Debates of 13 Mar 2013

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:55 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:55 a.m.
  • [No Correction was made to the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 12th March, 2013.]
    • Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Members, there are no Statements for today. We would go straight to the Commencement of Public Business -- Item number 4 on the Order Paper -- Motion.

    Hon Members, do you want me to close the debate? Nobody is on his feet from both sides.
    Dr Benjamin B. Kunbuor 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was on my feet but I did not catch your eye, so I resumed my seat.
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    I called you; I mentioned “Majority Leader.”
    Dr Kunbuor 10:55 a.m.
    Very well.
    Mr Speaker, the lists for the contributors are ready and we ended the debate on this side yesterday, so, we are thinking that we would commence on the other side today. So, I was hoping that you would invite an Hon Member from the other side.
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, the truth of the matter is that, I do not have any list either from the Majority or Minority side, and that is why I am asking whether I should close the debate by putting the Question.
    Dr Kunbuor 10:55 a.m.
    Very well. Mr Speaker, the list is on its way to your ambit.
    Dr Anthony A. Osei 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I know the rules of this House can be changed. I was wondering, could somebody request to speak again? [Interruption.] Oh, it is in his bosom; he can amend the rules.
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Member, the circumstances under which somebody can speak again are clear under our rules.
    Dr A. A. Osei 10:55 a.m.
    Where no rules are made explicitly, the Speaker can in his own judgment change --
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Are we starting from the Majority or the Minority? What did the Leaders agree on?
    MOTIONS 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Kobina T. Hammond (NPP -- Adansi Asokwa) 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, may I first congratulate your goodself because since Madam Speaker handed over the torch of whimsical and capricious behaviour to somebody else, I have not had the opportunity of congratulating you myself, but I do so today.
    Mr Speaker, I would have been happy to contribute to the debate today; even though I am not happy, I contribute all the same. This is because I get the impression that in the current judicial and political milieu, we are possibly going to have a new and a better budget in the course of the year. So, I would contribute but not very happily -- [Interruption] -- [Some Hon Members -- “Sit down!”]
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Members, let us learn to tolerate one another's opinion. That is the man's opinion and he is entitled to his opinion -- [Hear! Hear!]
    Hon Members, that is his opinion and he is entitled to it. If you get up and say it is good, that is also your opinion. That is his opinion.
    Mr Hammond 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is a budget, which I would describe as smacking of feverish tubercular hallucination. But I would leave it there for the time being and then go on and deal with three matters quickly. We do not have time, so, I would just stick to three very important items.
    Mr Speaker, the first I deal with is the question of power cuts and what we call the phenomenon of dum so, dum so, dum so. Mr Speaker, I have Hansard here and this Hansard goes back to Tuesday, 19th June, 2007. A good Brother, a good Friend, a good everything of mine from the other side of the House had the opportunity and the occasion to say this in this House. Mr Speaker, this was what he said in making reference --
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Member, the column?
    Mr Hammond 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the column is 1095.
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Is it 17th June?
    Mr Hammond 10:55 a.m.
    No, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    What date did you use?
    Mr Hammond 10:55 a.m.
    19th June, 2007 and the column is 1095, and he said -- His phraseology of Twi is not very good but I beg to quote:
    “The Government of the New Patriotic Party that my under- standing of positive change is to keep your honour, that they promised the people of Ghana that if they got power, adumdum adumdum no begyae. The contratry has happened; which in my view means that this was avoidable.”
    He goes on to this critical point, Mr Speaker, and said he would agree to be very brief.
    “The excuse is not just for this government. Mr Speaker, even a future NDC Government which I am very optimistic about in 2009 should have no excuse in plunging this country into darkness because the opportunity exists whether hydro or thermal to assure the people of Ghana adequate electricity supply.”
    My brother Hon Iddrisu Haruna -- 2007. Mr Speaker, it speaks for itself what is happening today in this country.
    Mr Speaker, I find it so offensive, so arrogant to hear some people, particularly workers of Volta River Authority (VRA) suggest to the good people of Ghana that in the midst of all the pitch darkness, the cataclysm that they plunge the good people of Ghana into, we should contemplate -- in fact, we should even begin to contemplate the idea of paying increased tariffs; I think it is unfair; I think it is immoral and nobody should start thinking about that because the good people of Ghana would not pay.
    Mr Speaker, do you know what is happening? Everybody is talking about gas from Nigeria and gas from whatever, which has not materialised and which is the reason for the darkness. Mr Speaker, do you know that the VRA has deliberately abandoned two plants that

    Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah - - rose --
    Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Minister for Energy, do you have a point of order?
    Mr Buah 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, clearly, the Hon Member is misinforming the House.
    Mr Speaker, the fact of the matter is that all thermal plants --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Which part of the statement is that?
    Mr Buah 11:05 a.m.
    The statement that we have 90 megawatts sitting there not operating. This is because VRA does not have money to operate those plants. Mr Speaker, the fact is that all the thermal plants that are supposed to operate, except for those that have to run on only gas are those that are not operating. So, the Hon Member is misleading the House -- [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Hammond 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, Tema Thermal Plant 2 (TT2PP - 49.5)-- no diesel; Mr Speaker, Mines Reserve Plant- 80 (MRP - 80 megawatts) -- no diesel. Are those on gas? [Hear! Hear!]
    rose
    Mr Hammond 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, so, it is Volta River Authority (VRA) --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Member, please, you have raised a point of order, I called you --
    Mr Buah 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, he just made another point --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Please, please.
    Hon Minister, what you are doing is wrong.
    Mr Buah 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the reason I rose up is, I just heard the Hon Member --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Minister, please.
    Mr Hammond 11:05 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    The Government --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Member, he made a statement that two barges are not operating, you got up to correct; he got up to provide further and better particulars by mentioning them. So, what do you have to say? Now that he has provided further and better particulars, what do you have to say?
    Mr Buah 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, what I have to say is clearly this: The Mines Reserve Plant, which is the MRP that he talked about, is not even in the country. It is out for it to be repaired. So, he is completely wrong. The 80 megawatts he is talking about is the plant that currently is out because it is being refabricated; there is a lot of work being done on it.
    So, to say that that plant is ready to be operated on and it is not being operated because of gas, is factually incorrect. [Interruption.] But Mr Speaker, let me make a point --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Minister, please, you have made your point.
    Hon Member, continue.
    Mr Hammond 11:05 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, he is my younger Brother, I am not going to debate him. When the evidence is what I have in my hands, I sympathise with him.

    Several Hon Members -- rose --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader -- but you see -- my Hon Brother, you see, we are debating here. People say all sorts of things outside the House but as much as possible, let us leave those matters there. When you want to quote those matters, then you must produce evidence as a basis before you make them.
    Dr Kunbuor 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, just for the records. The “Ampofo” that is being referred to by the Hon Member, was the Ampofo who was a Member of this House; he is not a functionary of the NDC Government. There is a difference between a party member, a party functionary and a Government functio- nary. So, do not attribute issues to Government functionaries that are determinable.
    We know those who are government functionaries for the NDC today and I think it is erroneous to say he is a leading functionary of the Government.
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Member for Nadowli/Kaleo, what do you want to say?
    Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am on a point of order and the point of order is on the language that he has used on the floor. As much as possible, not even only on the floor of the House, even outside, when Hon Members of Parliament are debating, we should use decent honourable language. Words like “effrontery”, “nerve” -- [Interruption]
    “Effrontery”; it is not a decent word to use to describe a former Hon Member of Parliament, who, as we all know on this floor, gave a lot of vision on the energy sector. He made statements on what this country should do. They were not partisan at all and he even moved a Motion on the energy sector when Hon Dr Ampofo was here and we debated them.
    So, when you are referring to an Hon Colleague or a former Hon Colleague, you do not use such words. I think that the words he used are unparliamentary and he should withdraw them.
    Mr Hammond 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, to the extent that anybody is offended by my choice of diction, I withdraw; I apologise.
    Mr Speaker, but is it not heart wrenching for a high functionary like that to make a pronouncement in the country, that the Kufuor Administration cancelled a planned policy by the previous NDC Administration to build the Bui Dam? Bui Dam was institutionalised by President John Agyekum Kufuor's NPP Adminis- tration --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Member, I have advised that you should move away from whatever the Hon Ampofo, former Member of Parliament said. This is because as I am presiding here, I have not heard what he said. So, I beg you to let us move away from that and then we can debate --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up but I will give you one more minute. I will give you an additional minute; I have taken into account all the interventions.
    Mr Hammond 11:05 a.m.
    The interventions are not my fault. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, in giving me the one more minute, I call on this House, in all seriousness, to invite the Hon Minister for Finance and the Auditor-General to
    come out with a proper audited report on this document that was given us-- “the 2012/2013 Annual Report on the Petroleum Funds”, that was submitted to us on the 5th of March, 2013.
    Mr Speaker, the reason is this, when you read some aspects of this document, you would start wondering whether this oil thing is going to be a curse or a blessing for this country. Mr Speaker, if investment portfolio on 54 million yields only 4,000 --
    Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Your time is up; your time is up.
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC -- Asawase) 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the Motion ably moved by the Hon Minister for Finance and seconded by the Hon Member for Ketu North, Mr James K. Avedzi on the Budget Statement for the 2013 fiscal year.
    Mr Speaker, in doing this, I would want to say, when you have a cup and there is water in it that is half, two people can choose to describe it differently. Some would say it is half full and others can also say it is half empty. But the fact of the matter is that, the one who says it is half full is optimistic and the one who says it is half empty is pessimistic.
    Mr Speaker, it is interesting to know where we are coming from and where we are. When you talk about health delivery, there are about three things that make health delivery successful. You have to create access in terms of finance, you create access in terms of human resources and you create access in terms of infrastructure.
    Mr Speaker, in this very House, when our Brothers had the opportunity to be in Government, even before they had laws to govern institutions, they started naming them. Mr Speaker, precisely, if you look at paragraph 848, page 236 of the 2008 Budget, you would see a name being called “National Ambulance Service”.
    Mr Speaker, when they did not even have a law, they went ahead to create a name and I am happy that this current budget -- if you look at paragraph 682 -- it is confirming that, it is only when we had the opportunity in 2009 that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government said there would be a law to regulate the National Ambulance Service. Now, we have the law by way of the Health Institutions and Facilities Act (Act 829.)

    Mr Speaker, the interesting thing is that in 2009, the NDC Government assured the people of this country that within the next four years, we were going to eradicate guinea-worm. Mr Speaker, I am happy to say that when you take this year's budget, it is saying that even the World Health

    Organisation (WHO) is in preparation to give us a certificate to indicate that we have completely eradicated guinea- worm in Ghana [Hear! Hear!] Mr Speaker, the interesting thing about our country is that -- That was why I started by saying so -- others make promises, they do not fulfil them; others make promises and they make an effort to fulfil them. Mr Speaker, in terms of -- [Interruption.]
    Mr Emmanuel Agyarko 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, on a point of order.
    Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    Hon Member, that is a point of argument; it is not a point of order.
    Kindly resume your seat.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, even though you have overruled my Colleague, I would want to ask: Was the process meant to be increasing it while trying to eradicate it? This is because it was increasing by year and the evidence is there.
    Mr Speaker, most importantly, we all know, and our mothers are here, our Colleague Members of Parliament (MPs) are here, it is not natural for a woman to die simply because she is trying to give birth. Mr Speaker, five years ago, the maternal mortality rate in this country was 748 per 100,000 births.
    Mr Speaker, in 2009, we set ourselves the goal to ensure that maternal mortality is drastically reduced. Four years after, Mr Speaker, the maternal mortality rate is 351. [Hear! Hear!] Mr Speaker, in 2006, there were a lot of -- [Interruption.]
    Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, on a point of order.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the former Minister for Health is sitting in the House and if you permit me, I would cede thirty seconds of my time for him to clarify for my Hon Colleague to know that the survey of the Ministry of Health was not done only in 2010. I said that five years ago, and five years ago was 2008. [Interruption.] Yes, and I am saying that as at 2008 that was the statistics that we had, and I am saying that as of today, this is the statistics that are available.
    Mr Speaker, maybe, because my Hon Colleague is from the Ashanti Region, it would be interesting for him to sit down and listen to things that are physical.
    Mr Speaker, in 2006, they tabled a budget to this House and told us that the priority was to fix the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Mr Speaker, it came back in 2007, with the same determination to do the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
    Mr Isaac Osei 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, on a point of order.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Tamale Teaching Hospital is now a tourist attraction for people from the Minority Deputy Leader's constituency. When they get to Tamale, they deliberately stay, so that they would see how beautiful the Tamale Teaching Hospital is. [Uproar!]
    Mr Speaker, that is on the lighter side.
    Mr Dominic B. A. Nitiwul 11:25 a.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, I do not stay in Tamale as a tourist; not at all. In fact, if I stay in Tamale town to watch tourist things. He knows that it was the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Administration that made Tamale beautiful. [Uproar!] He is aware and he cannot deny it; he is aware that it was the NPP Administration that made Tamale very, very beautiful, such that if you go to Tamale in the night, you would not want to visit any other town. He is aware, Mr Speaker.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague should know that his constituents are listening to him, and the Tamale people are also listening.
    To bring my Hon Colleague closer to his hometown, Mr Speaker, the Bekwai Hospital, and I am happy that the MP is here -- today, is a site for tourists attraction for people who are living in Abodom and the like within the constituency to just see how beautiful the hospital is. That is when you promise and you fulfil.
    Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu 11:25 a.m.
    On a point of order.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am happy he said Prof. Mills.
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    I am giving you one more minute. Your time is up.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the most interesting thing, in Komfo Anokye, at a time that we had a sitting President from Kumasi, we had the sitting Minister from Kumasi, we had the Finance Minister from Kumasi, the children's block and maternal block of Komfo Anokye stood for almost eight years without seeing even a bag of cement going there. As we speak now, the maternal block and the children's block are almost completed. [Interruption.]
    Dr A. A. Osei 11:25 a.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, with respect, the Hon Majority Chief Whip is grossly misleading this House. There has never been a Minister for Finance from Kumasi before. [Interruption.] Never! So, I do not know who he is referring to. He should withdraw that statement and correct himself.
    Mr Speaker, in any case, he lives in Kumasi, and the Emergency Care Centre, he knows about it . When his children are sick, that is where he takes them. Who built that; not President Kufuor? But he should correct the statement that there was a Minister for Finance from Kumasi. There was no Minister for Finance from Kumasi. There was a Minister of State responsible for Finance from Old Tafo, not Kumasi.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank my Hon Colleague for even reminding me. In fact, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning was from the Ashanti Region and the Minister of State at the Office of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning was from Kumasi, meaning that they were even two, not only one.
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon Member, I told you to conclude.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, in winding up -- [Interruption.]
    Dr Richard W. Anane 11:25 a.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, you do know that I normally do not like doing what I have to do. But Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that a Chairman of a Health Committee for a period of time, a very long-standing member of the Health Committee should make certain pronouncements in this House.
    In the first place, I just could not appreciate how a former Chairman of the Health Committee could say, it is only last year that we passed the law on the National Ambulance Service. Then he is going to tell us that it is only last year that we passed the law on Health Insurance.
    A compendium of laws were made and brought together and that is how come that law was captured under the Health Insurance and under the other laws last year. It was an existing law made way back in 2003. That is the first one.
    Mr Speaker, the other one is about maternal mortality. Maternal mortality in this country has been a very worrying thing for all of us. The number that he gave was the maternal mortality for way back in 1992. The maternal mortality of Ghana as at the end of 2008 and which was released in 2010 is 350. He does know it and he knows that even at a seminar at a hotel in East Legon, we were given this data and he appreciates that. So, I am surprised, maybe, for political reasons, that he should get up and make such statements.
    Mr Speaker, I do appreciate he would want to withdraw that and correct himself.
    Thank you.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am shocked that a former Minister for Health could grossly be misleading this House. We are privileged to have two former Minsters for Health here. Mr Speaker, I would want you to challenge them to get up and say whether there was any law on the National Ambulance Service until the one on institution and facility, and I challenge him.
    There was no such law;, if there is, he should provide it. Mr Speaker, this was a former Minister for Health. He knows very well that I do not want to go back on the point that I have already made --
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon Members, this reference, “a former Minister”, “a former Member”, “a former Chairman” is not parliamentary and it applies to both sides.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I take your guidance.
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up; your last sentence.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my last sentence is that we acknowledge that there are challenges, especially with the National Health Insurance but we are truthful to the people of this country, and we would make every effort to make sure that those challenges are overcome.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute.
    Mr Nitiwul 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just wanted to say that the Majority Chief Whip actually got more time than my Ranking Member. So, I just wanted to make that point that the Majority Chief Whip actually got more time than the person who opened the debate.
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    What did you say?
    Mr Nitiwul 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was just saying that because of the way the debate went, he actually got more time --
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    I am happy that you have qualified it; it is because of the number of interventions that he received. And rightly so because when he referred to Members of Parliament from Kumasi who are in the House, I had to call them to be very fair. That was why I called the Hon Members for Old Tafo, that was why I called the Hon Members Nhyiaeso and when he mentioned Bekwai, I was forced to call the Hon Member for Bekwai. Other Hon Members also intervened.
    If you go on, you would realise that there were a lot of interventions and a number of minutes were taken by your side in terms of points of order.
    Hon Members, we now move to Hon Agyeman-Manu.
    Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (NPP -- Dormaa Central) 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you. I just would want to reiterate the very apt description of this budget as a journey to nowhere, indeed, a journey to no hopeful destination.
    Mr Speaker, page 5 of this budget as part of the introduction, is quite interesting to read. You would see in paragraph 8, a struggling Finance Minister trying to defend the growth rate of 7.1 per cent when in the previous year, Ghana's growth rate of 14 point something was about the best in the world. Now, we have come to 7.1 and he is finding a way to try to explain why we did that and ends up in some serious propaganda, even in the budget.
    Mr Speaker, the same page, paragraph 9, we are talking about GDP expanding from 30 billion in 2008 to 71.8 billion in
    2012.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Member, what is your point of order?
    Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I stand on Order 91.
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not want to engage my Hon Colleague in some basic English that I thought would not come up even now. But let me go on.
    30 billion GDP in 2008 was equivalent to US$30 billion. 71.8 billion GDP in 2012 is equivalent to US$36 billion. So, you would see an expansion of 30 to 36. This, the Finance Minister describes and I would read:
    This testifies that output from all sectors of the Ghanaian economy, not just oil and gas has grown in leaps and bounds.
    Mr Speaker, the agricultural sector did 0.8 in 2011, 2.5 in 2012, fishing, 8.7 in 2011 and an abysmal 2.3 in 2012. This is leaps and bounds and the irony of it is that, he goes ahead to try to explain why a very huge budget deficit, without even telling us in the first instance, the level of that challenge. What was it? What was the level of that challenge?
    He does not tell us what it is yet he goes ahead trying to give us reasons we hit 12 per cent of GDP for the deficit, and he calls this a main fiscal challenge. He goes ahead to give corrective measures and would not tell us the extent to which we did this.
    On the reasons that he gave, he left out a few and I would want to add that he did not tell us that the levels of judgement debt payments, in some instances,
    dubious ones, contributed to this abysmal performance on the fiscal situation. [Hear! Hear!] That is one.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Murtala, do you have a point of order?
    Mr M. M. Ibrahim 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, yes.
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    What is your point of order?
    Mr M. M. Ibrahim 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is misleading the entire House. Judgement debts that were paid were paid because they were sanctioned by competent courts of jurisdiction. We have the Hon Member who stands here to tell people the judgement debt payments were fraudulent and that -- he used a word and if he can repeat that word -- I think that as Hon Members, we must understand that we operate within the ambit of law and the Hon Member does not stand in this House as an Hon Member and make such a sweeping statement.
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Member, continue.
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, a budget deficit of 123 per cent is quite high. [Interruption.] But what would the figure be if he tries to capture some commitments and expenditures that have been made which are not part of what the deficit is now?
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:35 a.m.


    Mr Speaker, in the budget, the Finance Minister tells us that we are going to pay GH¢955 million as part of fuel -- I would not call it subsidies -- under recoveries, even this year, that is not part of the 12 per cent budget deficit. If you add that one and several others -- I would mention them; arrears due to National Health Insurance Authority; arrears due to GETFund; arrears due to Distr ict Assemblies Common Fund; arrears due to road contractors -- that is equivalent to 11 good months.

    Since November, 2011, they have never had any payments. Arrears due to National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), now renamed Ghana Youth Employment and Enterprenaurial Develop- ment Agency (GYEEDA) without a law. Jubilee House renamed Flagstaff House now renamed Jubilee Flagstaff House without a law. I am going on, Mr Speaker.
    Mr James K. Avedzi 11:35 a.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, I come under Standing Order 91, where the Hon Member said that the name of the National Youth Employment (NYEP) was changed to Ghana National Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) without a law. I would want the Hon Member to give me the law that changed the Flagstaff House -- to Jubilee House -- [Laughter] -- and the law that made the NYEP, which needs to be changed. He should give me those laws.
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, after what the Hon Minister for Finance calls the main challenge, the budget deficit, I would also want to identify another main challenge and I would stress on that. The main challenge is not only one, there are several and I would mention another one, our debt situation, page 51, and I would want to read the Hon Minister's own: situation.
    “The public debt including Government guarantee debt increased by 23 per cent from US$15.5 billion in 2011 to US$18.8 billion by the end of 2012”
    Mr Speaker, where did we move from to come to the US$15.5 something billion in 2011? It was only US$8 billion by close of 2008. Now, you have moved from 2008, US$8 billion to a whooping US$18.8 billion by close of 2012.
    Mr Speaker, what is even worrying, let us look at page 53, paragraph 138 and again, the Hon Minister himself, after his debt sustainability analysis, listen to what he says:
    “The assessment though shows that public external burden indicators remain below their respective thresholds, it also showed an increasing trend in the liquidity ratios, especially the debt service to revenue ratio which is projected to average, about 9.1 per cent of GDP between 2013, 2018 and current, 7.5 per cent.”
    It goes on somewhere to say that by 2018, we will reach our threshold. That is a sordid fact; the Hon Minister himself has been bold to put into the public domain -- if we are going to hit our debt sustainability threshold by 2018. What economy are we living in now?
    Mr Speaker, the outlook is not very good; we are looking at growth outlook. I think I would pick that one, and again, if we look at page 58, there is a table there that gives us our forecast for the medium-term. GDP Growth, the cumulative, the total including the sectors 2013, 8 per cent forecast including oil, 2014, 8.7 including oil, 2015, 8.9 including oil.
    Then excluding oil, 2013, 6.5, 2014, 8.9, 2015, 9.4, real GDP Growth. If we are going to do 9.4, 2015 excluding oil, and including oil; will give us 8.9; what is the value of the investments into oil that we are making through GNPC. So, clearly --
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up. I will give you one more minute.
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:35 a.m.
    To do any serious thing that we have in our country-- Mr Speaker, the sordid issues again. From today, or from the time we passed the Appropriation Bill, the Hon Minister is giving an indication that GYEEDA is allowed to introduce any new model any new beneficiary. So after Health Insurance is collapsing, National Youth Employment is also collapsing -- [Interruption.]
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    What is your point of order?
    Mr Avedzi 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my point of order is about the GDP Growth projection that the Hon Member talked about.
    Mr Speaker, when oil has come into the base, the base is broadened and therefore, over time --
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    What did he say which has breached the rules?
    Mr Avedzi 11:35 a.m.
    He said that including oil, the figure is rather lower than excluding oil. It is correct. If he does know, he should ask Hon Akoto Osei who would tell him that the base is broadened now and for that matter, over a period of time --
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Member, that is really a point of argument.
    Yes, Hon Akoto Osei because he mentioned your name.
    Dr A. A. Osei 11:45 a.m.
    Why he mentioned my name? [Laughter.] Mr Speaker, because he should have just sat down and shut up. This is because the point --
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Member, why should we tell another Hon Member to shut up? Withdraw that and apologise.
    Dr A. A. Osei 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I withdraw that and apologise.
    Mr Avedzi 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, Hon Akoto Osei is completely wrong.
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Have I called you? [Laughter.]
    Hon Member, just your last sentence, so that we move on. We have to make progress.
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to mention, that this budget's policy initiative section is telling Ghanaians that we are going to launch a National School Feeding Policy, when there is a National School Feeding Programme already on the ground. So, what --
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Your last sentence.
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:45 a.m.
    My last sentence would be, there are very serious omissions in this budget and I would plead -- [Interruption.]
    Dr Kunbuor 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, on a point of order.
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my worry is the fact that, we now, all of us, together -- not partisan, would wish that we cut our expenditure and put money into very serious priority areas.
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Thank you very much.
    Maj. (Dr) (Alhaji) Mustapha Ahmed (retd) (NDC -- Ayawaso North): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion, that this august House approves the financial policy of the Government for the year ending 31st December, 2013.
    Mr Speaker, national budgets are very important, especially as they provide an opportunity for us to take stock as a nation, where we are, where we want to be and how to get there.
    Mr Speaker, this discussion, therefore, must be done very broadly and dispassionately across all the divides.
    Mr Speaker, it is important to acknowledge the platform that has been provided by the Institute for Financial and Economic Journalists and the Media in broadening the discussion on the budget of 2013. Mr Speaker, this platform is provided right here in Parliament and several stakeholders are invited everyday to appear on it to discuss the budget and I wish to commend the Institute and the media for this rare opportunity they have given to Ghanaians to engage in the budget discussions and the debate.
    Mr Speaker, it is in this light that I wish to associate myself with my Colleagues who spoke previously and expressed delight that our good Friends and Hon Members of the Minority have decided to participate in the discussions and debate of the first budget of His Excellency the President, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana who was duly elected and sworn in on the 7th of January, 2013.
    Mr Speaker, while commending my Colleagues for this bold decision to return to our fold in the performance of their legitimate duty, I wish to urge them to continue to exhibit this resoluteness in resisting any influence both intra and extraneous in future and continue to perform their duties to mother Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, there are different ways of measuring success and in taking stock of where we are, it is important to examine them. A key measure of the success, Mr Speaker, is the fact that, in spite of the global economy experiencing turbulence over the past few years, the fragile, weak and uneven recovery of the eurozone economy and the uncertainty surrounding the fiscal issues in the United States, the Ghanaian economy has continued to witness a robust growth in 2012 despite all these uncertainties.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance, in presenting the budget, must be commended for his forthrightness in stating the bare truths about our economy. Mr Speaker, Ghana's GDP, as has been mentioned, grew from GH¢30 billion in 2008 to the current GH¢71.8 billion.
    This historic GDP growth confirms that the NDC policy of unrelenting effort at accelerating economic development and growth is real and this development has resulted in the strong and resilient economy that has culminated in raising the status of Ghana to a lower middle income country. Mr Speaker, this is also in line with the “Better Ghana Agenda.”
    Mr Speaker, output from all sectors as stated in the budget, not just oil and gas, has grown in leaps and bounds. I would like to re-emphasise that for the first time in several decades in the history of this country, single digit inflation has been sustained for over two years. Mr Speaker, I would also like to talk about the fact that the fiscal performance has been very, very good and needs to be commended.
    The good performance of domestic revenue was mainly due to the fact that, strong and a number of innovative reform initiatives were introduced in the period under review.
    Mr Speaker, I wish to turn my attention to the housing sector. The Government continued with the policy of granting tax breaks for estate developers who partner with Government to provide affordable houses to Ghanaians and for new companies that list on the Stock Exchange.
    Mr Speaker, all these measures demonstrate the commitment of Government to providing the platform for our private sector to really fit into the adage, that the private sector is the engine of growth of our economy. Mr Speaker, the housing profile, which was completed and commissioned in 2011, is an important document and achievement.
    Mr Speaker, this would provide a key input in finalising the Ghana Housing Policy, which is expected to outline the framework for tackling the hydra-headed housing issue confronting us as a nation. We also have witnessed the collaboration with UN Habitat and some non- government organisations (NGOs) in Ghana in executing the Slum Upgrade Pilot Project at Ashaiman.
    Mr Speaker, this shows the commitment of Government taking steps to ensure that a solution is found to the menace of the huge housing deficit and social housing problems that confront us as a nation. Mr Speaker, it is also heart- warming that the Hon Minister has indicated how we can achieve and sustain a robust and strong tax revenue performance in 2013.
    This, he has enumerated through the maintenance of single digit inflation rate, ensuring that the exchange rate is stable, ensuring that we maintain annual high economic growth rate and then an overall GDP growth of at least, 8 per cent, which would be supported by strong infrastruc- tural development.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to conclude, that sufficient commitment has been shown and would continue to be shown by the Government in her effort to improve the wellbeing of the Ghanaian worker. Such improvement is demonstrated by the implementation of the Single Spine Salary and the improvement in the basic minimum
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.


    wage and in the various tax reliefs that are granted to individuals and companies since 2009. Mr Speaker, these measures, I believe, would enhance the wellbeing of the ordinary Ghanaian.

    On this note, I wish to call on the Hon Member for Atwima-Mponua, Mr Isaac K. Asiamah and all other Colleagues to support this Motion.

    Thank you very much.
    Dr Kunbuor 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to crave your indulgence to ask the House Committee members to join us at the Clerks Office for an emergency meeting.
    Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
    Have you had discussions with the Leadership of the other side of the House on this matter?
    Mr Daniel Botwe 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have had the discussions and we find it appropriate to have the meeting this time.
    Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
    Very well.
    But the debate continues. I would now call Hon Robert Nachinab Doameng Mosore.
    Mr Robert Nachinab Doameng Mosore (NPP -- Talensi) 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak.
    Mr Speaker, no doubt the economic growth of a country depends largely on her ability and regular reliable and cost effective electr icity supply system. Countries like India, Pakistan, Singapore and Malaysia are examples of those who took a serious focus on energy needs.
    Mr Speaker, unfortunately, it appears that this is the area much lip-service is given by the NDC Government rather than
    by real practical action. Mr Speaker, the NPP under President Kufuor, realising the role energy plays in the economy reformed the energy sector and accelerated the pace for oil exploration and indeed, struck oil in commercial quantities before exiting. This is an example of prudent and positive actions taken by the NPP to tackle the problems facing the economy, the fruits of which are enjoyed by the NDC today. [Hear, Hear].
    Today, Mr Speaker, we are receiving revenue from oil to support the national budget. However, Mr Speaker, some people have said the oil find should be a “blessing rather than a curse”. This curse can be avoided if there is proper accountability and distribution of yields from the oil fields. Mr Speaker, what I find on page 33 paragraph (91) of the Hon Minister for Finance's 2013 Budget presented to this House is quite disturbing and requires some explanation.
    Mr Speaker, it is shown and I beg to quote 11:55 a.m.
    “The total volume of crude oil produced in 2011 amounted to 24,195,895 barrels, that is, an average of sixty-six thousand two hundred and ninety barrels per day”.
    The total volume of crude oil lifted in 2011 amounted to 24,451,452 barrels. In other words, the oil lifted was more than what was actually produced. It is instructive for the House to note that, there was no carry over from 2010.
    Mr Speaker, I have scrutinised the document and have realised that GNPC, which is the Government's institution responsible for supervising the oil exploration business, lifted its agreed quarterly quota of 950 plus barrels in all the four quarters of 2011 without fail. The mystery is, how can you lift more than what was produced? [Hear! Hear!].
    Mr Speaker, I do not trust the figures given by the Hon Finance Minister on Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) where I spent
    about 35 years of my working life -- [Interruptions] -- I would like to say that, since 2009, the refinery was left without any capacity to produce adequate spare parts and crude oil to refine. It has been incapacitated by the national petroleum debt which we call “TOR debt” because it stands in the books of TOR.
    Though the NDC Government claims it has paid portions of the debt to Ghana Commercial Bank, no disbursement has gone to TOR throughout the period of 2009 and December, 2012. In other words, the refinery was virtually abandoned without any support by the NDC Government. The intentions can better be explained by the NDC Government.
    Mr Alfred Kwame Agbesi 11:55 a.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is making some statements which are not factual and for the records, I would want him to know that in 2009, Government did not abandon TOR. In 2009, when NDC took over -- [Inrterruptions]-- the fact is that -- there was no money for TOR to import crude and that was what happened because in 2008 or 2007, the -- [Interruptions.]
    Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
    Hon Member, go straight and make the point, so that I know whether it is a point of order or not. What is the point you want to make?
    Mr Agbesi 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who just spoke is saying that Government abandoned TOR in 2009. The
    fact is that it is not true. TOR was not abandoned by Government but there were no funds for importation of crude in 2009.
    Mr Mosore 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the Hon Member who was the Board member of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) resigned because of some of these difficulties he faced.
    Mr Speaker, the refinery had an additional input by expanding to 14,000 barrels per steam day with the new unit we called the residual fluid catalyst cracker unit, bringing the capacity to about 59,000 barrels per steam day.
    Mr Speaker, storage for crude oil and LPG was increased beyond 200 per cent. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between TOR and the Ministry of Energy in 2008 under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regime to build additional 120,000 barrels per steam day capacity was signed to cater for the domestic and export market. That new plant would have been in operation by 2011. Such was the foresight the NPP regime had.
    Mr Speaker, this was thrown overboard by the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government and that is why today we are facing the shortages of fuel and LPG in the market --
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Your time is up.
    Mr Mosore 12:05 p.m.
    TOR has not received any money from --
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Your last sentence.
    Mr Mosore 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, where does the money go? Mr Speaker, Volta River Authority (VRA) is being driven --
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, conclude.
    Mr Mosore 12:05 p.m.
    VRA is being driven to TOR's predicament for the fear of the Executive cane --
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up, then Hon Member for Afadzato South.
    Mr Joseph Z. Amenowode (NDC -- Afadzato South) 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I wish to contribute to the Motion moved by the Hon Minister for Finance on Gvernment's Policy on Finance for the year 2013.
    Mr Awuah 12:05 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague on the other side of the House is saying that our side of the House has described this document as “hopeless”. Mr Speaker, that is not the whole truth. Mr Speaker, the truth of the matter is that, we have described the budget as “hopeless” but not the document; it is the content.
    Mr Amenowode 12:05 p.m.
    They see nothing, yet they see “hopelessness”. Mr Speaker, it is true that whatever a person sees, whatever a person feels or does, is a manifestation of his or her state of mind. [Hear! Hear.] Mr Speaker, I am not surprised. This is because at this moment, steaming from the 2012 December elections, up till now, my Hon Colleagues on the other side of the House are in the state of mind that speaks of nothing but hopelessness. [Hear! Hear!]
    For that matter, Mr Speaker, I would indulge Ghanaians to have some sympathy for them when they describe this document as “hopeless”. In fact, Hon
    Mr Benito Owusu-Bio 12:05 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member on the floor of the House who used to be a former Regional Minister, who was sacked-- [Laughter] is on the floor insulting us. He says we are “hopeless”. [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker, that is what he is saying. He has to withdraw and apologise to us because we sitting here are not “hopeless” people.
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, you cannot refer to a Member -- you do not know whether he resigned or whatever-- [ Interruptions.] Anyway, no official statements have been issued that he has been sacked and therefore, I think that, that is not correct. You should withdraw the “sacked.”
    As for the “hopelessness”, the Hon Member for Sunyani East has confirmed that they have described the contents to be “hopeless” and that is where he is taking the use of the word “hopeless” from. He did not say the Minority side of the House are hopeless. Hon Member, withdraw the statement.
    Mr Owusu-Bio 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to substitute the “sacked”--I am withdrawing that, Mr Speaker, and substi- tuting the ‘sacked' with “he was replaced without explanation”. [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Amenowode 12:05 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would not comment on that but I still would want to insist that the state of mind is what I am describing as “hopelessness” and that is what is used in this --[Interruptions.]
    Mr Nitiwul 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, our side of the House takes very serious exception to the description of our state of mind by the Hon Member for Afadzato South. To say that our state of mind is in the state of “hopelessness” is not only demeaning but very, very insulting.
    Mr Speaker, we believe that this House does not deserve such language. 123 Members of this House and you describe them like that? Mr Speaker, we would want him to withdraw that first and also apologise to these Hon Members of the House.
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minority Leader, I thought I had already ruled on that matter. When the Hon Member raised the point, I ruled on that issue. I have already ruled on that issue. I do not know; whether you are asking me to review my ruling. If you want me to review my ruling based on what he has said, the processes are different. I do not know, Hon Member, they say you are referring to their state of mind as “hopeless” and they said they are not happy with it; what do you say?
    Mr Amenowode 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the words are not mine. I began by saying that they described His Excellency the President of this country, his Budget Statement as hopeless, and I am saying that in life, one's description of an object is a manifestation of one's state of mind. That is a fact. [Interruption.] Mr Speaker, My Hon Whip this morning alluded to the “half full”, “half empty” experiment -- where - - it is a test; let me tell you, it is a test used to measure —
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, they are saying that they are not — I have a difficulty. The Hon Member raised the issue of “hopelessness” in the context of the way it was used. Initially, the Hon
    Member for Sunyani East, who is the Deputy Minority Chief Whip confirmed that they actually described the context of the document as hopeless. The Hon Member said that that is somebody's state of mind, for him to describe something as hopeless, is one's state of mind.
    I do not know exactly — so, if you describe it as hopeless, then that is your state of mind. That is —
    Hon Members, please, he is saying that if you describe it as hopeless, that is your state of mind. If he describes it as hopeful, that is his state of mind. So, all these adjectives you are all using on the floor today, most of them are more of your own opinions. Yes, they are more of your opinions. So, Hon Member, they would prefer you use “that is their opinion” than the use of the state of mind.
    Mr Amenowode 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you. I believe that is their opinion.
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Withdraw the “state of mind”, they say they are not happy with it.
    Mr Amenowode 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, a state of mind of a person is how he thinks.
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, withdraw the “state of mind” and continue. They say they are not happy with it; we want to make progress on the floor of the House.
    Mr Amenowode 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I withdraw the use of “state of mind” and say, that is their opinion of the budget.
    My Chief Whip alluded to the “half full”, “half empty” experiment and my view is that, I would want to thank God that my President believes in the half full science experiment —
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have one minute more.
    Mr Amenowode 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have ten minutes, Sir.
    Mr Speaker, my President in his budget has, demonstrated hope and I will want to, just because of time, allude to his hope in jobs. That was a major campaign issue. While we were thinking of jobs, others were thinking of free education; we know that the problem of this jobless situation is basically our not knowing the number of unemployed or employed in this country.
    We know of those in the public sector but we do not actually know of those who are really unemployed. This is because in my estimation, we have a large army of unemployable people. Unemployable because they do not have the skills; even if you put the jobs down, because they do not have the requisite skills —
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    I thought he was conclu- ding. He has his last sentence to make because his time is up.
    Mr Amenowode 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my last sentence? All right.
    Mr Speaker, my President has initiated programmes for skills and jobs training.
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, conclude, conclude, your time is up.
    Mr Amenowode 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to say that this nation is not in a state of hopelessness. This nation has hope and this budget is full of hope for our people.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Kwaku A. Kwarteng (NPP -- Obuasi West) 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am on my feet to point out some serious irregularities in the 2013 Budget Statement that requires immediate attention and action of Parliament.
    First, I turn to page 276 of the Budget Statement, under “Other Revenues”. It has been stated that the TOR Debt Recovery Levy collected in 2012 was zero Ghana
    cedis. But Mr Speaker, we know that by law and also from information officially published by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on its website yesterday, there is a TOR Debt Recovery Levy of 8 Gh pesewas per litre on petrol, 8 Gh pesewas per litre on diesel, 5 Gh pesewas per kilogramme on LPG, 3 Gh pesewas per litre on MGO and many others.
    Mr Speaker, because the (NPA) has stated the volumes consumed in 2012 for only these four, we can calculate at least, how much has come to Government from the TOR debt or the Petroleum Debt Recovery Levy. I have done the calculation, it comes to GH¢245 million. In the Budget Statement, it has been stated as zero. Where is the money? [interruption.] Mr Speaker, this House has to address this matter immediately because if we can put that money in the national finance, it will change our deficit position -- [Interruption]
    Mr James K. Avedzi — rose —
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Do you have a point of order. The zero is there, you can find it. It is on 276. What is your point of order?
    Mr James K. Avedzi 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I remember vividly that in the year 2011, when we were passing the budget for the year 2012, we did not impose any TOR Debt Recovery Levy, so there is no collection in that respect.
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon Members, if the levy has been repealed, it should be repealed by the law. We are the lawmakers, so, you should tell us the law which has repealed it.
    Mr James K. Avedzi 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I will produce the law; I do not have it with me now.
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Very well, very well.
    Hon Member for Old Tafo.
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with respect, I think on this call, my Hon Chairman should not make that kind of statement. As we speak, he just quoted to you the price build-up indicating the specific amounts. As far as I know, the Finance Committee did not bring any recommendation to this House. So, Hon Chairman, please, on this matter, maybe, the Hon Minister may be able to tell us why.
    Maybe, it is a typographical — But to explain away this like the way you are doing, will not help us. I suspect that somebody made a mistake in the publication but it cannot be that it has been repealed. NPA has mentioned they are collecting it as we speak so. Please, let us not go there.
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Members, the issue raised by the Hon Member for Obuasi West drawing the attention of the House to this point, I see it as very important and it is important if it is possible to clear this matter for us to know the true state, because we are supposed to be the keepers of the purse.
    So, Hon Minister, look at page 276 of the Budget Statement, under Petroleum Debt Recovery Levy, is zero, zero, zero, and according to the Hon Member who is on the floor now, the price build-up that we have, includes the levy and the zero, zero. Can you give us any explanation or it is a typographical error, or has this House repealed the levy, Hon Minister?
    Mr Seth E. Terkpeh 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not have that information immediately and I would crave your indulgence to provide the information to the Finance Committee at the time we consider the --
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Minister, I would suggest that since this matter has been raised on the floor of the House and knowing that somewhere along the line, you would be contributing to the debate or winding up, whichever, I would want you to -- so that the records would be complete.
    What he said has been captured in the Hansard and it is important that the response is equally captured in the Hansard. Whether it is a typographical error or something else, there is zero, zero, zero there; because if it does not exist, then it should not be captured at all; then it means that the law is not there, so, it should not be put there at all before we have the zero, zeros.
    Hon Members, let us have some order.
    Hon Member for Obuasi West, continue.
    Mr Kwarteng 12:25 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    It is a good thing that the Hon Minister has decided to go and look into the matter and tell us where that money has gone to. We would be paying attention to that.
    Mr Speaker, the second irregularity -- and I am happy the Hon Minister for Finance is here. On the 5th of May, 2013, when he appeared in this House, he informed us in paragraph -- [Interruption] -- On 5th March, 2013, he did indicate in paragraph 35 of his presentation that the real growth in the oil sector was negative. Mr Speaker, in paragraph 99 of the 2013 Budget Statement, the following report is given and with your permission, I beg to quote:
    “Mr Speaker, the fiscal year 2012 experienced an improvement in production of crude oil amidst initial production difficulties in the first two quarters of the year. The total volume of crude oil produced in
    rose
    Mr Kwarteng 12:25 p.m.
    The third, and quickly, Mr Speaker, is about the Hedge Fund. Mr Speaker, on the same page 276 of the 2013 Budget Statement, “Hedge Profits --” [Interruption.]
    Mr Terkpeh 12:25 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member asked me to make a correction, which could not be effected and I wish to correct the record. When you look at the GDP figures, we are talking about the petroleum sector contributing to the GDP activities, it is not the equivalent of the production of oil only. We are talking about the entire petroleum sector contributing and therefore, it is possible to have positive production of barrels of oil and still have negative growth within the sector.
    Mr Kwarteng 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister has attempted to explain what he said away but it would not stand. It is never -- It can never be that when you have positive quantities -- It is not in money terms that you would say that the u-quantities have decreased but for the price. He said that in u-terms, the volumes have increased, the economic activity
    cannot be negative in growth -- [In- terruptions] -- Mr Speaker --
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, the point the Hon Minister is making about the overall --
    Mr Kwarteng 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he is talking about overall? Which other commodity? Mr Speaker, I think he should just go back to those statements and correct them. If growth in the oil production was not negative, then he should go back to his text and correct that; that is the point I am making.
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up; I will give you one minute.
    Mr Kwaku Kwarteng 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is about the Hedge Fund. Again, on page 276, hedge profits had been indicated as GH¢0.0. But Mr Speaker, if you go to paragraphs 139 and 140 of the budget, we are told that the hedge programme has been successful and that we would have it again in 2013. It cannot be that the programme would be successful and yet the hedge proceeds would be GH¢0.0.
    The projection was GH¢55.3 million -- If we could not achieve that under a very successful programme, at least, we should get something. Again, we want to find out where that money has gone to. Mr Speaker, until these monies are --
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Your time is up.
    Mr Terkpeh 12:25 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, once again, the Hon Member appears to be misleading the House. The hedging activity involves the payment of a premium but at the same time we could incur losses and therefore, that could still be successful in terms of managing the price.
    The success of the exercise is in terms of not passing on the price to the consumer. It is not necessarily related to the premium that we pay and the losses.
    Mr Kwarteng 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, our hedge programme is an insurance. We pay premiums and then when the price goes beyond a certain threshold, we get proceeds. We can only say it has been successful if the proceeds we are getting would offset the expenditures we are making in that respect. He cannot say it is successful and say that they have nothing to show for it.
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, the person who presented the document to the House has explained the context in which he used the word “successful.” You may disagree but that is his explanation. I called you because I thought you had concluded but because he has raised a new issue, I thought I should give you the chance to respond and that is why I called you again. But you have concluded, so, we move to the next person on the list.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, there is nobody on the floor, so, whom are you raising a point of order against? Is it against the Chair? [Laughter.]
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was trying to draw your attention when the Hon Minister was speaking, to correct a statement he made. It is something that needs to be corrected and I think the context in which he is putting it is wrong. The reason is that if he says in that context, it is successful, yet we could not pass on the price to the consumer, then we should not be paying subsidies. It is inconsistent.
    Mr Terkpeh 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is the quantum which we pass on to the consumer. So, we could still pass on the price to the consumer and limit the extent of that passage. We could still limit the extent of that passage and still be paying subsidy.
    Mr Speaker, as I explained, if I do a successful hedging at GH¢115 and the price ends up at GH¢118, there is a GH¢3 difference. The hedge programme may enable me maintain the price at GH¢115. But if that GH¢115 is what I used in calculating the subsidy, I am no longer increasing the subsidy but it does not mean that I am not going to pay the subsidy.
    Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Hon Member, the Hon Member for Obuasi West raised the issue and because the Hon Minister got up, I decided I should call him to respond to what the Hon Minister said. I saw you on your feet as the Hon Ranking Member and I gave you the chance. But once I gave you the chance, I must also give the chance to the Hon Minister also to explain and that should end the matter.
    Hon Members, we now move to Hon Ayamba Laadi, Hon Member for Pusiga --
    Ms Laadi A. Ayamba (NDC -- Pusiga) 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion for the acceptance of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy for 2013.
    Mr Speaker, before I continue, I would want as a humble Hon Member of this House, to suggest to all of us in this House that some of us are new and those who are old in this House have made us to understand that we need to learn. And we think that if we are learning, we should learn the best. Language is one of the issues I have observed since yesterday, which is not the best.
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I plead with my Hon Colleague that such statements would bring issues that would detract the debate; I plead with her. She should go on and make her contribution without towing that line. When people take that as being insulted, it will elicit the response that we all do not want. So, I crave your indulgence, she should go on.
    Ms Ayamba 12:35 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, I take that in good faith but I would want to say it was a generic statement and I never mentioned anybody's name.
    Mr Speaker, I support 100 per cent the Budget Policy Statement that has been presented to this House. I have looked at the Budget Statement that has been presented and I have observed with the greatest interest that, it covers all areas in which anybody in this country would have wished it covered.
    It goes from education, gender, our children and whoever you may find out there. And listening carefully from yesterday, education has been one of the issues that have been raised. In education, the capitation grant is going to be expanded to cover all that had been spent and all that is to be spent.
    I think that the capitation grant is going to support and has always supported enrolment in schools. If we have this and we look at the enrolment percentages that have culminated, especially from 2009 through to 2012, the NDC Government has done more than well.
    Prof. Dominic Fobih 12:35 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is misleading this House on the lines that in education, particularly in reference to enrolment, we do not have the figure for net enrolment ratio for the primary school level. And you would remember very well that last year, it was a critical issue in this House when we found out that Government was going to be unable to fulfill the Millennium Development Goal II, which is, providing universal basic education, because the ratio had fallen to about 22 per cent.
    We hoped that this year, Government would come out in the Budget Statement with what progress has been made to correct whatever was retrogressing, the attainment of that international goal. So, for the Hon Member to say that enrolment has increased, everything is well, she is misleading this House.
    Ms Ayamba 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have a document with me, which tells me that between 2011 and 2012 -- A document from the Ministry of Education -- At the kindergarten level, we had 99.1 per cent; primary -- 96.1 per cent; and in high school -- 80.6 per cent. So, if he tells me that I am misleading the House, it is unfortunate.
    Mr Speaker, I was on the School Feeding Programme and I wish to continue. Between 2004 and 2008, in the Pusiga Constituency, we had only two schools that were part of the School Feeding Programme. From 2009 to 2012, we had up to 27 schools being added and
    this is a big feather in the cap of the NDC -- because it enhances enrolment, not only for the boys but also for the girls, for whom we cry everyday -- the girl-child; the girl-child.
    Mr Speaker, in science, the budget has catered for 466 girls who would benefit from local bursaries to support them in their education. Yesterday, it was mentioned here that we the women who were crying “idebee keke, idebee keke”; we may have to go back and say something else. But I would want to say that “ibee keke”; it is being and it will be and continues to be keke because we are working and we would continue to work.

    Mr Speaker, to this extent, this is another milestone which the NDC has successfully chalked.

    Mr Speaker, to conclude, under “Construction of Schools” -- which would help support -- [Interruption] -- 1.6 million pupils --
    Mr Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have two more minutes to go.
    Ms Ayamba 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, under MASLOC, which has gone a long way to help our women who do small scale businesses or undertake activities just to support them. Before we came to power, the administration of MASLOC was completely weak. There were no measures that were put in place to monitor, to retrieve loans that were given out. As at the end of 2008, the recovery rate was only six per cent.
    Mr Kwabena O. Darko-Mensah 12:45 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague on the other side made references to figures. I think she would do us a good service if she can produce her source and if possible, to table the document at the Table.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member, are you in a position to provide the source?
    Ms Ayamba 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the sources are directly from the Ministry of Education and --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member, I thought you were talking about
    MASLOC?
    Ms Ayamba 12:45 p.m.
    I thought he was referring to education. [Interruption.] Sorry about that. The MASLOC is something that has been catered for in the budget and I think we all have the budget. Before one makes any statement, one needs to look for the information; I have looked for the information and I have it. I would not mind giving it to him to photocopy.
    Mr Darko-Mensah 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is not a House of speculation. Here, we deal with facts and figures. Mr Speaker, she has made reference to MASLOC, she has made reference to documents from the Ministry of Education. Mr Speaker, she would do us good if she should table her documents at the Table.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member for Pusiga, I think you have to furnish us with the source of information.
    Ms Ayamba 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would be honourable enough to give the documents to anybody who does not have them. So, I am not going --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member, you can make them available to the Table Office and that would solve the problem.
    Ms Ayamba 12:45 p.m.
    Thank you. Mr Speaker, it is well with me.
    Mr Speaker, to continue, with women who were catered for in MASLOC --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Please, conclude; your time is up.
    Ms Ayamba 12:45 p.m.
    In the Ashanti Region, we have 4,028 groups that were catered for in MASLOC; Brong Ahafo -- 5,413; Central -- 6,589; Eastern --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up.
    Ms Ayamba 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much and I would produce the --
    Prof. Dominic K. Fobih (NPP -- Assin South) 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the 2013 Financial Statement and the Government's Economic Policy for the year.

    Several Hon Members -- rose --
    Prof. Fobih 12:45 p.m.
    They have never been translated into implementation results to the extent that pupils at the basic level benefit --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Baba Jamal, you have the floor; go ahead.
    Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have just gone through a situation where an Hon Member was compelled to show and produce a source. My Hon Colleague is saying that record shows. I would want him to produce which record, which source before he goes on.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you have your source? [Interruptions.] Order! Order!
    Prof. Fobih 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think I was making a statement and I am going to provide the evidence, so he should wait. I am going to provide the evidence, which is as follows: By 2008 school year, the NPP Government had done well to improve the supply of textbooks to pupils to the level of -- [Interruption.] I will give you the source.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Member, I believe you would do us all a big favour if you could just indicate your source and proceed.
    Prof. Fobih 12:45 p.m.
    I would give you later. But I can make reference to the source.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    What is the source? Just give us the source.
    Prof. Fobih 12:45 p.m.
    The source is Ministry of Education -- [Interruption.] I am giving you the source.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Order! Order! He is providing his source; let us listen to him.
    Prof. Fobih 12:45 p.m.
    I am giving you the reference source. I was the Minister; so, I am giving the reference source and I can lodge the source at the Clerk's Office later on as you told her.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Why? I do not understand you. Are you saying you are the source?
    Mr Nitiwul 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member was asked to provide the source. She could have said from the Ministry of Education, but she said it was from a document. So, they asked her to table that document. Today -- [Interruption.] The Hon Member for Assin South says that it is from the Ministry of Education, at the time he was the Minister. In fact, he is the source by himself.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    No! But it must be backed by a documentary evidence. He is rolling out facts and figures and therefore, they must be backed by documentary evidence even if he were the Minister. I believe so.
    Mr Nitiwul 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not challenging your ruling and I will not challenge your ruling. But I am only saying he never pointed to a document, he just said it is from the Ministry -- [Interruption.] He would bring the document. He has not even gone to the document; he just said from the Ministry.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    If the document is available, why do we not have it?
    Mr Nitiwul 12:45 p.m.
    I am saying that it was for them to have waited for him to point out the document, and then they could ask for him to table it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Prof. Fobih, do you have the document here? Hon Member, what is the title of that document; we need to know. [Interruption.]
    Prof. Fobih 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I crave your indulgence to submit it to the Clerk's Office after my speech. [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    But first of all, what is the title of that document? [Interruption.]
    Hon Members, Order! Order!
    Mr Nitiwul 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker -- [Interruption.]
    rose
    Mr Nitiwul 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think I am on the floor and by parliamentary practice, he has to sit down. Yes, that is the practice.
    Mr Speaker --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    You have the floor, so go ahead.
    Mr Nitiwul 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, by convention, when the Hon Member has said that he would table it or he would make it available to the Table Office, it is after he has used the document that he does it. [An Hon Member: Yes!]
    Mr Speaker, he has the document and the document was given to him by the Ministry of Education through the workshop, that your office or your high office organised. So, after he has used the document, he would table it at the Table Office.
    Mr Agbesi 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we do not have to be prolonging these matters. If the Hon Member has the document, the simple thing is that it should be tabled; it should be tabled.
    Mr Speaker, if he starts using the document and -- Hon Members are asking, where is the document? He says he has it; the only obvious thing is to table it and then he continues to use it. Why does he have to use it before he tables it? He should send it to the Table.
    Prof. Fobih 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I made a statement and I am supporting my statement with data and figures, which I will show you later on.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Hon Members, I believe that in all fairness, after he has made his submissions -- Since he has made the document known to us, after he has made his presentation, he can lay it at the Table Office.
    Let us proceed from there.
    Proceed.
    Prof. Fobih 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I made a statement and I was going to support my statement with facts and figures and I was interrupted but I will still go ahead.
    By 2008/2009 academic year, the NPP Government had done well to improve the supply of textbooks to pupils at the basic level, so that one child had two textbooks in the class. By 2011/2012 academic year, this improvement has been eroded and instead of that two pupils rather have to share one textbook. [Interruption.] By the same token -- [Interruption.]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
    Prof. Fobih 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, by the same token, by 2008 --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Hon Dominic Fobih, he is on the floor.
    Mr Agbesi 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not challenging your ruling. But the information I have on my table is that the document he is reading is a paper submitted at a workshop by an individual. It is not from the Ministry of Education. So, the figure he is churning out is not the correct thing. It is a document from an individual, submitted at a workshop; it is not from the Ministry of Education and so, it is not authentic. It is not authentic.
    Prof. Fobih 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, by the same token, by 2008, the NPP Government worked hard --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Hon Member, could you please, hold on?
    Prof. Fobih 12:55 p.m.
    The NPP Government had worked hard --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Could you please, hold on? [Pause.]
    Hon Members, initially, there was this insistence that the document be tabled, as a result of which I ruled on advice that he could go ahead with his presentation, and then after the presentation, to table it. If the Hon Deputy Majority Leader wants to raise an objection to the document itself, he is free to do so, on the basis of which the Hon Member will have to clarify.
    So, the floor is open to the Hon Deputy Majority Leader to raise any objection he thinks he has to raise.
    Mr Agbesi 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I will yield to the Hon Member to give us the facts.
    Mr Joe K. Gidisu 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the paper under reference is not a document of authority by anybody than a resource person's assessment of a situation which even we criticised. We criticised that at
    the seminar; so, it is not a document. It is not a document. It is not an official document. It is a paper that he churned out without authenticated sources.
    Mr Nitiwul 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in all arguments, solutions are settled by our Standing Orders. What is the meaning of “official publication” which is allowed in our debates in this House? Mr Speaker, with your permission, let me read: [Interruption.] I said they should take their Standing Orders and look for the meaning of “official publication” under Order 7. It says and I beg to quote:
    “official publication” means any publication produced by or under the authority or with the sanction of any Ministry, department, organisation, agency, association, society or club;”
    Mr Speaker, it is the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana that authorised the individual to produce that document. [Hear! Hear!] He did it under our authority; he used it and lectured us; we all took it as official information and that is why today somebody can quote copiously from it.
    So, that document is a legal document sanctioned by this Parliament, unless the Hon Deputy Majority Leader is telling us that the post-budget workshop organised by Parliament was not sanctioned by Parliament or that the information divulged there was not official information and so, it could be misleading.
    Mr Speaker, rule him out.
    Mr Agbesi 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, when the Hon Member started his argument, he said he
    was quoting from a publication of the Ministry of Education. Order 7, giving the meaning of “official publication” says that it means any publication produced by or under the authority --
    Mr Speaker, the argument here is that the document he is holding and reading, churning out to this House, is not authorised by any authority. Indeed, we have said that it is a document produced by an individual at a workshop, which was a critique of the budget. It is not under any authority or from the Ministry of Education. That is the basis of our argument and it cannot be any legal document.
    It is not sanctioned. Even if it is produced by a member of a club, there is no legal authority to that document and so, it should not be churned out. That is the point of our argument.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Dominic Fobih, did you indicate that you were producing a document from the Ministry of Education?
    Several Hon Members: Yes!
    Prof. Fobih 1:05 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. I said I was using -- [Interruption.] Mr Speaker, I said the source is from the Ministry of Education and I am just surprised that the resource persons who were supposed to brief us at our workshop are considered now to be people with wrong information to inform us; I am just surprised. If such is the --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Members, please, let us have some order. I would like to be clear in my mind if the resource person was from the Ministry of Education--
    Some Hon Members 1:05 p.m.
    No!
    Prof. Fobih 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the source is from the Ministry of Education and it is here. I do not see what the problem is.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    If the resource person is not from the Ministry of Education and he did not indicate that he was quoting from -- [Uproar.] Please, let us have some order. If he did not indicate that he was quoting from a source from the Ministry of Education, we have a problem.
    Prof. Fobih 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is there.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Members, as I said earlier, either the resource person was from the Ministry of Education or he made reference to a source from the Ministry of Education. [Some Hon Members: Yes!] We can only clarify the second ambit of it if the document is made available to the Table Office for examination. So, for clarity of purpose, we would like the document to be made available to the Table Office, so that we clear the air on that issue.
    In the meantime, Hon Member, you can proceed with the rest of your presentation. You have two more minutes to go. [Interruption.] Please, proceed.
    Prof. Fobih 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the same results have occurred in the field of basic education examination. But what I was saying is that the results of -- Sorry. The NPP Government in 2008 had improved the supply of textbooks to basic schools to the ratio of one pupil to two textbooks. By 2011/2012 academic year, this improvement had rather deteriorated to the point that almost about two pupils were sharing one textbook.
    Mr Benjamin K. Kpodo 1:05 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, I remember that in Koforidua, a resource person presented some statistics about the wage bill, the ratios and the amounts and I raised an objection to the figures because they differed from those presented by the Hon Minister for Finance in the budget. But we held and it was ruled over there that those figures would not be used and quoted in the budget debate.
    So, I am surprised that the Hon Member, Prof. Fobih, would be referring to some document which is not authorised by this House.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, sometimes, I do not want to get up and talk, but we have to be careful about the statements we make.
    Mr Speaker, I was at the same workshop he was at. Nobody said that we could not use the data that the gentleman had used; nobody said that. The gentleman said he computed some numbers for his purpose. We cannot stop people from using information that has been officially presented to us; so let us be careful. That statement is grossly misleading this House and he should withdraw it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, I think I was there myself; I was also there. I was also there when the challenge was taken up. When the challenge was taken up, an indication was that it was not going to be used on the floor of Parliament.
    An Hon Member 1:05 p.m.
    Exactly.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Yes. That is what happened.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is not what the gentleman said; he did not say that.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    I was there.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he said he did it for his purposes. We cannot go to a seminar and make an order that people cannot use it. We do not have the authority; we cannot do that. Let us be careful.
    Mr J. K. Gidisu 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, even for Hon Akoto Osei to misplace the sex of the presenter is a misnomer -- the gender of the presenter is a misnomer. It was a lady, not a gentleman. [Interruption.] No, it was a lady who presented this.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is clear he is not following the argument. Hon Kpodo was talking about a gentleman, not a lady. We have moved from that to a different document. Please, listen.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Members, order!
    Hon Joe Gidisu, please, address the Chair.
    What the Hon Kpodo said was in reference to another lecture or another document -- [Interruption.] Please, hold your peace. And the fact that when he challenged the figures churned out by the resource person and the anomaly between those figures and what he presented, the indication was that it cannot be used on the floor of Parliament. That is the analogy he is making. It is not as if we are talking about the same document that Hon Prof. Fobih is referring to. So, I think that that one settles it.
    So Hon Members, Hon Dominic Fobih, will have to conclude and then we move on.
    Prof. Fobih 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, one area which the Government is again failing, is the recruitment and replacement of teacher deficit in the schools. We know that in
    2011/2012 academic year, 42,000 national service and volunteered personnel were recruited. In 2012/2013 academic year, we have 45,000 such personnel going to be employed to teach at the basic schools without any professional training.
    An Hon Member 1:05 p.m.
    How?
    Prof. Fobih 1:05 p.m.
    In 2013/2014, the projection is 54,000 such calibre of personnel. To think that anybody can teach well at the basic level, especially young children, is a fallacy. Otherwise, we would not have institutions like colleges of education, training colleges and spend huge sums of money to train pupils, and especially when we have a large bulk of such personnel at the basic level, no wonder the BECE results are always poor and getting worse except for the magical results of last year, 39.6, commanded from the air. [Hear! Hear!]
    We know that if the colleges of education can take more personnel --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, start to conclude.
    Prof. Fobih 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, to replenish the system with trained teachers. Now the quota of 9,000 teacher trainees that is put on the colleges of Education annually is unfair and it is not justifiable to build 10 new colleges of education when indeed, they can increase their enrolment to 15,000 plus the untrained -- Diploma in Basic Education (VTDBE) trainees annual quota of 5,000.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up.
    With regard to the document, Hon Members, I have directed the Table Office to verify from the Ministry of Education because there is an indication in it that the source is the Ministry of Education. So, I am directing the Office of the Clerk to Parliament to write to the Ministry of Education for verification. I think that should settle it.
    Prof. Fobih 1:15 p.m.
    But they wasted my time.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Now, we move on to Hon Puozaa Mathias.
    Mr Mathias Asoma Puozaa (NDC -- Daffiama/Bussie/Issa) 1:15 p.m.
    Speaker, I am grateful -- [Interruptions.] This is not a shirt!
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate.
    In fact, education is still important now in this country. Many Ghanaians have seen the importance of education, that during the last election, educational issues became a centre stage. I think whoever won the election might have done so because the party was able to convince the electorate that they could do better.
    Mr Ignatius Baffuor Awuah 1:15 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to believe that this House has a reputation and ethics especially when it comes to our dress code, we are very particular about it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    But you are saying that you cannot tell, then you do not have any firm basis for raising an objection then.
    Mr Awuah 1:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is why I am seeking your advice whether he is properly dressed or not.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    It is better for me to ignore it because even at the front desk, there is a culprit.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Just proceed with your submission.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, one thing we should not forget is that educational challenges are very, very difficult to do away with overnight. It is always a process and it takes time before you see the damage done. Similarly, when even it is being repaired, it takes time before the clue is seen.
    Mr Joseph Osei -Owusu 1:15 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member of the House, even though he is my Vandal Colleague and Vandals do not lower standards, this is the House of Parliament and he is not entitled to lower the standards that are recognized by this House. Mr Speaker, by being an active member of the Vandals Choir -- were you not?
    Mr Speaker, he is currently improperly dressed and I urge you to rule that he is not entitled to address this House in this attire.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, proceed.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not know what he wants me to say. So, to be frank, I am surprised that my Ranking Member for Education stressed so much on falling standards, knowing very well that yes, falling standards have been falling all these years and there must be a stem --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, why do you not move away from that and concentrate on your presenta- tion, please?
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    We have really decided to put a stop to the falling standards by giving adequate support to education. In the basic education centre, the Government is intended to improve on enrolment -- [Interruption.]
    Prof. Fobih 1:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am raising a point of order on the statement that falling standards have been “falling all these years.” If so, why then question the source of what I said? If the Hon Member agrees that falling standards have occurred all these years and that is happening, then why question --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are out of order.
    Proceed, Hon Puozaa.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I said “falling standards have been falling” but then there must be a stop and we have tried to provide that stop right from the basic level to the tertiary institutions and if you look through the budget, you will notice that -- [Interruptions] -- We have --
    Mr Baffuor Awuah 1:15 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, my Colleague just made a statement that “falling standards have been falling.” I do not really know what
    he means by that because negative, negative, then becomes positive. So, Mr Speaker, he should clarify the point he has made.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    Let us just ignore them.
    So, at the basic level, we have decided to improve upon --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, I believe what he means is that standards have been falling.
    So proceed.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    We have decided to concentrate on the basic education level by providing enough teachers and qualified teachers. Teachers are being specially trained. If you would notice, as far as this budget is concerned, allocation is made to provide -- [Interruptions].
    Mr Osei B. Amoah 1:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Colleague said “falling standards are falling and they must be stopped”. I do not know what he means by “they must be stopped”. What does he mean by “there must be a stop”?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are out of order.
    Please, proceed.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    There must be an end to it and we have decided to stop it by providing better facilities at the basic level as well as the second cycle level and up to the university level. You cannot eradicate challenges of any system over- night. It has to be gradual and this is what we are trying to do --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have two minutes to go.
    Mr Puozaa 1:15 p.m.
    Now, one thing that I would want Colleagues to look at, is the attempt by Government to make sure that there is an improvement in the gap between male and female enrolment. As

    far as science is concerned, the gender gap has been improved so highly that, now, you can get about one to one admission in the science faculties. For instance, we can no more say that women are not doing well, and that they are left behind as far as admissions are concerned. For instance, when you look at the recent admissions at the University of Ghana, at the matriculation, they had as many as 8,877 males who were matriculated and 6,395 females who were matriculated.

    This is a very, very impressive account and if we should continue at this level, it is --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up.
    The next Member is Hon Osei- Owusu.
    Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu (NPP -- Bekwai) 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this debate, inviting us to approve the Financial Policy of the Government for the year 2013.
    Mr Speaker, it is a fact that generally, good governance is an essential requirement for sustainable development and further, that there is a critical link between economic development, democratic governance that promotes the freedom of the human right of their citizens and economic development.
    Mr Murtala M. Ibrahim 1:25 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    My Hon Colleague said that there is a critical difference between democratic governance, development and economic development. As far as I am concerned, when we talk of democratic governance or democratic development, it encom- passes everything. So, I would want the Hon Member to clarify this because when we talk of democratic governance, it includes every --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    Hon Joe Osei-Owusu, please, proceed.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon friend, probably, wasted the time of the House but I would proceed.
    Mr Speaker, in our country today, corruption has become an endemic social canker and, especially, in the last two years, culminating in Ghana, slipping on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), one point lower at the close of 2012.
    Mr Speaker, it is even more imperative in our country, where by our own constitutional arrangements, the Executive have virtual monopoly over power, over goods and services, discretion to decide who gets what, how much of what and it is often not accountable.
    Mr Speaker, I will give an example 1:25 p.m.
    The budget gives an account of the number of laptops that were procured last year and distributed. Mr Speaker, it was essentially for all students of tertiary institutions but if you go down and check, you find that they virtually went to students of one particular tradition -- [Interruption]
    Some Hon Members 1:25 p.m.
    Tain -- one party.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, to stem the tide of corruption, we have no option either than to enhance the probability of being caught and punished severely. This will happen if we strengthen our anti-
    corruption institutions and we enhance transparency. With due deference to Hon Martin Amidu, the former Attorney- General, “we cannot win the fight against corruption with citizen vigilantes only”.
    Mr Emmanuel Kofi-Armah Buah 1:25 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member just stated that in the distribution of laptops, the laptops went to one group or one tradition. He was implying that the laptops indeed, went to one -- Mr Speaker, we are speaking on the floor of Parliament and it is very, very important that the Hon Member produces the source and evidence on that statement. Otherwise, he should withdraw it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, can you substantiate that allegation?
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there was a publication of institutions that have received them. It demonstrated where they went to and actually some of the institutions came back to dispute that they had not received anything.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    But that does not amount to alleging that a certain tradition of people benefited.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I did not mention any tradition but I even used the word “probably”. I did not use the word “tradition”; let the Hansard check. I said they “probably” went to a particular tradition, I did not mention any tradition.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    That is rather speculative but you proceed.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the institutions of good governance that I am referring to here, are Parliament -- [Interruption.]
    Mr Alfred Agbesi 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is a House of record and what we say today goes on record. The Hon Member has said the distribution of laptops went to a particular section. Mr Speaker, this is a very, very serious statement and it needs to be justified. He has not produced any document; he said it was in a paper. Which paper? He has not brought it.
    Mr Speaker, this is a statement which is labelling some sections of the communities of Ghana who received the laptops, that they received them through corrupt means.
    Mr Speaker, this statement cannot go on the records without it being justified. Either the Hon Member withdraws it or he justifies the statement. We are calling on him to justify the statement or else he should withdraw it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    Hon Joe Osei-Owusu, do you have any source of information on this allegation?
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I referred you to the Daily Graphic publication of institutions but when we talked to individuals -- the word I used was “probably” --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    If you are referring to the Daily Graphic, can you give us the dates of the publication for example?
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you link the mention of the distribution to the statement I am making, I am saying that in this country, by our own constitutional
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.


    arrangement, the Executive has power over everything including distributing goods and services and often not accountable.

    Mr Speaker, did anybody account to us in this House? Supervisor of the staff, the criteria by which laptops were being distributed?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    Well, it is not for you to be asking these questions. If you think it is an issue you can raise, you can compel the Minister by way of a Question to him or her to appear before the House and answer, otherwise, let us leave this thing out, so that we make some progress in this matter. If you do not have the evidence, just withdraw it and let us move.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, which one should I withdraw? The “probably went to one section of the community”?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    Yes.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would withdraw that and substitute it with “there is no evidence of how and who received what”.
    Mr Agbesi 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he either withdraws it absolutely or he withdraws it before he substitutes it. That is the rule. Has he withdrawn it? Withdraw it first and you can substitute it with another one.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, I think he has withdrawn it and what he is saying is that he is not sure of how it was distributed and so on. That one does not make an allegation of bad conduct.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, what I am talking about here, is that I have the institutions that would ensure that there is good governance, accountability and there is transparency in our system of governance. Power, divulge on us from the people but how we use them, we must let them know, we must demonstrate how.
    Mr Speaker, I am talking about institutions of Parliament. You and I are here-- Yesterday, when we closed at 2.00 o'clock, I was charged to prepare a statement. For three and a half hours, I was walking round moving, from here to there. Even gathering information is a challenge. How can I do that work effectively; how can you do that work effectively?
    Mr Speaker, I am talking about the Ghana Police Service, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Judiciary, National Commission for Civil Education (NCCE) --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have two minutes to go.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:25 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    I am talking about the Attorney- General's Department where Mr Speaker used to be. I am talking about the Auditor- General Department. Mr Speaker, the question to ask is-- [Interruptions]--
    Hon Murtala, still has a lot to learn. Driver and Vehicle Lincensing Authority (DVLA) is not one of the institutions of governance. Learn a lot more before you talk back to me.
    Mr Speaker, the question to ask is, has this budget catered for these anti- corruption institutions? Have sufficient resources been allocated to them to enable them play their roles effectively?
    Mr Speaker, the answer is, no. The budget beyond providing money to pay for the emoluments of the personnel of these institutions—
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am winding up.
    I am saying that very little has been left for the delivery of service.
    In conclusion, I am saying that —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Nii Lante Vanderpuye, you have the floor.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if the Minister —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are out of order.
    Mr Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye (NDC -- Odododiodioo) 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to also contribute to the Motion on the floor for the approvement of the fiscal policy of Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December -- [Interruption.]
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think if the Hon Member is going to refer to the Motion, he should quote verbatim what is in the Motion, so that we know that it is the same Motion.
    Nii Lantey Vanderpuye: All right.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:35 p.m.
    The words here are “Financial Policy”. It did not say “fiscal policy”, so that we know at least, what he is debating.
    Mr Vanderpuye 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank my Hon Colleague for this correction.

    Mr Isaac K. Asiamah — rose —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Asiamah, is it on a different point of order?
    Mr I. K. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
    Not at all, Mr Speaker.
    I would want to be educated. We have students around. Is it a new word being introduced here -- For the “approve- ment”?
    Nii Lantey Vanderpuye: I said “approving”, “approving” —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Member, he did not use the word “approvement.” He used the words “for approving”.

    Mr Speaker, philosophers have said that a healthy mind is in a healthy body and the Bible also says physical exercise profited but spiritual exercise profited much. This is to mean that physical exercise is important, that the health of the society is as good as the economy of the society.

    The 2013 Budget provides for a revival of the physical needs of the society. The 2013 Budget provides for revitalization of sports for us to re-focus attention on diversifying sports in order to achieve results. The 2013 Budget enumerated various actions to be taken in order that sports will be revived from the schools and colleges level, from the National Sports Authority and National Youth Authority and other specifics.

    If you look at the 2013 Budget -- and youth, 300,000 jobs are envisaged to be created under the Youth Enterprise Development Project. The budget is also sensitive to youth entrepreneurship by empowering the youth development projects to make it possible for the youth

    [NII LANTEY VANDERPUYE] [NII LANTEY VANDERPUYE]

    to generate their own incomes and have sustainable jobs, empower themselves and make sure they become dependent on their own source of incomes.

    The budget also envisages the improvement of sports infrastructure -- and here, the budget talks about building multi-purpose sports centres in the districts and regions in order that Ghana will take advantage of our varied sporting disciplines to achieve results at both international and regional competitions.
    Mr I. K. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
    On point of order.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is talking about the construction of multi- purpose courts for all the disciplines. For his information, 2010 Budget, column 470 stated that they were going to construct multi-purpose courts for all the regional capitals. As we speak now, not even a pickaxe had dug the soil. So, what is the guarantee that this time round, it is going to be realised? That is my concern.
    Nii Lantey Vanderpuye: Mr Speaker, just as from 2005, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government said they were going to eradicate and eliminate guinea-worm
    but could not do it until we came to power in 2009. We will continue to make sure that we will provide the facilities we have said we will provide. We are doers. We are doers. [Hear! Hear!] We achieve results; we are results oriented.
    Mr Osei B. Amoah 1:35 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, we are in Parliament and whatever we say is on record. I would want to inform my Hon Friend and Colleague that indeed, multi-purpose courts have been built in some schools but not with funding from Government. They are being built by AshantiGold as sponsorship. So, he should come out very well and let everybody know that a company is sponsoring the building of multi-purpose courts in certain educational institutions.
    If he stands here and creates the impression that it is the Government which is building them, he is deceiving the whole world. Please, set the records straight.
    Nii Lantey Vanderpuye: Mr Speaker, I would want my Hon Colleague to read well, the budget, section 638, and I beg to quote:
    “The Ministry will improve community and institutional sports infrastructure by further developing multi-purpose courts in selected districts and educational insti- tutions across the country in partnership with corporate Ghana.”
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Vanderpuye, you have the floor, please, proceed.
    Nii Lantey Vanderpuye: Mr Speaker, this is the vision we carry and I am very certain that with the support of the budget funding for this particular project, Government will be able to diversify our
    sports, so that areas like kayak canoeing and the rest, which ensures that a lot of medals that are amassed by a team in commercial competitions —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have two more minutes to go.
    Nii Lantey Vanderpuye: Mr Speaker, the sports stadia for the Cape Coast University and the University of Health and Allied Sciences at Ho, will also be constructed. This will help the sportsmen and women from the Volta Region who have been complaining about lack of sports facility, that has made football, especially with the demise of VORADEP, lack behind in the Volta Region revived.It is my hope and prayer that from this budget and for the analysis made, sports infrastructure like a stadium in the Upper East Regional capital of Bolgatanga and the Upper West Regional capital of Wa, will also be built through this.
    Rehabilitation of the Sunyani Coronation Park and Koforidua will also be seen through this budget, so that we can have excellent sports facilities across the country to unearth more talents for this country.
    It is also worth noting that the budget is giving money for the second edition of the National Unity Games. This is a wonderful story to tell. The National Unity Games help in bringing together every aspect of our society. The last time, some of us were privileged to participate in the National Sports Festival in 1988; we saw the beauty of students, service personnel, all congregating on one sports facility, and shared ideas and enjoy themselves.
    Hon Asiamah will not want to know that in 1988, I was a member of the GUNSA team 4X400.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up, so conclude.
    Nii Lantey Vanderpuye: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity given.
    Some Hon Members — rose —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    The man has concluded his presentation.
    Mr I. K. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he mentioned my name.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    I do not think you have the floor. You do not have the floor.
    Hon Members, we want to bring contributions to this Motion to a close for today. Tomorrow, we will continue with the process.
    Mr Alfred K. Agbesi 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this House do adjourn to tomorrow morning at 10.00 o'clock.
    Mr Ignatius Baffuor Awuah 1:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, while seconding the Motion, I would want to make the point that the debate is becoming more exciting and it will be better if we can consider the possibility of having two Sittings in a day, an extended Sitting beyond the normal time.
    On that note, I beg to second the Motion on the floor.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
    Thank you very much.
    Motion moved and seconded, that proceedings be adjourned to tomorrow at ten o'clock in the forenoon.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    ADJOURNMENT 1:35 p.m.
  • The House was accordingly adjourned at 1.48 p.m. till Thursday, 14th March, 2013 at 10.00 a.m.