, you do not have to raise issues that provoke debate. The Hon Member is saying that the school feeding
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, the practice is that you do not provoke debate; so as much as possible, you should not provoke debate.
Ms Dappah 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do understand that. But why I am saying this is that - [Interruption.] Please, let me continue. Why I am saying this is that, in my own constituency -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, you have made the statement but you should not provoke debate because -
Ms Dappah 12:35 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. But it is an observation and I need to say it; we can do a lot to improve the School Feeding Programme.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, what you said, you are out of order. I have now ruled you out of order. You are provoking debate.
Ms Dappah 12:35 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, schools under trees --There is a village in my constituency and other parts of my constituency where children are still studying under trees. I believe, Mr Speaker, that there is a lot that we can do to improve the state of our schools.
Mr Speaker, now I come to children begging on the streets. We see children begging on the streets, others leading adults. There is some monitoring system to find out where these children are coming from; why are they not in schools. We see children hawking and when you ask them, “why are you not in school”? They reply, “I will go in the afternoon.” When you meet then in the afternoon, they say, “we
go in the morning”. There must be some monitoring mechanism whereby we can actually find out whether these children are in school or not. It does not matter; the social services must be well-resourced to monitor these children.
Mr Speaker, children are vulnerable. When we have our housing policies, I think we must have children in mind. Mothers who have young children, single parents, pregnant women, must be properly re-housed so that we can monitor these children.
Also, when these children are abused or they are harassed, there must be a monitoring mechanism, there must be a counselling system where these children can be counselled and properly catered for. If you do not do these things, Mr Speaker, I am afraid we are allowing so many children to fall through the net and in future, it would not be in the nation's interest.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Members, I will take one more from both sides and then that ends the Statement.
Mr Sampson Ahi (NDC -- Juaboso) 12:45 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity to associate myself with the Statement made by the Minister for Women and Children's Affairs on the occasion of the African Union Day of the African Child.
Mr Speaker, we all know that children are the major assets of every country; in every nation, children are the major assets, and in this regard, all effort must be made to protect and promote the welfare and the interest of children.
Mr Speaker, thanks to the proponents of the 1992 Constitution for indicating in it that ten years after the implementation of the Constitution, Free Compulsory and Universal Basic Education (FCUBE)
must be introduced. One component is the capitation grant which was introduced during former President Kufuor's regime and thanks to the current regime for increasing it from 30,000 cedis per child to 45,000 cedis, which means that a -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Member, what do you mean by 30,000?
Mr Ahi 12:45 p.m.
Old Ghana cedis.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
We are not using old Ghana currency. We are using Ghana cedis. Hon Member, we are using Ghana cedis.
Mr Ahi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thanks to the current President for increasing it from 30,000 cedis -- [Laughter.] --30,000 old Ghana cedis to 45,000 old Ghana cedis -- [Interruption.]
Mr J. B. Aidoo 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is trying to provoke a debate and we need your guidance on this, he should be well directed.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Member, do not cause any mischief, our currency now is Ghana cedis; use Ghana cedis in whatever you say.
Mr Ahi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe I am not posing any mischief; I am not being mischievous -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Use Ghana cedis.
Mr Ahi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not being mischievous. What I am saying is that former President Kufuor, during his time, introduced the capitation grant and before he left office, it was GH¢3.00 per child, and I am only simply saying that the current Government too has increased it by 50 per cent from GH¢3.00 per child
Mr Joe Ghartey 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my
very good Friend from the Western Region is provoking a debate because when you say that then we can raise all kinds of questions like, what is the cost of living now? If you say it is GH¢4.00, I will say that in real terms, it has gone down to about GH¢2.00 per child. That is what I will say.
Mr Speaker, if we are having a debate, I am prepared to stand on my feet for as long as you permit me to debate those issues. That is why the Standing Orders say that when you are contributing to Statements, you do not engage in debate.
When you called him as Chairman and -- Mr Speaker, even in the use of his left hand, he is coming under Standing Order 100. He does not know that he is coming under Standing Order 100. Mr Speaker, I would want to, with the greatest of respect, draw this House's attention to Sanding Order 100.
Mr Speaker, today, we are discussing the Day of the African Child. Mr Speaker, we know that everything everybody has said here is very important but perhaps, the most important thing is that we should behave in a manner that the children would be proud of and will support.
Mr Speaker, Order 100 says and with your permission, I quote 12:45 p.m.
“ Mr Speaker may order a Member whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the House . . .”
Mr Speaker, my Friend Ahi was using his left hand, which has great cultural significance. [Interruption.] He is still using it, his left hand and pointing at me, which has great cultural significance,
Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I invite you also to order my Friend who is my uncle and my Friend and who is representing Dansoman but comes from Elmina, Hon Fritz Baffour -- I mentioned his name, Hon Fritz Baffour, Member for Ablekuma South. Mr Speaker, a lot of our Members, I do not know where their sense of humour has gone, popping up and down like Indian rubber balls. The man knew I was talking about him.
Mr Speaker, he is caught squarely by Order 100. So Mr Speaker, first of all, Hon Ahi should not engage in a debate because we are more than willing to debate.
Secondly, Order 100, Mr Speaker, especially on the day of the African Child, those who are misbehaving in this House, should be asked to withdraw immediately in the interest of the African Child and I specifically mentioned Hon Ahi and my Uncle.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Ahi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to ignore my senior Brother because I am simply saying that the capitation grant was introduced during the regime of former President Kufuor. And before they left office, they were paying GH¢3.00 per child. Is it not a fact that as you speak today, what is paid per child is GH¢4.50? And is it not true that that represents 50 per cent increase? Is it not true? If I make this simple statement, where comes the provocation of debate?
Mr J. B. Aidoo 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when Hon Dappah made her submission and raised the issue of the School Feeding Programme and tried to do a comparison,
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Members, there is no need to rule on this matter. In the case of Hon Ahi, he was making a statement of fact in terms of figures, from GH¢3.00 to GH¢4.50. Those are facts and figures that cannot be disputed. In her case, she made a categorical statement that the School Feeding Programme has virtually collapsed, sort of. That is the controversy. That is the debate.
It is also possible, as Hon Joe Ghartey has pointed out earlier, for somebody to say that even though it is GH¢4.50, in his view, the real value of GH¢4.50 might also not be what it was two years back.
But Hon Members, let us not detract from the significance of the statement in remembrance of the African Child. So Hon Members, let us make progress.
Mr Ahi 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that social interventions must be made so that the African child and for that matter, the Ghanaian child can develop his full potential.
On this note, I would like to call on Government to do more in respect of the distribution of free textbooks, exercise books and school uniforms to Ghanaian children so that parents who cannot afford school uniforms and textbooks to their children - [An Hon Member: Free shoes.] [Laughter.] -- the children can access education. Mr Speaker, the maker of the Statement indicated that -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Member, kindly wind up.
Mr Ahi 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are calling on Government to introduce child budgeting. This is not to say that previous budgets did not cater for children but we want to see budgets which are specifically directed towards particular programmes for the benefit of Ghanaian children.
So Mr Speaker, let me sit down by congratulating African children and for that matter, Ghanaian children for happy AU Day Celebration.
Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh (NPP - Nsuta/Kwamang Beposo) 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to add my voice to the issue at stake. Mr Speaker, I just want to make a brief intervention.
Mr Speaker, Ghana is getting a very bad image for child labour. Recently, I watched a documentary on a BBC channel in which children working on farms in Ghana were shown to the whole world. For one particular child, they traced the mother to Burkina Faso and I believe that the impact is bad.
Mr Speaker, another bad example is children selling iced water on the streets of Accra and Kumasi. It is becoming so threatening for our children; and what saddens me most is that, most of the people who send these children to sell iced water on the streets are mothers. In most cases, they keep their own children at home and send the children of poor people whom they have taken as househelps to the streets to sell in the night.
Mr Speaker, somewhere last year, I stopped at a traffic light in Kumasi, Anloga Junction to do a sample. I spoke to about eight children selling iced water, and only two told me that their mothers sent them. The rest were staying with people who were not their relations and they had been sent to sell iced water as late as 10.00 p.m. in the streets.

Mr Speaker, I believe that mothers should have feeling for children who are not their own; if the child is your own, you would think twice before sending the child, a girl of ten years to the streets to sell iced water in the night.

Apart from the hazards on the road when this child closes at 10.00 p.m., she would be walking home alone and anything can happen to such a child. So I believe that mothers should really think about these children. The law enforcement agencies must perhaps have to do something.

The Hon Minister came to make this Statement, it is good. But it must not stop there. The laws of this country, from the Constitution up to the Children's Act, task the State to protect children for physical and moral hazards so that if the Hon Minister for Women and Children's Affairs makes a Statement and in the night children are walking on the streets selling iced water, crossing vehicles day and night, I believe that it is not enough and something must be done about this.

With this brief intervention, I thank you for the opportunity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Leadership, I need your advice. A lot of Hon Memebers are interested in the Statement. I tried to get your guidance but some of those who are on their feet are senior Hon Members and I do not like closing the door to senior Hon Members in this House when they are on their feet to speak.
Mr Avoka 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we had earlier given an indication that we would take two more Hon Members to speak from each side and the last Hon Member who spoke was Hon Osei-Prempeh for the matter to end.
Mr Speaker, we have a number of programmes still left. There is the learned Attorney-General and Minister for Justice who is here to take the Second Reading in respect of the Economic and Organisation Crime Bill. We also have a Report from the Leadership in respect of the composition of Members to the Constitution Review Committee. We are also going to do winnowing of two other Bills after this and the time is already past one o'clock.
We have heard enough from the Statement. Not less than four from each side have spoken and I think that covers adequately the sense of this House as far as this Statement is concerned. So if my Hon Colleague would indulge, we can end the contributions there and then take the learned Attorney-General and Minister for Justice next.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Members, if the two Hon Members would be very, very brief, about two minutes, let me just take them.
Mrs Gifty E. Kusi (NPP - Tarkwa- Nsuaem) 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, for the opportunity, I am really grateful. I want to commend the Hon Minister for the Statement.
Mr Speaker, the Human Development Report of 2007 tells us that a little about our ten million of the Ghanaian population are children and therefore, when we are planning or budgeting for this nation, this figure should be in our heads.
One issue too is that, most births are not registered. That is where we would get the actual figures to plan for children. Also, I just want to say that the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DVVSU) and the Social Welfare Department are really not resourced, to the best of my knowledge, and I want to urge all of us as Members of Parliament to ensure that these two institutions which
cater for children are well resourced --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Second Deputy Speaker and then I come to the Deputy Majority Leader.
Prof. Michael A. Oquaye (NPP - Dome-Kwabenya) 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will be very, very brief. I look at this matter as using the law as an instrument of social engineering. Mr Speaker, it is a law affair.
Mr Speaker, either our laws are too porous or they are not being enforced and that is why we would find our children watching films that we know they should not be watching. That is why we stand by and our children are being systematically exposed to homosexual practices and we are behaving as if nothing is happening until it is virtually too late.
Mr Speaker, that is why a ten year
old boy can walk and buy cigarettes without anybody blinking an eye while we know this would not happen in certain jurisdictions. That is why they can go and buy akpeteshie, just turn round the corner and drink. We are in that same situation whereby our lorry parks have kiosks selling ‘booze' all over the place.
Mr Speaker, we as lawmakers should examine this within the framework of our basic function here.
How are we really ensuring that the appropriate laws are there and secondly, that they are enforced? In Great Britain as well as in the United States of America, they have a law -- “Corrupting Morals of the Youth”. It is a fine way of catching you when so many other laws have loopholes. But once the society knows that this is not appropriate, and you have done something to a child or you have exposed a child to something which we regard generally as
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Yes, the last person.
Mr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo (NDC -- Wa Central) 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I also want to thank the maker of the Statement, the Hon Minister for Women and Children's Affairs.
The child symbolizes the future of society. He or she represents the future generation and so the responsibility and burden of society to ensure that the child grows well and transforms into a mature working adult who can be responsible for society and who can take the destiny of society into the next future, is crucial and cannot be avoided.
What we are witnessing does not seem that we are reflecting this thinking. In the present circumstance and at all times since independence, it does look like our planning is falling short of the fact that we are growing children in society.
The important thing about a growing child is about his or her psychomoto deve lopmen t and h i s cogn i t i ve development as well. These two are very crucial because the thinking, the mind caters for the cognitive development but the physical development of the child which is the psychomoto development is not taken care of because spaces are not created for children to play in. They are
Minority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement. Just a brief intervention.
Today, June 16, marks the African Union (AU) Day of the African Child and the Hon Minister has come with a Statement to commemorate the event.
I think that is a very good thing that the Hon Minister has done except that I have always thought that for such commemorative Statements, if they preceded the event by a day or a couple of days, then of course the nation would see its greater relevance. It will have greater impact if it is done a day or a couple of days before the event itself is commemorated.
So I would urge that the Hon Minister, the next time round bears this in mind. In similar vein, I may also want to entreat Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members to also avail themselves of such opportunities and come on such events with such commemorative Statements. Every now and then, we have such important days passing us by without noticing.
The second thing that I want to also address is what the Hon Minister herself
brought out. What has occasioned this celebration of AU Day of the African Child is the massacre in the 1970s of school children in South Western Township, the suburb of Johannesburg, affectionately referred to as Soweto.
I believe that on such occasions, we should contextualize the event in Ghana. There are happy developments in Ghana, particularly the last regime and this regime. I am talking about NDC II under His Excellency Prof Atta Mills and the NPP Administration under President Kufuor. We have not seen, this nation has not seen the battery of school children.
Mr Speaker, that is an important observation, regimes spanning from Dr Kwame Nkrumah's era have all witnessed school children going on demonstration, being beaten up, some of them being shot at in this country. We talk about events in Soweto and nobody mentions what has obtained in this country. On such occasions, I believe as a nation, we should resolve never to go back into those dark days, those blood and tender days as the late former Speaker, Justice Annan would normally want to refer to them.
Mr Speaker, we have moved away from such era; let us put them behind and as I have said, resolve as a nation never to thread that path again.
Having said that, I think as the Hon Second Deputy Speaker said, we should not also use it as a ritual where year in, year out we pour our hearts out on same events. Our Constitution provides as per article 13 (1), and Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, I quote:
“No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally except in the exercise of the execution of a sentence of a court in respect of
a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana of which he has been convicted.”
Again, article 15 (1) of the Constitution, in my view, re-inforces the dignity of every person, every living creature, human creature when it says:
“The dignity of all persons shall be invoilable.”
The issue about abortion in this country has become very topical, it has continued to exercise the attention of all administrations. I believe that when we come to discuss children and children's rights, and happily, we have the Attorney- General, Hon Minister responsible for Justice now as a woman, herself a gender engineer -- I believe the time has come for us as a nation to take a bold stand on abortion and I challenge the Attorney- General and Minister for Justice to lead this crusade.
Mr Speaker, we cannot continue to mention this year in, year out and allow it unattended to. I believe at this time and age, we should confront this topical matter and come clean.
As I said, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, a woman, a gender activist and a gender engineer, should hold and hoist this flag, and I believe she would be remembered for that if she leaves the scene one day. I pray it is not too soon but she should accomplish this before she leaves; whether or not it is going to be tomorrow, I cannot tell. But Mr Speaker, I believe it is something that as a nation, we should take on and who better prosecutes this agenda than the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the first woman to occupy that position --
I am happy that she is in the Chamber

Mr Speaker, finally on the issue of the educational rights articulated by my Friend the Hon Member for Asawase, the Constitution as per article 25 provides quite a coverage on the educational rights of children. What we are not too sure of is children who today do not have access to the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE).

There are projections. Happily this year, we are going to have a national census - a population and housing census. May I plead that we include this since this is a constitutional obligation, so we are able to determine how many children in this country are outside this net in order for us to be able to better pray and attempt a real rescue mission for these children who tomorrow may become a social menace.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for your indulgence.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Members, that brings us to the end of Statements.
At the Commencement of Public Business - Laying of Papers, item 5 - by the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
Hon Majority Leader -
Mr Avoka 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning himself is heavily engaged in the office, in solving some matter. He has graciously sent the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning who has come here to lay the Paper on his
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe we do not have anything against it, except if the Majority Leader himself was not so palpably disabled, he would rise up and lay this Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning. Now, he has to submit a plea for us to indulge the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning. Mr Speaker, the Majority Leader suffers from serious disability, he himself needs a rescue mission -- [Interruption.]
rose
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning would be tolerated by this House.
Mr Joe Ghartey 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it was Jesus who once said, after he spoke, that he who has ears, let him hear. I do not think the Minority Leader can ascribe himself with those powers. He is speaking in parables - the man is suffering a disability and so on - he should say it; we do not understand what he is saying. They have been in Parliament much longer than us, so for our education, he should tell us the nature of the disability, maybe, we can be of assistance.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Joe Ghartey, when the Minority Leader was on his feet, I saw the Hon Majority Leader nodding his head. So he understands the parable, the language - so we do not need any more education on this matter - [Laughter] - Anyway, that is on the lighter side.
PAPERS 1:15 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Paper
duly laid and referred to the Finance Committee.
BILLS - SECOND READING 1:15 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Are you the Chairman? I do not know; I am only asking.
Mr Lassey-Agbenyefia 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am the Vice Chairman and now acting.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Lassey-Agbenyefia 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The Economic and Organised Crime Bill was presented and read the First time in Parliament on the 27th of October, 2009. Madam Speaker subsequently referred the Bill to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration and report pursuant to article 106 (4) and (5) of the Constitution and Standing Order 179 of
the House.
2.0 Deliberation
2.1 The Committee deliberated and held two separate workshops with relevant stakeholders to consider the Bill. The technical team from the Attorney- General's Office, led by the Hon Attorney- General and Minister for Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu and the Chairman of the Serious Fraud Office Board, Mr Justice Amonoo Money, the Executive Director of the Serious Fraud Office, Mr Mortey Akpadzi and a representative from the British High Commission, Mr Roger Coventry, were among others in attendance at the invitation of the Committee to assist in deliberations of the Committee's Report. The Committee reports as follows:
3.0 Acknowledgement
3.1 The Committee acknowledged and is grateful to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and her technical team and the other resource persons for their attendance and technical input during consideration of the Bill. The Committee is also grateful to GTZ-Ghana for supporting and facilitating the workshop.
4.0 Reference Documents
4.1 The Committee had recourse to the underlisted documents during its deliberations:
a. The 1992 Constitution,
b . The S tand ing Order s o f Parliament,
c. The Serious Fraud Office Act, 1993 (Act 460),
d. The Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2008 (Act 749), and
e . Narcot ic Drugs (Cont ro l Enforcement and Sanctions)