Debates of 17 Nov 2010

MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:15 a.m.
ANNOUNCEMENTS 10:15 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of 12th November, 2010.
Page 1 . . . 4 --
Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu 10:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 4, number 154, I am listed as being present in the House. On Friday, I was out of the House. I wish the correction to be effected.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Is it with or without permission?
Mr Osei-Owusu 10:15 a.m.
I was absent without permission, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Very well. Table Office should take note.
Thank you very much for your honesty.
Page 5 . . . 7--
Prof. (Emeritus) Samuel K. Amoako 10:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am looking at pages 12 and 13 together. Under number 1 on page 12, it reads as follows:
“The Joint Committee met on Friday, 12th November, 2010 at 11.15 p.m. . . .”
And on page 13, number 4, it reads:
“The meeting was adjourned at 01.10 p.m.”
I think there is some inconsistency there. Either they met at 11.15 a.m. and adjourned at 1.00 p.m. or they met at 11.15 p.m. and adjourned at 1.10 a.m. I do not know which is which.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Hon Member, were you here last Friday?
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I was.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
You knew when we adjourned?
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:15 a.m.
Sorry?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
I thought your correction was right except that you were correcting it in a certain way. It is 11.15 a.m. It cannot be after noon.
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, since it is a committee meeting, they could have met at 11.15 p.m. So I just want to get the record straight.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
We have taken note.
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:15 a.m.
All right.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Hon Members, page 14 . . . 16 -- [Pause]
The Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 12th November, 2010 as corrected is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, correction of the Official Report of Wednesday, 10th November, 2010.

.

Hon Members, in the absence of

any correction, the Official Report of Wednesday, 10th November, 2010 is adopted as the true record of proceedings.

Hon Members, we also have that of 11th November, 2010.

Hon Members, in the absence of any correction, the Official Report of Thursday, 11th November, 2010 is hereby adopted as a true record of proceedings.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if you are through with that, I just wanted to raise a matter, maybe, it may be considered a small matter before Question time just to help improve the transaction of business in the House.
Mr Speaker, I notice that the Clerk, in compliance with Order 13 (2), did notify this House about the unavoidable absence of Madam Speaker from the Chamber today and intimated that that being the case, you, as the First Deputy Speaker, shall perform the duties and exercise the authority of Madam Speaker in relation to all proceedings of this House until Madam Speaker resumes her seat.
Mr Speaker, I am just wondering about the point of intervention. The transaction of business or whatever business that is set out to be performed in this House, commences with Prayers as captured by Standing Order 53. But then you assumed the Chair and you had the Prayers said and then the information came in.
I know it has been the practice but I just wanted us to advert our minds to it whether indeed, the Communication should not be done before the Prayers are said. That is because the Prayers are part of the business of this House.
Mr Speaker, I hope you caught the drift.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Well, I
am in the same dilemma as you are. I am because if “Prayers” are part of business, when does business start? That is the fundamental question. If “Prayers” are defined to be part of business, naturally, “Announcement” has to precede the “Prayers”.
But I have been in consultation with the Clerk to Parliament on this matter so that we can all agree what should be the way of doing it. If we had done it in a particular way over the years and we have now realized that method is not proper, there is nothing that prevents this House from correcting itself. You are part of Leadership, so we would look at it so that in future we will see which one will be the proper one.
Hon Members, Question time. We have
two Ministers with us today who are in the House to answer Questions from Hon Members. And the first on the Order Paper is the Hon Minister responsible for Health.
ORAL ANSWERS TO 10:25 a.m.
QUESTIONS 10:25 a.m.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH 10:25 a.m.
Minister for Health (Dr Benjamin Kunbuor) 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Prestea District Hospital is already a government hospital. The hospital was handed over to the Ministry of Health in 1996 by the erstwhile State Mining Corporation. The land on which the hospital is situated, however, is still under the Minerals Commission, which can be leased out for mining any time they have a prospective investor.
The decision of the Ministry therefore, is not to make any new major capital investment in the hospital. A new district hospital, however, has been planned for Prestea-Huni Valley and construction will start as soon as the Ministry is able to secure funding.
Mr Koffie 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, according to the Hon Minister's Answer, the hospital is situated on a mining concession. I want to ask him how come that a health facility was built on the concession.
Dr Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, this
is otherwise, previously, a private arrangement that belonged to the Minerals Commission - the State Mining Corporation -- at the time. They built a health facility that was also providing health services to the catchment area. And since they wound up their activities, they could no more continue running it.
Mr Koffie 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, according to his Answer, the Government is looking up for a funding before a new one would be provided. Since funding is not available,
can the Ministry not build on the old one?
Dr Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, as I
indicated, the circumstance surrounding the land in question is one that we have to be very careful about. Indeed, at the time that they even had the facility, if minerals were found under the hospital, they will go ahead to prospect for that mineral notwithstanding the particular facility that was put there. And because it is still open, we did not want to get into a situation in which capital investment would be done only for the concession terms to begin to apply and we might have to break it down.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Your last
supplementary question.
Mr Koffie 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am satisfied
with the answers provided.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Very well.
Question number 652 standing in the name of Mr Leo Kabah Alowe (Chiana/Paga)?
Mr Godfrey T. Bayon 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
I stand to ask for permission to ask the Question on behalf of my Colleague; he is caught up in traffic.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Has your
Colleague authorised you?
Mr Bayon 10:25 a.m.
Yes, please.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
He has
authorised you?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
From the traffic?
Mr Bayon 10:25 a.m.
Yes. [Laughter.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Very well.
By telephone?
Mr Bayon 10:25 a.m.
Yes.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Very well.

Health Centres in Kassena- Nankana West District

(Rehabilitation)

Q. 652. Mr Godfrey T. Bayon (on behalf of Mr Leo Kabah Alowe) asked the Minister for Health when the following health centres in the Kassena-Nankana West District would be rehabilitated and equipped:

(i) Chiana Health Centre

(ii) Paga Health Centre

(iii) Mirigu-Kandiga Health Centre

(iv) Sirigu Health Centre.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, funding constraints have made it difficult for the Ministry of Health to rehabilitate existing health centres nationwide. However, the Ministry of Health has prioritized the rehabilitation of the centres in Chiana, Paga, Mirigu-Kandiga and Sirigu in its capital investment plan.
Mr Bayon 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister says the Ministry has prioritised the rehabilitation of the centres. What does he exactly mean?
Dr Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, prioritising
these projects means a number of considerations have been taken in deciding which of these projects would be implemented before the other. And some of these conditions are the distance to the nearest health centre, the population of the catchment area that it covers and the nature of endemic diseases, particularly those related to the Millennium Development Goals in addition to other criteria informed
the prioritisation.
Mr Bayon 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, when does
he think this prioritisation will see the light of day?
Dr Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, as we
indicated, our capital investment plan will normally run with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) Budget for three years. I am almost sure that by prioritising it, it will be within one budget cycle, and we believe that in the 2011 Budget cycle, this issue should be addressed.
Mr Bayon 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, has this
project been inputted in the 2011 Budget?
Dr Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, except
it is a special project, we normally do not itemise specific projects in budget statements. What happens, invariably, is that, there is a budget plan that is referenced normally in the estimates, and if you look closely, should the estimates come to this House, you will find clearly, that there is a financial space to address these issues.
Kayoro Health Centre (Inauguration)
Q. 653. Mr Gofrey T. Bayon (on behalf of Mr Leo Kabah Alowe) asked the Minister for Health when the Kayoro Health Centre in the Kassena-Nankana West District would be inaugurated.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Kayoro Health Centre is one out of 23 health centres newly completed with a loan facility from OPEC. The Kayoro Health Centre has been completed, all necessary equipment installed, solar panels also installed. Water connection to the site through a mechanized borehole which delayed the inauguration has now been done. The health centre has now officially been handed over since June, 2010 and put to use. The official inauguration will be
Mr Bayon 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister why the Ministry would have to wait until all the 22 health centres are completed before the people of Kayoro are given health service.
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, certainly, the facility is currently under use. The only reason for the inauguration, to await the others is our partners from OPEC who will not want to come down for the inauguration of one another.
We are also quite clear that the 22 are within reach of completion and it should not take too long for the inauguration to be done.
Mr Bayon 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, is the Hon Minister telling this House that all the necessary staff have been put in place and are working?
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Kayoro Health Centre had a health post that was providing health services. Upgrading it to a health centre did not interrupt those activities in terms of health delivery. As I talk now, we are almost certain that they are still receiving health delivery with the staff that are there and when it is inaugurated, additional staff would be sent based on its upgraded status.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister, if it is intended that the inauguration of these health centres, 22 of them, will be done on the same day. Is it intended that they would do the inauguration on the same day?
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, one is

not very certain whether it would be on the same day but the days would be sufficiently approximate to each other to accommodate our donors. But we also have had a situation in which we can do about three inaugurations to cater for all the others. So I guess in this particular case, when we get word from OPEC, we would be able to indicate the sequence in which it would be done.

Assin South District Hospital (Provision)

Q. 654. Prof. Dominic Kwaku Fobih asked the Minister for Health what plans the Ministry had to provide Assin South District with a district hospital.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is the policy of the Ministry of Health to provide all districts in the country with a district hospital. In pursuance of this policy, the Ministry shall provide the Assin South district with a befitting district hospital when funding becomes available.
Prof. Fobih 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I realised that the Hon Minister intends to provide us with a “befitting” hospital, “befitting” emphasised. Can he brief me on the specific facilities that go into the proposed “befitting hospital”?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Did you get the question? He is saying that you intend to build a befitting district hospital for them. He wants you to give the House specifics about the “befitting district hospital” that you want to provide for the people of Assin South.
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, not being an architect, I would need notice on this question and we can make the specifics available.
Prof. Fobih 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I was excited by the word “befitting” but if the
Hon Minister is unable to provide that detail, I would spare him.
My next question is to find out from him whether he is aware that the continued delay of providing the district hospital is causing a small clinic like the Presbyterian Clinic at Assin Nsuta to really attend to about 300 and over patients a day as a spillover from the Assin Fosu Hospital.
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I will have no reason to doubt what the Hon Member is saying because, quite often when the main district hospital is not functioning, the tendency for pressure to come up on smaller facilities is very high. But I would undertake to find out exactly what immediate steps can be taken to reduce the level of pressure on the smaller facility.
Prof. Fobih 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, can I kindly find out from the Hon Minister what he would do in the interim if he finds out that the Assin Nsuta Clinic is facing critical pressure? What could be done in the interim since things are not readily available for the district hospital, so that he would come to their aid and be able to attend to these large number of patients?
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I certainly will seek technical advice on this matter but I guess that as a matter of policy, it is something that I would consider seriously.
Befitting Regional Hospital (Commencement)
Q. 716. Ms Beatrice Bernice Boateng asked the Minister for Health when the construction of the befitting regional hospital assured by the former Minister for Health would commence.
Dr Benjamin Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just for purposes of the record, I am assuming that this regional hospital that is being referred to, is in the Eastern Region, given the location of the Hon Member's
constituency. If that is accepted by the Hon Member, I will proceed to answer the Question in that context.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:35 a.m.
That is correct. You can go ahead and answer.
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health is currently sourcing for funds from the United Kingdom to provide a befitting regional hospital and as soon as the funds are secured, a new Eastern Regional Hospital will be constructed.
Ms Boateng 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to ask, that there has been so much pressure on the current seemingly regional hospital in Koforidua and it is for this reason that we are asking for this. In the interim, there is so much pressure on human resource, space and the accidents emergency section. What interim measure is the Hon Minister taking to ease some of the pressure from the hospital?
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, as a matter of fact, the Eastern Region on record has a regional hospital. Time and technology improvement is what makes the difference. Some two decades back, the Eastern Regional Hospital was one of the state-of-the-art. But as the years have passed and equipment and population pressure has increased, that is what has put the pressure on it and made it look like it is not a regional hospital.
We would be looking for other outlets in terms of the immediate catchment area and what other district hospital facilities are there to make sure that we decongest the regional hospital.
Ms Boateng 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, despite the problems I have enumerated, the hospital authorities are still eager to work and heal the sick as they come. As a result, they try to employ a lot of doctors from elsewhere to come and help. But when they come,
Dr Kunbuor 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we are in discussion with the Ghana Medical Association that has come out with a very, very innovative arrangement of sending doctors to very deprived areas to provide medical services on a limited scale.
One of the incentive packages that the Ministry has undertaken, to provide for those temporary arrangements, is housing and accommodation. We would take this on board with the Ghana Medical Association and see how the specific case of the Eastern Region can be integrated within this framework.
Mr William O. Boafo 10:35 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to know from the Hon Minister what steps his Ministry has taken while awaiting for the funding. What preparatory steps his Ministry has taken to provide a regional hospital while they are waiting for the funding?
Dr Kunbuor 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, a regional hospital is many things. Physical infrastructure; it is human resource-based; it is technology and it is even dealing with specialist categories. What might be needed immediately is how to begin to address the non-physical ones that normally would take some length of time to complete. And as I indicated, I will seek technical advice to make sure that what can be done within the shortest possible time is done and what would need some time, we would deal with that.
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:45 a.m.
Mr

Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Answer, he mentioned that the Ministry is trying to source for funds in the United Kingdom to provide a befitting regional hospital. May I know from him whether it is going to be an expansion of the existing regional hospital or a new one would be built? I am aware of the space constraint of this hospital and expansion is going to be difficult. Is he thinking about building a new regional hospital when funds become available?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Hon Member, there is the word “new” there in the Answer. The Answer says “a new Eastern Regional Hospital”. It is clear that it is a new Eastern Regional Hospital.
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to rephrase my question?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Absolutely.
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, may I know from the Hon Minister what the Ministry is going to do to provide facilities befitting a regional hospital when funds become available?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Hon Member, can you repeat the question?
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, my question is, what exactly is the Ministry going to do to raise the status of the regional hospital that will make it a befitting regional hospital? And if he can define what he means by “a befitting regional hospital”.
Dr Kunbuor 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I kept faith with the Question. The Question requests for a “befitting regional hospital and it did not lie in me to come and answer to another category of hospital outside what is “befitting”. But we are almost certain
that the new hospital will have the state of-the-art facilities to give it that status.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Answers provided by the Hon Minister for both Questions 654 and 716, he alludes to the unavailability of funding at the moment, for which reason, he said that, in respect of Question 654 --
“the Ministry shall provide the Assin South District with a befitting district hospital when funding becomes available.”
The second one also has a similar construction and he says:
“As soon as the funds are secured, a new Eastern Regional Hospital will be constructed.”
Mr Speaker, it does appear and I believe the Hon Minister would agree with me, that the Answers are too open- ended. Could he give us some reasonable time frame to expect the funding to be available? This is because he would know that, yes, we are looking for funding but we expect to have-- it may be one year, two years or three years. Can he give us a reasonable time frame?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
We are talking about Question 716, so give us a reasonable time frame.
Dr Kunbuor 10:45 a.m.
Yes, on the specific case of Question 716 with the United Kingdom, I would have to seek further advice from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning that normally handles the details of these matters. But we are very sure it is on course.
On the specific issue of the district hospitals, we are almost certain that if a number of facilities that would be coming
before this House are approved, it would be implemented immediately.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Hon Minister for Health, thank you for attending upon the House to respond to Questions from Hon Members. You are discharged.
MINISTRY OF TRADE AND 10:45 a.m.
INDUSTRY 10:45 a.m.
Minister for Trade and Industry (Ms Hannah Tetteh) 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I wish to state that the divestiture of the company is the responsibility of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), and I believe I have answered a Question in this House earlier where I responded and informed the House that SIPL had been placed on divestiture list.
However, as the sector Ministry in charge of the project, I wish to, by way of information, give a brief background on the company.
The company was set up in 1985 to produce fibrous raw material, that is, Gmelia arbora to feed a pulp and paper mill. The project was promoted by the Government of Ghana and five local financial institutions viz: Social Security and National Insurance Trust, Ghana Commercial Bank, Agricultural Development Bank, SG-SSB Bank and National Investment Bank as shareholders. The Government of Ghana has 71.5 per cent shares in the company.
The original objective of installing a
pulp plant could not be executed due to lack of funding.
Also, a reappraisal of the project showed that the land area of 18,000 hectares earmarked for the cultivation of the raw material would not be able to sustain the project or support a modern pulp and paper mill. This has been further limited by the fact that approximately 6,000, hectare area has been classified as a globally significant biodiversity area, and we are further constrained not to use that portion of the land for environmental reasons.
Due to lack of additional investment the company therefore, had to focus on sawmilling, using the overgrown Gmelina arbora trees, which could not sustain the company financially. It, therefore, continued to experience financial problems until it was eventually placed on the divestiture list.
The company was put on the divestiture list in December, 2002. Though the initiative was to obtain a potential joint ventureship for pulp and paper production, no suitable partners were found, compelling the DIC to re-advertise the company for investors in 2008 and again in 2010. This is yet to conclude the current divestiture process.
The company's present assets include an existing plantation of over 5,000 hectares of an industrial raw material resource Gmelina arbora, the site for nurseries with water dam, and industrial estate comprising office blocks, staff bungalows, clinic schools, 13,000 hectares of forest reserve, sawmill and kiln.
Its liabilities covering indebtedness to various companies, staff terminal benefits,
bank overdraft, Provident Fund and staff severance award total GH¢2,915,010.80.
The Government, therefore, intends to use all possible avenues through Divestiture, or if this current attempt to divest the assets is not successful, Government will take a second look at reviving its operations.
Thank you Mr Speaker.
Mr Arthur 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to
know from the Hon Minister whether she would agree with me that the problem with SIPL was more of management problem.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Hon Member, rephrase the question; you are asking for an opinion.
Mr Arthur 10:45 a.m.
My question is that the company was in fact doing very well but it was the management that brought the company down. I want to know whether the Hon Minister is aware of that.
Ms Tetteh 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe I am being asked for an opinion but I also think that the question is a contradiction and tensed. A company cannot be doing well if the management is not doing well.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Hon Member, have you finished with your supplementary? Very well.
The Hon Member for Akropong.
Mr Willian O. Boafo 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to know from the Hon Minister -- She was very quick in putting some value on the liabilities of the company, but she is silent on the value of the assets; she only itemized some of the assets. I would like to know, what is the value of the company's assets to inform us whether or not there is good prospect of diverstiture.
Ms Tetteh 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sorry, I do not have that detail. But if the Question
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Very well.
Severance Awards for 73 Workers of SIPL
(Payment)
Q. 686. Mr George Kofi Arthur asked the Minister for Trade and Industry when the seventy-three (73) workers of Subri Industrial Plantation Limited (SIPL), who were laid off on 1st April 2009, would be paid their severance awards.
Ms Hannah Tetteh 10:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I would like to inform you that management of SIPL, in collaboration with the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) as at 31st March, 2010, had laid off all the one hundred and forty (140) workers of the company.
To maintain the Estate and protect the property and also to ensure that SIPL would not be left to degenerate to a level that it would not be attractive to investors, until the divestiture process is completed, 67 out of 140 of the laid off workers were re-engaged and were tasked to work and pay themselves without piling up any future salary arrears, leaving 73 workers.
The DIC commissioned an external accounting firm to compute all entitlements that were due to all the 140 workers.
I wish to state that payment of entitlements of all the 140 workers of SIPL is currently ongoing through ECOBANK, Takoradi and is expected to be completed by Friday, 19th November, 2010.
I have also been informed that payment had been made to workers who had handed over the keys to their flats and bungalows to DIC representative at the factory.
It is to be noted that workers who do not hand over their keys would be expected
to collect their severance awards in accra after Friday, 19th November, 2010.
Mr G. K. Arthur 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want the Hon Minister to know that on the 9th of this month, the DIC told the laid-off workers to pack their things off the rooms and hand over their keys and then take their monies. After they had packed off and given out the keys, the 73 workers were not paid -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Hon Member, ask your question; do not make statements.
Mr G. K. Arthur 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is in connection with the statement the Hon Minister made here that they would be paid their severance awards after they have packed and handed over their keys. Mr Speaker, the workers gave out their keys for their moneys to be paid but they were not paid. Rather new workers who were not part of the 73 workers were paid. Is the Hon Minister aware of that?
Ms Tetteh 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think in my Answer, I have already stated that the payments are for all 140 workers. I indicated that all the 140 workers of SIPL were laid off and severance awards were calculated for all the 140 workers. I also indicated that of those 140 workers, some of them were re-engaged in order to be able to continue to maintain the company's premises.
Therefore, to say that some workers have been paid and workers who were not part of the 73 have been paid is not a true statement.
I am not aware of the issues that the Hon Member is talking about, but I certainly would check. To the best of my knowledge, the arrangements were
Mr G. K. Arthur 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, will the Hon Minister admit that the laid-off workers who packed off and handed over their keys were asked to go back to their rooms until they were paid?
Ms Tetteh 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think I indicated that payment in the Western Region is taking place until the 19th of November, which is Friday. So to the extent that they can be paid by Friday, which is when we would stop making payments in the Western Region, I do not think the issue of allowing them to re-enter their rooms for two days arises.
Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in her response to the Question, the Hon Minister stated and with your permission, I quote:
“. . . workers were re-engaged and were tasked to work and pay themselves . . .”
And my question is, how can she explain to Ghanaians how workers could be re- engaged to work and at the same time, be tasked to pay themselves?
Ms Tetteh 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, a company is
expected to generate revenue from either the goods that it produces or the services that it provides. I have indicated in my Answer to the previous Question, that is, Question number 685, to the extent that no additional funds were found to invest in the company. What happened was that, the company was operating sawmilling and using the Gmelina arbora trees - essentially cutting down the Gmelina arbora trees, sawing them and then selling
them.
Therefore, in order to continue to maintain the premises, it was understood that they would continue with that activity, which is what they had used to generate income previously for as long as the divestiture process was not completed.
I have also gone on to say that this particular divestiture attempt that we are making is to be our last attempt. If we are unable to conclude this divestiture arrangement, the premises would revert and come once again under the supervision of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and we would take steps to see what we can do to revive the operations of the company.
But the direct answer to this question is, they were using the Gmelina arbora trees, felling them, using the sawmill to process them and selling them and using the revenues to pay themselves.
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister has indicated that payments of entitlements to the 140 workers were subject to handing over their keys and this should be completed by the 19th of November, which is Friday. Could she tell the House, where keys have been submitted but payments have not been done by the close of Friday, what happens?
Ms Tetteh 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if keys are submitted and payments are not made by the Friday, the Ministry of Trade and Industry will liaise with the DIC to look for an extension of time to continue making those payments. However, that would only be in respect of keys that were submitted before Friday, the 19th. After that period - and I think that the mopping up exercise, maybe, could take about a week. After that period, any keys that are not submitted to the DIC representative on the factory premises would have to be brought to the DIC offices in Accra before
payments are made.
Prof George Y. Gyan-Baffour 11:05 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Hon Minister is saying that, following the question asked about the fifty-seven workers who are being re- engaged -- Is the Hon Minister telling us that until the factory is sold, the ownership reverses to the workers in that company? Is that what she is suggesting here?
Ms Tetteh 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, no; that is not what I am suggesting. I made a point that -- in my previous Answer, I said that the way that the company sustained itself, that is, the goods that were being produced and sold, by which the company obtained revenue to pay the workers and to pay its other responsibilities, were through the felling of the existing five thousand hectares Gmelina arbora plantation, which still exists. It is part of the assets of the company that are being sold on divestiture.
Therefore, for the company, which is a limited liability company to continue to operate, the workers who are still engaged on the premises have been given the right as it were to continue those operations which they were doing previously before the decision was taken to pay them severance and generate revenue from those means to pay themselves. That does not mean that ownership has passed to the workers.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Members, that brings us to the end of Question time.
We thank the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry for attending upon the House to respond to Questions from Hon Members.
You are discharged.
BILLS - FIRST READING 11:05 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Item 6 on the Order Paper - By the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have just been informed that the Hon Minister for Lands and Forestry went to his constituency for the “Salah” but has not
been able to reach Accra yet. But the Hon Deputy Minister who is also a Member of Parliament is available and with your kind indulgence and the permission of my Hon Colleagues, I humbly pray that we permit him to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister.
Thank you.
Mr Ambrose P. Dery 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I did hear the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of the House mention that he is a Minister for Lands and Forestry and I am not aware that we have such a Ministry. So I would not be consenting to any Deputy Minister with that designation standing in but if the correction is effected, we would have liked the Hon Deputy Minister to -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader -
Mr Avoka 11:05 a.m.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources - [Laughter.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Yes, now respond, Hon Deputy Minority Leader. Now that he has corrected himself --
Mr Dery 11:05 a.m.
Very well, Mr Speaker, we would indulge him.
PAPERS 11:05 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, and indeed, the Hon Minority Leader, we have a few challenges here. I have not seen the agreement; and is it to the Committee on Lands
and Forestry? Or does it involve some financial arrangements? This is because I have not seen the document. I need your guidance.
Hon Member for Amenfi East, do you want to help?
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not in to help [Laughter.] But the point is that a document that you have not seen -- and I want to believe that the Clerk's Office, maybe, has not also seen -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
I am speaking for myself. [Laughter.] They have; I have not studied the document. I have not seen the contents of the document, that is why -
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think the invitation is to the Hon Minority Leader, so I would leave it there.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
The document is duly laid and referred to the Committee on Lands and Forestry for consideration and report. That is the advice I have received, since on this occasion, the Hon Majority Leader and the Hon Minority Leader could not help the Chair - [Laughter.]
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, you may recollect that about two years ago, the phase I, when it came, we struggled a bit over the destination of the referral.
Mr Speaker may recollect again that
the Committee on Energy, because it had to do with Volta River Authority (VRA), was insistent that it should be within their domain and the Committee on Lands and Forestry said because it involved timber, it should come to the Committee on Lands and Forestry. That was the dilemma. I do not know whatever -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
What was
the final referral by the then Chair?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:15 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, in the event, it became a joint referral. The referral was to the joint Committee on Lands and Forestry and Energy. Even though my own thought was that because it involved timber resources, it should have gone to the Committee on Lands and Forestry. But to be consistent, you could make the referral to the joint committee.
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I realize that
it involves harvesting timber from the Volta Lake and certainly, it would have some implications on the effect of the Volta River. So I have no objection if the Committee on Energy would be involved so that they can also involve the VRA, so that they can give us technical advice on the subject. So I have no objection.
Mrs Gifty E. Kusi 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, since you have not seen it, can we stand it down so that you read it and -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon
Member, this is phase II. It is not phase I It is phase II. So I am referring it to the joint Committee on Lands and Forestry and Energy for consideration and report.
Item 6 (b) - By the Minister for Finance
and Economic Planning.
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we will defer
this one for the meantime.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Item 6 (b)
deferred accordingly.
Item 6 (c) - By the Chairman of the
Committee.
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am aware
that the joint Committee on Mines and Energy and Finance has been locked up in a meeting to finalise the report to be

presented this morning. So if it could be stood down for sometime, so that we see if during the course of the morning, they would come and lay the Report.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Item 6 (c)
also deferred accordingly. Is that right? So we are deferring item 6 (b) too?
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
That is so. It is for further
consultation. And then item 6 (c) for the Committee to come up.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I know that the season for the purchase of cocoa is here with us and COCOBOD certainly needs this facility, that is, item 6 (b). I do not know the implication on the financial muscle of COCOBOD. So I would plead with the Hon Majority Leader to be in consultation with the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, so that we act with some degree of dispatch on this one. If the consideration should come together with the consideration of the Budget, it is going to pose some difficulties. So the Hon Majority Leader may have to liaise with the Hon Minister so that we take this as soon as possible, I am talking about item 6 (b).
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I appreciate
that one. I will do so.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, we have an addendum to the Order Paper.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon P. C.
Appiah-Ofori?
Mr Appiah-Ofori 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
item 6 (c) is talking about the Report of the joint Committee on Finance and Mines and Energy on the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill. Where is the Exploration and Production Bill? It should come before the Revenue Bill.

Where is it?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order. We are talking about specific Papers that have been listed on the Order Paper for laying. So I have ruled you out.
Hon P. C. Appiah-Ofori, you are out of order.
Hon Majority Leader, are we ready
to lay the Paper on the addendum to the Order Paper?
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, yes. A
member of the Committee, Hon Alfred Agbesi is available to lay the Paper on behalf of the Chairman.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
But I have taken note that the Hon Members of the Committee are not here. Is the Report ready?
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I hear it would be ready very soon -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, I thought you should do some consultation to pave way for the easy laying of this Paper.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought that the Reports were ready so that we could - Because immediately we lay them, we are going to stand down the relevant provisions of the Standing Orders to consider them and if they are going to be ready soon, then we better not lay them at all.
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, actually; my information is that it is ready. It is not just soon but that it is ready.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
So are you withdrawing the “very soon”? [Laughter.]
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, no. But “very soon” and “ready” are close. [Laughter.]
Mr Speaker, an Hon Member of the Committee says that the Report is ready. It has been signed. It is ready. So it would be distributed very soon.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Members, this morning, in the Speaker's Lobby, some information was brought to the attention of my goodself and indeed, the Leadership and that is why we wanted to take this matter today. But in trying to do so, it is equally important that the documents are also ready while we suspend the rules to take them. So I will plead the indulgence of the House to lay them. But after that, if the documents are not available to Hon Members, we cannot take the debate on the matter.
Mr Avoka 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to plead that the time now is 11.25 a.m. In view of the programme that we have with you with regard to the visitors who have come - my information is that the Western Regional chiefs have arrived and they are waiting in the Conference Room so that we can go and receive them. So if we can suspend Sitting now for 30 minutes, so that we would come back at 12.00 noon -- By 12.00 noon, we expect that if any document is ready, we would be able to run copies for distribution and then we would also have been able to solve the issues of the visitors who have come to present some petition to us.
With your indulgence and support of my Hon Colleague, the Minority Leader, we can suspend Sitting for at least, 30 minutes or one hour and then come back subject to your discretion, either 12.00 noon or 12.30 p.m. so that we can take 30 minutes or one hour to sort out these matters and close for the day.
Mr Dery 11:25 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think the fluidity on the other side is very
disturbing. I thought that you had advised that we could lay the Report and then defer the debate, in which case, we would have made some progress. But here is the Leader of the House asking us to suspend and then -- even the composition of the funding is still very fluid.
I do not think we were informed that the Chairman of the Committee was going to be promoted to a Deputy Leader position and his -- [Laughter] - Mr Speaker, he is compounding the problem. I think that if we are laying, let us lay and then we can defer the debate to the appropriate time. And I want to draw your attention -
M r Av o k a : M r S p e a k e r, m y
understanding is that we will lay the Report and when we come back, during the course of our short suspension, the reports will be distributed and then we will come back and take the Motion. So, with your indulgence, it can be laid now.
Mrs Gifty Kusi 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I hope the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning will come or his Deputy will come.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon
Members, the following Papers to be presented by the Chairman of the Committee -- Addendum to the Order Paper.
Mr Afred K. Agbesi - rose —
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon Member for Ashaiman, are you now the Chairman?
Mr Agbesi 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not the Chairman but I am a member of the Committee.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Very well. So you have to take permission before you lay it for the record to be properly captured.
Mr Agbesi 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, the Chairman of the Finance Committee is chairing a meeting now and he has asked me to lay the Paper on his behalf as a member of the Committee.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Very well. Now, you can lay it on behalf of the Chairman.
PAPERS 11:25 a.m.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe, for the record, the Hon Member who got up and laid the document did not lay the document on behalf of the Chairman. A Chairman lays a Paper on behalf of the Committee. He cannot say he is doing so on behalf of the Chairman; he should get this straight. But beyond that, if we have a Leader who construes “very soon” as “ready”, then certainly, he will not make the decision between 60 minutes and 30 minutes. For how long are we rising -- adjourning? Is it 30 minutes or one hour?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon
Members, I will suggest that we suspend Sitting for one hour to go and see the members of the Western Regional House of Chiefs and then within one hour, I am sure that Hon Members would have got the Papers, then we come back and take the item on the Addendum to the Order Paper.
Mr Avoka 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, before
we rise now, I would want to take the opportunity to inform this august House
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon
Members, the House is suspended for one hour. We will come back here at 12.30 p.m. to conclude business for the day.
Thank you very much, Hon Members.
11.30 a.m. -- Sitting suspended.
1.00 p.m. -- Sitting resumed.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon
Majority Leader, have the Reports been distributed? The Reports on item number 2 on the Addendum to the Order Paper?
Mr Cletus Avoka 11:25 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon
Member for Old Tafo, where are the Leaders? I take note that when they are not there, you act for them.
Dr Anthony A. Osei 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I did not notice that it was empty - [Pause.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Very well - item 2 on the Order Paper - addendum -- Chairman of the Committee.
MOTIONS 11:25 a.m.
Dr A. A. Osei 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Buyer's Credit Facility Agreement between Government of Ghana and/
KfW, Germany
Mr James K. Avedzi 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Buyer's Credit Facility Agreement between the Government, of Ghana and KfW Frankfurt AM Main, Germany for an amount of €9,400,000.00 for the supply of ambulance vehicles and spare parts for the National Ambulance Service of the Ministry of Health.
1.0 Introduction
The Buyer's Credit Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) Frankfurt AM Main, Germany, for an amount of nine million, four hundred thousand euros (€9,400,000.00) for the

supply of ambulance vehicles and spare parts for the National Ambulance Service of the Ministry of Health was laid in the House on Thursday, 28th October, 2010 in accordance with article 181 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

Pursuant to art icle 103 of the Constitution and Order 171(1) of the Standing Orders of the House, the Rt Hon Speaker referred the Agreement to the Finance Committee for consideration and report.

The Committee met and considered the Agreement with the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Hon Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and his deputy, Hon Seth Terkpeh; Minister for Health, Hon Dr Benjamin Kunbuor and officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Ministry of Health and hereby presents this Report to the House in accordance with Order 161(1) of the Standing Orders of the House.

2.0 Background

In the year 2004, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) was established with an initial fleet of thirty-six (36) ambulances. These were deployed mainly in the metropolitan and municipal areas of Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi/Takoradi and Tamale.

Hon Members would recall that His Excellency President J. E. A. Mills indicated in his 2009 State of the Nation Address that more ambulances would be procured to expand the existing fleet to cover more districts.

In 2010, the need to procure more ambulances to expand the existing fleet of the National Ambulance Service was

reiterated by H.E. the President in the State of the Nation Address. It is imperative, therefore, that the President's promise be fulfilled to enable many more districts to be covered by the National Ambulance Service.

3.0 Purpose of the Credit

The purpose of the credit is to secure funds to procure ambulance vehicles and spare parts for the National Ambulance Service (NAS) of the Ministry of Health. 4.0 Terms of the Loan

The terms of the loan are as follows:

Total Contract amount -- €10,900,000.00

Government of Ghana Contribution -- €1,500,000.00

Loan amount -- €9,400,000.00

Grace period -- 1 year

Repayment period -- 6 years

Maturity period -- 7 years

Interest rate -- CIRR + 0.6 per cent per annum

Commitment fee -- 0.75 per cent per annum

Management fee -- 2.0 pr cent per annum

5.0 Observations

The Committee noted that due to the unavailability of ambulances, many people lose their lives from avoidable causes largely due to delays they encounter and the poor care they receive before reaching the hospitals. The most affected are children, pregnant women and victims of road traffic accidents.
Dr Anthony A. Osei (NPP -- Old Tafo) 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second Motion number 3 on page 2 of the Addendum to the Order Paper.
Mr Speaker, I think the Chairman has read the Committee's Report and there is not much controversy in this area.
In fact, the reason we have been meeting in the last couple of days on this matter is that, the original date of expiration for the validity on this contract is supposed to be November 12. The KfW has agreed that if we are able to do something this week, they might consider - Because this is a special provision given to the Government in order for the ambulances to be purchased.
Under normal circumstances, KfW does not give a loan for the purchase of these types of ambulances. So this is why the Committee has been meeting. Hon Members of this House - or all of them need these ambulances in their various constituencies. It is a good programme and we hope that the Government will do more than just go to KfW for this to ensure that every Member of this House has some decent ambulance in his or her constituency.
With these few words, I want to urge all my Hon Colleagues to support Motion
number 3 as it appears on the Addendum.
I thank you.
Question proposed.

Mr George K. Arthur (NDC -

Amenfi Central): Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion but I have a few comments to make. I can see most of the deaths or the cases that we have are due to transportation of patients from one point to the other, where they need to be given proper attention or where there are emergencies.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
Dr A. A. Osei 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point
of order. Mr Speaker, the Report says there
Dr A. A. Osei 1:10 p.m.


are 36 ambulances; where is he reading the 26 from? I do not know what is wrong with my Hon Colleague. We all have the same Report; I see 36 and he said 26. Mr Speaker, maybe, he has a Report that we do not have. It said 36 and he says 26. [Interruptions.] He is speaking for the Committee.
Mr G. K. Arthur 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I said 36; I have the Report before me. I said 36; I did not say 26. So, what I am saying is that if they could consider the remote areas where cases are very critical, where we need to transport the patients to the open areas, I think that would have been better. If we could also consider maybe, establishing some ambulance points at accident prone areas, than maybe, allocating these ambulances to the cities - that is my problem. And the number of ambulances, which is now 56, is woefully inadequate and if we could increase it so that each region at least, could get about 20 ambulances or we could even serve the districts first before we consider the cities. That is my problem with the Motion.
With that I support everything that we have considered for the approval of the loan.
Dr Richard W. Anane (NPP -
Nhyiaeso): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to associate with Motion number 3 on the Order Paper.
Mr Speaker, ambulances as part of the health infrastructure are almost a necessity. In the past, our ambulances were associated with particular institutions for particular functions - [Interruption] -- of transporting patients to and from centres which may have had better services for patients who were being referred.
But Mr Speaker, over time, it was seen that these were being abused and therefore, one could even find ambulances
that were being used for ordinary or bandit activities.
Mr Speaker, based on that, the concept
of the National Ambulance Authority was brought into being. In addition to the fact that it is needed for emergencies, it was also brought into being to be supportive of the National Health Insurance Scheme. Mr Speaker, these are the basis; if we have insured somebody for his or her health and if the person needs access to a health facility and if the person is unable to move but he is able to get in touch with the National Ambulance Service, that person should be taken to the centres. So, it was brought up as part and as a support to the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Mr Speaker, it is commendable that as time goes on, we are following and pursuing the agenda of the path for the nation and not for particular governments. The construction of the Accident and Emergency Centre in Kumasi with the envisaged vision of the construction of similar facilities countrywide and the provision of helipads, Mr Speaker, tells the story of the vision of the ambulance service. It is not just the provision of vehicles on our roads; it is also for the provision of helicopters which can be used for emergency evacuation of patients who require some attention in relevant health institutions.
Mr Speaker, KfW is a consistent
development partner. Now, it is also not normal to find KfW financing facilities of this nature but today, KfW is doing so. And in so doing, Mr Speaker, I would wish to ask that we ensure that there is value for money in order to be able to continue to have the confidence that they have in us so that they will continue to support a venture of this nature.
Mr Speaker, one must realise that ambulances are vehicles and vehicles have running times and that within a short period, they may be breaking down. So the facility, the spare parts and the need for
continuous - apart from the maintenance, the need for replacement must be part of whatever programme that we have.
Some people may think that once a certain quantum of ambulances have been supplied, it means that is the end. Mr Speaker, they are vehicles, they will run down in spite of maintenance. Therefore, we have to have a programme that will be replacing those that break down so that we will continuously be having an ambulance service that is worth its salt.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I
would want to thank you for giving me the chance to be part of this Motion.
D e p u t y M i n i s t e r f o r Wa t e r
Resources, Works and Housing (Maj. (Dr) (Alhaji) Mustapha Ahmed (retd) (MP): Mr Speaker, I wish to join Hon Colleagues who have spoken in support of it and also call for massive support for this facility because our nation is in dire need of the ambulances.
As we have been told, we require a minimum of 500 ambulances to make up for the requisite ambulance population ratio in this country as set by the World Health Organisation.
Mr Speaker, I think the Report has been well prepared and it tells us in detail what we stand, as a nation, to benefit from these ambulances. And as my Hon Colleagues just stated, these are vehicles whose lifespan would be between 5 and 10 years, and I believe that the facility has taken note of this.
Therefore, we should emphasise on good maintenance regime for the vehicles, because as we have seen, the repayment period is 7 years by which time some of
the vehicles may be getting ready to be taken off the road. Therefore, there would be need for those who would be placed in charge of these vehicles to take requisite measures to ensure that we do get value for money for the ambulances which will be procured.
This figure would be able to give us, maybe, about 150 ambulances which would still be far short of what we require. The requirement is for a minimum of 500 ambulances and I believe that the House is prepared to support some further facilities to ensure that this figure reaches the desired figure that we require.
With these few words, Mr Speaker, I wish to support the Motion.
Thank you very much.
Mr P. C. Appiah-Ofori (NPP - Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) 1:20 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Ambulances are indispensable tools in the healthcare delivery. So any country that claims to be giving effect to fight against ill-health and does not have ambulances available is not serious. So this is in the right direction and everybody who thinks good for Ghana will support it. But I have seen certain things I would want to draw attention to.
The total contract sum is 10.9 million euros and Ghana Government is to contribute 1.5 million euros. I do not know whether Ghana can raise this amount - 1.5 million euros and there is no evidence here that Ghana is going to be able to do it. If it is cedis, yes, but is Ghana going to exchange cedis into dollars or euros to go and pay for this? I have not seen anything to that effect here, as to how Ghana would be able to raise this aspect of it.
[Interruption]
  • [MAJ. (DR) (ALHAJI) (RETD) Ah, you disturb me too much. Mr Speaker, have you taken notice of this young man?
    • Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    I will give you protection. Continue.
    Mr Appiah-Ofori 1:20 p.m.
    Thank you very much. That is why I like you.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Yes, point of order.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, just like my other Hon Colleague was doing, this Report talks about euros and my Hon Senior Colleague is talking about dollars, so I keep wondering. Are we reading the same Report or not? There is no dollar amount here. It says 1.5 million euros to be paid by the Government of Ghana and he is saying that --
    “Where are we going to get the money to change into dollars”?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Appiah-Ofori, did you say “dollars?”
    Mr Appiah-Ofori 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I know this Hon Member very well. He takes delight in fighting me, so do not take him seriously; let us move ahead.
    Mr Speaker, it is significant to note that this loan, the moratorium period is only one year; one year moratorium period and repayment period of six years, bringing the maturity period to seven years. It means it is a very short-term loan and so the Government must be able to raise money, must be able to raise euros, 1.5 million euros to support this in order that the Government can access it.
    If Ghana is unable to raise this money, then we are giving approval for this but at the end of the day, the ambulances will not come. So I urge the Hon Majority Leader

    to communicate to the Government, that it is an important facility, it is going to help us to fight ailments, therefore, they should do everything humanly possible to raise the money at the appropriate time to fund it.

    Another issue I want to raise is its tax component. I would have thought that since we are going to waive tax, we should have brought this together so that given approval for this, we then move to the Motion for the waiver to make it faster than -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, I have also taken note of that. The last time, it was an all in one report, both the tax exemption and the Motion but now the tax exemption -
    Mr Avedzi 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    This Report is only on the Loan Agreement, not the waiver of the tax. That would come after the actual figures have been got by the Ministry and that will be submitted to the House for approval.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Is it the case that you have not got the exact amount involved in the tax exemption?
    Hon P. C. Appiah-Ofori, conclude.
    Mr Appiah-Ofori 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much. It means this document is not ready to be laid before us because it is something urgently needed and if he cannot do this quickly and we are giving approval for this before we go round and check to find the tower, then we are not serious.
    So I expected that they should put them together so that given today, we would have given approval for the tax waiver too so that it would move faster.
    Thank you very much.
    Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu (IND - Bekwai) 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I wish to add my
    voice in calling for support for adoption of this Report, but I wish to make a few observations on ambulance service generally.
    Mr Speaker, I think that the whole ambulance service provision is a regime involving drivers and caregivers. The caregiver section would be dealt with by the Ministry, I suppose, because they have a specialty in that area. But my interest is in the kind of people we will employ to drive the ambulances. The kind of skills that are required to drive the ambulances to ensure that the injured or the sick person is not compromised further, is specialized.
    It does appear to me that we do not have any institution for training people for such specialized services. Indeed, when the ambulance service started, I recall that at the time, it was after the vehicles had arrived that we quickly organized some wishy-washy training, so to speak; some training for drivers.
    The Driver and Vehilce Licencing Authorithy (DVLA) which was engaged to do that is actually not a training institution, so we could not have given the specialized training that was required. Against that, it is advisable that we start now. If we envisage to acquire about 150 ambulance drivers, we probably must start now, so that we can give sufficient training to prepare drivers to acquire the required proficiency before the vehicles arrive.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I support the Motion.
    Several Hon Members -- rose --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Members, I would take one each; then I will put the Question.
    Mr Alfred K. Agbesi (NDC - Ashaiman) 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to this Motion and just to say some few words.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at page 4, the Report stated that the Hon Minister briefed the Committee and said that he received a total of 53 Questions from Hon Members of Parliament on the issue of ambulances. In my opinion, that shows that Hon Members of Parliament are concerned about ambulances in their various constituencies and districts.
    On this note, I would say that any agreement that comes before Parliament for approval to procure ambulances should quickly be approved by us. This is because if you see the requests that we ourselves are making, it only shows that we need them and that, as quickly as possible, we should approve this for the Hon Minister to get these ambulances for us.
    Mr Speaker, my second point is that, it is stated that these ambulances would have operating theatres and other life saving facilities on board. This, in my view is like a hospital on wheels, and if such facilities are going to come to this country, it is going to be marvellous and we need to support it as early as possible because most people lose their lives because of the way and manner they are managed before they get to the hospitals.
    If such facilities are going to come, Mr Speaker, I would say it is marvellous and let us support it.
    Nana Abu-Bonsra (NPP - Fomena) 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to the Motion on the floor.
    Mr Speaker, I have a little difficulty with the Report that we are considering because either in the title or in the body of the Report, we are not told anywhere exactly how many vehicles we are expecting. It just says that for an amount of €9,400,000 for the supply of ambulance vehicles and spare parts for - and so one wonders what we are going
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, is it a point of order?
    Mr Buah 1:20 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. I think in my own contribution, I stated that this facility would provide for over 150 ambulances.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, the point being made is that, he is saying that it is not in the Report. That is the statement that he is making, that it is not in the Report.
    Nana Abu-Bonsra 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I did not know my Brother, the Hon Member for Ayawaso East has now become the Report or the Minister for Health - [Laughter.]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, continue.
    Nana Abu-Bonsra 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as I was saying, it is about - We are even being told it is about 150; if we should be specific about all these things.
    Besides, I would rather appeal to the authorities who would be in charge of the distribution, that in case we cannot have enough ambulances to go round the whole country and for that matter, every district getting one, I would rather want the Ministry and its committee that would be in charge to think more of the deprived
    areas in our country.
    This is because, here we are, we have some district capitals, especially the new ones where we do not have district hospitals and some of our districts also have very difficult terrain to drive on. In the absence of a district hospital and very good roads, it is only fair that we should have such ambulances, and given priority in the allocation of such ambulances so that when lives are in danger, people can easily be transported to the nearest hospital or nearest health facilities. That way, I think we will be serving our people in the country very well.
    With these few words, Mr Speaker, I would like to support the Motion.
    Deputy Minister for Energy (Mr Emmanuel Kofi-Armah Buah)(MP): Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion and in doing so, I would like to make two points.
    Mr Speaker, as we talk about securing of ambulance services, I want us to focus on our emergencies and care services at the rural hospitals and clinics because it defeats the point; if we send children and pregnant women in ambulances to hospitals and clinics and once we get there, we realize we do not have nurses and staff, who understand the clinical need of addressing people who have been brought there on emergencies.
    I think that I will call on the Ministry of Health to focus on emergency preparedness in hospitals and clinics, making sure that we have separate units at all clinics and hospitals dedicated to addressing emergency care.
    Often we send people who have been injured in accidents and once they get to the hospitals, you realize they are being treated as ‘business as usual' and as if they are regular patients who have just visited the hospitals. I think it is very, very important that we have

    dedicated emergency care services that address patients who are brought there on emergency.

    Mr Speaker, I am also very happy to know that, in talking about this facility, we also make provision for spare parts. I think it is very important that we address our maintenance culture and address how we would use these vehicles once we secure them. And I think that in this area, I will urge the Ministry of Health to make sure that there is a real plan in place on maintenance of these ambulances, making sure that there is a plan maintenance on monthly basis, so that they will last longer and make sure that we have value for money for these vehicles that we secure.

    Mr Speaker, I have also noted there was mention of VW Passat ambulance vehicles that have various facilities, that also have high clearance that we will be able to visit rural communities. It is the rural communities that really need these vehicles and we should make sure that in procuring these ambulances, we have the type of vehicles that can access these rural communities.

    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I

    will urge my Hon Colleagues to support the Motion.

    Thank you.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member for Ablekuma North, the last contribution.
    Mr Justice Joe Appiah (NPP - Ablekuma North) 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, many people die through accidents and in the developed countries helicopters are being used as ambulances. So we are looking
    forward to see the day, that this country will purchase helicopters as ambulances for the whole 10 regions.
    Mr Speaker, the National Ambulance Service was established in this country by the Kufuor Administration and I thank His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills that the better Ghana agenda is bringing in more ambulances for this country.

    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much and I support the facility.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, the Report is clear; 2004; we know who was in charge of this country and the Report has captured it.
    Minority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 1:20 p.m.
    Speaker, in rising to support the Report from the Committee, I just want to make some observations. The first one has been made by the Hon Colleague the Member for Fomena and I believe the Hon Minister would respond to it appropriately?
    Relating to the number of ambulances, the vehicles that we are going to procure, the quantity of spare parts - If there are helicopters involved, how many of them are going to be purchased?
    Mr Speaker, the second thing is the Report from the Committee itself. Mr Speaker, the 5.0 of the Committee's Report captured on page 3 indicates to us, that is, by way of the observations of the Committee that --
    “ . . . many people lose their lives from avoidable causes largely due to delays they encounter and the poor care they receive before reaching the hospitals. The most affected are children, pregnant women and victims of road traffic accidents.”
    Mr Avedzi 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just want to respond to the Hon Minority Leader's position --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    You are not winding up; did he say anything which is misleading or something?
    Mr Avedzi 1:20 p.m.
    What the Minority Leader said means that we are only trying to fulfil the promise of the President, what he stated in the State of the Nation Address. But before we came with that particular sentences, we laid the basis upon which the need to procure ambulances was made. That we lose lives through the absence of ambulances. In fact, if it is even only one life, it is very important. So we agree that we did not come out with the figures but in actual fact, that should be the basis upon which the need of procuring the ambulances should be made, not that we are only fulfilling the promises of the President.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, happily, the Chairman has not contradicted me. So he is agreeing with me that the Report ought to have been foundationed on this observation.
    I am saying that the background should have led us into that. Rather he talks about what was done in 2004 and the President's State of the Nation Address and I am saying that, it is not good enough. He should have established the basis, the proper foundation which would occasion this intervention. Unfortunately, he has not done so.
    Mr Speaker, I would not blame the Committee on Finance. It is for this reason that sometimes we ask that we have a referral that is made to a joint committee. Perhaps, if we had the Committee on Health, they could have provided this vital information, which will then tell us and tell the nation the very critical importance of procuring ambulance services.
    Mr Speaker, I think the Committee [Interruption] that is why I am saying that I am not indicting the Committee on Finance. Every now and then, we have such reports which should prove to be very informative but rather they provide scant information to us and it does not, at the end of it - convince and persuade --[Interruptions.]
    Maj. (Dr) (Alhaji) Ahmed (retd.) - rose -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Deputy Minister, do you have any point of order?
    Maj. (Dr) (Alhaji) Ahmed (retd.): Yes, Mr Speaker. I believe that the Hon Minority Leader has missed the point.
    The most important issue here that makes it imperative for the ambulances to be procured is the ratio - the ambulance-
    population ratio. We are nowhere near that ratio. Therefore, we still do have the need for ambulances.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    What he is saying is that that should form part of the background, to lay the foundation. That is the point - yes, it is in the Report but he is saying that you could improve upon it by making it part of the background to lay the foundation before you get there.
    I have seen that the point you are making is in the Report. That we are in deficit with regard to the number of ambulances that we have in this country. We should have a minimum of 500 but you see that should have been in the background to justify this one. That is the point that he is making. But it is a question of style.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think for the avoidance of doubt, the information the Hon Minority Leader is seeking was provided by the Hon Minister. It is just that the Clerks did not include that. It is not because the Health Committee was not there. All that information was provided as background. I think we would take note that next time we would give as much information that is provided in the background as possible.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the two of them; the Hon Maj. (Dr) (Alhaji) Mustapha Ahmed (retd) and Hon Dr A. A. Osei are both strengthening the points that I have made. In any event, let it be known to the Committee that a report to this House is a report of the Committee; they are not the reports of the Clerks. So, what he is telling us that oh, they had this information but the Clerks did not capture, it should be an indictment to the Committee. [ Interruptions.] And why did they sign it, anyway?
    Mr Speaker, I think it is important that we work to improve the reports that are submitted to plenary, so that anybody

    picking them up will know that they provide on their own, justification for a loan that we are contracting, for that matter, any agreement that we will be ratifying.

    Mr Speaker, if you look at point 6, it talks about the taxes, fees and charges, stamp duties and so on. Mr Speaker, I believe that the Finance Committee would help this House very much if in future, in bringing such reports, they could provide us some reasonable estimates about the taxes and so on. Because normally, when you have compounded everything, they would add to the quantum.

    So, it is important that we know the entire spectrum of the application and of course, the quantum of the loan itself.

    That is because without doubt, without those consideration, even Hon Members of Parliament will not know the exact quantum of the amount involved.

    I am not again indicting the Committee on Finance for poor work; it has been the convention. I am only saying that we can further improve on the work that emanates from the Committee on Finance if they lead us into those areas, so we know exactly how much is involved in any agreement, credit facilities and so on.

    Finally, Mr Speaker, again, we have the Buyer's Credit Facility Agreement involving the Government of Ghana and KfW Frankfurt AM Main, Germany for a specified amount. Mr Speaker, we are not too sure there is ample justification for the ambulance services.

    Mr Speaker, how can we as a Parliament ensure that the nation has value-for- money? How do we ensure? It is a Supplier's Credit Facility. How do we ensure that we have value-for-money? There should be a way, Mr Speaker, to have a value-for-money audit in this enterprise that the Committee on Finance undertakes for and on behalf of Parliament.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Item number 4 on the Addendum Order Paper.
    Mr Avoka 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is not available in the House now in view of his commitment for tomorrow's Budget Statement. The Hon Minister for Health, who actually piloted this one, is available in the House to move the consequential Resolution on behalf of the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning. I am praying that you permit the Hon Minister for Health to do so on
    behalf of the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is in order; we have nothing against that.
    RESOLUTIONS 1:40 p.m.
    THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 1:40 p.m.
    H E R E B Y R E S O LV E S A S 1:40 p.m.
    Mr James K. Avedzi 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I
    beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Hon Members, let us go back to the original Order Paper.
    Hon Majority Leader, you have asked us to defer certain matters, that is, items 6 (b) and (c). What is the position now?
    Mr Avoka 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item 6 (b) still stands deferred because I have not been able to make the necessary consultation. But item 6 (c), it is my prayer that the Hon Chairman of the Committee can lay the Report and we will then move forward - [Interruptions.] - When he lays the Report, we will take it on Friday.
    Mr Speake r, fo l lowing o the r developments during the course of the
    morning, we have agreed that we will lay the Report tomorrow - item 6(c) will be laid tomorrow morning.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    The petition that we received, I have directed that copies be made available to the joint Committee considering the Bill. I think that since we have referred those documents, they should look at it as a committee and if they think that they want to include it in their report to the House, they can do so.
    Mr Avoka 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with due respect to you, I would suggest that once the substantive Report is ready, they can lay that one tomorrow. But with regard to the petition you have referred to them, it would still go to the joint Committee on Finance and Mines and Energy and they can make an addendum Report on it: they can add an addendum to the Report rather than arrest the original Report, the main Report, to be able to go bac and then factor it into the Report.
    We can lay the substantive Report tomorrow morning, then they can also have time to look at the petition and if need be, make an addendum Report with regard to the petition; that would be neater.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I had some consultations with the Hon Majority Leader and I thought that in deference to the chiefs from the Western Region, we could stand the Report down and refer to the joint Committee. As of now, I do not know the contents of the petition --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    I have directed that copies be made available, in fact, to the joint Committee considering
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:50 p.m.
    Very well, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, much as I agree in principle with what the Hon Majority Leader is saying, let us leave it to the Committee; after their study of it, they will determine whether it is possible to lay the Report tomorrow. If it is possible, between today and tomorrow, I think they can decide and maybe, include it. Perhaps, at the end of the day, they would even realize that they might have dealt with all issues contained in the petition. For which reason, there would not be any need for any addendum.
    So let us leave it with them and I believe that between now, tomorrow or latest Friday, they should be able to present the Report for us to commence debate on the principles first, and the clause by clause consideration. So I believe that that would satisfy the chiefs who travelled all the way from Sekondi/Takoradi to present the petition to us.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you.
    Mr Avoka 1:50 p.m.
    I think we are basically talking the same language. What I am saying is that, yes, out of respect for the chiefs who have presented a petition, we have already referred that petition to the joint Committee. So today and tomorrow, they will look at it. But I am saying that, once the substantive Report has already been agreed upon by the Committee, it should still be possible for us tomorrow, first thing in the morning, to lay it and then they have the opportunity to look at the petition and if need be, they can file an addendum Report to it so that we do not -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon

    Majority Leader, I did not refer this Report in the Sitting here -- in the Chair; I did not refer it from the Chair. We did not lay that Report which I have officially referred to the Committee. If I may be permitted -- a gentleman kind of arrangement we want to make.

    So it would be difficult now to present a Report independent of the original Report. If we are not able to do that, then what the Committee may have to do is to look at it for purposes of the Consideration Stage of the Bill, because there is no official referral - I have minuted on it, yes, but there is no official referral; it has not been laid and referred, by which, we would expect an independent Report.

    It could only be matters that the Committee would take into account in preparing the Report, that is, the matter which is currently before them. But I said, it is a matter of time; whichever way would be better, let us see which one we have to -
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think we are on the same wavelength. If standing here, we say that the Committee should present their Report tomorrow -- originally, they were to lay it today and because of the intervention and with deference to the chiefs, we stood it down for further consideration of their own petition.
    Mr Speaker, I think that if we say they should come tomorrow with the Report, it may appear as if we had determined what to do, no matter what. So in deference to chiefs, just let us leave it open-ended, even though the Committee may tell us that, “oh, having looked at it, there is nothing strange in it, which is at variance with the Report”. So we could lay it tomorrow and then it would be so done. I do not see anything awkward about that arrangement.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, will there be any harm caused if this Report is not laid by
    tomorrow? Would it cause any harm? I want to know. You are in-charge of Government Business -- If it would cause any harm, then we look at it differently; if it would not cause any harm, then let us ask the Committee to look at the petition of the chiefs from the Western Regional House of Chiefs and incorporate it, if need be, if they so think, into the Report before them.
    Mr Ambrose P. Dery 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    I think that I generally agree with the direction that we are going. But we should not let it appear as if we are being dismissive of the petition that has been brought. I think we ought to be guided by experiences in other countries and try to look at all these things holistically.
    I do not think that it might delay; suffice it to say at this stage, that we take on board what the petition contains and then see how we work expeditiously to get this matter laid, so that it could still be laid tomorrow morning; but it would be considered as having looked at the contents of the petition, rather than stand, being pre-emptive now and saying that let us lay it and deal with it as if it is an addendum.

    Somebody is asking what is “Ogoni”? I am talking of the Niger Delta matters in Nigeria.
    Mr Avoka 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me make
    it clear that nobody wants to pre-empt anything, no. Indeed, the Committee's Report would have even been laid last Friday. But for the challenges that the Committee met, they could not lay it on Friday.
    Indeed, the Committee's Report would have been laid this morning before we met the chiefs. So we accommodated the chiefs, we have met them, we have received the petition. That is why we are saying that, let the Committee have the petition. They can still lay the original Report which they have concluded tomorrow morning and they can have the opportunity to look at the petition and if need be for them to present an addendum to that, nothing prevents them from adding an addendum.
    This is because of time constraint, and I do not want to prejudice the Committee's work by saying that, all right do not lay your Report tomorrow. If the Committee is not able to meet today to look at the petition and depending on the contents of the petition, nobody knows how long it would take them to do that, and I do not want us to arrest the Committee's Report that is ready on the basis of the petition. The petition is already before this House and we would take note of it -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon Members, having regard to the state of business of the House and having regard to the clock I have in front of me, I direct that Sitting be held outside the prescribed period.
    Mr Avoka 1:50 p.m.
    So Mr Speaker, by way of compromise, let your goodself refer the
    R 1:50 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon Members, I have directed the Clerk to give this document to the joint Committee. I believe that we should implore the Committee to meet today after adjournment. Let them look at it and then give us a report so that they incorporate it into the Report that would be coming before us. But we only need to give them a time period within which they must bring that Report, because it is delaying. But I prefer that it should be one Report. So we should empower the Committee with the necessary -
    Mr Avoka 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it could be a supplementary report - a page or two pages. We can adopt that. I can sympathize with the Committee. So if they look at it and they think that they can file a supplementary report, they can do so -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, are we going to wait for the supplementary report to come before we debate the principles?
    Mr Avoka 2 p.m.
    No.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    If we are going to wait for the supplementary report that you are referring to - I will call it a supplementary report -- if we are going to wait for the supplementary report to be ready before we debate the principles at the Second Reading, then why do we not get one Report at a time? If we are going to wait for the other Report to come before we do the Second Reading, then we better wait for that Report so that we take it as one Report. Unless you want to say that we will start the first Report and wait for the supplementary before we conclude the
    debate, then that one, we would say that we would wait -
    It is also not tidy to start the debate with part of the Report and then another Report comes. Then those who did not see the first Report, who would be speaking before the other supplementary Report comes, would not be aware of what it contains. That is why I asked you -- you are in charge of Government Business in this House - I know you are also pushing for a certain line - that is why I asked you, “would it cause any serious damage if this Report is not laid tomorrow?”
    You know more than I do on these matters. If it would not cause any damage, then the better thing to do is to incorporate whatever the Committee, in its wisdom thought to incorporate in the Report and bring it as one complete Report for the House to debate on.
    Mr Avoka 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is important that Hon Members are given copies of the Report tomorrow, to study so that we can debate on the principles on Friday. So let us leave it to the discretion of the Committee. They receive the petition and advise themselves on how they can incorporate it. However, the Report should be laid tomorrow so that Hon Members can have copies for Friday's debate.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Well, there is some compromise there. I can see some compromise there, so let us work with that and see how it goes.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this whole exercise - I do not know the import of the exercise we have been engaging in. The issue is, a petition has been sent. Of course, if we want to be very technical, one would say that, let us resort to Standing Order 76. But you have made a referral that it should go to the joint Committee. Let us not stampede the Committee; they know what they

    should do in order to facilitate the work of Parliament.

    Mr Speaker, earlier , we had even agreed that, if the Report was laid today, we could even stand down the relevant portions of the Standing Orders and begin the Second Reading today. That should not be any difficulty. So as you are saying, as the Hon Majority Leader is saying, we could have some arrangement to have access to what already is before them and then meanwhile, they would be working on this.

    If it is laid tomorrow and we should start the debate on Friday, certainly, we would still not be within time; we would still be required to stand down the relevant portions of the Standing Orders. So Mr. Speaker, if we have access to it, in my view, all the better for us. It will facilitate the debate on Friday. And let us leave the Committee to work; they know what to do. So Mr Speaker, that is it. I do not intend to add any other thing to this. It has gone in circles and has come -
    Papa Owusu-Ankomah 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you are in the Chair; you have given some indications. The Hon Majority Leader's statement is probably an appeal to the Committee to be sensitive to the business of the House. That is all. So I do not think that he is making any contrary statement to the direction you have given, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, it is past 2 o'clock; the adjournment of the House is mine but I do not know, maybe, you want to make some announcement before I adjourn the House.
    Mr Avoka 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, no outstanding announcement. Just to repeat that tomorrow is Budget day, so we invite all Hon Colleagues to be here early enough to listen to a very good Budget.
    Thank you.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader has a penchant for indulging in controversies. The man has not seen the Budget but already he is anticipating what will come tomorrow - [Interruptions] - Ah! It is against our Standing Orders to even anticipate a Bill a day before it is brought - “a good Budget” - Can he vouch for that, that it is a good Budget? [Laughter.] Even before he sees it, Mr Speaker --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon Members, on that note, the House is accordingly adjourned till tomorrow, ten o'clock in the forenoon.
    Thank you very much.
    ADJOURNMENT 2 p.m.