Debates of 2 Dec 2010

MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Wednedsday, 1st Decemer,
2010.
Page 1 … 15 --
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page (7), item number (8), it is recorded that His Lordship, Lord Paul Boateng, a Member of the British House of Lords would pay an official visit to Parliament. Mr Speaker, I am not too sure whether it is an official visit.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Why is it not official? They have officially written on his behalf for him to visit the House.
Dr Anthony Akoto Osei 10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just to follow up - is this official - as a Member of the House of Lords, is he representing them or is in his personal capacity? Is it a State - [Interruption] -- No, he said, “an official visit.” I thought the words there may not be appropriate.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
“Official”, in my view, is in the sense that it is not an informal one; he has written to pay a courtesy call on the Speaker and the Leadership of the House, and to
Dr A. A. Osei 10 a.m.
So we take it that any discussions we have with him, he would be representing the House of Lords and we should look at it from that angle? [Interruption.] No, we want to be sure so that during the Committee of the Whole, we do not ask questions that may not be so official. This is because I may be tempted then to be asking a question for which he would have to respond in his official capacity as a Member of the House of Lords. So that is why we want to get clarification.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Well, if you want to delete “official” -- I do not know -- that is for the House to decide. I do not have any entrenched position on that matter.
Mr Opare-Ansah 10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, from your own interpretation, I think “formal” might be a better word than “official”. You just said that it is not an informal visit, so it is a formal visit.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Very well.
Hon Members , the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 1st December, 2010 is hereby adopted as a true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we have the Official Report of Tuesday, 23rd November, 2010.
Dr A. A. Osei 10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have gone to my pigeon-hole this morning, there was nothing like that in there.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
I can see the Hon Member for Sekondi holding his copy. I can see the Hon Minority Leader also holding his copy. Very well, we will take it next week then -- You also have?
Hon Members, how many of you have
the Official Report of 23rd November -- [Interruptions.] Very well, let us defer it to Monday.
Correction of the Official Report of Tuesday, 23rd November, is deferred.
Item 3 on the Order Paper - Business Statement for the Eighth Week -- Chairman of the Business Committee.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 10 a.m.
Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Cletus A. Avoka) 10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Committee met yesterday -
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
Mr Opare-Ansah 10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Majority Leader, a number of weeks ago, assured this House that he was going to commence the usage of the Dispatch Box in delivering the Business Statements to this House. He told us that he was not aware that he could avail himself of its use and since it had been made known to him on that day, he was going to -- so I urge him to move to the Dispatch Box to deliver his -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, the Minority Chief Whip wants to see you using the Dispatch Box, so go and use it.
Mr Avoka 10 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker and thank you for reminding me.
Mr Speaker, the Committee met on Wednesday, 1st December, 2010 instead of the usual Thursday, and arranged Business of the House for the Eighth Week ending Friday, 10th December, 2010.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10 a.m.
Arrangement of Business
Question(s)
Mr Speaker, the Committee has not programmed any Minister to answer Questions during the week. However, Urgent Questions that may be admitted by your goodself may be scheduled accordingly for answering by the relevant Ministers.
Mr Speaker, the virtual exclusion of Questions during the week under consideration is intended to afford the House much time to debate the Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year 2011, and to consider the Estimates of Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010 and other business before the House.
Statements
Mr Speaker may allow Statements duly admitted to be made in the House.
Bills, Papers and Reports
Mr Speaker, Bills may be presented to the House for consideration and those already before the House may be taken through the various stages. Papers and committee reports may also be laid.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated
and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week. Debate on the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government
Mr Speaker, debate on the Economic
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10 a.m.
Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year 2011, is expected to be concluded on Tuesday, 7th December, 2010. The Business Committee accordingly urges Hon Members to avail themselves the debate.
Reporting Schedule on Estimates of MDAs
Mr Speaker, in view of the limited time at the disposal of the House, committees are entreated to take note of the reporting schedule on the Budget Estimates of Ministries, Departments and Agencies and as much as possible, work within the time frame.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160 (2), the Committee submits to this Honourable House, the Business of each Sitting of the week and the order in which it shall be taken during the week.

Statements

Motions --

That this Honourable House approves the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December, 2010.

(Moved on Thursday, 18th November , 2010 by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor and seconded on Tuesday, 1st December, 2010 by the Hon Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Apul Avoka.)

[Continuation of debate] Committee sittings --

To consider the Annual Estimates.

Statements

Motions --

That this Honourable House approves the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December, 2010.

Second Reading of Bills --

Engineering Council Bill, 2010.

Committee sittings --

To consider Annual Estimates.

Statements.

Consideration Stage of Bills

Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010.

Laying of Papers --

(a) Report of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Minis- try of Local Government and Rural Development for the year 2011.

(b) Report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the Annual Annual Budget Estimates of of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for the year 2011.

(c) Report of the Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare for the year 2011.

(d) Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the year

2011.

(e) Report of the Committee on Works and Housing on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Water Re- sources, Works and Housing for the year 2011.

(f) Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Budget Estima- tes of the Government Machi- nery for the year 2011.

(g) Report of the Committee on Gender and Children on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs for the year 2011.

(h) Report of the Committee on Communications on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Communi cations for the year 2011.

(i) Report of the Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the year 2011.

Statements.

Consideration Stage of Bills --

Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010.

Committee sittings --

To consider the Annual Estimates.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

(a) Report of the Special Budget Committee on the Annual Budget Estimates for the year 2011 of the following:

i. Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice

(CHRAJ).

ii. Electoral Commission (EC).

iii. National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

iv. National Media Commission

(NMC).

(b) Report of the Committee on Employment, Social Welfare

and State Enterprises on the Annual Budget Estimates of the National Labour Commis- sion for the year 2011. (c) Report of the Finance Committee

on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for the year 2011.

(d) Report of the Committee on Constitu- tional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Justice for the year 2011.

(e) Report of the Committee on Mines and Energy on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Energy for the year 2011.

( f ) R e p o r t o f t h e C o m m i t t e e
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10 a.m.
on Environment, Science and Technology on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology for the year 2011.
(g) Report of the joint Committee on Lands and Forestry and Mines and Energy on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for the year
2011.
Motions
Third Reading of Bills
Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010.
Committee sittings.
To consider Annual Estimates.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

(a) Report of the Committee on Health on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Health for the year

2011.

(b) Report of the Committee on Education on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Education for the year 2011.

(c) Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Budget Estimates of the National Development Planning Commission for the year 2011.

(d) Report of the Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture on the Annual

Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the year 2011.

(e) Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Transportation for the year 2011.

(f) Report of the Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Chieftaincy for the year 2011.

(g) Reports of the Special Budget Committee on the Annual Budget Estimates for the year 2011of the following:

i. Public Services Commission

(PSC).

ii. Audit Service.

iii. District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator.

(h) Report of the Committee on Judiciary on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Judicial Service for the year 2011.

(i) Report of the Committee on Communications on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Information for the year 2011.

Motions --

(a) That this Honourable House

approves the sum of GH¢ … for the services of the Ministry

of Local Government and Rural Development for the 2010 fiscal year.

[Minister for Local Government and Rural Development].

(b) That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢ ……

for the services of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs for the 2010 fiscal year

[Minister for Women and Children's Affairs].

(c) That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢ … for the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for the 2010 fiscal year.

[Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration].

(d) That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢ … for the services of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare for the 2010 fiscal year.

[Minister for Employment and Social Welfare].

(e) That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢ … for the services of the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the 2010 fiscal year.

(f) That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢ …… for the Services of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing for the 2010 fiscal year.

[Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing].

(g) That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢ …… for the services of the Government Machinery for the 2010 fiscal year.

[Minister for Finance and Economic Planning].

(h) That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢ …… for the services of the Ministry of Communications for the 2010 fiscal year.

[Minister for Communications]. (i) That this Honourable House

approves the sum of GH¢ …… for the services of the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the 2010 fiscal year [Minister for Trade and Industry

Committee sittings --

To consider Annual Estimates.
Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah 10:10 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, I remember you directed that the Petroleum Commission Bill, that the work on it should be expedited. Last week, it was not brought to the House. We have gone through this week and the Majority Leader just came down to tell us about next week's programme and he has still not mentioned it. When is it coming on, Mr Speaker?
Mr Avoka 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I did not hear
him well.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:10 a.m.
The
Petroleum Commission Bill, when are you bringing it to the House? That is the question from the Hon Member for Asokwa.
Mr Avoka 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have been
following it; it has been drafted by the Ministry of Energy; it is at the Attorney- General's Department for the lawyers to look at it and to put into proper text. I am confident that maybe, sometime next week, we will have the opportunity of having it. It definitely will come before we rise, for that matter.
Dr A. A. Osei 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, he said he
is confident that it would be next week.
Dr A. A. Osei 10:10 a.m.


I thought that if he was that confident, then it would have been on this Business Statement but that notwithstanding, if he may just say the following week, then we can be sure. If he is confident, then we should have seen it here.

But my concern is different. We are

being asked on Wednesday to lay reports for the various Estimates. I do not know about my other Colleagues. As of today, I have not received a copy of any Estimates. Today is Thursday, Friday is a holiday and we are expected to meet as committees and bring the reports.

Then we were also expected to partake in the debates on Monday and Tuesday. What will happen therefore, is that if the committees go and meet to look at the E stimates, we would not be available to partake in any debate. So I do not know what is happening to the Estimates. But it is important that this may be the last that we can get them to even think about looking at them next week and I want to know what the status is.
Mr Avoka 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Estimates
are in the House. In fact, I am informed that they are with the committee Clerks. I think that they were withholding distribution because of the re-composition of the committees. They might give a copy to an Hon Member for a particular committee, only to realize the following day that he has been changed and they have to look for other copies again.
That is why the Clerk's Office has been withholding them. But the Estimates are before the various Clerks to the committees. We are finalising the re- composition of the committees today and I expect that they should be distributed to Hon Members today.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Hon
Majority Leader, are we taking the composition of the committees today because the point raised by the Hon
Member for Old Tafo is a real one? So are we taking that Motion today because if that is why the delay is coming, are we taking it today?
Mr Avoka 10:10 a.m.
Exactly so; it is already on the Order Paper. We will conclude it today.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:10 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, Estimates of all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must go to all Members. Mr Speaker, that is the practice. If indeed, the copies are not sufficient, then we may begin with committee members; it does not mean that it should be reclusive to them; it does not.
Every Member of Parliament should be provided with the estimates of all the sectors; thirty-five sectors that are covered by the Budget, every Member of Parliament should be given copies of the Estimates. Mr Speaker, that is the practice and it is the best practice and I believe we do not intend to depart from that known trajectory.
Mr Avoka 10:10 a.m.
I agree.
Mr Yaw Baah 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am on
my feet to raise a very fundamental issue that has been of a bother to me for the past -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Hon
Member, we are considering the Business Statement; so if it is another matter, then you may want to wait for the appropriate time.
Mr Baah 10:10 a.m.
Thank you Mr Speaker, for
your direction.
Mr Stephen K. B. Manu 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
the Hon Minority Leader spoke about the need for all Members of Parliament to have Estimates from all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the Majority Leader acquiesced. What is the way forward then?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Hon
Balado Manu, what the Hon Minority Leader said -- The Majority Leader agreed
on the general principle. He also said that if we did not have sufficient copies, we should start from the committee members and that again, is the practice. But the proper thing is that every Member of the House will have copies of all the Estimates but we must start with the respective committee members first. This is because for practical purposes, not every Member will look at every document, every Estimate.
As many documents that are available should be given to members but we should start from the respective committee members first. That is what the Minority Leader has said and I think that it is the best practice and that is what the Hon Majority Leader has agreed to.
Mr Manu 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if that is the
understanding, then I stand opposed to that because this is a sovereign Parliament and every Member of Parliament here -- I belong to the Education Committee, it does not mean that I should not talk about health issues when my women are dying in their labour in villages. So today -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Hon
Balado Manu, there is nothing to disagree with. We all agree that the documents should be given to all Members, starting from the committee members.
Mr Manu 10:10 a.m.
That is where I am not
agreeing to, that we should start from committee members. We should ensure that the copies are here and everybody gets a copy without any discriminatory act of giving to people before others get. I am of the view that, that is not a good practice and that is being called best practice. It is not even a good one, let alone, a best one.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:10 a.m.
What you
have said is not fundamentally different from what the Hon Minority Leader has said and that is what we all agreed to.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think by way of correction, I did not say that the practice of giving only committee members copies of the Estimates is the best practice. I did not say so.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:10 a.m.
The best
practice is that everybody. Every Hon Member should have Estimates of all the -- that is what I said but that we should start from the committee members first. That is the qualification I gave.
Dr A. A. Osei 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, you
were saying that as a practical matter, since some of us may not read the entire document -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
What I
mean for practical purpose is that if you are considering your Finance Estimates, belonging to your sector, another person at that time would also be considering his health. That is all that I am saying; that is what I am saying.
Dr A. A. Osei 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I was wondering, because our job is to approve the Estimates -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Yes. We are bound to read all of them.
Dr A. A. Osei 10:20 a.m.
But Mr Speaker, my only - you see, today is Thursday and my worry is that, as a practical matter, we are supposed to bring reports on Wednesday but Monday and Tuesday are for debates. How are we expecting the committees to meet? Or are we expecting them not to partake in the debates? Because if every committee listed from page 3 to - about eight or ten of them -- If these committees were to meet on Monday, then half of the House would be out. That is my concern -- then practically, there is no debate.
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if we adopt the type of Sitting he wants us to do, we will be here until next year and we would not have completed the work. We have to strategize. There is no way you can have
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.


a free week and say this is committee work alone and then Chamber work cannot continue; it does not happen anywhere like that. You will have to strategize; you will have to manage time. You also appreciate the volume of work we have at our disposal and the nature of work that we have. So we have to combine them. For example - I mean, we should not be- labour the point.

How many of us would be here or later on in the day debating the Budget? Some committees can afford to meet after 2 or 3 o'clock depending on the nature of contribution. You can make your contribution and attend to a committee and the rest of them. We have to be able to be flexible and manage the time. But if we think that we have to have special days for the debate of the Budget and then we can allot a different time for committees to go and present their reports, we may find it difficult to conclude our work on or by 21st of December.

So we have to strategize, we have to be able to manage time - [Interruption] - Mr Speaker, we have to be able to Sit at odd hours. If it means Sitting in the night or earlier in the day - you come at 8 o'clock; between 8 and 10 o'clock, your committee would have met to do some work. You have to strategize -
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the point being made by the Hon Member for Old Tafo is worthy of note. However, this is not the first time that we have been faced with this situation. So for now, I expect the Hon Majority Leader to tell us that, “well, this is the Business we have arranged for next week.” As we go along, we will see how we can manage - [Interruption] - Yes. But if he says if we adopt this, we will Sit here till next year, I mean, really - but the fact is that it is a practical problem we have been faced with. This is not the first time. So, the Hon Member for Old Tafo needs assurance that
look, this is not cast in concrete; as we go along, we would endeavour to manage. If there is a problem, the Business Committee may meet to reconsider the Business for the week.
I am assisting the Hon Majority Leader in this regard.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Ms Cecilia A. Dapaah 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the Hon Member for Old Tafo actually did not want a situation whereby the Chamber is depleted of the Members, resources to be able to carry out the business of the day. That is what he was talking about. Not particularly in connection with the time management but rather to make sure that at least, there is some form of quorum here for people to -
Dr A. A. Osei 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think I was trying to encourage the Hon Majority Leader to assure us that by the time we leave today, the Estimates would have been available. All he said was that, they were in the House. And I am saying, I have not even seen one and so if we get them today, we are able to take them away for the weekend, that is all. Because if we do not get them today, the first time we would get it is on Monday. So I thought he was going to assure us that by the end of today, all of it would be available so that we can spend the weekend looking at them. That would be easier for the committees. That is all that I was trying to encourage him.
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought I had indicated that earlier, that the Estimates were already with the Clerks of the various committees and that the problem was about the re-composition. However, my attention has been drawn to the fact that every Member ought to have a copy for every sector. So right from now, they would have to print them for all Hon Members of this august House.
So the Clerk to your respective
committee already has copies and as for the Business Statement, it is flexible. It is a guide for us to do the work next week. I fell short of stating the obvious.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Members, that ends the consideration of the Business Statement for the Eighth Week, ending Friday, 10th December,
2010.
Hon Members, item number 4 on the Order Paper - Urgent Question - there is one Urgent Question - yes, Hon Majority Leader -
Mr Avoka 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, due to some other engagements, the substantive Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni is unavailable this morning. But his Deputy has come before the House to attend to us and answer the Question for and on behalf of the Hon Minister. I am craving your indulgence and that of my Colleague, the Hon Minority Leader to permit the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to answer the Question for and on behalf of the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
Thank you.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe we are all comfortable with that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Very well. Hon Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration -
URGENT QUESTIONS 10:20 a.m.
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister states that the Ghanaian Mission or our Embassy in Libya has been urged to establish the exact number of Ghanaians who have been arrested and detained. May I find out from him when this instruction was given to our Mission in Libya?
Mr Kpodo 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, this is an
ongoing exercise. Ghanaians have been arrested and detained as and when they pass through. So it is not now that we have asked our Mission to -- It is an ongoing exercise but we have intensified this because the numbers are increasing these days.
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
will the Hon Deputy Minister agree with me that the number certainly cannot be 97 because Tripoli is just one of the cities where we can detain people and that in Sabha and Gatron, several Ghanaians are being held? So what is the Ministry doing to ensure our Mission in Libya quickens the process by establishing the exact number of Ghanaians because this has been a long outstanding issue.
Mr Kpodo 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think I have indicated already that we have asked our Mission to reach out and ascertain the number outside the Tripoli area. I have been informed that so far, what we have is from the Tripoli area. We are reaching out to other areas where Ghanaians are and this is why we have urged or enlisted the support of leadership of the Ghanaian community to assist us in ascertaining the exact number.
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
I also want to find out from the Hon Deputy Minister whether his Ministry has received reports about maltreatment and harassment of these detainees and if the

Ministry is in receipt of that information, what steps has it taken to talk to the Libyan authorities to ensure that the dignity of these Ghanaians is not affronted?
Mr Kpodo 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we are not
aware of any maltreatment so far to any of the Ghanaians but we are committed to providing consular service to all our compatriots wherever they are. If we get to know that they are being maltreated, we will take steps to address this.
Ms Shirley A. Botchway 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to know from the Hon Deputy Minister whether his Ministry would consider setting in motion plans to repatriate the 97 who have so far been identified, while they continue to collect data of any others that might be part of the group.
Mr Kpodo 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, as I indicated,
we know the number is great and the 97 is what we have so far ascertained. We would have wished that we got a bigger number and then we could deal with it. But if it becomes urgent that we repatriate the 97 while pursuing the rest, we will do that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Hon
Members, I will take two more on this matter.
Mr Frank B. Agyen 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
having regard to a perception that Ghanaians in Libya are so petrified that they may not be able to come out to assist in investigating the alleged atrocities meted out to their compatriots, will the Ministry consider using the National Security, Attorney-General's Department and perhaps, the relevant authority in African Union (AU) Secretariat to assist in finding out the exact situation of Ghanaians mentioned in the Question?
Mr Kpodo 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we enlist the
support of other competent authorities in
In another breath, he is saying that the
exercise is ongoing; the exercise of arrest is ongoing and has even increased in recent times. Mr Speaker, not then being in a situation to tell us when the arrest will end, when do we expect that at least, the 97 confirmed would be repatriated or is it that their fate should be tied into the fate of those yet to be identified?
Mr Kpodo 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if my memory serves me right, I did not say the arrest was ongoing. I said the exercise was ongoing to ascertain the exact number of Ghanaians who had been arrested and being detained. As I had indicated, we have got the 97 confirmed. We are hoping to see if we can get more numbers, so that we can put them all together. But we will start - normally, what we do, once we know, we prepare the documents and we arrange for transportation back home.
So, we set the motion in process. It is just the number 97 as I indicated; if it becomes very urgent for us to deal with the 97 now while waiting for the rest, we will do that.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon
Members, that brings us to the end of Question time. We have a lot of work to do today.
I want to thank the Hon Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for attending upon the House to respond to Questions from Hon Members.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon Member for Kumawu, what do you have to say? You have been getting up -
Mr Yaw Baah 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with
Ghana to assist in doing the work out there. If it becomes necessary for the Attorney- General for instance, to link up with his colleague in Libya, we will explore that possibility. Meanwhile, we think the Mission there, with instruction from the Ministry, is competent enough to deal with the issues when they arise.
Ms Beatrice Bernice Boateng 10:40 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, from the Answer the Hon Deputy Minister gave, he said they had asked the Ambassador in Tripoli to furnish us with this information. My question is, what is the role of the Ambassador there? Do they have to report to us or they need to sit down for us to ask before they inform us of this important issue?
Mr Kpodo 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Mission
is not sitting down nor is the Ministry sitting down for this to happen before. It is a process we are going through and the Mission is under permanent instructions to protect and support Ghanaian citizens, whether they are legal or illegal. So this is an ongoing process and we ensure that this happens on and on.
Unfortunately, the Libyan situation is
a bit complicated and the Mission is not in a position to monitor the movement as effectively as we would wish to. This is why we are urging them; it is not now that we are asking them to - we are just adding on and this is why I said also that we had enlisted the support of the Ghanaian community who are beyond Tripoli to help the Mission to get these things done.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister has indicated to us that thus far, they cannot confirm that 97 Ghanaians have been arrested. He goes on to tell us that -- I am quoting him “as soon as we have the exact number, we will take steps to repatriate them.” I have quoted his very words.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:40 a.m.


your indulgence, I think from today, until the passage of the Appropriation Bill, Hon Members have been dispatched, of which we will be working at committee levels. And there is one issue that since the passage of the Retention Act, the utilization of internally generated funds has become an issue.

I have looked at the Act, which was passed in 2007, that is, Act 735 and it is unequivocally stated that any Ministry, Department or Agency that wants to utilize a portion of it internally generated funds (IGF), the formality is, such an agency or department must first and foremost, make a formal application to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. It is based on vetting, then the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning will get to Parliament for ratification of such a demand. Many a time and what has been going on -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon Member, just hold your fire. When the Estimates come and any committee makes a recommendation that does not come from the Ministry and they want to make that recommendation, then you can raise it, otherwise, we will be -- But I will take it as reminding the various committees and we should leave it as such.
Mr Yaw Baah 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would have gone contrary but it is based on your Committee's Report, the Public Accounts Committee, on which a lot of startling revelations were made, and it has been an abuse of the process. If you would recall, that is, when we debated this Motion about three weeks ago, what is going on is, it is at the committee level that Hon Members, that is, a sub-committee of Parliament that gives approval and it becomes an authoritative -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon
Member, we have taken note of your concern but for now, let us wait if any Select Committee raises anything of that
nature in its report, then the matter will be properly situated. But as of now, we are arguing the matter in vacuum, really. But I think that it is a reminder to all of us of the provisions of the law on retention.
Mr Yaw Baah 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in view of this, I have taken your advice on a lighter note.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Thank you
very much, Hon Member for Kumawu.
Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu-Ansah 10:40 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, I clearly heard you thank the Hon Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for attending upon the House to answer Questions. But I do not think you discharged him and he left the House.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon
PAPERS 10:40 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon Members, when you have so many Lagislative Instruments (L.I.s) and one person is laying them, what do we do? He has to bow once or he should do it nine times as we have -- Is it one Report? Different Reports? Very well, then he has to bow -
Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway --
traditional council area.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Members, we will lay them one by one. So I will start with number 6(i)
By the Chairman of the Committee --
(i) Declaration of Customary Law (Nkoranza) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1971).
(ii) Declaration of Customary Law (Sunyani) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1972).
(iii) D e c l a r a t i o n o f Customary Law (Lower Axim) Traditional Council Instrument,
2010 (L.I. 1973).
(iv) D e c l a r a t i o n o f C u s t o m a r y L a w ( G o n j a ) Traditional Council Instrument
2010 (L.I. 1974).
(v) Declaration in of Customary Law (Drobo) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1975).
(vi) Declaration of Customary Law (Atebubu) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1976).
(vii) Declaration of Customary Law (Yeji) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1978)
(viii) Declaration of Customary
rose --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Member for Weija, is there any problem?
Ms Botchway 10:50 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Report 6 (a) is not available to Hon Members. I believe it is not ready.
Chairman of the Committee 10:50 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Report is ready: we are laying it and they will distribute it today.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
the Deputy Clerk to the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation has just informed me that all the items from (i) through to the last one are all comprised in one Report, not in separate Reports. So -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Minority Leader, how many times is he supposed to bow? There are nine items there.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if it is one Paper, then he needs to acknowledge to laying the one Paper. If on the other hand, there are as many Papers -- even if they are contained in one document, they are still many Papers, so he may have on this occasion, with respect to him, behave like an “Agama Lizard”.
Mr Avoka 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree with
the Hon Minority Leader because they also relate to different traditional council areas. So, if we have Nkoranza, Sunyani, Lower Axim and the rest of them, you cannot just bow once to all these villages or these traditional council areas, it may be prudent to bow in respect of each
Law (Buem) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1979).
(ix) D e c l a r a t i o n o f C u s t o m a r y L a w ( K a l e o ) Traditional Council Instrument,
2010 (L.I. 1980).
(x) Declaration of Customary Law (Prang) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1981).
(xi) D e c l a r a t i o n L a w (Kpone) Traditional Council Instrument, 2010 (L.I. 1982).
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Members, all the Reports, (i) to (xi) duly laid and it is for distribution to Hon Members.
Mr Osei-Prempeh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if you read through, you would find out that L.I. l977 is missing, that was on Navrongo. When we met the Chiefs, we found out that there were major disagreements, therefore we decided the Hon Minister comes here to withdraw it. If it is not withdrawn and the 21 days elapse, it will be deemed to have been passed. So I will ask that the Hon Minister withdraws L.I. l977 because we could not agree on that.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Very well, the Hon Minister to take note accordingly. Otherwise, if your advice is not taken, the only thing is to submit the Report for annulment - if you cannot recommend to the House for its passage.
Hon Majority Leader, in view of the point raised by the Hon Member for Old Tafo with regard to the Estimates - [Interruption] - do we take item number 8 briefly before we move to item 7? Hon Majority Leader, in view of the point raised by the Hon Member for Old Tafo
- you raised a matter about committee composition and other things or we should go straight and take item number 7?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought that having listened to the application by the Hon Member for Nsuta/ Kwamang/Beposo, the Majority Leader was going to intervene to say that the L.I. should be deemed to have been withdrawn, otherwise, we may run into problems.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Yes, you have a point there, because we do not know when it will be passed after 21 Sitting days. But I thought that the Hon Majority Leader would have time to have a chat with the Chairman of the Committee to draw attention to the various areas of major disagreements that he has drawn our attention to, so that if it will not pass by Monday - Hon Chairman of the Committee, when will it pass?
Mr Osei-Prempeh 10:50 a.m.
It passes on Monday, Mr Speaker; the best thing to do is to have it withdrawn. We discussed it with the Hon Minister, he was there and the Chiefs from Navrongo agreed that the best way forward is to withdraw it. So I believe the Leader can ask any Minister to withdraw it on his behalf. It can be done.
Mr Avoka 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the consensus is that it should be withdrawn.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Very well, Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development.
Mr Chireh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, you would
recall that I bowed 11 times to lay these Papers. I am seeking the approval of this House to have this particular one L.I. 1977 withdrawn from the House for reconsideration.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Members, the L.I. l977 accordingly withdrawn.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, there seems to be a mathematical error. The Hon Minister says that he
Thirdly, inadvertently, some Hon Members are not serving on any Standing Committee or Select Committee and this goes contrary to the Standing Orders of the House and also the Constitution, particularly article l03 (4) of the l992 Constitution.
Mr Speaker, I want to draw the attention of Hon Colleagues that it is a difficult exercise because whenever you complete it, there is either an oversight or some Members come to draw your attention to something, which you have to re-visit. Consequently, I want Hon Members to take note of the following amendments that have been made to the Report, particularly, with regard to the Majority caucus.
Mr Speaker, we have attachment (1), that deals with the Composition of Standing Committees, and I want Hon Members to take note of the following amendments:
Page 3 of the Standing Committees, and that is Committee on Finance, item number 11 in the name of Hon Akologu John Tia delete and insert Hon Cassiel Ato Forson --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, we have two page 3s, which of them?
Mr Avoka 10:50 a.m.
I indicated that attachment 1, dealing with Standing Committees.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
The attachment -
Mr Avoka 10:50 a.m.
Yes.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Very well.
Mr Avoka 10:50 a.m.
We are removing Hon John Tia Akologu and replacing him with Hon Cassiel Ato Forson. On page 4, item 5, number 5, Government Assurance - We are deleting the name of Emmanuel Bandua and replacing it with Hon Donald Dari Soditey.
bowed 11 times the other day when he was laying the Papers. Indeed, 11 has been missing here. He could not have bowed 11 times. Apparently, he might have bowed l2 times and that would then affect the statement. So he should accordingly amend the statement and not mislead this House.
Mr Chireh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I know he is not a mathematician and now he is talking about arithmetic. This is not mathematics at all. So I agree with him.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, do we take the item 8 briefly, if it will not delay us before we go to item 7 because of the Estimates?
Mr Avoka 10:50 a.m.
That is so, it will not delay us. I will not spend more than l0 minutes.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:50 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, I have no objection.
MOTIONS 10:50 a.m.
Majority Leader (Mr Cletus A. Avoka) 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Chairman on the Committee of Selection, I beg to move, that this House adopts this Report.
Mr Speaker, I have indicated on two occasions in this House that the reasons that informed us to restructure and to recompose the committees are the following:
Firstly, as a result of the Ministerial reshuffle that took place during the early part of this year, some Hon Members who served on certain committees may be serving as Ministers in those Ministries so we have to change the membership.
Secondly, unfortunately, we lost some few members and it is important that those who have replaced them at the constituency level ought to have a place in the composition of the committees.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Which one is the next one?
Mr Avoka 11 a.m.
Number 10, the same Committee on Government Assurances.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Very good.
Mr Avoka 11 a.m.
We are deleting the name “Hon Cassiel Ato Forson” and replacing him with “Hon Issifu Pangabu Mohammed.” Then on page 5, Public Accounts Committee, number 16, we are deleting Hon Issifu Pangabu Mohammed and replacing him with Hon John Tia Akologu.

Then on page 13, item 9, Committee on Poverty Reduction, we delete Hon Alhaji Mubarak Muntaka and insert Hon Albert Abongo. That ends the membership of the Standing Committees.
Mr Moses A. Asaga 11 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, my point of order is that Hon John Tia Akologu and myself are in the same district and I have heard his name several times. I do not know what is happening. [Laughter.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order.
Mr Avoka 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, Select Committees attachment (2), page 6, item 5, Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, we delete the

name of Hon Ebo Barton-Odro and insert Hon Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo. Page 7, item 6, Committee on Health, delete Hon Abdul- Rashid Pelpuo and insert Hon Mathias A. Puozaa.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point of order. Mr Speaker, with respect, the Hon Majority Leader, is deleting the names of the Hon Members, he is not deleting the persons of the names that he is mentioning, that “delete Hon John Tia Akologu and insert” this name or that. We are not deleting the -- [Laughter.]
Mr Avoka 11 a.m.
We are deleting names not human beings. [Laughter.]
We are now on page 10; we will soon finish, in the next one minute.
On page 10, item 3, delete Hon Maj. (Dr) (Alhaji) Mustapha Ahmed (retd) and insert Hon Kwame Mathias Ntow. On page 6, item 8, delete Hon Joseph Kwadwo Ofori and insert” Hon Joseph Yieleh Chireh, that is on Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Hon Chireh will now serve on that Committee.
Page 10, item 8, Committee on Defence and Interior, delete Hon Nii Dr Oakley Quaye-Kumah and insert Hon Alex Asum- Ahensah. Page 11, Committee on Foreign Affairs, delete Hon Ernest Attuquaye Armah and insert Hon Cassiel Ato Forson. Page 12, item 4, Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, we delete Hon Alex Asum-Ahensah and insert Hon Alhassan Azong. On the same page 12 -
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang 11 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, are these supposed to be amendments or what? If they are amendments, then they should
Members, this is a consensus Report, I believe, so there is no - But Hon Majority Leader, it is important that the corrections you have made, you will change them and distribute them to Hon Members so that we have the full complement of the amendments.
Mr Avoka 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I will incorporate all these amendments and give them to Hon Members.
Question proposed.
Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh (NPP - Nsuta-Kwamang/Beposo) 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Report read by the Hon Majority Leader raises very interesting issues. When he was deleting and substituting, you could hear the names of Hon John Tia Akologu and Hon E. T. Mensah running through and through. Could he tell us how many committees these two former leaders were serving on? An Hon Member should serve on at least one, but if one Member serves on eight, nine committees while some people serve on one, it becomes worrying.
If it so, perhaps, the House needs some explanation and it should also be a guide to us that in future, when Leaders are composing these committees, they should be fair and broaden their horizon so that all Hon Members serve equally, instead of somebody serving on nine or ten and somebody serving on one. I believe it is not fair.
Minister for Communications (Mr Haruna Iddrisu)(MP) 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the Motion for the adoption of the Report and just to make one or two observations.
One is that, we should endeavour to make the Ghanaian public appreciate the work of the Committees of Parliament. If you recall the very recent hullaballoo about ratings of Members of Parliament, is precisely because the role of the
be referred to a document. But the way he is talking, we cannot even write them, so we will not know the composition. If it is an amendment, he can give us a copy and that is how we handle amendments in this House and not the way he is going. Hon Gbediame is confusing him and sometimes he is going forth and back. Let him give us a copy, then we will do it -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, the document that he is correcting has been distributed.
Mr Owusu-Agyemang 11 a.m.
He should give us a copy of the amendments as we normally do. He is confusing everybody.
Mr Avoka 11 a.m.
Page 12, item 4, delete Alex Asum-Ahensah - I have done so already. On the same page 12, delete the name of Hon Cassiel Ato Forson and insert Hon Elizabeth Amoah-Tetteh. Page 12, item 8, delete Hon Albert Abongo's name and insert the name of Hon Ebo Barton-Odro.
Page 15, item 3, that is, Committee on Environment, Science and Technology, delete the name of Hon Emmanuel Armah- Kofi Buah and insert Hon Nii Dr Oakley Quaye-Kumah. Then on the same page 15, delete the name Hon Mathias K. Puozaa and insert the name of Hon Attuquaye Armah.
Lastly, page 11, item 9, Committee on Foreign Affairs, delete the name of Hon Joseph Yieleh Chireh and insert the name of Hon Joseph Kwadwo Ofori.
I urge Members to adopt this Report.
Thank you.
Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah (NPP - Bantama) 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just to comment briefly on the issue of fairness which the Hon Member for Nsuta-Kwamang/Beposo raised.
Mr Speaker, just to reassure the Hon Member that a lot goes into composing the committees. Indeed, there are some committees for which some members of the Leadership have statutory membership. Mr Speaker, the Standing Orders prescribes that the Business Committee is chaired by the Hon Majority Leader and the two Whips are statutory members of the Business Committee. So to start with, if we are counting the number of the committees that a Whip will serve on, that one is already bagged as far as the Standing Orders are concerned.
Mr Speaker, practice in several Parliaments and the practicality of the work that we also do here, necessitates the membership on certain committees by some members of Leadership and I will give you a couple of examples. Mr Speaker, the House Committee, which deals with the welfare of Hon Members, necessarily, must have they serving on them because the Whips are the custodians of the welfare of Hon Members.
Mr Speaker, several other Standing Orders committees, committees that you would l realize that, necessarily, have some of the Leaders on. The Special Budget Committee which deals with the budget of specialized institutions of the Constitution including Parliament itself
-- 11 a.m.
Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh 11 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I am amazed the Hon Minority Chief Whip is personalizing this issue. At least, I have
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Members order.
Mr Opare-Ansah 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that even after addressing the issue in the Chamber yesterday, our Hon Colleague was still on the radio, still on the air, supported ably by Hon Sampson Ahi, whom I expected to have known better and was actually criticising his Leadership for giving him such a very “good” seat where he can catch the eye of Mr Speaker all the time and was questioning why his Leadership had placed him where he Sits in this Chamber.
It was very unfair and the practice as Hon Papa Owusu-Ankomah raised yesterday, where Members go out in public on matters that we can deal with, with our own procedures in the House, should not be allowed to happen.
So Mr Speaker, let Hon Members be rest assured that the issue of fairness is duly taken care of when we are dealing with these matters.
Thank you very much.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Members, I will take only one more; we have a Motion on the Financial Policy before us and that is why we have to limit the number of Hon Members who speak on this Motion. This is a Leadership Motion, really.
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 just want to make a few comments in support of the Motion and that is on the perception of unfair distribution of Members of Parliament to the various Select Committees.
I believe that if Leadership adopts the best practice that is in place in several Parliaments, it will help resolve this thing. In other Parliaments, the use of ICT has helped in determining whose name has recurred a few times in committees.

been in this House for almost 14 years. I have seen various Leaders. There has been no time when Hon Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Ossei-Aidooh or Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Leadership had been on nine or ten committees. So he should not -- If something happens and it is general and we are cautioning ourselves about it, he should not personalize it --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, are you sure any Member of this House is on any nine committees? Are you sure of that?
Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the names, when they were being substituted and others, I was checking them and my confirmation too -- I would not like to drag that but some Hon Members of the Majority were serving on nine committees. I can assure you -- Seven committees -- [Interruption.]
Mr Gershon K. B. Gbediame 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have a tally of Members serving on the various committees. There is nobody who is even serving --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Majority Chief Whip, why do you not take the admonition in good faith?
Mr Gbediame 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, all I am trying to say is that, I have a tally and he can check in my office and he will satisfy himself that what he has said, maybe, he is saying it is in the past, I do not know, but now, he can come to my office and certify himself that there is fairness.
Mr Opare-Ansah 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not belabouring the point. I was just leading to the point that it is in view of the fairness which we strive to achieve that yesterday we had the occasion to address the issue which Hon P. C Appiah-Ofori raised the other time but it is unfortunate - [Interruption.]
I also like to comment on the work of the Committee on Finance and it is one Committee that is inundated with a lot of work. And while commending members of the Committee for attending to business of the House and referrals made to them, I just want to make a suggestion, that in view of the rather huge and unwieldy business that confronts them daily, the Leadership and Mr Speaker, your goodself, when we come to amend our own Standing Orders, consider the establishment of a committee on banking and then another committee on insurance.
I believe this would help promote the business of banking and insurance in the country better than currently ongoing.
And I also want to comment that most committees are not working optimally because of lack of facilities. But Insha Allah, when the “Job 600” is complete, with all the modern gadgets in place, our committees would begin to work optimally.
Thank you for the opportunity, Mr Speaker.
Mr Isaac K. Asiamah (NPP - Atwima Mponua) 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to make reference to Standing Order 168 that talks about the House Committee, that there shall be a committee to be known as the House Committee composed of the Majority Leader as the Chairman and more than 25 other members. And the findings of the House Committee shall be an advisory one. The duty of the Committee is to consider all matters connected with the provision of services to Members of Parliament and staff, including accommodation, catering, medical care, library, research, working and other facilities.
Mr Speaker, I am tempted to believe

that the House Committee, whenever they meet, even if they meet at all -- for my information, it is not always that they meet -- they only consider the condition of service of Leadership from both sides. They care less about the entire Members of this House - [Hear! Hear!] - and that for us, is serious.

Mr Speaker, why am I saying this? Parliament, and as you are aware, Hon Members -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Member, can you substantiate that when they meet, they only consider -
Mr I. K. Asiamah 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, Hon Members from both sides are attacked by armed robbers, left and right all this while. Leadership, they have thought it wise to protect themselves with security people; they are protected. Mr Speaker, if we believe that we do not need security for anyone in Parliament, Leadership should not get security. If they have it -- we are all Hon Members of Parliament; we have all been elected to this House -- If they have security, we also deserve to be secured, to be given security.
Hence Mr Speaker, Hon Members are giving an ultimatum that by the beginning of next Sitting -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Member -- [Interruptions.]
Mr I. K. Asiamah 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, another issue is that -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Member, you may have a genuine concern, but the Motion before us is the composition of the committees; the Motion really is not about the effectiveness of the various committees.
Hon Member, you may have a genuine case. But there are mechanisms for addressing the welfare of Members, and I would urge you to use that mechanism
Mr Avoka 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, before we start the debate on the Budget, may I, with your kind permission -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, before you make your statement, there is a general feeling of this House that the House Committee should meet to consider the welfare of Members. Therefore, I would want to say that the Chairman of the Committee should try to convene a meeting as early as possible on this matter and have Hon Members briefed accordingly.
Mr Avoka 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree to that.
Mr Speaker, may I crave your indulgence and the Leadership of the House to draw the attention of our Hon Colleagues that yesterday we informed this august House that Hon Lord Paul Boateng would be visiting us this morning. We entreated Hon Members to be here at 9.30 a.m. to receive him. Mr Speaker, even though he was here at 9.00 o'clock, at the time of 9.30 a.m., we had challenges. We have reprogrammed him to come to this House at 12 o'clock this afternoon.
So Hon Members, Lord Paul Boateng would be visiting us at 12 midday; that is in the next twenty or thirty minutes. We want to crave the indulgence of Hon Members to stay around so that when he arrives, he would be escorted into the Chamber and then we would have some few minutes of interaction and then after that we would continue with the Budget debate. I want to plead with Hon Members to be available, so that we can hear our very good Brother and compatriot.
Thank you very much.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, is it open to the media; is it open to the Press Corps?
Mr Avoka 11:20 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, it is open to the Press Corps and even to the public gallery.
on this matter.
Hon Members, I would now put the Question.
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe that when you are making the composition of a committee, the terms of reference are also important. So what the Hon Asiamah was referring to is the terms of reference and not the effectiveness. So I think it is completely in order, with the utmost of respect, that he raises the terms of reference that go with the committees -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order. [Laughter.] I have made a ruling on this matter, that the Hon Member should use the due process, the mechanisms that we use in this House to address the welfare of Hon Members. If he is being frustrated, he should report to Madam Speaker; if he is being frustrated in using those mechanisms, he should draw Madam Speaker's attention to it. We all have mechanisms that we use.
So Hon Members, I would not go into --Hon Majority Leader, if you do not want to wind up, I would put the Question.
Hon Members, this is a very serious matter; we have a very important -- I know the sentiments of the House on this matter. But I also think that it is very important for us to use the normal mechanism to address this matter.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Members, item number (7) on the Order Paper.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
And the public gallery?
Mr Avoka 11:20 a.m.
Yes, that is so. They can be in attendance.
MOTIONS 11:30 a.m.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon Member, do you want to correct a figure he has given? -- Yes, I will allow you.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon
Member who is a “returnee” Member of Parliament is completely misleading the House. [Interruptions.] I am saying he is a “returnee” Member of Parliament. [Interruptions.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon
Member, you have the floor.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not
6.2 per cent as he is alluding to; the figure is 7.3 per cent and even raised to 8.4 per cent, if he does not know. It is the latest statistical information from the Ghana Statistical Service.
Mr Essilfie 11:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am going
to ignore the intervention because my -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon Member, I called him to make the intervention; so it is not very parliamentary, where I call an Hon Member to make an intervention, to say you are going to ignore his intervention. This has to do with figures. So you just disclose your
our international reserve was US$2,036.2 milion which was less than 1.8 months of import cover. Our planned interest rate was 17.0 per cent. The cedi was also steadily depreciating and they left arrears of US$1.7 billion. Now, having had the opportunity to address where we were, with the judicious management of our economy in the two years, where are we?
Now, our GDP as at September 30, 2010 is 5.9 per cent with a year-end target of 6.5 per cent. Mr Speaker, our inflation rate now is 9.38 per cent, which is the best in the last two decades of our economy. Mr Speaker, our deficit is now 8.8 per cent; our international reserve is US$3,973 billion, which is greater than three months of import cover.
Mr Speaker, our prime interest rate is
13.5 per cent and the cedi is appreciating against all the major currencies [Hear! Hear!] Mr Speaker, this tells the people of Ghana that the Administration of His Excellency the President came to save our country from where we were heading towards, the economic ditch that we were going into. And as a great leader, what he needed to do was, first, to stabilize the economy and once we stabilize the economy, then we move forward. Now that he has stabilized the economy, Mr Speaker, we are ready to move forward and we are moving forward in the right direction [Hear! Hear!]
Mr Speaker, how does a nation move forward? We only move forward by raising more revenue to spend on the activities of the nation. Just like any company, a good Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will tell you that he directs or presides over as the CEO to make sure he brings in innovations to be able to raise more revenue to make the company profitable to the shareholders. How does the nation raise revenue? Revenues are raised through taxes, tariffs, duties and other non-taxable areas.
source, where you are quoting from.
Mr Essilfie 11:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, before I
disclose my source, I want to take an exception to what he himself said. He said I am a “returnee” Member of Parliament”. I do not think that is -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon
Member, withdraw those words. I did not hear those words. Hon Member for Amenfi East, please withdraw those words.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
surprised. Our Hon Member returned from the United States of America. So if I call him a “returnee” Member of Parliament, what is wrong with that?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon
Member for Amenfi East, the context -
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:30 a.m.
I withdraw, I withdraw those words.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon
Member, he has withdrawn them.
Mr Essilfie 11:30 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, the source of my information is the highlight of the 2009 Budget and it is written right in here -- “The state of the economy in 2008.” And I hold -- please read it. Real GDP growth was 6.2 per cent against a target of 7.0 per cent. Year end inflation was 18.1 per cent against a target of 6.0 per cent to 8.0 per cent. And again, when we go to the 2009 Budget, which I have a copy here -- Mr Speaker, in the 2009 Budget itself, last year real GDP grew by 6.2 per cent, inflation rate at the end of 2008 rose by 18.1 per cent; average inflation rate was 16.5 per cent. These are the figures that were put out in the Budget and that is what I am quoting, so he should check his source.
Mr Speaker, we are all also aware that
Mr Essilfie 11:40 a.m.
This Government, in order to be able to do what they believe that the people of Ghana need with accelerated growth or accelerated recovery of our economy, has thought it wise that indeed we would need to pay more, a little more because nobody else from anywhere can make Ghana better for us. We are the ones who have to make Ghana better.

Mr Speaker, here, I would like to say that as someone who has practised Financial Tax Consultancy for 35 years before the United States Internal Revenue Service, I can tell you that this nation's tax regime is too lenient. And if I were even in government, I would advocate for more taxes because -- you know why? There is a lot of income that we make in this country which we do not pay taxes on and if we continue going the way we have been going, our nation will continue wallowing in poverty and we are not going to move forward. So in my view, these bold initiatives by Government to expand the tax net or to increase certain tax rate and also to look at the tax regime and find out ways that we can collect better revenues, is something that we should all hail.

Mr Speaker, if I turn to the area of taxation, I have gone through all these tax changes or initiatives in this 2011 Budget. I do not see anywhere where the tax that is being proposed is going to hurt the poor and the needy. And nobody here can tell me that if you have money and you want to take a plane and the Government is asking you to pay a little more on airport tax, it means the Government is insensitive. If you are a mining company and the Government is asking you that instead of paying your mining royalties on a quarterly bassis, you should pay monthly, that does not mean that Government is

insensitive.

If you are in business and you are collecting Value Added Tax (VAT) -- VAT, in my opinion, is just another form of a sales tax. And when it comes to those kinds of taxes, when you make a sale or whatever activity you get in, once the activity is completed and you record it, it behoves you to pay the tax, whether you have collected that tax or not; that is not the way it works. So if the Government is changing that to monthly collection, that does not mean the Government is insensitive.

Mr Speaker, when you go through all the tax initiatives here, there is nothing in there that really puts any pressure or any sort of pain or worry on the poor and the needy. It is all about the people who are making more - middle income, lower- upper class and upper class. If you want to sit in the first class of an aeroplane, it is because you have money, that is why you are sitting in first class. So pay a little more; this does not mean that Government is insensitive. No.

Mr Speaker, let me now divert my attention to the area of taxation for exempt organizations. Exempt organizations, throughout the world, are taxed. I have practised it for 35 years, done a lot of tax work for non-profit organizations in the United States and every blessed year, I filed over three hundred (300) tax returns for non-profit organizations using a 9-90 and everyone of them -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
You have two minutes more.
Mr Essilfie 11:40 a.m.
Sure. Everyone of them that also engaged in commercial activities, there is a special form called “900 T”, which you have to file for them to pay their taxes.
The Government of Ghana is basically saying, if you are a non-profit organization or an exempt organization, and you get involved in a commercial activity, which
traders and every time there is a Budget, we interact. This time, I just want to talk to you about some of the comments that they made about the Budget.
They told me - [Interruptions] - Some called it a “wicked Budget”. I know that “wicked” these days, has a double meaning. On the one side, some people might think that it is used as in the United States slang to mean “good”. But I believe that their implication was that it should be in the normal English usage, which means very bad or capable of harming.
Others said the Budget was simply to pick their pockets and others described the Budget in words so uncomplimentary that I hestitate to utter these words in these hallowed halls.
Mr Speaker, I intimated that perhaps it is not all gloom and doom with this Budget. But they asked me to show them one provision which they could find solace in. I could not immediately satisfy their curiosity.
Mr Speaker, yesterday, my Colleagues the Hon Members for Old Tafo, Sunyani West and Dormaa West talked about taxes because they are the centre for this Budget for 2011. I will also talk about taxes as they affect my particular area of interest -- trade and industry. But let me first go to the very basis of this Budget.
In his Statement, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning lamented the structures in the Budget and said that the rigidity in the Budget structure made it difficult for him to have the fiscal space to operate.
He commented that various funds such as the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) were statutory payments which Limited his lack of fiscal policy space. To deal with this, the Hon Minister has decided that that space can only be assured by increasing the tax burden on those who are already paying.
is outside the purpose for which your exemption was approved, pay tax on it. What is wrong with that? Are we going to continue in this country for people to hide behind the ambit of being an exempt organization and evade taxes? That cannot happen.
I even suggest to Government that a special department should be set up to regulate and monitor non-profit organizations, including churches in this country. So that our country can collect the necessary taxes, which would help the acceleration of our economy.
Mr Speaker, I believe that the Government of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills has taken -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon Member, your time is up. Your last statement. Your last sentence.
Mr Essilfie 11:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I just want this House to know that in the November 24th edition -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Your last sentence -
Mr Essilfie 11:40 a.m.
That is what I am saying. In the November 24th issue of the Daily Graphic, Ghana has been hailed by the World Bank as really heading towards the right direction.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you for the opportunity to set the records straight.
Mr Isaac Osei (NPP - Subin) 11:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the fiscal year 2011.
Mr Speaker, I represent the good people of Subin. My constituency encompasses the central business district of Kumasi. Most of my constituents are businessmen and women, working as market women,
Mr Isaac Osei (NPP - Subin) 11:50 a.m.
The repeal of Legislative Instrument

Well the gift tax business is a generosity tax, so I will not comment any further on it.

Mr Speaker, Communication Service Tax. Talk tax will now have wider application to include internet service providers. For example, those who use dongles to access facebook pages will now certainly have to pay this tax.

VAT threshold f rom 90,000 - [Interruption.] Yes, I am reading because it is from the Budget. Mr Speaker, we look forward to the VAT Amendment Bill which the Hon Minister has promised to bring to this House in the Budget, to see whether small-scale traders will have their tax burdens increased as a result of the combined assessment.

Mr Speaker, zero-rating to exempt. Mr Speaker, the Pharmaceut ical Manufacturers Association has indicated that they prefer the current zero-rating as opposed to proposed exempt status because with exempt, the final product price will be higher than imported substitutes from India and China. The reason is that all the inputs which they use

So we have in this Budget, 23 revenue measures designed to provide more cash for the Hon Minister to spend. But Mr Speaker, the vertical trajectory of these taxes is worrying because Government has not explored the horizontal re-alignment of taxes, which will enable us to bring more people into the net who, probably, should be paying and are not paying at the moment.

Mr Speaker, let me go through some of these tax measures as they affect various industries in our country. First, mining royalties would be paid monthly instead of quarterly. This will worsen mining companies' cash flow and limit their ability to keep fast wearing spares in store.

Secondly, deferred payments for VAT will be discontinued and the refund system improved. I quite agree that the refund system should improve because that is what has contributed to cash flow problems for a lot of our industries. Discontinuing deferred payments will constrain VAT payers and create huge funding gaps restricting bonded warehousing facility to only raw materials for manufacturers.

Importers may be forced to limit the quantity of imports and may well lose the advantages of large scale purchases. It may have been better to limit the period to say six months or a year. The Seamstress Union has already indicated that in the first quarter, 5,000 jobs could be lost as a result of this particular measure. Mr Speaker, the threshold of five per cent Withholding Tax is increased from 50 cedis to 500 cedis; I think this is fair and may improve efficiency.

Mr Speaker, five-year exemption period granted to estate developers to be dropped. This is a disincentive to

in the manufacturing process will not be covered by the exemption.

With zero-rating, claims can be made for the refund of VAT. But with this exemption regime, it is going to be very difficult. They would have to charge higher prices and it will make them uncompetitive. This single measure will make many pharmaceutical manufacturers uncompetitive; they will lose business and would certainly not invest, expand or employ more people.

Excise duty reduction by 2.5 per cent -- This is one of the few good measures and I think that is all right.

Mr Speaker, the exemption of taxis and trotros from paying vehicle income tax, I think it is made for political rather than economic reasons. The question we have to ask is, what about long distance buses and commercial vehicles which do not fall in the categories listed in the Budget? The opportunity to widen the tax net may well be lost in this particular case.

Mr Speaker, tax camp for informal operators -- It is said that this will be reviewed upwards in line with the general level of prices. Well, it is obvious that the Government plans to tax our kayaye and market women who are in the informal sector and we look forward to the Bill which is to be tabled soon.

Mr Speaker, on the mining list, which is to be reviewed in 2011, I make no comments until we see the details of the proposed review.

National fiscal stabilisation levy -- Government promised that this levy will be for only two years. Now, they have extended it for another year. We do not know what will happen next year. After all what businesses want to know is that

they must have certainty about the cost that they will face.

Mr Speaker, withholding tax for foreign supply of services increased from 5 per cent to 15 per cent. I think that since Ghanaians are paying 25 per cent, this tax should probably have gone up to 25 per cent and not to 15 per cent.

The 5-year tax holiday extension for APEX Bank -- This is good as savings mobilisation at the local or rural level is crucial, if we are to have funds to invest at the local level.

Institutions with tax-free status -- Government wish to tax religious bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other not for profit organizations in their commercial activities. I do not know if the schools, universities, clinics and hospitals which they run will also be subject to tax simply because they are running on sound principles.

Mr Speaker, going back to the trade and industry section -- In paragraph 260, it says that the Tariff Advisory Board is fully operational. This cannot be correct as the Board has not dealt with a single industry specific case and we know that the Board has been set up for more than a year and a secretariat is now established. We plead with the appropriate authorities to get the Board up and doing, so that processes can be put in place to transform it from an advisory body to an independent Ghana International Trade Commission with powers to investigate unfair trade practices.

Mr Speaker, paragraph 283 indicates that Government has approved a new industrial policy with a focus on production, distribution, technology and innovation. But the policy cannot remain hanging. That policy must be posited on a support programme for industries. I believe such an industrial sector support programme has been in the offing for some time and it must be completed to provide
Mr Isaac Osei (NPP - Subin) 11:50 a.m.


So it is important for Government to look at this again at Sege and places like Mendskrom, Winneba and Elmina where salt is still being produced. Government, in this effort, should only provide an appropriate platform and environment but should allow private sector operators to do the business. Whatever Government does, it is important to ensure the protection of community livelihood.

Talking about community livelihoods, one cannot forget the concerns of the people of the Western Region as oil is to be produced in commercial quantities from the 15th of December. The call for 10 per cent of oil receipts had already been made by the chiefs and supported by many in this House.

My view is that notwithstanding the call for the percentage, it makes economic sense for substantial investment to be created --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Member, your time is up.
Mr I. Osei 11:50 a.m.
One minute, please.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Your last sentence.
Mr I Osei 11:50 a.m.
It makes economic sense for substantial investment to be made in infrastructure -- roads, railways, power and water -- to support arguably one of the most productive regions of our country. Where there is productive capacity, supporting infrastructure must be provided. I say this not because of ethnicity or regionalism but because it makes sense and because it is good for Ghana.
the framework for the implementation of policy.
Mr Speaker, I am particularly enthused about the legislation on competitiveness in paragraph 296 which I hope will come to this House very soon because we are not only going to legislate into domestic law content but more importantly, we will be supporting local industries if we have a compelling legal framework within which we can work.
In paragraph 297, I was surprised to read that Government will begin work on the development of a commodity exchange. I know that for about two years private entrepreneurs have been engaged on precisely this same matter. Perhaps, a Private, Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement will enable the country to fast-track the exchange which should provide the platform for fair and transparent dealings in agricultural commodities --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Member, you have two minutes more.
Mr I. Osei noon
Mr Speaker, it is good that the Government will begin to develop an Industrial Salt Estate at Keta to promote large scale commercial salt development. In the light of oil production in Ghana and the potential for caustic soda and chlorine from salt and the opportunity to launch our country's potential in petrochemicals -- But it is important that as we scale the production of salt, we must remember that there is a phenomenal opportunity and potential at Sege and that already a private company, Vacuum Salt Industry Limited operated successfully for many years until their operations were forcibly stopped during the era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noon
Mr Speaker, I thought the understanding was that the first two Hon Members to speak from either side will be speaking for 15 minutes. I noticed that whereas the Hon Member who first spoke started at 12.32 and stopped at 12.49, our Colleagues started at 12.49 and guillotined at -
Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
Hon Member, the time I have here, the last Hon
Member to contribute -- I am using -
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noon
Mr Speaker, 11.32 to 11.49 and 11.49 to exactly four minutes after 12.00. The other one and if Hon “Soglo” or Hon Sorogho, the Member for Abokobi- Madina would listen to me - So I believe that we should level the field.
Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
Hon Member, by my time, the Hon Isaac Osei started at 11.50 and I alerted him at 12.05. Even then I allowed him -
12.08 p.m. -- Sitting Suspended.
12.45 p.m. -- Sitting resumed.
Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
Hon Members, we now go back to the full House, so the Mace now should stand upright.
We now resume with the debate on the Financial Policy. I invite Hon Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka to make his contribution. You have ten minutes.
Alhaj i Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC - Asawase): Mr Speaker, thank you very much; I notice your emphasis.
Mr Speasker, I rise to support the Motion, that this Honourable House approves the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December, 2011.
In doing so, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, his technical team and his able assistants for being able to once again, fulfil one of the mandates of their office by making the Budget available before the end of the year.
Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
Hon Members, order! Let us listen to the Hon Member on the floor.
Alhaji Muntaka noon
Mr Speaker, if you look at the Ministry of Health that we have in our country, it has an objective and that objective is to deliver accessible and affordable quality health service to all, by undertaking interventions to improve health service delivery and reduce the inequality gap. The emphasis here is that a healthy population leads to a healthy production and a better country for all of us. When you look at the Ministry of Health, their programmes and activities
Alhaji Muntaka noon


are supposed to lead to prevention and cure, or in this case, treatment of illnesses.

Mr Speaker, if you look at the Budget that we have, I must say with a lot of emphasis that for the first time or again, in the history of our country, the Ministry of Health, through this Budget, indicates clearly that we have been able to overcome one of the biggest challenges that face us as a country. This challenge is one challenge that many, for many years, have tried so hard to overcome. But unfortunately, they have not been able to do it and we are happy to say that we have been able to achieve this within the two years that this Government came into power.
12.50 p.m. -- MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
Alhaji Muntaka noon
Mr Speaker, what is it? It is the issue about the eradication of guinea-worm. If you look at the 2005 Budget, paragraph 721, page 220, the Government then, in 2005 set out for itself that it was going to eradicate guinea -worm within four years, which was very laudable because this is a disease that really affects a lot of people in our country. But then, as at the time the target was set in 2005, the number of cases recorded in that same Budget of 2005 was 2,659; that was for June for that year.
Mr Speaker, in 2006, when the Budget came -- if you look at the 2006 Budget, paragraph 741, page 165, the target for that year was to reduce guinea-worm to 2,000. Unfortunately, in that year, guinea-worm did not reduce but it went up from the 2,659 to 2,947.
Mr Speaker, when you look at the Budget of 2007, paragraph 862, page 239, the figure further increased from the 2,947 to 3,219, clearly indicating that the strategy was not working. This was one at the biggest challenges of our country - guinea-worm; it came up very strongly.
Mr Speaker, with the coming of this new Administration, we set out to eradicate guinea-worm and I am very happy to say that this year, as at June, there were only eight cases. [Hear! Hear!] Only eight cases have been recorded.
What did the trick? Many of us, if we pay attention to advertisements on television and radio, would hear advertisements running currently, saying that just come with your guinea-worm case, and by just coming up with your guinea-worm case, you would be entitled to GH¢50.00, that is, ¢500,000 of yesterday; just to be able to manage the cases. This is a new trick that this Government has adopted and it has done the magic. And as we speak, we recorded only eight cases this year. It is our anticipation that come next year, there would be no more new guinea-worm cases. That is our hope and we think that with the ability to reduce it from the so- called 3,200 to only eight now, I believe that we are capable as a country, if we put our heads together, to eradicating guinea- worm completely.
Mr Speaker, having said this, the other challenge that we all have -- We know that for the health delivery of our country to be very efficient to take care of our citizenry, one very important intervention was introduced in 2005, which is the National Health Insurance. This is very laudable, it is a social protection intervention and it is very good. Today, if you look at the National Health Insurance Authority, you would see that the numbers are growing day by day.
Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, I will give these statistics noon
In 2005, we were able to register about 1.3 million Ghanaians. In 2006, we registered 3.8 million Ghanaians; in 2007, it went up to 8.1, million; in 2008, it went up to -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker noon
Hon Member, if you would precede that with
Alhaji Muntaka noon
Mr Speaker, this is a big challenge for our country. If you look at the outstanding bill that was inherited as at December, 2008, it was GH¢115 -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker noon
Hon Member, you will conclude.
Alhaji Muntaka noon
Mr Speaker, you said two minutes and --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker noon
Hon Member, you will conclude rather than making comments on my direction. You will conclude.
Alhaji Muntaka noon
Mr Speaker, the outstanding bill is GH¢115 million and as we stand today, all providers would attest to the fact that payment of claims have been settled up to September. The only outstanding ones are the last quarter. Yes, we have a challenge as a country; the challenge is the inflows.
If you look at the flow from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to these statutory bodies, I would want to urge that yes, we are doing very well but we can still do better. And we should be mindful that the financing of health in our country was elaborated in this year's Budget. I believe that we still need to do more. If you look at the issue of closing the gap --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker noon
Your final sentence, Hon Member.
Alhaji Muntaka noon
One very important thing that I think this Budget tries to address is closing the inequality gap in the provision of health facilities --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Thank you very much Hon Member.

Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi
Alhaji Muntaka 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the sources are our Budgets. If you look at the 2006 Budget, you will get the 2005 figure. If you look at the 2007, you will get the 2006 figure. I am quoting from our own Budgets --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Information from the Budget Statements?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:55 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, from our own Budgets.
Mr Speaker, in 2008, the number was 12.5 million; 2008 - 2009 -- The number was 14.5 million and currently, the number is 15.5 million as at June this year, clearly showing that the numbers are going up.
But Mr Speaker, another interesting thing that goes with it is the claims, that is, the cost of servicing this number of people who have registered. In 2005, Ghana spent GH¢7.6 million as claims payment. In 2006, the claims went up to GH¢35.4 million; in 2007, it went up to GH¢79.2 million; in 2008, it went up to GH¢140.08 million. 2009 -- it went up to GH¢340.7 million. There is a simple trend that is developing. You would see clearly that the figures in terms of financing health through the National Health Insurance is doubling year after year. That is because if you look at -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Member, two minutes more.
Alhaji Muntaka 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is a big challenge --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
I am told the new agreement is 10 minutes each and I am following that.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.


(NPP - Techiman North): I thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to participate in -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Ten minutes, Hon Member.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 12:55 p.m.
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to participate in this debate on the Budget Statement made on behalf of the President by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
Experts in other areas have commented on this tax-infested Budget and I am not going to add to that.
Mr Speaker, I want to talk about science and technology, and in doing so, I would be making references to the Budget covering two sectors -- Education and Environment, Science and Technology.
Mr Speaker, before coming up with my points, you look at some of these sectors and the statements that keep coming up year after year and you wonder whether we do take our Budget seriously.
On science and technology, if you go back to 2009 Budget Statement under Environment, Science and Technology is a statement:
“Government's aim is to establish a strong and viable scientific and technological base for accelerated and sustained development.”
Mr Speaker, 2010 Budget Statement
-- 12:55 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member, you have one minute.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the Minister as we know, has laid some emphasis on climate change. This is well counting. In fact, two Hon Members of Parliament, at least, serve on the National Committee but the big question is, are we educating the public enough on what we mean by climate change? I think in this current year, or next year, some emphasis should be placed on education.
My final point is again on energy. In the Energy budget, there is talk about going to find sources of bio-fuel. Mr Speaker, jatropha is one of the sources that we have been made to believe will contribute -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
to pay lip-service to the application of science and technology as well. If you go to Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) where it says that the key would be to provide the development of science and technology innovation policy at all levels of production. To a large extent, this has been achieved and I am aware of the draft policy which is being discussed.
Mr Speaker, when you look at the conditions of service of the practitioners, those who are doing the science and those who are trying to get us to apply our technology, there is no cause for joy. Indeed, disparities in salaries between scientists in our research institutions and universities as well as facilities for work are so huge that this is clear disincentive for anybody who wants to remain in our research institutions.
Mr Speaker, I think that if we want to move this country forward as has been recognised by almost all of us, we need to do something about our science and technology. We are not providing enough incentives for those who are training the scientists, nor are we providing sources of motivation for those who are practising it. So where are we going?
Mr Speaker, if you look at the budget for Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology in the last Budget, the donor component was about US$69 million. The amount that actually came to them was only US$4 million. Then you begin to ask questions. And almost invariably, the answer we get is that the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning was unable to provide the matching fund, the counterpart funding. This is always the excuse. Is that the only reason? If so, is the Ministry really appreciating the need for us to give considerable attention to science and technology?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.


The macroeconomic statistics of the performance of the economy in 2010 speak clearly for itself and I would not belabour the statistics. But it is very obvious that the performance in 2010 shows that the economy has made gains, much better than in 2008. Our achievement in meeting the criteria for the West Africa Monetary Zone (WAMZ), in meeting three (3) out of four (4) criteria also shows clearly that the management of the economy is on hand.

Mr Speaker, I would like to distinguish one achievement that Ghana has made this year on the economic front and that is in the rating that it got in the International Open Budget System. This is an open budget system; a survey conducted throughout ninety-four countries in the world and Ghana scored fifty-four points, the best in the sub-region and greater than the forty-two points which is the average for the world. This again, shows the concern of Government and the Ministry for the preparation of transparent and open budgets.

I would like to focus on pro-poor policies and programmes in the “Outlook for 2011”. Mr Speaker, one unique aspect of the 2011 Budget is that it has clearly itemized expenditure allocations meant for pro-poor policies and social interventions. And at the end of each sector budget presentation, you see clearly, the amounts that have been earmarked for pro-poor and social interventions and that is an improvement over previous Budgets.

Mr Speaker, an examination of the Budget figures shows clearly that total pro- poor expenditure as compared to previous years has increased. For example, if you take poverty focused agriculture, it has increased by 22.7 points from a low of 94.45 in 2009 to 85.03 points in 2010. And in the 2011 Budget, it is up to 107.74 percentage points.

Member, you will be winding up.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 12:55 p.m.
In winding
up, a word of caution. Jatropha is destroying the land. Jatropha is taking over productive lands that can be used for agriculture and I hope those of us on the Agriculture Committee will pay attention to this plant which is doing more harm and contributing very little to our sources of energy.
Mr Speaker, before ending -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
And in
conclusion, Hon Member -
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 12:55 p.m.
In conclusion
-- ten minutes is not enough for this kind of discussion.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Thank
you, Hon Member.
Mr Clement K. Humado (NDC - Anlo) 1:05 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to support the Motion on the floor.
Mr Speaker, the 2011 Budget can best be described as a “People-centred Budget.” It is a Budget of hope that is crafted and designed to bring relief to the masses of the people. The Budget is also designed to sustain the gains made over the past two years while also launching the economy on an accelerated growth and development.
Mr Speaker, the performance of the economy in 2010 has been the best in recent years despite the global economic recession. This was made possible by the efficient management of the economy by the Economic Management Team and the team of Ministers.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon Member, you will please, conclude. Your time is up.
Mr Humado 1:05 p.m.
Again, I move to Trade and Tourism and acknowledge the development of an industrial salt estate in Keta where I come from and that would definitely open up jobs for the people --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
And in conclusion -
Mr Humado 1:05 p.m.
And in conclusion, Mr Speaker, I assure Ghanaians that the 2011 Budget is a people-centerd Budget and a Budget of hope designed to improve the lives of Ghanaians, especially the ordinary persons and the rural dwellers. What is important is that, we must all join hands and rally behind this Budget, just as we were told by Rt. Hon Lord Paul Boateng that this Budget should be an eagle and should need the feathers of everyone of us, all Ghanaians, so that the eagle can fly high.
With these few words, Mr Speaker, I support the Budget.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Hon Dr Anane -
Dr Richard W. Anane (NPP - Nhyiaeso) 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to associate with the Motion on the floor with respect to the Budget Statement as presented by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
Mr Speaker, as presented, the Ministry will continue to focus on its core objectives -- as captured under paragraph 58 (2) and beyond of the Budget Statement -- Undertaking preventions to improve health service delivery and reduce the inequality gap.
While it is the duty of the Government to assure access to the citizenry, it is equally the duty of Government to ensure that agencies charged with the duty of this assurance discharge their duties with
positive returns.
Mr Speaker, Ghana partook in the United Nations (UN) Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that concluded on the adoption of a global action plan to achieve the 8 anti-poverty goals by 2015. While working on it, we must appreciate that it also has innate self-serving implications, especially now that Ghana is a mid-income nation with the GDP growth rate of 8.4 per cent as at the end of 2008.
Mr Speaker, the core functions of the Ministry of Health are related to the MDGs 4, 5 and 6, which are the reduction of child mortality, the improvement in maternal health and the combat with HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases.
Mr Speaker, as a signatory to the Millennium Development Declaration, Ghana is enjoined to work to meet these set goals. Actions taken in the past decade, specifically, spanning the period 2001 to 2008 were measured to accelerate our attainment of these goals.
The Institution of the Ministry and Women and Children's Affairs, the institution of a Minister of State for Girl- Child Education, gender mainstreaming activities, the AIDS Commission, the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Free Maternal Healthcare Services were geared to achieving these set objectives which though acceding to an international convention, is also a self-serving action.
Mr Speaker, the disturbing front of maternal mortality continues to engender great worry and attract a lot of attention. The need for a more aggressive approach with the requisite inter-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration to facilitate all modes of access should not be lost on us.
The National Health Insurance Scheme with the Kufuor free-maternal healthcare are palpable actions as I have said earlier, to assuage the worrisome health, particularly,
maternal health environment.
The foregoing actions deepen the 2008 declaration of maternal mortality as a national emergency by the Kufuor Administration. The improvement of the maternal mortality rate from 760 per 100,000 live births, in the 1990s, through 590 per 100,000 births by 2000 and up to 351 per 100,000 births as at 2009, should have encouraged us to deepen the measures taken in recent times. Similarly, our infant mortality rate improved from 57.43 to 51.09 per 100 live births.
But Mr Speaker, this gloomy picture, out of this gloomy picture -- one region alone and that is the most populous region in the nation continues to contribute the highest number of maternal deaths. Of 905 recorded maternal deaths in Ghana in 2009, that region alone contributed 177, which is close to 20 per cent.
Mr Speaker, that region is the Ashanti Region and that region is also the poorest served when it comes to healthcare delivery. In this House, appeals have been made on several occasions -- the past 3 years, for the Government to take note and to ensure the completion of the teaching hospital in Kumasi with a Maternal and Child Health Unit, which was started and abandoned in 1978, which was resuscitated in 2001 and it is about 60 per cent complete but it seems no palpable actions are being taken.
Mr Speaker, on the need to attain the MDGs 4 and 5, Government and therefore, the Budget degree of prioritization is demonstrated in certain paragraphs. In paragraph 492, what the Government said about maternal and child health is just this and I want to read:
“Direct entry into medical assistant training in Kintampo was introduced and 100 students were enrolled.
Two new mid-wifery schools were established in Tarkwa and Tamale to increase training of mid-wives.”
Mr Speaker, this is the Budget Statement on maternal and child health in 2010.
In 2011, paragraph 597, Mr Speaker, this is what the Budget had to say:
“The sector will implement the National Child Health Policy and strategy which seeks to increase access to maternal, new born and child health services (MNCH). The Ministry will also implement the adolescent health policy and adopt measures to ensure safe blood transfusion.”
Mr Speaker, these are the clear indicators of the level of priority that Government has attached to the issue of maternal mortality and in particular, to the worrisome morbidity and mortality rates.
Again, in the Budget Statement, paragraph 584 of page 147:
“Madam Speaker, supervised delivery by midyear in 2010 was 21.9 per cent compared with 12.1 per cent in the same period in 2009.”
That is, of expected deliveries.
Mr Speaker, available data showed an ever improving supervised delivery data from 1988 to 2008. The 2009 and 2010 extrapolated data have rather showed an unexplained reduction in spite of the facilitated environment of a National Health Insurance Scheme and Free Maternal Healthcare.
Mr Speaker, in 1998, this figure was 40 per cent; it went to 44 per cent in 1993; to 44 per cent again in 1998; 47 per cent in 2003; 48 per cent in 2006; 59 per cent in
Dr Richard W. Anane (NPP - Nhyiaeso) 1:15 p.m.


10 minutes each. So in conclusion -
Dr Anane 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, one, we are not giving enough attention to the MDGs that we have appended our signatures to and therefore, our mothers continue to die. Two, the National Health Insurance Scheme which has come to be the saviour with the free maternal healthcare is also not being managed to give the kind of help that we should have given through the caring of our people.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
And finally --
Dr Anane 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with the one- time premium payment, the only thing I can say is that the experts --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member --
Dr Anane 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your help, I will just give a verdict of experts and Government may want to take note. The experts say that -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, you will have to end.
Mr Emmanuel K Bedzrah 1:25 p.m.
(NDC - Ho West) Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to support the Motion moved by the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning on Government's Statement and Economic Policy for the year ending 31st December, 2010.
T h e 2 0 11 B u d g e t c h r i s t e n e d “Stimulating Growth for Development and Job Creation” could not come at any other time than now. When the Government has succeeded in restoring fiscal stability and
2008. Then it went down to 45.5 per cent in 2009 and the extrapolated data shows that by the end of this year, it will be 49 per cent. Mr Speaker, this is in the period when we had declared maternal mortality as a national emergency and this is the time when we have the free maternal healthcare and we also have in place the National Health Insurance Scheme. Mr Speaker, if we are having a downturn in these, then we have to have a look deeply at what we are doing to our mothers.
Mr Speaker, in the face of the worrisome statistics, it is disturbing to note that no new or innovative measures nor a palpable deepening of counteracting actions have been seen from the last two and from the current Budget Statement.
Effective deployment of the already inadequate number of mid-wives or trained hands for skilled delivery continues to be the teething challenge. Inadequacy of infrastructure continues to be another major challenge. There has been a continued reliance and a fixation with quotes from one or two success stories of the Community Health-Based and Planning Services (CHPS). Mr Speaker, that cannot help us as a nation in the long- term if the enormity of the maternal health problems confronting the nation is juxtaposed to haphazard the attempts to tackle them --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
And in conclusion -
Dr Anane 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as the Minority Spokesman and a relatively senior Hon Member, I would wish that you gave me some concession. I have two points to raise, one on the Maternal Mortality, another one on the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Member, unfortunately, it was agreed that
macroeconomic stability, therefore, the country is now ready for a smooth take- off for a better Ghana agenda.
Mr Speaker, policy ini t iat ives expounded in the 2011 Budget clearly shows that the Government will invest in vital areas that will accelerate economic growth. Some of the areas -- modernizing agriculture, road transport, roads and highways, energy and housing. I am delighted to note that Government will complement the investment in social sector to improve the livelihood and standard of our people, particularly, in education, health and water.
This is a caring Government and we all need to praise the Government. Government's intervention in the affordable housing project is laudable and deserves commendation from all and sundry, especially when the policy to use local raw materials in our construction industry which we all know is in abundance in this country.
Mr Speaker, it is true that we have so many raw materials in this country and we need to use those materials so that we can reduce the import content of our building materials and this will reduce the cost of building construction in the country.
Mr Speaker, permit me to quote from paragraph 970 of the 2011 Budget Statement 1:25 p.m.
“Madam Speaker, government is seeking to ensure that by the year 2015 at least 60 per cent of materials used in the building and construction industry will be indigenous raw materials. A housing policy programme on the utilization of local building materials such as clay brick and tiles, pozzolana cement, bamboo, etc. in the construction industry has already been prepared on the initiative of the government.”
This will create jobs for our people and the rippling effect will be that most people in our rural areas will have jobs to do. I strongly believe that when this policy, that is, the use of raw material is implemented, in addition to other programme initiatives by the Government, the housing deficit which stands at one million per annum will definitely reduce in the next few years.
Secondly, it is about roads and highways. Government will invest a substantial amount in the road and highway sector. I am happy that in this 2011 Budget, a road that has never been tarred or constructed in my constituency has been captured in the 2011 Budget and that is the Bame Dzolokpuita road. This is an international road leading to the Republic of Togo. I believe when this road is constructed, it will create a lot of jobs for our people, which is a clear manifestation of our better agenda which we promised the people of Ghana.
I also want to comment on agricultural modernization. We know that in most countries, agriculture supports economy, therefore, when we modernize agriculture, which the Budget has clearly stated, it will create jobs for our rural folks and our people will not be trooping to the cities for jobs that are not there. In addition to that, every economy needs revenue and revenue comes from taxes. Professionals need to pay taxes and I am glad that people who are professionals will be made to pay tax in 2011.
In addit ion to that , chari table organizations like those which have engaged in profitable or commercial ventures will also be made to pay taxes. In the past, they were not paying taxes and how can you grow an economy where taxes are not being paid? I believe this Budget is the best Budget we have ever seen in this country.
Mr Speaker, permit me to quote from paragraph 970 of the 2011 Budget Statement 1:35 p.m.


giving limited time constraints, I am going to concentrate on the energy sector.

But let me just say that some comments were made on the health sector and I have been in this House long enough to know that the NDC side of the House walked out of this House when we were passing the Bill on Health Insurance. Today, we have a Budget before us and we have a policy statement that came from the NDC side that made it clear that we were going to have a one-time premium.

This year, this Budget has not said anything at all about that and yet they are out there, all praising the health insurance scheme. I am surprised that they all walked out of this House at the time when we were passing that. Having said that, Mr Speaker, let me focus on the energy sector.

Mr Speaker, when it comes to the power sector, in the area of generation, I do not see any new initiatives that are going to augment the power generation capacity in this country. Mr Speaker, the Budget has made it very clear that the Government has now been able to inaugurate the 49.5 megawatt power plant at Tema. The commencement of work on the 123 megawatts plant in Takoradi is ongoing; the continuation of work on Bui Dam is also ongoing.

We also have information that the Asogli Power Plant has been commenced and indeed, one of the turbines is operational. All these initiatives were initiatives introduced by the NPP Administration.

Indeed, at the height of the energy crisis, I came to this House to present a Statement to the nation through the House, that we had a short, medium and long-term plan to augment the power generation capacity in this country. All these initiatives that are going on are as a result of that Statement that was made on this floor of Parliament.

Mr Speaker, I am very happy that they are continuing with what we started and it is an endorsement of the good work that the NPP Administration did for this country. But Mr Speaker, let me spend a couple of minutes on the Bui Dam Project. For many years, we were trying to get this project implemented. It never took off until the NPP came into power.

Mr Speaker, I heard in this Chamber Colleagues praising the NDC Government and saying that the loans that we are getting from the Chinese Government is because of the good work and the confidence that they have in the NDC Administration. Mr Speaker, I will like to draw the minds of this House back to the gentleman who was then a Member of this House and a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs who cast the vote to bring the Chinese Government into the UN system, that is, ex-President J.A. Kufuor.
Some Hon Members 1:35 p.m.
Source, source?
Mr Adda 1:35 p.m.
UN sources. Go and do
your research. Mr Speaker, the goodwill of the

Mr Speaker, we have in this country turbines that can generate up to 330 megawatts of power; nothing has been said about that in this Budget. The Astom turbines -- what is going on with the Astom turbines? Are we implementing the project? Are we installing them? Are we

With these few words, I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member for being brief.
Mr Joseph Kofi Adda (NPP -- Navrongo Central) 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Government's Financial Policy and Budget Statement for the year
2011.
Mr Speaker, I would like to begin by commending the Government of the NDC for the good work they are doing, implementing the policies and programmes that have been situated many years ago. While my interest is in the energy sector, which I would like to focus on, I cannot help but have to look at certain aspects of the general Budget because of the implications that it has on Ghanaians. I mean the negative effects and the untold hardships that the Budget is bringing to Ghanaians.
Mr Speaker, much has been said about the high taxes, the unbearable tarrifs, the increasing prices, the high transportation cost and all of the things that are not so good for Ghanaians that would not make this Budget a better budget. All these things, the high taxes and the unbearable tariffs and high prices have a direct effect on households and individuals.
They also have an indirect effect on industry and if the Budget is one that is going to stimulate growth for development and job creation, the side effects of these policies are going to bring down industry. I do not see how business is going to go; I do not see how industry is going to expand.
Indeed, I think these policies are rather going to kill industry and prevent the business from expanding. Therefore, I do not see how the economy is going to grow and I do not see how jobs are going to be created.
These negative effects are running through the entire Budget and as I said,
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, do you rise on a point of correction?
Mr Buah 1:35 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker. Mr
Speaker, the Hon Member just stated that the only ongoing rural electrification
Mr Buah 1:35 p.m.


projects are the US$350 million and US$160 million that were initiated during the NPP time. Mr Speaker, that is not correct. This House just approved a facility for electrification for the three northern regions and he was here. He is misleading the House completely.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Adda, continue. We have very limited time and you can see that I am not allowing interruptions from either side unless there is a serious correction of mis-statement. This is not one of them.
Mr Adda 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the simple point
I am making is that, the rural electrification projects that are going on, particularly, the northern part of this country are coming out of resources that were negotiated by the NPP Administration.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Order,
order.
Mr Adda 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this goes
for the regional street lighting project. Mr Speaker, this project was started by the NPP Administration, through some support from an Egyptian company and the project is on-going. All the electrification projects that are going on in the regional capitals are projects that were commenced by the NPP Administration --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, you may be winding up. Interruptions will lead to prolonging the time.
Mr Adda 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am happy
that we are starting the oil production in December. But Mr Speaker, it is important for us to note that the FPSO contract that
was agreed to, for us to bulk the barge, was something that was undertaken in June of 2007. Mr Speaker, it was smoothly done without any hitches until the middle of this year when we got information that strategic oil and gas resources were involved with a problem of contract awards.
Mr Speaker, I have a fundamental question here; who is paying for the barge now? Given the problems that the IFC and the construction banks are questioning how that contract was awarded, Mr Speaker, it is important for this government, as a matter of policy, to be transparent in this award of contract to MODEF and also to let this House and this country know how they are going to pay for that.
Mr Speaker, in terms of --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
And in conclusion -
Mr Adda 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion,
all I want to say is that the Government of the NDC said in this House last year that US$800 million had been realized from the gas monetization project, nothing has been said about revenues coming from gas this year. It is important for them to come to us and let us know that the gas monetization, gas infrastructure project has been transparent and this nation needs to know.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Thank
you very much.
Mr Adda 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are having a

Mr Simon Edem Asimah (NDC --

South Dayi): Thank you very much Mr Speaker for permitting me to contribute to the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the Financial Year 2011, presented
Dr A. A. Osei 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point
of order. Mr Speaker, my Colleague was talking about arrears and he said they had improved. Mr Speaker, this is a document that this Government sent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and with your permission, let me give you the figures, so we can judge whether it has improved or not.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, would you want to react to that?
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you
look at the TOR debt -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member, would you please respond to that? If you are not certain or you know it is not factual, do the right thing.
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
very certain.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Then
please, substantiate it.
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just
want to quote from a document that I have
to Parliament on the authority of His Excellency, President Mills.
Mr Speaker, I think this Budget and the Financial Policy can only be described as the best ever since this country was founded. Mr Speaker --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Members, in view of the time and the business before the House, I direct that Sitting be held outside the prescribed period.
Hon Member, you may please, continue.
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, you
will agree with me that today, the macro- economic indicators are showing that the economy is stable, it is resilient and it is going to propel us to the middle income level that we are all aspiring for.
Mr Speaker, you know that in 2000, when NPP took over the administration of this country, the fiscal deficit was GH¢260 million and in 2008, when NPP left office, the fiscal deficit was GH¢2.6 billion. In addition, Mr Speaker, there was huge accumulation of arrears which arose from contracts that were in clear breach of the procurement laws.
In the road sector alone, Mr Speaker, the arrears were almost about GH¢l09 million.

Mr Speaker, I want to say that the economy has expanded by almost 5.9 per cent. The agricultural sector alone grew by almost 7 per cent and to ensure food security, you will realise that the Government has put in place youth in
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:45 p.m.


over here -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon
Member, respond to that point and then we move on.
Hon Deputy Minister, can you help us?
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:45 p.m.
That is what I
want to do.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, can you help us?
Hon Members, so far as I am concerned, facts, data, statistics are sacred, and we are not going to have a Parliament where serious students will go and take our Hansard and they could be misled. Those matters are not politics; I am very, very serious about this.
So, Hon Deputy Minister, if you can help us, please, do. Hon Members, please, we do not want jettisoning.
Mr Seth Terkpeh 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we
in the Ministry have communicated with the IMF and the World Bank in many respects, and if I would know the title of the document that the Ranking Member is quoting from, then I will be able to speak to it.
Dr A. A. Osei 1:45 p.m.
The Staff Report, the
Medium Expenditure Framework Policy (MEFP) and the letter of intent, altogether. I refer him to page 23 of that document. [Interruptions.] He knows.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Order! Order! Those who are not aware, the person who can respond is the Hon Deputy Minister.
Hon Dr Akoto Osei, would you like to share that document with the Hon Deputy Minister?
Mr Terkpeh 1:45 p.m.
I am familiar with the document, Mr Speaker. I just wish to state at this point that we are in a very dynamic situation and when I make my contribution
sometime next week, I will respond appropriately because the document he is referring to was issued a while ago. As the Hon Minister indicated in the Budget -- he even stated that he will be coming back to this House with the update of the arrears situation, which means that there has been a significant development since these documents were issued.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Minister, that document is factually correct, at least, so far as what he is saying -- but you could comment further on that.
Mr Terkpeh 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, precisely.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Thank
you very much.
Hon Member, you may continue, now that we know the factual position.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:45 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, since you are talking about facts, I believe the Hon Colleague should be speaking to the Budget document in front of him. The figures he is churning out are from his top of the head, with respect to him.
He said of agriculture -- that agriculture grew over 7 per cent; it is incredulous and may I draw his attention to page 20 of the Budget document? Mr Speaker, on page 20, the table there, the overall target for agriculture was 6 per cent and the provisional outturn is 4.8 per cent. He cannot say 7 per cent.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Which
page, please?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:45 p.m.
Page 20. Mr Speaker, the provisional figure which mentions 7 per cent was in respect of
crops and livestock, that was the target, but they could not reach it. So, where is he conjuring the over 7 per cent from? Please, he should speak to the Budget document in front of him.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon
Member, you may want to withdraw that on factual basis and continue, please.
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think
my Hon Leader did not get me right and I quote. What I am saying here is that, the agricultural sector grew by 4.8 per cent, industrial sector grew by 7 per cent and food price -- I have not even come to the food price inflation. I am going to come to that. These are the figures that I mentioned and I think my dear Colleague who was one time my senior at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) did not get me right.
Mr Speaker, if I can continue -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
You may continue, Hon Member.
Mr S. E. Asimah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker,

Mr Speaker, we all know that good food leads to good health and with good health, you will be engaged in production and when production goes up, the economy grows and that is exactly what the Budget Statement is saying, that we are stimulating growth and we are creating jobs.

Mr Speaker, another important component of the Budget Statement, which I have been very much interested in, is the issue of Ghana Shared Growth Development Agenda and the Medium Term National Development Policy Framework, 2010 to 2013, which was completed by the National Development

Planning Commission (NDPC) under the Professor-led Administration.

Mr Speaker, this document puts emphasis on microeconomic stability, accelerated agricultural growth and modernisation, sustainable natural resource management, oil and gas development, infrastructure, energy, human settlement development, accountable governance. These are the areas that are going to stimulate the growth that we are all looking for -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
So, in
conclusion?
Mr Asimah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, by 2011, we have been told that water supply will go up by 65.8 per cent -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon
Member, in conclusion --
Mr Asimah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Kpong
Water Project will also come on stream; National Housing Programme will come on stream; storm drainage will come on stream and with all these things, Mr Speaker, I think this economy will see growth -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Thank
you very much, Hon Member.
Mr Kwame Amporfo Twumasi (NPP - Nkoranza South) 1:55 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Government's Financial Policy and Budget Statement for the year 2011.
Mr Speaker, I am happy that the
Mrs Catherine A. Afeku 1:55 p.m.
On a
point of order. Mr Speaker, I need your
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Order!
Order! Order! Hon Member, are you formally raising the issue of quorum?
Mrs Afeku 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have been
guided and I rescind -- but my comment on the emptiness in the Chamber cannot go unnoticed.
I thank you.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
But
seriously speaking, Hon Majority Leader, this matter was brought up yesterday and comments were made thereon by both Leaders of the House. Definitely, I think we should be doing something about it. Leadership should take note, so that we would be seen to be working seriously on an important matter like this, and even more so, when Colleague Members who are also Ministers are themselves not here in their numbers.
So this is something that I believe Leadership of both sides of the House -- It should not be taken as light comments at all, for us to want to shout out; it is a very serious matter.
Hon Majority Leader, I think this is worthy of serious attention. Particularly, I was not too happy about the reaction that greeted such comments. We must be seen doing things and doing them seriously.
Mr Avoka 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I appreciate
that but it is also on record that some of the committees have started meeting to look at the Annual Estimates; I am aware but we will take note of the advice.
Thank you.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:55 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I think it is worth noting and I think we should be stimulating interest -- maybe, Monday, Tuesday -- to have much more participation in this exercise.
Mr Speaker, clearly, if the words of the Hon Minister are to be believed, that this Budget is to “stimulate growth”, he should be capable of stimulating interest in the House. Mr Speaker, clearly, he is not stimulating interest at all -- but Monday, we will work harder.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Hon
Amporfo Twumasi, you have the floor.
Mr Twumasi 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I was
saying, before the intervention by my Hon Colleague, I am happy the Hon Deputy Minister has intimated that next week he will have the opportunity to respond to
-- 1:55 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Hon
Member, you are eating into your time; make your argument.
Mr Twumasi 1:55 p.m.
Thank you very much Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Hon Member, go on with your points, go on -- Order!
Mr Twumasi 1:55 p.m.
He will remove his
coat and tie and walk to the streets of Accra and to the market and -- [Hear! Hear!] ask the women who sell, how their businesses are faring. He should ask those who have been demanding foreign currencies to travel to bring items into this country, how many have joined and how many have withdrawn. Identify the causes why people are withdrawing and why people are not buying. Ask those who sell kenkey and know how the size of kenkey is dwindling. [Interruptions.] Ask those who sell kyenam and know how people are responding to that.
Mr Speaker, that will enable us
buy kerosene in tots. Mr Speaker, this is not healthy for our economy and I hope that this will be addressed by the Ministry.
I had expected that the 2011 Budget would have initiatives to resolve this problem for our rural folks and the gas users but nothing is said about that.
Mr Speaker, as we prepare for the drilling of oil in commercial quantities, come 15th of this month, some of us had expected that the associated gas would be developed alongside the oil.
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, do you rise on a point of correction?
Mr Buah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have a point of correction. My Hon Colleague has just stated that nothing was mentioned about the processing of -- That is incorrect. Mr Speaker, if you read page 88 of the Budget Statement, it clearly states that work on pipeline laying on the sea floor would be expedited and this is with regard to the gas processing plant; that is what the reference is about. So the Budget really talked about that.
Mr Twumasi 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what he said has already been said by me. I said the only statement about that is what VRA is being referred to in the Budget. And that
appreciate the statistics that are being given to us in relation to inflation, economic growth, and the stability that is being established between the cedi, our currency and the foreign currencies.
Mr Speaker, after that I would want
to concentrate on the Energy sector. The theme for this year's Budget “Stimulating Growth” is very encouraging. I think one area that will be an anchor for job- creation, economic development and growth is the energy sector.
It should be appreciated that the energy sector did not perform very well in the year 2010. As per the Budget of 2010, paragraph 312, Mr Speaker, it was mentioned and I quote:
“A National LPG Programme will be developed that will ensure improved nationwide availability of LPG at reasonable prices to reduce reliance on fuelwood. Bulk Oil Storage depots will be expanded for security of petroleum products. The Rural Kerosene Distribution Improvement Project will be continued and enhanced.”
Mr Speaker, quite disappointingly, the year under consideration will go down as the most challenging for LPG users in this country. Taxi drivers and private car owners had to spend weeks in queues for LPG for their vehicles. It is not uncommon to recall that women and children had to carry cylinders moving from one gas station to the other in search of gas which was not available.
Mr Speaker, the least said about kerosene, the better. Kerosene has become an extinct commodity in many of our rural areas. Those who are fortunate to get it, buy in tots. The first time in the history of this country that people had to
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon Minister, that was said. Please, continue and conclude. There was an exception and it was clear.
Mr Twumasi 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this means that obviously, the gas would not be re- injected into the system -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, I have the time well in control and I would be glad if you do not mention time again. It gives the impression that I am not mindful of it. I am very meticulous about what I am doing here, please.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
For the avoidance of doubt, because sometimes I want these things to be very clear. Hon Amporfo Twumasi was to speak from 1.55 p.m. to 2.05 p.m. Then the other Hon Member came up with a very serious matter with regard to quorum. Therefore, he could not really start his contribution. That matter took another five minutes. I seriously - If there is any doubt, here is the paper. Then I re-recorded him 12.00 - 12.10 p.m. I am very, very serious about this matter. And I would stop him at 12.10 and I would not want any unnecessary interventions with regard to my keeping of time. I know how to be very equitable in that matter with regard to both sides of the House. This is on record right here.
Please, you would continue.
Mr Twumasi 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my concern is that, a substantial part of this discovery would go to waste. Besides what would be re-injected into the system, the rest would be flared with its concomitant environmental hazard, until such a time that the infrastructure would be provided and only Heaven knows when.
Mr Speaker, I would want to touch on Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). The Budget made provision for the imposition of tax to recover the debts of TOR. I am not interested in the levels of the tax, but I think that as a nation, we need to seriously look at TOR and how to salvage it. This is because it is a very important national asset with a potential, especially with the discovery of oil. It is the only enterprise now in this country which belongs to the Republic of Ghana that can add value to the crude oil that has been discovered.
We, therefore, need as a nation, Mr Speaker, to have if possible a national consensus -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon Member, you are concluding.
Mr Twumasi 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, consensus on salvaging TOR. Mr Speaker, it is quite unfortunate that certain important programmes and projects have not been captured in the Budget. Typical examples are the West African Power -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
In conclusion --
Mr Twumasi 2:05 p.m.
West African Power Pool and the West Africa Gas Pipeline. We need to have the level of development of such.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
The next contributor is Hon Stephen Kunsu -- 2.10 2.20 p.m. It would mean
leadership.
We know that salt production is a very expensive enterprise and for the Government to focus attention in this enterprise, means that the Government is really serious. That is why we must all commend the Government for developing an industrial salt estate at Keta.

Mr Speaker, one other area I would like

to talk about is chieftaincy. We all know that the sanctity of chieftaincy - [Pause.] The sanctity of chieftaincy is being contaminated by chieftaincy disputes which are traceable to lines of succession and other issues. So if the Government has decided to codify all the customary laws and lines of succession to be used by the various traditional councils, I think it is a step in the right direction because this is going to minimise the number of chieftaincy disputes we have in the country. [Hear! Hear!]

I will also talk about persons with disability. The Budget makes provision for an increase of the District Assemblies Common Fund from 2 to 3 per cent for people with disability and this epitomises the sensitivity of the NDC Government to the disadvantaged in society.

Taxes -- Taxes form an indispensable aspect of revenue generation in every country in the world; Ghana is not an exception, yes. It is natural that some people would not like it because of - maybe, the effect it would have on them. But at the same time, Government is initiating some interventions to mitigate the effect of some of these taxes. It is just like a sore on the toe. If you do not cauterize it well, the sore will not heal. But if you cauterize it well, it will heal and give you relieve and then you will forget about the pain you endeared. We want to achieve our goals. If we want to achieve our goals, we have to sacrifice and move

addition to your time.
Mr Stephen Kunsu (NDC - Kintampo North) 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate.
Mr Speaker, we have to commend the Government for presenting a very unique Budget to the country; a Budget which is aimed at stimulating growth for development and job creation.
From the presentation of the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Ghanaians were made to realize the achievements of the Government for the past year. It was evident that the economy was stabilised, especially in the area of reduction of inflation and the strengthening and appreciation of the cedi.
I believe that by the end of the year 2011, Ghanaians, our faces would be beaming with smiles to hear other success stories.
For time factor, Mr Speaker, I would only dwell on a few issues raised in the Budget. Now, the first issue I am going to talk about is on trade and industry. When we turn to page 78 of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy, paragraph 276, and I would like to quote, with your permission:
“The Government's goal is to develop a thriving private sector and a vibrant technology driven and competitive industrial sector to contribute to economic growth and employment generation.”
Mr Speaker, if you read the Budget Statement, you would realise that Government has introduced some programmes that are geared towards the realisation of these goals. The Budget provides support to the private sector for overall economic growth. The approval of a new industrial policy for the nation, which focuses on industrial production, distribution, technology and innovation is therefore, a manifestation of visionary
Mr Stephen Kunsu (NDC - Kintampo North) 2:15 p.m.


forward in the right direction.

Mr Speaker, I conclude by urging all Hon Members to give approval to this Budget so that Ghana can move forward in the years ahead in the right direction.

Thank you.

Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu-Ansah

(NPP - Kwabre West): Mr Speaker, the Budget Estimates of the Judiciary, together with the forwarding letter from His Excellency the President were laid before this House on the 23rd November, 2010. Mr Speaker, in the forwarding letter, His Excellency indicated that based on available resources, he was recommending to the House that an amount of GH¢42,917,123.00 could be provided by the Government instead of the GH¢97 million that the Judiciary had estimated.

Mr Speaker, i f you go by the recommendation that had been given by His Excellency the President, that figure forms only 44 per cent of the Judiciary estimates, and in that regard, I am wondering how the very good things said about the Judiciary, article 201 of the Budget Estimates can be met while the Government says that they will continue with the automation process and even extend the weekend sittings of magistrates to Kumasi and other places.

Mr Speaker, I think that the amount of GH¢42 million would be too low for the Judiciary to be able to work; and I am wondering whether it is one way of killing the cat. This is because when the Judiciary have been made so poor and they do not have resources to function, then they would be ineffective and probably, the Government will have its way. Probably, that is one way of killing a cat which we have been told.

Mr Speaker, at page 59 of the Budget

Estimates, that is, paragraph 192, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning tells the whole nation, through Parliament that the total expenditure estimates for the year 2011 would be GH¢12,670.8 million.

Mr Speaker, this is in conformity with article 179 (1) and (2), particularly clause (2) and with your indulgence, Mr Speaker, I will read clause 2:

“The estimates of the expenditure of all public offices and public corporations, other than those set up as commercial ventures. . .”

Then the narration goes on --

“All public offices”.

Mr Speaker, this shows that the Judiciary being a public office, its expenditure estimates are included in the GH¢12,670.8 million. But Mr Speaker, at page 162 of the Budget Estimates, the Judiciary has nil entry for Personal Emoluments, nil for Administration, nil for Services and nil for Investment. So the expenditure for the Judiciary has not been captured at all in the Budget Statement.

Mr Speaker, if the Judiciary's Budget expenditure has not been captured, then it cannot form part of the GH¢12,670.8 million. And if it does not form part of that figure, then it means that article 179 (1) and (2) has been breached because article 179 (1) and (2) says:

“The estimates of the expenditure of all public offices . . .”

So if you take the Judiciary out of it, then it is not all, and that means that the Constitution has been breached.

Mr Speaker, in that respect, I say that the Budget Statement as presented by the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic

So Mr Speaker, the expenditures, all expenditures which the Constitution had automatically charged on the Consolidated Fund, are laid before Parliament only for the information of Parliament. And Mr Speaker, article 179(6) also says that,

“The development expenditure of the Judiciary, if approved by Parliament, shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.”

That is the development expenditure. In respect of the Administration expenditure, this is what the Constitution says, Mr Speaker, and this is captured under article 179(3)(a):

“the estimates of administrative expenses of the Judiciary charged on the Consolidated Fund under article 127 of this Constitution;”

shall be linked together with the development expenses before Parliament.

Mr Speaker, the point I am making is that, with respect to the administration expenses, they are laid before Parliament for information. So if the President is purporting to recommend to the House, a figure that his Government can meet, the same is not allowed by law by the Constitution. This is because under article 127(4), it is very clear and with your indulgence, I read:

“(4) The administrative expenses of the Judiciary, including all salaries, allowances, gratuities and pensions payable to or in respect of, persons serving in the judiciary, shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund.”

This one is simple and the one that I have read early on says that if the charge is on the Consolidated Fund, it can only be for information. So all the amounts
Some Hon Members 2:15 p.m.
Go to court.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on the other hand, if the figure of GH¢12,670.8 million includes that of the Judiciary, then again, I will say that the presentation of the Budget has been unconstitutional because the Budget Estimates were presented on the 18th of November and the communication from the President, sending the estimates of the Judiciary to the House was on the 19th.
So the Budget Estimates were read to the nation before the communication from the President; therefore, Parliament does not even have time to consider the development estimates of the Judiciary to be able to make it form part of the national Budget. So in that respect, again, the presentation was unconstitutional.
Mr Speaker, the President, in his
communication to Parliament, made some recommendations about certain estimates of the Judiciary. Mr Speaker, I will take Administration. Instead of an amount of GH¢24,157,627.83 that the Judiciary requested, the President is saying that he can meet an expenditure of
GH¢7,532,862.00.
Mr Speaker, the simple question I want to pose is, under what authority is the President recommending a figure for Administration expenses of the Judiciary?
Mr Speaker, article 179(2)(b) reads as follows, and with your indulgence, I read 2:25 p.m.
“(2)The estimates of the expenditure of all public offices and public corporations, other than those set up as commercial ventures -
(b) shall, in respect of payments charged on the Consolidated F u n d , b e l a i d b e f o r e Parliament for the information of Members of Parliament.”
Mr Speaker, article 179(2)(b) reads as follows, and with your indulgence, I read 2:25 p.m.


for the administrative expenses of the Judiciary, as soon as they come before the House, they are deemed to have been approved by the House and they are on the Consolidated charge.

Mr Speaker, there are other issues regarding the Judiciary and I would want to take these matters at your committee level and report later.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, last time round, this matter came up seriously before this Honourable House and I would be very glad if you can give us some insight into what is now applying with regard to the estimates of the Judiciary.
In fact, the Hon Minister, Dr Duffuor made an assurance that it was going to be acted upon by way of a shortfall and that in future, this constitutional matter would be addressed as per what the Hon Member has just contributed.
Mr Seth Terkpeh 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the issue of the Judiciary as well as Parliament and other statutory bodies was so much important to the Hon Minister, that he handled them personally. I am aware that he was always reminding the staff of the constitutional provisions and I am aware that he was liaising with the Office of the President as well as even lately, the Leadership of the House with respect to these matters.
I do not have first-hand -- and I am not privy to the conversations or the consultations that were held in this regard. I will crave your indulgence -- Mr
Speaker, the Hon Minister has travelled; he is coming over the weekend and he would be able to provide the House with the requisite information on Monday or Tuesday when he returns to the House. But I would convey your enquiry to him appropriately.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Thank you very much. It would be very necessary for the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning to come to the House on Monday and apprise us of the developments in this regard. There was a specific decision and he gave an assurance in this House and I think it would be proper that he comes to let us know whether the assurance has been complied with.
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Member, just let him -
Dr A. A. Osei 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, just on the previous matter --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
You are talking about the Judiciary estimates?
Dr A. A. Osei 2:25 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, the Hon First Deputy Speaker also informed us that there had been communication from the President, that was last week. But as of now, at least, some of us do not have any copy. So I wonder, if there is communication from the President, where has it gone to? It is meant for Members of Parliament and we are Sitting here today -- maybe, the committee members have it. But as a matter of right, every Hon
increase taxes. What it does, it broadens the tax base. This Budget finally makes a call to Ghanaians that we must now take responsibility of this economy instead of what we have been doing for a long time - walking round this world as beggars - because it has never helped us.
This is the Budget that is finally calling on all of us to share responsibility in the development, especially those who are in a position to do so. This Budget is calling on professionals like lawyers, accountants to pay their fair share for national development.
Mr Speaker, I will as Hon Deputy Minister, focus on what this Budget focuses on in terms of the energy sector, because I believe that the energy sector is so critical to the development of this country.
Mr Speaker, I am very excited about what this Budget does, to address the burden that we have as a country on the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) debt. Mr Speaker, if you look at what we had in terms of the TOR debt levy, a quick calculation would show that, on the TOR debt levels that we had, it had given us around fifty million Ghana cedis. And quite frankly, I am very happy to say that this Government has been very consistent in ensuring the application of this TOR debt recovery levy.
I am very happy that with the focus on the possible increase that this House will approve, it will see the TOR debt recovery levy increase the way that will allow us to seriously address TOR's financial position.
Mr Speaker, this Budget also focuses
on the direction that we have been going since 1990 in terms of electrification. And it is very important to point out what we as a Government have done in terms of bringing fairness in accessibility to electrification. What we did was to ensure that the percentage of each community was
Member must have access to it. And as of today, we do not still have it. But we are being told there is communication from the President on a matter that we are now discussing. We are constrained.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
For the avoidance of doubt - yes, Hon Majority Leader -
Mr Avoka 2:25 p.m.
Yes, there is communication from the Presidency to the Speaker of Parliament with regard to these - what we call the Special Budget institutions - the Judiciary, we have talked about -- CHRAJ and a few others. So we have that correspondence from the Office of the President; it is not meant for everybody. After the Speaker has received it, it would be referred to the appropriate committee for them to deal with and then others would get their copies.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Members, for the avoidance of doubt, it is the order from here now that the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning should appear before this Honourable House on Monday and apprise us of the development in that regard. The Clerk, the Hon Majority Leader and the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning here present in the House should ensure that this is complied with.
Thank you very much.
Hon Deputy Minister for Energy -
Mr Buah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government. Mr Speaker, the title of this year's Budget gives a clear picture of where we are heading as a country. The title of the Budget says “Stimulating Growth for Job Creation”.
Mr Speaker, if you look at the broad outlines of this Budget, it clearly does not
Mr Buah 2:35 p.m.
We should really learn a lesson from that, that we, as a country cannot allow equipment that are supposed to last for 20 years last for 40 years. That is the kind of problem we have found ourselves in, and I think this Budget focuses attention on improving our transmission distribution system and making sure that we support them.
But how do we do that? We challenge the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG); we challenge Ghana Grid Company (GRIDco) to make sure they focus on customer service improvement and I think that this is going to be done and making sure that we are all going to be vigilant and ensuring that the services that the people of Ghana deserve, they have them.
Mr Speaker, I am very happy that the Budget also focuses attention on renewable energy. We have not done very well as a country on renewable energy. A percentage of 0.01 and we are moving towards having 10 per cent in the medium- term.
I am happy to see that the Renewable Energy Bill that will have real incentives for the private sector, for independent real estate developers, that will call on government institutions and departments to start using renewable, remote outposts, nursing centres, are all going to be in the renewable energy sector. As I speak, the Bill is before Cabinet and I am sure it will be brought before Parliament and passed.
I am also happy to see that, as part of that renewable energy package, we are going to focus attention on human
known so that we could plan electrification to ensure that by 2020 every community, indeed, has access to electricity. I am very happy to see a focus attention under this area where all the regions have access to electricity especially the three northern regions. This Budget would ensure that we focus attention on the three northern regions and bring balance.
I am also happy to see that attention
is given to the Western Region in this Budget. If you look at electrification, 1,200 communities will have access -- Western, Central and Brong Ahafo Regions -- and we see attention being paid to electrification.
I see attention also being paid on regional capital street lighting projects. Mr Speaker, it is very, very important that, as we grow as a country, our regional capitals must be seen as modern cities and I think paying attention to electrification in our cities is critical. I am very happy to point out that we at the Ministry of Energy are working to ensure that street lights in Accra and other places will be working and I am happy to see that this Budget focuses attention on that.
Mr Speaker, in terms of generation, we had focused on increasing generation capacity. This Budget focused attention on that. We see in this Budget that apart from continuing the generation capacity programmes like the Bui programme and others, encouraging independent power producers through incentives as we have been doing, we are also working to bring about new generation plants. A mention here was a two-power plant that is planned for the Western Region as well. This is very, very good for our country. I see a focus on improvement in distribution and transmission.
Network improvement: Mr Speaker,

resource capacity building where our educational institutions will start training people in renewable energy, in solar and wind technologies. That is the way the world is going; that is the way this country should be going and I am happy to see that attention paid in the Budget.

Mr Speaker, this Budget has talked about what we would have to do to improve kerosene distribution. It was unfortunate that the kerosene improvement distribution that was started sometime ago by the NDC Government collapsed. But I am happy that we are going to focus attention to ensure there is improvement because the rural communities that do not have electricity today, that need kerosene must have it and we are going to do everything at the Ministry of Energy level as has been indicated in this Budget to ensure that rural communities that need kerosene will have it.

Mr Speaker, I will also focus attention on the petroleum subsector. It is very interesting that I am speaking at a time when we as a country are about to see our first oil. A lot has been done in this sector --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Two minutes more, Hon Minister.
Mr Buah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, a lot has been done in this sector. The Budget has stated clearly that we are going to focus attention on the intensification of exploration, production and distribution of petroleum products. We, as a country, have positioned strategically to be the next Singapore of West Africa, if we do things right. We must look at what we do with our refinery.
As I speak, TOR produces at full capacity; 45,000 barrels. That meets our national requirement of about 70,000 barrels per day. We need a new refinery
expansion of TOR and I am sure that if we focus attention on TOR and make it a stronger institution, we would be able to do that. I am happy that this Government has led the effort to ensure that this oil find will be a blessing by making sure that we engage in transparency in every aspect of the industry -
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
And in conclusion -
Mr Buah 2:35 p.m.
And in conclusion, Mr Speaker, I believe that this is the Budget that is going to let us finally see the better Ghana agenda work.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Ms Gifty Klenam (NPP - Lower West Akim) 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to comment on this Budget Statement.

Now, what do we see? Mr Speaker, now the private sector is being pushed out of its parent's home and being treated like an orphan where parents did not leave a home for them - all kinds of burdens such as high interest rates, high utility tariffs, unbearable tax, just to mention a
Ms Gifty Klenam (NPP - Lower West Akim) 2:45 p.m.
“The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Project through its Business Development Services Fund, supported 142 SMEs to acquire technical assistance to address issues of low productivity, access to marke ts , p roduc t development and access to finance”
The Business Development Service Fund of the SMEs programme introduced by the Kufuor Administration supports 142 SMEs.
We are not told the period the 142 SMEs received the support. I am informed by the SMEs and service providers that since April 2009, there have been virtually no approval to this application. The Business Development Fund (BDF) has no fund manager since the last quarter of 2009. Surprisingly, there is nothing especially said in the outlook for the 2011 Budget about the SMEs programme. I strongly request the Government to surprisingly make a serious effort to appoint a BDF Manager to take over and support the SMEs.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Trade and Industry should also start to put realistic proposals and programmes to get access to credit funds of the SMEs programme to commence operation. I am informed that the commercial banks have adopted cold feet towards the participation as the agents of loan disbursement. I believe Ghana is sufficiently endowed with finance, accounting, banking and economic professionals with rich experience in SME financing. Therefore, a team of such experts should be constructive to manage the access to fund credit.
Regarding paragraph 298 on salt development, I wish to state that the Government's proposal for the development of that industry is shallow and weak. Nothing is said about the development of Ada Songhor and

few. I am not against taxation provided the appropriate conditions are provided to enhance the wealth-creating capacity of the individual and companies.

Mr Speaker, I would want to make reference to the Budget Statement, paragraph 281, page 71 on Export Promotion. Over the years, Government institutions and entrepreneurs are being sponsored to attend International Trade Fairs with the taxpayers' money.

But Mr Speaker, there appears to be no regular follow-ups on participation in various Trade Fairs to evaluate the impact of the first participation on their businesses.

In reality, many Ghanaian enterprises and business people merely attend but do not participate in these Fairs. This is because hardly are the entrepreneurs able to attract and perform on orders they obtain due to lack of capacity.

Although there is no policy statement on export promotion in the 2011 Budget to reflect what is to be done in the year, I wish to suggest that the money to be spent on Trade Fairs participation should be invested in research and development to assist the quality improvement of products and packaging of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Again, in the 2011 Budget, the export finance companies should be recapitalized to enable them give credit to the SMEs for export purposes. In 2011, Government should pressurize commercial banks' participation in the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) programme to increase their access to the EDIF, especially annual targets should be set for them to meet. I am informed by the SME operators of deliberate frustrations of their EDIF applications by their bankers.

Support to micro-financing and medium enterprise -- With respect to paragraph 290 on page 81, it is stated and with your

Central Region salt potentials. With the commencement of oil production, it is paramount for that industry to be developed in order to support the oil industry. Sustaining crude oil production will soon push up the country's need for salt to be used by the oil producers in their secondary recovery programmes --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:45 p.m.
Hon Member, you must be winding up.
Ms Klenam 2:45 p.m.
The current level of output is not sufficient for such operations to push for import. The mere talk about Ada-Songhor construction and Central Region salt industry have gone so far too low. So, in reference to paragraph 300, I think the proposed injection of ten thousand million Ghana cedis into the Ghana Venture Capital Fund is a good proposal.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:45 p.m.
In conclusion -
Ms Klenam 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, however, we are not told specifically what it is meant for. Truly, the challenge of the venture capital does not include low capitalisation, rather, there is low SME access because of over stringent conditions imposed by the Venture Capital --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:45 p.m.
Hon Member, in conclusion -
Ms Klenam 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I conclude that the Government, in its quest to develop the private sector, should put together all the stakeholders to have a very strategic deliberation so that we can all come with a concrete effort to push the Ghana agenda we all wish we want to witness.
Mr David T. Assumeng (NDC - Shai Osudoku) 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in my opinion, this is one of the best Budgets that we can talk of since we started going through budget cycles in this country.
In the Budget, there is a grant element of about one million, three thousand and sixteen Ghana cedis. One would ask, where or what is the source of this grant that is coming into this country? These are funds from workers in various countries and these are taxes being paid by the workers in those countries.
So, if people in their own country will send their tax money to us to develop this country, then what are we doing ourselves to develop this country? This is why I support the idea of expanding the tax network in this country. It is time we developed on our own strength and that is, I see the wisdom on the part of Government to do well to involve a lot more people to contribute towards the developmental agenda of this country.
So for anybody to stand against the expansion of the tax network in this country, I believe the person is not being fair to the development of this country. Mr Speaker, we will rake in more money to develop the various sectors; that is why I am happy that the Keta Sea Defence Resettlement Programme is being given another look for us to construct needed accommodation for people who are affected by this project.
Mr Speaker, you can also observe that now, the water situation in the country has improved tremendously. What we used to witness, the popular yellow gallons that we used to see on the streets of Accra are gradually giving way.
This is as a result of the bold decision by the Government to hold the bull by the horns. A lot more money is being injected into the water sector to improve the situation.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Hon Member, for the sake of interest, are you speaking of the signing of an Agreement or the re-bringing of an Agreement before this House or what? Since you are addressing this Honourable House, it is very important for you to be specific.
Mr Assumeng 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to assure you that it is not a matter of re- introducing the Agreement to this House; it is a matter of signing what has already been done by this House to make sure that the work commences; I can assure you -- [Interruption.]
Dr A. A. Osei 2:55 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, he is the Chairman of the Committee on Works and Housing and if he will advert his mind to the STX Agreement that this House approved, there are two conditions that say that before anything can be disbursed, it must be brought back to this House. So I do not know in what capacity he is pretending that he has forgotten that those were the conditions precedent. If he does not remember, he should go and check. But for him to stand here and say they are not bringing anything back -- Parliament signed it with conditions precedent. They must come back.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Hon Member, are you speaking authoritatively on behalf of Government? The Leader of
We can now see some improvement in the Weija headworks; the Kpong headworks is also being transformed with the inclusion of a new system and also changing the various pipelines - [Interruption] -- Yes, the new plant that is coming on board -- And so, I think that these are areas that we need to channel our resources.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Kpong water works, the system -- it is just one system. The Hon Colleague is telling us that a new system is being put in place. For his information, he says if a new system is being put, he means that a new dam or a new generating system, a new set of infrastructure is being put in place. That is not it. He should understand the terminology that he is using. If he is saying that a new plant is being put in place, yes -- but to say a new system is being put in place, he is totally off tangent. I do not know what he is talking about.
Mr Assumeng 2:55 p.m.
Just as I said, when the funds being generated from taxes are utilized in a direction of this nature, I believe that we must all be encouraged to contribute. Mr Speaker, I want to challenge Hon Members of Parliament to join the race of filing their tax returns - [Interruptions] -- I am challenging all of us to do well and file our tax returns in order to join the crusade of mobilizing taxes to develop this country. I challenge all of you -- or all of us including myself.
Mr Speaker, the STX Agreement has

the House is here and I think we should be very careful about some of these things. Once it is being said in this House, please, let us be very careful and if you think you are not authorized enough in that direction, please, avoid that line of argument.

The Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is in the House, the Hon Leader is in the House -- Leader of Government Business is here -- You are introducing an element which I think we should be careful about. Of course, if you are talking authoritatively, please, conclude.
Mr Assumeng 2:55 p.m.
So I will be concluding very soon. In any case, Mr Speaker, if the House does not want to hear - [Interruption]
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, because my Brother is going in some direction that is unknown to this House -- He cited the example of countries like Dubai. Mr Speaker, there is no country by that name - there is no country called Dubai.
Mr Assumeng 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is United Arab Emirates - that is what he was referring to. I was there with him, so that should not be a problem.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Hon Member, if you want to correct yourself, please, do so.
Mr Assumeng; Mr Speaker, we have the United Arab Emirates of which Dubai is part --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:55 p.m.
You mean United Arab Emirates not Dubai - please, come clean and let us make progress.
Mr Assumeng 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am referring to the United Arab Emirates of which Dubai is a city --
M r Second Deputy Speaker: And in conclusion, Hon Member?
Mr Assumeng 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am happy as well -- and in conclusion -- that some attention is being given to the Job 600 building such that Government will complete this accommodation, which will enable Hon Members of Parliament to have offices to reinforce our work.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Justice Joe Appiah (NPP - Ablekuma North) 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the 2010 Budget, Government said it will improve capacity and operations of the small-scale mining sector and reduce illegal mining, that is, galamsey.
Mr Speaker, nothing has been done as galamsey is being encouraged in the mining towns, especially in Amansie West, Prestea/Huni Valley in the Western Region. Mr Speaker, streams that serve as source of drinking water have been polluted with cyanide and mercury.
Mr Speaker, lack of planning for our cities and villages has led to illegal development. Mr Speaker, this has resulted in rampant destruction of buildings with the attendant negative, social, psychological and economic effects on Ghanaians. Recent examples are Tuba, Tema West, Sakaman in my own constituency in Ablekuma North.
Mr Speaker, over the years the various Budgets had outlined programmes to be known and undertaken by the Town and Country Planning to correct the situation but so far nothing has been done. Mr
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
Thank
you very much, Hon Members. We could

Speaker, it takes a year to get a building permit; and last year, an initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology was to pilot a project on waste collection to create jobs as well as clean the environment and this has not been done. Mr Speaker, it is once again repeated in the 2011 Budget.

Mr Speaker, we still see our cities with filthy water satchets while Government has slapped 20 per cent tax on satchet water producers, which will lead to an increase in the price of satchet water.

Mr Speaker, we still see telecommunica- tion masts mushrooming all over the country in spite of the assurances by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology that this was going to be regulated. Mr Speaker, there should a harmonisation of policies and strategies of all sectors of the economy.

Mr Speaker, Government should have broadened the tax net instead of overburdening the existing taxpayer. Mr Speaker, the bankers are not lending; the lending rates are high; banks are not opening new branches. Mr Speaker, the Mills Administration cannot on one hand talk about stimulating the economy and on the other hand, slapping more taxes on the citizens.

Mr Speaker, all over the world, economists looking for growth and stimulus reduce taxes and find ways for government to support local industries, but in the Budget, personal tax obligations have gone up, petroleum taxes through the TOR recovery levy have gone up.

Mr Speaker, it is clear that oil and gas revenue is not going to be the solution to all our problems that have been talked about, particularly as the Mills' Administration appears to want to use this source for everything including the STX Agreement.

Mr Speaker, let me go on to the Electoral Commission. Mr Speaker, yesterday, 1st December, 2010 issue of the Daily Graphic with the caption

be adjourning at this stage. But Leader, if you have anything for us?
Mr Avoka 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have
nothing useful to add except to wish Hon Members a very happy and peaceful national Farmers' Day tomorrow. I hope that Hon Members will have a big rest during the long weekend, so that on Monday, we will come refreshed and continue with the Budget debate and conclude the debate on Tuesday.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, except to remind Hon Members that it is not for nothing that four days of the ensuing week, we are not going to take Questions to save time to really engage in a meaningful debate on the principles of the Budget on both Monday and Tuesday.
Mr Speaker, it is important then that we start Sitting at ten o'clock sharp, otherwise, the savings that we want to make would not amount to anything if we do not Sit at ten o'clock. And having lost the period for Question time, we must therefore, plunge straight into business by engaging one another on the principles of the Budget on Monday and Tuesday to enable us bring the debate to a closure on Tuesday, to allow us to also confront the outstanding issues in the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
Mr Avoka 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your
kind permission, I wish to announce, if Hon Members have not heard it yet, that Hon Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members will meet the Minority and Majority Leaders shortly after the break in the Committee Room at the new Parliamentary Complex. Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members, meet Leadership in the Committee Room in the new block at 3.30 p.m.
Dr A. A. Osei 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, can
we make it 4.00 p.m, so that we can get something to eat? We have been Sitting here all day. We have to eat something.
Mr Avoka 3:05 p.m.
All right. Mr Speaker, we
will meet at 4.00 p.m. in the committee room upstairs.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
Thank
you very much, Hon Members.
The House will stand adjourned till Monday, ten o'clock in the forenoon.
ADJOURNMENT 3:05 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 3.12 p.m. till Monday, 6th December, 2010 at 10.00 a.m.