Debates of 23 Jun 2015

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:50 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Members, correction of Votes and Proceedings for Friday, 19th June, 2015.
  • [No correction was made to the Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 19th June, 2015.]
    • Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    Hon Members, we have two Official Reports for correction. We would start with that of Wednesday, 17th June, 2015.
  • [No correction was made to the Official Report of Wednesday, 17th June, 2015]
    • Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    Official Report of Thursday, 18th June, 2015 for correction.
  • [No correction was made to the Official Report of Thursday, 18th June, 2015.]
    • Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Member?
    Mr Fritz Frederic Baffour 10:50 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to seek your guidance on a matter of extreme urgency.

    Yesterday, a demonstration by displaced persons from the inner city slum, known as Sodom and Gomorrah to the Parliament of Ghana ended up in an uproar and disorder on our premises, which resulted in damage to State property.

    It is true that our citizens have the right of access to our august House since our remit is service to our citizens. And when they have concerns, it is appropriate that they may seek our audience for possible resolution.

    Mr Speaker, any attempt by our citizens to access this august House must be done in an orderly and legal manner and must not be seen as a threat to our security, the institution and the State as a whole.

    Mr Speaker, what happened yesterday, was a serious breach of our security. Parliament as it stands right now, is most insecure and steps must be taken to ensure the safety of not only Members of Parliament and the Staff but State property, which is owned by every single Ghanaian.

    The Sodom and Gomorrah situation is a conundrum because it encompasses social, environmental and infrastructural issues, which must be addressed with circumspection, compassion and fortitude. And all concerned must participate in surmounting the challenges.

    But it must be said that those who seek redress from Parliament must also ensure that, they uphold the laws of Ghana and must not resort to illegalities in order to make their voices heard.

    I seek your guidance on how to approach this. This is because it is a situation that is facing us right now and we saw what happened yesterday.

    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul 10:50 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much. Like I said before, Mr Speaker -- [Pause.]
    Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minority Leader, you were privy to the discussion in my Lobby this morning.
    Mr Nitiwul 10:50 a.m.
    I know, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    I am just relaxing the rules because this is not really a Statement. He was trying to seek my guidance and I informed you that, he wanted to seek my guidance over an issue. You also said that, you wanted to raise a similar issue in the Lobby but, I told you that, when he raises it, I would invite you and the Hon Majority Leader on this matter and if there are any consequential directives, I would give so that we can pursue the matter from there.
    Mr Nitiwul 10:50 a.m.
    All right.
    Mr Speaker, it looks like they have discussed the matter as a Committee, on their own, that is why when he raised it, the Hon Ranking Member wanted to --
    Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    Have you discussed it as a Committee?
    Mr Nitiwul 10:50 a.m.
    Or as Friends?
    Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    [Laughter]-- Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
    Mr Nitiwul 10:50 a.m.
    All right.
    Mr Speaker, I told you I wanted to raise this matter and you informed me that the Chairman of the Defence and Interior also wanted to raise a similar matter.
    Mr Nitiwul 10:50 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, no! I said that, when I told you I wanted to raise a similar matter, you informed me that, the Chairman of the Committee wanted to seek your guidance on a similar matter.
    Mr Speaker, I come from a very sad point of view. Sad point of view because, the majority of the people who have been affected are from my area. Not just because they are northerners; a lot of them are also from my area as well.
    In fact, many of them, Mr Speaker. And to see them, men, cry like babies, saddens my heart. And to see people lose their livelihood like that, saddens my heart.
    It is true that all of us agreed that 100 metres or even 50 metres for a start and later 100 metres away from the Korle Lagoon and not just at Sodom and Gomorrah but right to the source, through Alajo and Avenor. People should be moved away so that water can have easy access to the sea. I thought that the way the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) went about it last Saturday, posed the problem that we had yesterday in Parliament and it was a disaster waiting to happen.
    This is because we represent the people, so when the people have issues with, particularly, the Executive, they would come to Parliament and it was expected that they would come to Parliament. Possibly, the security would have picked up these signals and made sure that Parliament was secured. They stood in the sun and voted for us and we are here because of them.
    So,when people have no place to sleep, Mr Speaker, they would come to Parliament and that is why they were here in their thousands or hundreds. The press reported 1,500 and some reported that 1000 came to protest.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that we should signal the AMA to give us a road map of the demolition. The Government should give us a road map of the demolitions and not just Sodom and Gomorrah but all the people who live along this river to the source. Otherwise, I would believe that
    Mr Nitiwul 10:50 a.m.


    The application I want to make is that, we have a problem and we need that demolition to solve the problem, especially, those who are very close to the river. The way we are going about it and demolishing without planning for it, we are leaving out thousands of people and it is going to be a security threat not just to Members of Parliament but to the rest of the people. Where do you expect the people to go? Unfortunately for them, it rained that very day. Children were lying down in the rain.
    An Hon Member 11 a.m.
    Oh!
    Mr Nitiwul 11 a.m.
    You may shout oh, but that is the truth. Maybe, some people did not grow up there but some of us grew up there. Many of the northerners sitting here came through that place before they became big people as we see them today. It is true, Mr Speaker, many of them. [Interruptions.] So, I believe that, we should ask the AMA to give us a road map immediately and stop the demolitions.
    Nobody said they should not demolish but they should not do that without planning. when you leave people at the despair of the weather, then, you are actually leaving them to commit crimes, because one may ask, “where do they go to?” Thousands of people, where do they go to?
    First, there was an agreement that they should demolish 50 or 30 metres but AMA
    increased it to 100 metres. Mr Speaker, my application to you is that, the AMA should stop immediately and give the people one or two weeks to prepare themselves to leave the place, move round, mark the houses and then go along with the demolition. But the way they are going about it, it is going to create a security problem in this country. No wonder Parliament was broken into yesterday. If Members of Parliament were in the Chamber or yesterday was a Sitting day, we do not know what would have happened.
    Where people were breaking up cars and it is alleged that some police men had to take to their heels, what about you and me if we were here yesterday? We were just lucky that yesterday was not a Sitting day. My application is clear; the Government and the AMA should give the people a road map and mark the places where they need to demolish and not just Sodom and Gomorrah.
    They should be brave enough to move the whole stretch, then we know that they are actually doing a positive thing. If you break only Sodom and Gomorrah and you refuse to start from where it has started and people choke upstream, the same thing would happen.
    I passed through Tetteh-Quarshie and that day, the water level was up to my waist. Mr Speaker, it is not just about Sodom and Gomorrah. I think that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are easier targets and are not the only source of the problem.
    Mr Speaker 11 a.m.
    I think you have made your point. I want to call on --
    Mr Nitiwul 11 a.m.
    They are not the only source of the problem. All the bigger people and the bigger fishes are the sources as well. There are big men who have their houses on water ways and roads. So why are they not being
    targeted? Why are the poor people of Sodom and Gomorrah the only people who are targeted? That is the application that I am making to you, Mr Speaker, that we stop the demolitions, give them a road map and do the proper thing. We all agree with the demolition but they should do the proper thing. Many of the people come from my area, so it saddens my heart --
    Mr Speaker 11 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minority Leader, I think that you have made your point and I would now hear from the Majority Leader.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin 11 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, there is an application before you from Hon Fritz Baffour for your guidance. So I am only to assist you give guidance to the House. I think that this is a proper case for Parliament to be heard and the voice of Parliament should be a voice of reason. So, as representatives of the people, this is a national issue therefore, we should be heard.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the proper thing to do is to use our rules and properly come before the House to give opportunity to Hon Members and also the authorities to be heard properly on this matter. So that at the end of the day, being a House of record, we would be seen to be giving proper input into national decisions on how to handle issues of this nature.
    You could call for a Statement and on the day of the Statement, we expect the authorities to be available like the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, the AMA Chief Executive and his directors to hear from Parliament how these matters could be implemented.
    I think that is the proper thing to do.

    I would want to plead with Hon Members that, when the right time comes, they would have the opportunity like my Hon Colleague, the Deputy Minority Leader was doing, to express their views on it and at the end of the day, the decision of the House would definitely and properly be communicated to the authorities and then we would all be guided by that.

    Mr Speaker, as it is now, it is only your guidance that is being sought and I think that it is through your grace that you even allowed some of the statements that have already been made to be made on the floor.

    Mr Speaker, that is what I can say.
    Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, thank you very much.
    Hon Members, do we get an Hon Member to make a Statement, or do we get the Hon Minister responsible for Local Government and Rural Development to come to the House to make a Statement?
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Bagbin 11:10 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the proper thing is to get the Statement from the Hon Minister, to tell us what happened and then we would take the opportunity to tell him what we have got from our constituents, what we have witnessed, what we have seen and then together, the decision would be taken by the House -- [Interruption] -- I have not given time, I said a Statement should be made and I have not given time.
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:10 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I got this information about the events of yesterday while I was in transit in South Africa, and I got some briefing about what happened. Entering Parliament
    Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Hon Members, I think that the Hon Majority Leader has made a very important point to the effect that, in order for us to discuss this matter from an informed perspective, it is important to get the Hon Minister responsible for the agency that is leading the process of the demolition into the House, to brief us, so that we know what to do.
    I would direct that the Business Committee programmes the Hon Minister responsible for Local Government and Rural Development to come and brief the House, regarding the circumstances leading to the demolition. From there, comments would be taken and if any Hon Member wants to push it to the next level, there are other tools available for them to do so. At least, when we get the brief from the Hon Minister, we would get all the facts from their angle and then based on that, we would decide whether to use other tools if the House in its wisdom is not satisfied.
    So, Hon Chairman of the Business Committee, kindly arrange to programme the Hon Minister responsible for Local Government and Rural Development. This is because AMA is under that Ministry, to come to the House and brief Parliament on the matter.
    Hon Members, let us proceed. You know I just relaxed the rules for this matter to be taken. I do not have a Statement but if there is a concern Hon Members want
    to raise, I think I do not want to hide behind rules and prevent them from raising it. Since the Hon Minister would be coming to brief the House, we move on to other matters.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Bagbin 11:10 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, as I indicated in the Business Statement for this week, I would want to ask for your leave for us to alter the order of Business for today.
    Mr Speaker, with your kind permission, we may take items numbered 5, 6, 7 before we come back to Questions and later Statements. So, I would want us to deal with Public Business first. This is because we have a lot of them pending and we need to push them through. So, with your kind permission, if we may take item numbered 5 which is Presentation of Papers.
    Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 5, Presentation of Papers. 5 (a), by the Hon Minister for Power?
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Bagbin 11:10 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have an Addendum to the Order Paper which is dealing with the Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Bill, the Report of the Committee. It was to be laid on Friday, but few things happened and it did not get space. So, if we could lay it today and then subject to the indulgence of my Hon Colleagues, we could go through the other Motions. So, if we can take that one first.
    Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Are we taking that item? Yes, it is alright.

    Hon Members, Order Paper Addendum.

    Presentation of Papers by the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
    PAPERS 11:10 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Hon Members, item 5 (a).
    Hon Majority Leader, is the Hon Minister for Power in the House?
    Mr Bagbin 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was requesting the Hon Minister for Defence to lay the Papers-- 5 (a) and (b) on behalf of his Hon Colleagues, the Minister for Power and the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Very well.
    Hon Members, item number 5(a); by the Hon Minister for Defence on behalf of the Hon Minister for Power.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this should not be a straightjacket application. If the Hon Minister for Power makes an application, we should be told where he is. In the current situation where we have serious power outages, we require him to be here.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Hon Minority Leader, I thought you were nodding and that is why I quickly—
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I did not nod.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Have you changed your mind?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, for the records, I have not nodded in the first place to have changed my mind. I have not done so. Can the Hon Majority Leader explain to us what is happening to the Hon Minister for Power?
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, they want to know where the Hon Minister for Power is.
    Mr Bagbin 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Minority Leader, today, is in a different outfit and that has changed his mood—[Laughter]— he is now in suit and tie.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Power is out of the country and as we all know, he is on Government Business trying to fast-track some of the agreements we have entered into with our partners, to try and improve the power situation.

    Mr Speaker, I am having sign language with the Hon Minority Leader — that is the information at my disposal. That is why I was asking, according to our Standing Orders, that a substantive Minister, the Hon Minister for Defence to do so on behalf of the Hon Minister for Power.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Very well.
    By the Minister for Defence (Dr Benjamin Kunbuor)(on behalf of the Minister for Power)
    Emergency Power Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Aksa Enerji Uretim As (AKSA) for the provision
    on a Fast-Track Basis, up to 37MW (ISO) Installed Capacity of Power Delivery Services.
    Referred to the Committee on Mines and Energy.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Item number 5 (b)
    By the Minister for Defence (on behalf of the Minister for Power)
    Statutes of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
    Referred to the Committee on Environment, Science and Technology.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Item number 5 (c)
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Bagbin 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Minister for Finance is also out of the country on official business and he has mandated his Deputy, our own Hon Colleague, Mr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson to come and transact the Business of laying these Papers for and on his behalf.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister is available to do so.
    By the Deputy Minister for Finance (Mr Cassiel A. B. Forson)(on behalf of the Minister for Finance)—
    (i) Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), Frankfurt am Main for an amount of twenty-three million euros (€23.0 million) and a grant amount of one million euros (€1.0 million) to finance the Out-Grower and Value Chain Fund II.
    Referred to the Finance Committee.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Hon Members, item 5 (c) (ii).
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my worry again is, a Majority Leader making an application to you to allow a Deputy Minister to lay a Paper on behalf of Government. What was the use of the Majority Leader who is Leader of Government Business? He cannot lay a simple document on behalf of Government. [Laughter.]
    Mr Speaker, I guess we can define the locus of a Majority Leader, Leader of Government Business, who cannot transact Business on behalf of Government. But, he has made an application to you, in spite of himself and maybe, perhaps you will allow him, but this is not good enough.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Hon Minority Leader, is it a point of order or a comment?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is both a point of pondering over and a point for serious consideration.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Hon Members, item 5 (c) (ii)
    By the Deputy Minister for Finance (Mr C.A.B. Forson)(on behalf of the Minister for Finance)—
    (ii) Buyer Credit Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and ABN AMRO N.V. of Netherlands for an amount of fourteen million, thirty-four
    thousand, two hundred and one euros (€14,034,201.00) to finance the “Accelerating Tuberculosis (TB) Case Detection” Project
    Referred to the Finance Committee.
    Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
    Hon Members, item 5 (c) (iii).
    By the Deputy Minister for Finance (Mr C.A.B. Forson)(on behalf of the Minister for Finance)—
    (iii)Request for waiver of Import Duty, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EDAIF, and other applicable fees and charges amounting to two million, four hundred and ninety- six thousand, six hundred and seventy euros (€2,496,670.00) on materials and equipment to be used under the Buyer Credit Agreement between the Govern- ment of the Republic of Ghana and ABN AMRO N.V. of Netherlands in respect of the “Accelerating Tuberculosis (TB) Case Detection” Project.
    Referred to the Finance Committee.
    Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
    Hon Members, item number 6?
    Mr Bagbin 11:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, with item number 6, as stated earlier, the Minister for Finance is on an official assignment outside the country and he has mandated the Deputy Minister for Finance to present this Paper for and on his behalf.
    Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
    Hon Members, Presenta- tion and First Reading of Bills; Deputy Minister for Finance?
    BILLS -- FIRST READING 11:30 a.m.
    Mr Bagbin 11:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we can take item number 7.
    Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
    Hon Members, item number 7; Motions -- Deputy Minister for Finance?
    MOTIONS 11:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
    Any seconder?
    Mr James K. Avedzi 11:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I second the Motion.
    Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
    Hon Members, Motion moved and seconded, it is for the consideration of the House.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Item number 8; Deputy Minister for Finance?
    BILLS -- SECOND READING 11:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
    Yes, Chairman of the Finance Committee?
    Chairman of the Finance Committee (Mr James K. Avedzi) 11:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion moved by the Deputy Minister and in doing so present your Committee's Report for the proposed amendment to the Bill.
    Introduction
    The Petroleum Revenue Management Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was presented to Parliament and read the first time by the Hon Minister for Finance, Mr. Emmanuel Seth Terkper on Friday, 13th March, 2015 and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with article 174 (1) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 169 of the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.
    The Committee was assisted in its deliberations by the Hon Deputy Ministers for Finance, Mr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson and Mrs. Mona K. Quartey and Officials from the Ministry of Finance, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Bank of Ghana (BOG), Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), Natural Resource Governance Institute and the African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP).
    The Committee expresses its profound gratitude to the Hon Minister and Officials of the Ministry, GNPC, BOG, PIAC, ACEP and the Natural Resource Governance Institute for attending upon it and assisting in the deliberations.
    Reference
    The Committee referred to the following additional documents during its deliberations:
    The 1992 Constitution of Ghana
    The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana; and
    Petroleum Revenue Management Act, 2011 (Act 815).
    Background
    The Petroleum Revenue Manage- ment Act 2011 (Act 815) was enacted to provide a framework for the collection, allocation and management of petroleum revenue in a responsible, transparent, accountable and sustainable manner for the benefit of the citizens of Ghana in accordance with the 1992 Constitution. However, there are some implementation challenges with some provisions of the Act.
    Also the Act exposed some inconsistencies and typographical errors that need to be rectified. The main substance of Act 815 has generally been maintained in the Bill.
    Purpose of the Bill
    The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Petroleum Revenue Management Act 2011 (Act 815) to provide for the allocation of Funds to the Ghana Infrastructure and Investment Funds for the purposes of infrastructure development and to provide for the composition of the Investment Advisory Committee.
    Division of the Bill
    The Bill is divided into Seventeen (17) Clauses with clauses 1 to 15 seeking to amend sections 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 21, 23, 31, 48, 54, 57, 60 and 61 of Act 815 respectively.
    The First and Second Schedules of the Act are also amended in Clauses 16 and 17 of the Bill. The details of the Amendment are as follows:
    Clause 1 amends subsection (2) of section 5 of Act 815 to correct a typographical error but the substance remains the same.
    Mr Speaker 11:40 a.m.
    Hon Members, Motion duly moved. It is for the consideration of the House.
    Hon Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance?
    Dr Anthony A. Osei (NPP -- Old Tafo) 11:40 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I beg to contribute to the Motion that the Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Bill, 2015 be now read a second time.
    Mr Speaker, in contributing to the Motion on the floor of the House, I would want to agree with the Hon Deputy Minister that after a few years of

    implementation, the Act has met serious challenges. In particular, this year we saw the dislocation of the Budget as a result of the formula prescribed by the Act to predict the benchmark revenue.

    My Leader said he disagrees, but he would have a chance to contribute. That is why this House is a house of debate.

    Mr Speaker, there are two issues that I would want to really discuss at this point. One is the item on page 5 of the Committee's Report.

    It is unfortunate that the Hon Minister and the representatives of the Ghana Oil Company are not here. The Hon Deputy Minister for Finance is here but I think it would have been important for the Hon Minister for Petroleum and their staff to be here because they came with their guns ready to make this amendment. They gave all kinds of reasons but they are not even here to listen to why we are not accepting their reasons.

    Mr Speaker, I would want to refer you to the particular amendment if you would permit me; the old Act. It deals with the section where Parliament must approve their work programme each year. That is the one they wanted to amend. Something that has given Parliament the authority to approve their work programme each year, they had the audacity to remove that power of Parliament and they are not even here to listen to why it was wrong.

    Mr Speaker, it is for good reason that this House chose to make sure that every year we would be able to check what they are doing, and on the basis of the
    Mr Speaker 11:40 a.m.
    Hon Members, this is a straightforward matter that I would want to put the Question on.
    Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu -- rose --
    Mr Speaker 11:40 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (NPP - - Suame) 11:40 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the amendments that have been put before us are in my view in two parts. One relates to mistakes that Parliament ought to have seen which perhaps escaped all of us.
    But Mr Speaker, I think it also relates to the process of crafting Bills in this House. We have often spoken to the issue that when we are through with it, before the Third Reading, we need to find space to look at what we have smithed out and then be able to determine that the proper things have been done before the Third Reading is effected. Otherwise, what I am seeing is really an embarrassment to all of us.
    Certainly, it ought not to have happened. So, I believe that we have to engineer some space for ourselves after the Second Reading to look at what we have done as a House before the Third reading.
    This is not the first time. Every now and then, we get confronted with these things and it certainly does not do our image any good at all. That is the first thing.
    Mr Speaker, the second pivotal issue on the amendment relates to how to tinker with the Heritage Fund. It has been the agenda of certain people to tinker with it and I disagree totally with that. What they are doing in section 10 is to effectively remove the second -- what it means is that, for 2 (b), they are deleting subsection ‘b' of clause 2. That is the effect of what they have done.
    I do not know whether the Chairman has not looked at it that way. That is for Heritage Fund to receive excess petroleum revenue. By what they have done, they have removed it. That is why I am saying that they are tinkering with it. [Interruption] Section 10 of the Act; “The Heritage Fund is hereby established.” Subsection 2 reads and the I beg to quote:
    “The object of the Heritage Fund is to;
    (a) Provide an endowment to support development for future generations when petroleum reserves have been depleted.
    (b) Receive excess petroleum revenue”
    Now, these amendments that they are proposing seek to delete that second leg; receiving excess petroleum revenue. That is why I am saying they are tinkering with it.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, do you have a point of order?
    Mr Avedzi 11:50 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the reason for that is,we are maintaining the formula for the determination of the petroleum benchmark revenue. But this amendment is making it a straightjacket such that 70 per cent of the actual revenue for the year would go to support the ABFA. The remaining 30 per cent which is divided again into 70 and 30 percent would go straight to the Ghana Stabilisation and Heritage Funds.
    In the current position, if there is no excess and the actual revenue is less than the benchmark revenue, then the Heritage Fund would not get anything at all. But with the new amendment, whatever is the actual, whether it is more or less, that percentage which is actually nine per cent would go to the Heritage Fund, which is better than the current position.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:50 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the excess petroleum revenue by the Act represents what is harvested beyond the projected revenue. We were saying that it should then go into the Heritage Fund.
    Now, if he deletes it, where does it go, when we have made the projection that the anticipation is that we are going to have maybe US$70 per barrel, and then
    Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, I would want to put the Question. Do you want to say something?
    Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin (NDC-- Nadowli/Kaleo) 11:50 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, just a short remark.
    Mr Speaker, I am totally in support of the Report of the Committee and the proposed amendment, basically, because they have met operational challenges, but not because of typographical errors. We do not make typographical errors in Parliament. I think that could be handled without coming back to the House.
    The second one is what the Hon Minority Leader rightly pointed out. It is because they have met implementational difficulties but not that there was an oversight by Parliament, or Parliament made an error; no. That issue was raised and discussed and we thought that in good faith, the Ministry of Finance would make available enough financing for the PIAC. That has not been done.
    It was not an oversight by Parliament and it was not an error made by Parliament; no. It is just that the Ministry is not complying with the spirit of the law; they are looking at the letter of the law. So, Mr Speaker, it is proper for the Bill to be brought for us to state in black and white what should be given to PIAC.
    Mr Speaker, I would just want to add that the petroleum revenue that we are so graciously given by the Almighty God should be managed prudently.
    Mr Speaker, it looks like inspite of the efforts of the nation to focus on the utilisation of this revenue, there seem to be so many issues cropping up and so many questions being asked. I would just want to emphasise the core that the petroleum revenue should be managed in such a way that there would be no doubt left in the minds of Ghanaians, that it is being applied to the best interest of the people.
    PIAC from time to time has raised concerns. Parliament itself has from time to time, called on the Ministry to submit reports and come before the Committee to answer questions. This should not occur again. We should all in good faith try to put this revenue to good use.
    It is good that we are trying to get money from that place into the Ghana Infrastructural Fund. I thought the Ministry was against the creation of more funds, but we all agree that because of the wide gap, the infrastructural deficit is such that we need to handle it urgently. So, we agree that we should earmark that money for the Ghana Infrastructural Fund. I think it is proper, and we should make sure that we do not go looking at many places for money to do our roads and other infrastructure.
    So with this, Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    The Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Bill, 2015 accordingly read a Second time.
    Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
    Hon First Deputy Speaker to take the Chair.
    Hon Majority Leader, are we taking the Statements first or we go to Questions?
    Mr Bagbin 11:50 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want us to take item 10 on the Order Paper.
    Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
    Very well.
    Hon Members, item number 10 -- Nuclear Regulatory Authority Bill, 2015 at the Consideration Stage.
    MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER IN THE noon
    CHAIR noon
    BILLS --CONSIDERATION noon
    STAGE noon
  • [Resumption of debate from 18/06/ 2015]
    • Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
    Hon Members, we dealt with this Bill and it was left with two clauses to be considered. These are clauses 24 and 71. So we would start with clause 24.
    Chairman of the Committee?
    Clause 24 --Radiation protection
    Mr Simon E. Asimah noon
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 24 -- subclause (2), line 1, delete “Authority shall,” and insert “Minister, on the advice of the Authority, shall”
    The full rendition would read thus:
    “The Authority shall, by Regula- tions, guidelines and standards prescribe measures aimed at preventing exposure of humans to radiation.”
    Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
    Yes, Hon Members, I think it is rather straight forward and I will put the Question.
    rose
    Mr Speaker noon
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Bagbin noon
    Mr Speaker, the proposed amendment is to delete from line 1 “Authority shall,” and insert “Minister, on the advice of the Authority,..”
    It is just that the Hon Minister is being used as a conduit because on the advice it means he must act on that advice.
    Mr Speaker, I thought the “Authority of instruments” right from the President is given to the Hon Minister by the Constitution, and that is the main reason why we wanted to remove the “Authority” because they do not have that legal mandate, and then give it to the proper person who is the Hon Minister. But if the Hon Minister is there just to act as a conduit, in my humble view, it is the same thing.
    So I thought that after deleting the “Authority shall”, we just put “the Minister”. We do not need to add “on the advice of”. It means that when the Authority advises the Hon Minister has no say, that is the legal interpretation. He has no say, he just has to stamp it and let it pass. That, I believe is not the intention of the House. The intention of the House is to give the authority to the Hon Minister which we have been doing. It is Hon Ministers who come by Legislative Instrument (L.I.) and so on and the
    independent Government institutions such as the Electoral Commission and the rest and they are constitutional. But when it comes to subsidiary legislation like this, it is the Hon Minister, simpliciter.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
    Yes, Chairman of the Committee, how do you respond to that?
    Mr Asimah noon
    Mr Speaker, we were thinking that, the “Authority” is going to advice the Hon Minister on certain technical issues and those technical issues definitely would be more appreciated by the Authority. So, if the Authority gives advise to the Hon Minister and the Minister is not comfortable with the advice, he can reject it. That was our thinking and that was why we came with this rendition.
    Mr Speaker, but I think looking at it, if it does not spoil anything, we can maintain what the Hon Majority Leader is saying. But when the Committee looked at it, that was what we were thinking, that the technical body which is the Authority has a lot of technical information which they would bring to the table of the Hon Minister.
    I am not saying that Ministers do not have technical knowledge, some Hon Ministers have technical knowledge, but the technical men within the Authority have the technical knowledge which they would bring to bear on the Hon Minister;and when he is comfortable with the advice, he or she takes it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
    Yes, Hon Second Deputy Speaker?
    Mr Joe Ghartey noon
    Mr Speaker, because of the Interpretation Act and the fact that when we are interpreting the Act of Parliament, we look at the debates of Parliament, perhaps, it is important to
    reiterate and support the position of the Hon Majority Leader.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Ministers of all the Ministries do not have the technical expertise. In the normal course of business as an Hon Minister, it is expected that one receives advice from one's technical people. The Hon Minister for Health may not be a doctor, the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry may not be an expert in trade matters.
    So when we say in our various laws that, the Hon Minister shall by subsidiary legislation, it does not mean that we have excluded the right of the Minister to seek advice from his technical staff. The Hon Minister must seek advice as a matter of course.But Mr Speaker, when we render it in this fashion, then we have added some compulsion and indeed it has been argued by several Members and I agree with them that once you say ‘on the advice of', then the Hon Minister is bound by that advice.
    So, I would support the Hon Majority Leader in saying that, we should stick to our own format. We should not change what we have been doing from time out of mind and we should say that, the Hon Minister shall make regulations expecting that every prudent Hon Minister would seek technical advice.
    If you are not an expert in nuclear matters how can you even bring regulations to this House? The regulations are brought by the Hon Minister on the advice of the technical staff, but we should not put it as part of the law because it has legal implications.
    Mr Speaker, the reason why we even say that just the Hon Minister is because of the formulation of our Constitution
    where the Executive authority is given to the President. The Hon Minister is assisting the President and it is the Hon Minister who in the process of assisting the President brings the regulations to Parliament.
    Mr Speaker, as we all know some of us have had the opportunity to be Hon Ministers in this House and we acted on the advice of our technical staff every day and not just in the making of a regulation. So, let us retain this rendition “the Hon Minister shall bring regulations.”
    Thank you very much.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker noon
    All right.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr Asimah 12:10 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Based on the argument being led by the Hon Majority Leader and the Second Deputy Speaker, maybe, if they are saying that the interpretation actually says that it should be upon the advice of the technical men, then maybe we go by what they say. So, the rendition may now be removing the “Authority” and replacing it with “Minister”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Wa West?
    Mr Joseph Y. Chireh 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the amendment proposed by the Hon
    Chairman is saying that 12:10 p.m.
    “The Minister, shall on the advice of the Authority make the regula- tions”.
    I think that is the better thing to do because many times, when you look at the regulations that we have been making,
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Bagbin 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is not because it is led by the Leader but it is a legal issue. The technical people who support us at the Ministry have no Executive authority and they have no final responsibility. If the Hon Minister is compelled there to act on the advice of the Authority and something goes berserk, and the Hon Minister is called and he says well, ‘the law says that I am bound by the advice and I acted on the advice of the Authority' that should not be entertained.
    That is why if you are talking about implementation, there must be responsibility. So, as he stated, ignorance of the law is no excuse. You cannot say that the Hon Minister must be ignorant of a Convention or a Treaty and so he has to be advised by the Authority or the technical people. That is no excuse.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Sekondi?
    Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, Executive authority is vested in the representative of the President in charge of a sector. Of course, he always relies on the advice of technical people but it is in the nature of Executive authority that the Executive authority is not bound by the advice of any technical person. The Authority takes full responsibility for whatever decision the Authority takes.
    So, I would suggest that if the Hon Chairman does not find it objectionable, we say ‘the Minister in consultation'. That also imports the necessity of the Hon Minister consulting before taking the action. And he is not bound, unless it is the intention of the Hon Chairman that the Hon Minister shall be bound by the advice.
    Prof. George Y. Gyan-Baffour 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the discussions in the House is focusing on the law. But the practicality of the law is also important. If you leave the Authority out, who will start the process? Is it the Hon Minister starting the process? No! It is the Authority that will start the process and get it to the Hon Minister.
    So, at least, the Authority has to be part of this discussion, whether it is in consultation or in advice. It has to be mentioned, otherwise, the Authority cannot actually process anything. So, I think we need to look at it without
    forgetting about the fact that the thing will start from the Authority before it gets to the hon Minister.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Hon Member for Wa West?
    Mr Chireh 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if the problem is about the word “shall”, fine. But I think that if we leave out the “shall” and say that the ‘Minister on the advice of the Authority make the Regulations.' -- What I am saying is, most often if you look at that formulation, the responsibility -- the Bill itself was brought by the Hon Minister. And so the Hon Minister has the -- But because of the concerns, and as my Hon Friend is saying, practically it is the people who will come and say this is what is obtainable in this matter. And you take that responsibility fully. But if the “shall” --
    Currently, there is this debate on the Interpretation of the ‘President shall on the advice of the Council of State appoint a Commissioner.' In that case, people are saying, no, the Commission should start the process.
    The point I am making is that, if it is on the advice of the Authority, we are all covered. But to say that the Hon Minister should make the Regulation and the Authority is not part, I do not buy that idea. It is not just an ordinary Bill that you would want to do so.
    Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am sorry but I do not think anyone has said the Authority should not be involved.
    What we are saying is that it must be clear in the law, that it is the Hon Minister who is taking responsibility unless we want to decide. That was why I said ‘the Minister in consultation'. So that the Hon Minister suomoto cannot just decide that
    he is making Regulations. He must consult the Authority.
    Mr Speaker, we have had occasions in this House when I was in Leadership where an Authority said that as far as it was concerned, it has been given statutory independence. So, even in the presence of making its Regulations, it does not even need to consult the Hon Minister. Then I said that if that is the case then they should come and lay their Regulations before the House.
    So, with these things, there are practical experiences that prompts us to make some of these comments. If it is “in consultation,” we know that “it is in consultation.” If it is on advice, you know you are bound by the advice and you cannot even initiate it. But if you say ‘the Minister in consultation', it compels the Authority to have a discussion with the Hon Minister, bearing in mind that ultimate political responsibility lies with the Hon Minister.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, can I get your response with regard to what the Hon Member for Sekondi has just espoused, using the expression “in consultation with”.
    Mr Bagbin 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that definitely leaves the authority in the hands of the Minister. That is quite in conformity with the law. And I would want to emphasise that it is an issue of law. When one says, “acting on the advice of”, there have been judicial decisions on them that they have no option than to act on what the advice says.
    Mr Speaker, in all the Bills and Acts which we have passed, they always say, “passed by Parliament and assented to by the President”. There is a good reason
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, could you then revise your proposed amendment to reflect this stance?
    Yes, Hon Second Deputy Speaker?
    Mr Joe Ghartey 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not want to be a spoilsport since you seem to be arriving at a conclusion of some sort. But, unfortunately, I have to intervene and appear as a hardliner.
    This is because, I even believe that the proposed compromise is wrong. It is wrong in the sense that I believe strictly that it should be the Minister.
    Mr Speaker, when you look at article 58 (1) of the Constitution, it talks about Executive authority. Article 58 (2) also talks about it:
    “The executive authority of Ghana shall extend to the execution and
    maintenance of this Constitution and all laws made under or continued in force by this Constitution.
    Then 58 (3) says that:
    “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the functions conferred on the President by clause (1) of this article may be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him.”
    Mr Speaker, when you go to article 76 it talks about Ministers, the Cabinet and so on.
    Mr Speaker, if we have one set of laws which says that, Regulations shall be made by the Minister and that has been our usual formulation, and in another law, we say that it shall be made by the Minister in consultation with the Authority, then what is the difference? Is there a difference, and why is there a difference between the two?
    It would seem that, arguing before a court of law, one might say that there is a difference. Parliament intended a difference. I am saying that, it is part of our law that the Executive authority is in the Minister, but the fact that we have stated the Minister does not mean the Minister acts by himself.
    No Minister acts by himself. People are saying that the Minister could start Legislative Instrument (L. I.). Does he want to tell me that even the Attorney- General and the Minister for Justice for example could make an L.I. by himself, siting in his office? Does he want to tell me that when the Ministry of Health is coming to do L.I.s which have to do with the Pharmacy Council and the difficult L.I.s that they do, because the Minister might be a doctor, and the Act says he
    should act in consultation with the Pharmacy Council or the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) he would get up and do an L.I. by himself? Can the Minister for Trade and Industry because he has some expertise in trade would get-up and do an L.I. by himself?
    If we have one set of laws which says “the Minister” and we have another set of laws which says “in consultation with”, and it is examined in the light of all the arguments that have gone on here, since our Interpretation Act tells us that in interpreting an Act, we must look at the argument that has gone on here -- If I were a judge, I would say that, “in consultation with” raises the highest standard than just “by the Minister.”
    What do we want to achieve? We must be strict and stay with the law. The law says, it is the Minister, and we should not compromise for the sake of compromise.
    I regret that, on this occasion, Mr Speaker would be a hard-liner, and urge the Hon Majority Leader not to shift his position to stay with me, and that he is on safe and solid grounds. It should be the Minister, simpliciter.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Members, it is getting interesting. Yes, Hon Member for Bekwai?
    Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the name of the game is consistency. If one is not going to introduce a confusion, the LIs have been consistent “to be made by the Minister.” As soon as one introduces a new lexicon, then one is asking for an interpretation whether we meant the same trend or asking for a new thing.
    I think I am for the Hon Second Deputy Speaker, that we should maintain the consistency and use Minister. All ministerial activities are done through his
    agencies. They would formulate it, and the Minister would work through with them and present it to the appropriate agency. I think we should be consistent and retain “by the Minister”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
    Mr Alfred K. Agbesi 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think it makes a sound argument that this House continuously made or passed laws specifically saying that, a Minister shall or might make Regulations all over. So, in furtherance of that, I think that we should go with the argument being made, that the Minister should be given that power to do and not in consultation with the Authority. But the Minister shall make Regulations.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Members, I seem to be getting the sense of the House. We would go the conservative way, going by what we have done in the past. So, I believe the Hon Chairman's amendment to his amendment earlier would still stand.
    Hon Member for Sekondi, it appears your compromise position has lost weight.
    Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:20 p.m.
    No, Mr Speaker, I looked at clause 24. It talks about radiation protection. It says:
    “The Authority shall adopt require- ments for the protection of persons from harmful effects arising from exposure to radiation.”
    That was clause 24 (1). Subclause 2 says:
    “The Authority shall, by Regula- tions, guidelines and standards prescribe measures aimed at preventing the exposure of humans to radiation.”
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    But Hon Member, what kind of Executive authority does the Authority have?
    Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at the Constitution, the President can vest executive authority in anybody as his agent to take certain decisions. I believe that is what is anticipated in this in respect of nuclear regulation. But we are saying that because in the normal scheme of things, political responsibility must be taken, that is why the Hon Chairman of the Committee is
    saying that “on the advice” because it would vest political responsibility in the Minister.
    Mr Speaker, now, if it is to vest political responsibility in the Minister, then there should be no element of compulsion. This is because if we say “on the advice”, it means that the Minister has no choice.
    Mr Speaker, what I am proposing is, for lack of a better expression, a middle ground so that we know that political responsibility for the regulations would be vested in the Minister. However, in doing that, he has to consult, even though he is not bound to accept whatever the Authority says.
    Mr Speaker, so my proposal is not the same. And I am supporting the Hon Second Deputy Speaker and the Hon Ranking Member for Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. In the context of this Bill, definitely, it cannot be the same.

    Mr Speaker, clause 91, Regulations

    “Subject to the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009(Act 793), the Minister, on the advice of the Board, may by legislative instrument, make Regulations for the efficient and effective implementation of this Act.”

    So, that is the normal power of the Minister; to make regulations. But where it comes to Regulations relating to guidelines, standards and prescriptions of measures aimed at preventing exposure of humans to radiation, it is so technical that the law intended to vest it in the Authority. So this particular clause is different from the general clause as seen in clause 91, which is General Regulations.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    But if you look at clause 91, you realise that the expression, “on the advice” is used. Do you notice that?
    “…the Minister, on the advice of the Board may by legislative instrument, make Regulations…”
    Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:30 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker, “of the Board” not the Authority. This is because in this case, we are talking about the Board because it has to deal with general regulations relating to nuclear matters. But here, the Authority, if you look at the clause, then Authority is different from the Board. It is the Board that administers. There is established by this Act, a body to be known as the Nuclear Regulatory Authority.
    The objects -- The Authority is to ensure that radiation and nuclear energy is used to provide protection. Then the Functions of the Authority. So one finds that the powers of the authority-- Then the governing body of the Authority is the Board.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Very well. Let us hear from Hon W. O. Boafo. I will come back to you, Hon Second Deputy Speaker.
    Mr William O. Boafo 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to side with the Hon Second Deputy Speaker for several reasons. One is consistency in our legislation and secondly, to preserve the executive power of the Minister. Thirdly, it is not only clause 24 that is in issue here to undermine the executive authority of the Minister. This is because we can find it under the clauses dealing with regulations, as well as clauses dealing with guideline; standards and procedure.
    So Mr Speaker, if we look at the mechanism, how these Regulations are going to be prepared, it is clear that it is not the Minister who is going to initiate
    and process it to its conclusion. We know where it would emanate from. It is these technical persons who are going to prepare these Regulations for the Minister's approval and signature.
    Mr Speaker, it is necessary for the Minister to have the final say on this matter as the Majority Leader rightly pointed out. The judicial interpretation of “on the advice of” is something that hinges on mandatory process.
    So Mr Speaker, to preserve consistency in our legislation and to equally preserve the executive power of the Minister, we should stick to the normal rendition, which we have adopted in legislative processes in this House.
    Mr Speaker, if one looks at the clauses dealing with the Regulation, the Minister is going to enact the legislative instrument on the advice of the Board. It appears that this piece of legislation is trying to establish some divides in the role of the Minister and we should not allow it.
    We should rather strengthen the executive power of the Minister in this case so that it would not one day turn out to be like the current relationship between the Food and Drugs Authority and the Ministry of Health.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Second Deputy Speaker?
    We would take two more contributions.
    Mr Ghartey 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, Clause 24 comes under the subheading, Regulatory Activities of the Authority. So that clause comes under a path which is dealing with the regulatory activities of the Authority. But Clause 24 (2) says that:
    Mr Speaker, clause 91(2) (f), it says 12:30 p.m.
    “Without limiting subsection (1), the Regulations shall provide for …
    (f) the regulation of radiation protection, occupational exposure, public exposure, medical, chronic and emergency exposure; …”
    Mr Speaker, what is the difference between “Radiation protection” as stated under clause 91(1) and “Radiation protection” as stated under clause 24 (2)? What it means is that this Bill envisaged that the Minister would, as is normally the case, in the normal course of his business, make Regulations to regulate all these matters, including radiation protection.
    So in fact, as it stands, we have clause 91 (2) (f) dealing with Regulations, dealing with radiation protection and there is a different mechanism for those Regula- tions coming to Parliament. And we have clause 24(2) which also deals with Regulations dealing with the same subject, Radiation Protection.
    Mr Speaker, so clause 24 (2) really should not even be there. It is provided for under clause 91, which deals with Regulations in general. So it serves no useful purpose. It is a spanner in the works, it becomes a troublesome intermeddler. It should be expunged from the Bill. This is because the Regulations, as provided under clause 91, which is a usual
    regulation that is provided at the end of every Bill that gives the Minister the authority to do X.Y. Z. And I noticed that there, it says, “on the advice of the Board”. We shall be bringing an amendment to change that as well. So what is the purpose of this?
    In any event, when we look at the subheading of that part, the regulatory activities of the Authority, it is intended to give the power to implement Regulations. That part is not intended to give it power to make Regulations. The power to make Regulations is under clause 91. So, Mr Speaker, my recommendation is that, this whole clause should rather be completely deleted, and then when we come to clause 91, we can make these arguments.
    In the alternative, Mr Speaker, I remain in my previous position. I stand by all my previous arguments.
    Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as much as possible, we must try in making laws, to let each clause be meaningful in the context of the entire provisions.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at clause 92 for instance, it says that 12:40 p.m.
    “(1) The Authority may also develop guidelines and procedures, and adopt standards on the following:
    (a) notification, authorisation…
    (b) radiation protection and safety requirements…
    (c) security measures…
    (d) inspection and reporting …
    (e) any other subject matter of relevance for the safety and security of the employees of the Authority”.
    If we look at clause 24 (2), it says;
    “The Authority shall, by Regulations, guidelines and standards…”
    I think that in the context of this Bill, probably they may not have been thinking of Regulations as envisaged under clause 91, but rather guidelines and standards as envisaged under clause 92.
    So probably, to make this clause more meaningful, it could be amended, by deleting “Regulations” from that clause, so that it would read;
    “The Authority shall by guidelines and standards prescribe measures aimed at preventing exposure of humans to radiation”.
    That would also be consistent with the sacrosanct executive authority that we all seem to be protecting, without necessarily seeing that particular clause as redundant. And it should also be consistent with clause 91, this is because if the Minister would want to elevate that to law by Regulations, it would also be consistent.
    Prof. Gyan-Baffour 12:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this discussion is by lawyers and Attorney- Generals and all that, but the issue is that consistency and practice should not come in here.
    If the context requires that there should be a change, there has to be a change.
    Mr Speaker, responsibility can be shared, and the ultimate responsibility can be taken by the President or the Minister, but the operational responsibility rests with the Chief Executive Officers (CEO). So we cannot say that because the responsibility is in the President, we
    should not mention the institutions involved.
    This morning, in fact, with what happened in Agbogbloshie, Rt Hon Speaker said that the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development should come. I tried to catch his eye and to say that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) boss should also be here. But then now, they are hiding behind Ministers and doing these things, and we sit here and say because of consistency we should not make them.
    Mr Speaker, there is a shared responsi- bility here where the ultimate one lies with the Minister, but the technical one lies with the CEO or the head of that Authority. So, we should include them in the law and not say that because that is the consistent one and because that is what we have been doing in the past, we should do it that way, I think it has to be contextual.
    Thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, can I hear from you, since you championed this and you have heard the various contributions that Hon Members have made?
    Mr Bagbin 12:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I raised this issue and I raised it because I know and I am subject to correction, that the legal position is that when we use the phrase “on the advice of”, the person is bound to act on that advice. And that is in the Constitution, and if we look at the Constitution, when they say; “in consultation”, “on the advice” and all those things, they carry different imports.
    My good Friend Prof. Gyan-Baffour was talking about shared responsibility and then said ultimate responsibility. That is what we are talking about. It is the ultimate responsibility we are talking
    Mr Bagbin 12:40 p.m.


    about. This is because the ultimate responsibility is in the Minister, his hands should not be tied to act on the advice of somebody, without the Minister making an input, and so that “on the advice” should be deleted.

    The correct position is “the Minister shall make Regulations”. That is what the legal position is, unless the Supreme Court changes the interpretation of “on the advice of”. Clearly, that is what the law is now.

    The Minister and for this particular clause, “the Minister shall by Regulations”, that is it. There should not be “advice”, there should not be “in consultation”.

    I think clause 24, is necessary because 24 (1) says:

    “the Authority shall adopt requirements for protection of persons from harmful effects arising from exposure to radiation.”

    Requirements could include admini- strative instructions, and so that one the Authority could do, because after we legislate and they take it, they have to make administrative instructions, they have to make some bye-laws, so that is permitted, but the ultimate clause on regulations is the clause 91.

    Both are necessary, we should keep them. The phrase there should not be “on the advice of”. It should be: “The Minister shall by Regulations”. That is the position.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
    Very well.
    Last three contributions and then we would move forward.
    Hon Member for Effutu, Hon K.T. Hammond and Hon Member for Employment and Labour Relations.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, mine is a very short one. The learned Hon Majority Leader made reference to a position by the Supreme Court on the operative clause “acting on advice” and he did suggest that the position of the law is to the effect that when that operative phrase is used, it is binding.
    I tend to agree with him, but because he was in a rush to make another point he did not provide details of that. I would like to be guided by that particular authority, but if he has it readily available, or later on just for my own reference and other --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
    You could have approached him, maybe, after paying some consultation fee.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he is my senior, and if I do not perform, he would say that I did not learn well.
    Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, mine is also fairly brief and it is to this effect.
    Considering all the times that we spent on just this one clause, would it not be advisable Mr Speaker, if this matter was stood down, pending the consideration by the Supreme Court of the matter that is currently before them?
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Are you up on a point of order?
    Yes, Hon Member?
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, is the Hon Colleague asking Parliament to stop its work because of the Supreme Court? Is that what he said? I just want to be clear.
    We are Parliament, we are not Supreme Court. Let the Supreme Court go on with the case and we would also go on with our work.
    Mr Hammond 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I take the view and I accept it entirely, that no other authority controls the activities of this august House. Indeed, we do not even control -- Maybe to the extreme extent, we over control ourselves. This is because, Mr Speaker, you know when we decide to step aside our rules and regulations and do what we want. We are masters of our own destiny and fate.
    But this is a slightly different matter. The Supreme Court ultimately interprets the laws that we promulgate on this floor.
    We have done one and even in the bigger form, that is in the form of the whole Constitution, it has come up for interpretation. Now, what we are doing stands the risk of maybe -- Contradicting in the end what the Supreme Court might say. And this matter, Mr Speaker, has actually been listed for hearing in the next week or two. So, what is the haste in this matter?
    It is not that the Supreme Court controls us. Certainly, we control them, but it is because we do not control the Constitution. The Constitution, obviously controls us and they are going to interpret the Constitution in respect of this matter which has come up for discussion.
    With the Nuclear Regulation Authority Bill, 2015, Mr Speaker, we are not about to build a nuclear plant in the next two days. So, I think if we could step down this matter and stay it for the time that it takes them, and because of the urgency in that matter, there will not be a delay. I think it will come up for clarification fairly soon. So, we can await it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Minister of Employment and Labour Relations?
    Minister for Employment and Labour Relations (Mr Haruna Iddrisu)(MP) 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in examining clause 24 against what has been proposed as an amendment, I would indulge you, Mr Speaker, to go back to page 6, clause 5 on functions of the Authority.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to quote 12:50 p.m.
    “To achieve its objects, the Authority shall…”
    For this purpose, clause 5 (a) (i) (ii) are all relevant.
    But let us come to subclause (b) and Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to read:
    “…regulate the introduction of radiation sources, nuclear materials, equipment or practices that expose workers, patients, the public and the environment to radiation.”
    So, taking it from there, Mr Speaker, if I have your leave and that of the Chairman of the Committee and knowing that there is the traditional provision we do in clause 9, about the powers of the Minister to issue regulation, I rather would think that clause 24 should read:
    “The Authority shall prescribe guidelines and standards, measures
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, to support him. I think -- I do not know if the Hon Chairman said it -- I am told that when they consulted with the Authority, that is the recommendation they made. It is the Committee which charged it. So, if they are saying that they support this, I think we should adopt it and it will be consistent with what they came with.
    Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think as my Hon Colleague, the Hon Minister for Employment and Labour Relations said, we considered that but when it got to the Committee, we changed it.
    So, I also may, looking at the various issues concerning the legal position of an advice and then the Executive Authority and all the issues which have been brought up, I would go with the rendition that the Hon Minister proposed.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Can you formulate it?
    Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it would read:
    “The Authority shall prescribe guidelines and standards and measures aimed at preventing exposure of humans to radiation.”
    So that we will leave out “the Regulations”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Members, I think we have gone very far. I will put the Question with regard to this latest amendment.
    Question put and amendment agreed to
    Clause 24 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 71 -- Annual levies of authorised persons.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 71, line 1, delete “Authority” and insert “Minister”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Give us the rationale behind the proposed amendment.
    Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are coming out with this because the Regulations are critical issues, which may even need a Legislative Instrument (L.I.), that is why
    we are proposing that the authority should rest with the Minister instead of the Authority.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Very well.
    I will put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 71 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    I realised that you have caused to be published amendments with regard to clauses 87 and 88, which we have already dealt with.
    So, you would want us to apply the flexibility rule?
    Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
    Rightly so, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Very well.
    Clause 87 -- Retention and utilisation of internally generated funds.
    Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 87, subclause (2), delete We are doing this because if you look at clause 87, it says that the provisions of article 127 of the Constitution shall apply to moneys redeemed under this Act.
    But Mr Speaker, if you look at the article which they are referring to, it deals with the Auditor-General's responsibilities and functions. So, we found it very difficult to go by this and we want it deleted.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Wa West?
    Mr Joseph Y. Chireh 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the amendment by the Chairman. This is because the laws we pass, all have, first of all, the element of audit report and the element of keeping of books and accounts, which are in conformity with article 187 of the Constitution.
    So, you do not just put the hold there, and it is not even specifying what clause of the article we are using. Once we have already provided for these in the Bill, we do not need to put them there. Every other institution is guided by article 187, which is why all institutions are audited by the Auditor-General.
    Mr Speaker, I think that we should support the deletion.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    Very well, thank you very much.
    Hon Members, as I indicated early on, applying the flexibility rules -- and because we have not concluded the Consideration stage, this is allowed. So, I would put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 87 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Asimah 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 88, delete and insert the following:
    “The Authority shall, at a time determined by the Minister responsible for Finance cause to be prepared and submitted to the Minister, an annual budget in respect of the ensuing financial year.”
    Mr Speaker, we are proposing this amendment because, looking at the time table, we want to give some flexibility for the preparation of the budget, such that if
    there is any challenge, they would be able to meet the time when we introduced this flexibility. That is why we are proposing this. So, the rendition should be as proposed.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the amendment. The current rendition would show that if we wait till September, they might not have a budget, so this is the proper way.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    Very well.
    Hon Members, as indicated earlier, I would put the Question with regard to this one.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 88 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Members, the Schedule. There is no amendment to the Schedule, so, I would put the Question with regard to -- [Interruption]
    Mr Asimah 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, on the Schedule, section 12, item (3), if one looks at it, I think that it should read:
    “Despite subsection (1), the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, established under section 3 of this Nuclear Regulatory Authority Act, 2014 (Act …”)
    Mr Speaker, in fact, the year should change to “2015”. We have the same under section 83 (2) (i) which reads:
    “…the premises of a facility, as defined under the Nuclear Regula- tory Authority Act, 2014…”
    Mr Speaker, it should also read; “2015”. I am saying this, so that it is consistent with the year in which it is being done.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    Very well.
    I direct that the draftsperson should take care of these proposals that you have made, so that they fall in line with what you are saying. These are drafting issues.
    Hon Members, I will put the Question with regard to the “Schedule” --
    Yes, Chairman?
    Mr Asimah 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, under clause 17, at page 12 of the Bill, “Director- Generals”, and “Directors-Generals”. In fact, the “s” at the end of “Directors” should be deleted. It should read: Director- General.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    This is also a drafting issue. It is consequential, so it would be taken care of by the draftsperson.
    Hon Members, I will put the Question with regard to the “Schedule”, standing part of the Bill.
    The Schedule ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    First Deputy Speaker: Hon Members, the Long Title.
    Yes, Hon Member for Old Tafo?
    Dr A. A. Osei 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I need your guidance.
    We keep saying that the draftsperson should take note. I am looking back there, but I do not see any person from the Attorney-General's (AG) Office, who are the final draftspersons for us.
    Supposing somebody goes to give them the wrong information, then it means that all the work we have done is gone. But the Clerks-at-the-Table are not the draftspersons. The final one must go to the A-G.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    Actually, what would happen is that the Table Office would liaise with the Attorney-General's Department and get it done.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, as they are the final draftspersons, the practice has been in the past that they are physically here, for obvious reasons. So, I would want to crave your indulgence to direct the Leadership to advise the A-G's Office, to make sure that when we are making these Bills, they are here. That has been the practice, but lately, it looks like we are not taking it serious, and it disturbs some of us.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
    Very well. The point is well taken. I direct that the Leadership should try to get the Attorney- General's Department to be represented when we are considering any of these Bills.
    I know how tight they are, especially the legislative drafting section, but we would still need them here because they should be advising us on some of these things.
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was going to suggest that, maybe, it is about time that Parliament had as a permanent person attending to Parliament from the Office of the Attorney-General.
    We should find a way of liaising with them so that every other day -- because
    what we do generally will relate and affect the work that they do.
    With your own personal experience, I think we should have a permanent person who stands in for the Attorney-General for our purposes, and for their own good.
    Thank you.
    Mr Joe Ghartey 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I stand corrected, but I think that there was an attempt to set up an office -- a law office here. Mrs Ofori Boateng was the person who -- so, the question really is whether we should have somebody from the Executive or we should try and set up our own legal office, so to speak.
    So, I would rather go for setting up of our own legal office which would give us advice.Having regard to the position of the Constitution of separation of powers, rather than to have the Attorney-General's person here all the time. I would go for us setting our own office.
    Mr H. Iddrisu 1 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the former learned Attorney-General must appreciate that under his watch, we had the drafting section, and he knows that for the purposes of these Bills, it runs back and forth, and we need a reference.
    As much as we have an officer here, I think it is important that it does not matter whether the person is from the Executive -- of what influence will the person have on the legislative work?
    We are just saying that for purposes of referral such as what he is making, if there is a permanent representative of the Attorney-General -- there are many orders and instructions that we would give and follow-ups suffer because -- who was asked to follow up?
    So, I would agree with the kind of secretariat we had for Mrs Ofori Boateng.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Wa West.
    Mr Chireh 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I did not want to take part in this debate because I wanted you to put the Question for the Long Title first but since that is not the case --
    We still need both; the A-G's Depart- ment drafts the final Bill that comes to us and they also participate in the Committee meetings. So, it would be better for them to be present here at all times to know what the Committee agreed on, why the changes and all that, so that indeed, they would provide better advice to the Chairmen and the Leadership of the Committees when it comes to this subject matter. But for us also as a Parliament, as was recommended, we should have some office which is duly constituted to advise Parliament in the first place.
    Many committees do not have all the requisite knowledge about the constitutional provisions and all the previous laws that have been passed. So, if we have an office equivalent to the draftsperson in the AG's Department, it would be ideal so that any time that there
    is conflict about some of these issues, that person would be able to advise us. So, I think that we should not just substitute one for the other; we should have both. For the technical people also, we should not limit them to the AG's Department staff; no.
    All the Ministers or the Ministries officials who are intimately involved in the case of this particular Bill, the Authority we are creating is being propelled by the existing institution. Their officers should be behind this so that when there is a technical argument, they can support the House to make sound decisions. They would be better equipped than all of us as to what should be the case. So, this is how I want to add to this debate.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Members, I thought we were going to put the Question with regard to the Long Title.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:10 p.m.
    Just for the information of the Hon Member, the technical person from the sector Ministry is right there on this occasion but I generally agree with him. But for today, the person is there.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Very well.
    Hon Members, with regard to this issue that was raised, I think doing both things would be the right thing to do; that is, getting the House to set up a legislative drafting division and then also getting the AG's Department to make sure that we have their representative here any time we are looking at Bills. I know their problem has to do with staffing; especially, at the legislative drafting division, the numbers are so small that they find it very difficult but we still would want to insist that they should have a representative here.
    More often than not, a particular member of staff might have dealt with a particular Bill and so that person would
    be more conversant with the contents of that Bill than just anybody coming on board. So, they should take that also into consideration and try to assist us.
    Hon Members, I will put the Question with regard to the Long Title as no advertisement has been made for any amendment to that effect.
    The Long Title ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Hon Members, this brings us to the end of the Consideration Stage for today. The Hon Second Deputy Speaker would take over the Chair.We have some Statements which have been admitted and we would like to take them.There are also Questions, so the Hon Deputy Speaker would take over.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, are we in a position to take the Questions? [Interruptions.] So, which way do we go?
    Mr Agbesi 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, originally, there should have been an extended Sitting but information available is that arrangement has not been made towards that. So, we will go back to the Questions that have been advertised for Answers. So, if we can go back to the Questions.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Old Tafo.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the point is that, last week on the Business Statement, it was officially known that we were going to have extended Sittings. So, when the Hon Deputy Majority Leader gets up and says arrangement has not been made -- the Business Statement said all this week we were to have extended Sittings. So, who did not make
    those arrangements? Some Hon Members come with that expectation and then the Hon Deputy Majority Leader says arrangements have not been made since Friday.
    Mr Speaker, this is not acceptable. That is why they put it on the Business Statement and people have programmed themselves. Now he has said arrange- ments have not been made so we should go back.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, can you cross check? This is because I remember that the Business Statement categorically indicated that there would be extended Sittings.
    Mr Agbesi 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, while we go on with the Questions, we would find out what the state of affairs are.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Very well.
    Question time, Hon Members, we have Questions slated for the Hon Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing. Hon Deputy Majority Leader, is the Hon Minister available?
    Mr Agbesi 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is not available; my information is that he is currently on assignment with the President. The Hon Deputy Minister is in the House to answer the Questions on his behalf; I therefore seek your permission for the Hon Deputy Minister to Answer the Questions.
    Mr Ignatius B. Awuah 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think this House has already agreed that in an event of a substantive Minister not being around, his deputy can answer Questions here. So, I have no difficulty at all.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Very well.
    Hon Deputy Minister, the first Question stands in the name of Hon Richard Mawuli Quashigah, Member for Keta.
    ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 1:10 p.m.
    MINISTRY OF WATER 1:10 p.m.
    RESOURCES, WORKS AND HOUSING 1:10 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Member, any follow up question?
    Mr Quashigah 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister made reference to a meeting that took place at the Ministry, outlining some measures to deal with an immediate, mid- term and long-term provision of potable water to the people. At that meeting, if the Hon Minister would recall, they indicated that the Ghana Water Services at Ho, the Regional Capital, would be responsible for providing the tanker services.
    I would want to find out from the Hon Minister, if he is aware that the Regional Water outfit at Ho currently does not have a tanker service to start with, let alone make the next move of providing water to these people as a short-term measure.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Ahi 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am aware that the Ghana Water Company Limited office at Ho has not got tanker services and I remember very well the decision taken at the meeting was that, the community should collaborate with the Ghana Water Company Limited outlet in Ho to get private water tankers so that they can execute that project. So, that is what I remember.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Yes, any further follow ups?
    Mr Quashigah 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with the mid-term solution to the problem, the Hon Minister indicated that, they were to drill boreholes and pump water into overhead tanks for supply to the people. He indicated that that would have kick started in March, 2015.
    I want to find out from him why up till now that has not begun. What were the challenges that actually led to they not kick-starting the project till today?
    Thank you very much.
    Mr Ahi 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the processes have been started; the siting of the boreholes have been completed; we are in the process of securing funding to actually execute the construction.
    Thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member, your last supplementary question if any?
    Mr Quashigah 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Minister if he is aware that, the salinity of the area makes it very difficult for any ordinary borehole to be sunk. And if he is aware of that, what kind of boreholes are we talking about and what kind of mechanism?Is it going to be a reverse osmosis mechanism or what?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Deputy Minister?
    Mr Ahi 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am aware of the salinity of the communities that we are talking about and so, whatever facility would be taken there, would be one that can, at the end of the day, provide water to the people.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member?
    Mr Fritz F. Baffour 1:20 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister said in his Answer that, Ghana Water Company Limited, until December, 2002, operated the system and handed it over to the people within the community.
    MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr Baffour 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, may I welcome you into the Chair.
    But let me rephrase my question. Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister, in paragraph (1) of his Answer, stated that Ghana Water Company Limited operated the system until December, 2002 and handed over to the community to manage.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to know from the Hon Minister, Ghana Water Company is a limited liability company, under what circumstance can they transfer their project to a community? I want to be educated on that.
    Mr Ahi 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, what I am aware of is that, the Ghana Water Company Limited had an arrangement with the community to manage the facilities at that time. And Ghana Water Company Limited, looking at the circumstances at that time, thought it wise to allow the community to take control and manage the system.
    Thank you.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member?
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 1:24 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, I am making a terse reference to the Hon Minister's Answers and with your kind permission, I beg to quote:
    “Mr Speaker, drilling would commence immediately funds are made available.”
    My question is, is the Hon Minister expectant of any funding? If he does, can he name that funding and if not, what is he doing by using his high office to facilitate the availability of funding to ensure that this project sees the light of day because as they say, water is life?
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Ahi 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry has a budget and we have submitted a request to the Ministry of Finance for release of funds to enable us do this particular project.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Thank you.
    Question number 371 stands in the name of Hon Kofi Frimpong, Hon Member for Kwabre East.
    Provision of small town water project to alleviate the perennial water
    shortage in Ntonso
    Q. 371. Mr Kofi Frimpong asked the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing when the Ministry would provide the people of Ntonso with a small town water project to alleviate the perennial water shortages that hit the people every year.
    Mr Ahi 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Ntonso township which has an estimated population of 11,168 is located along the Kumasi-Mampong main road. It is a peri- urban community situated in the Kwabre East District.
    Mr Speaker, in view of the peri-urban nature of Ntonso, it will be supplied with water from the Ghana Water Company Limited's Water Supply System for the Kumasi Metropolis (the Kumasi Water Supply System).
    Mr Speaker, Ghana Water Company Limited is currently seeking funding (Euro 23.9 million loan facility) from AMRO Bank of The Netherlands to undertake capacity expansion and distribution improvement and expansion works on the Kumasi Water Supply System. This will enable it improve supply of water within the Kumasi Metropolis and the peri-urban communities. Mamponteng, Ntonso, Aboaso and some other surrounding towns will benefit from the project.
    Mr Frimpong 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as the Hon Minister has said, this means the people of Ntonso and other areas that he has mentioned are not going to get the water in any shortest possible time.
    May I know the intervention put in place by the Ministry to help alleviate this problem. This is because the good people of Ntonso use a lot of water because of the type of industry there, that is the Adinkra making industry in the community.
    There is also a community secondary school, a girls secondary school for that matter in the area and they always run out of water. So, may I know from the Hon Minister what plans he has in the interim, a short-term measure to help alleviate this problem?
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister?
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, Ntonso community at the moment, has some form of water. We agree it is not enough for the people and that is why efforts are being made to increase the volume of water supplied to it. I would be more than willing to discuss with my Hon Colleague after we leave here, to look at how we could work together as a matter of urgency to provide water to the people.
    Mr Frimpong 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with him; we shall meet and see how best to do that. The Question was when, to which the Hon Deputy Minister has not been able to answer, even though he has told us the source of funding for the extension of water to that place. When are we going to get it? If we know that they had taken a loan from this source, he must be able to tell us, at least, within a certain period of time when the money would be available, so I could tell my people when they should expect this water from the Ministry.
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I know my Hon Colleague wants to add this to his legacy before he leaves Parliament finally. The assurance is that the term sheet of the loan has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance and they are currently working on it. As soon as they complete it, we would take it up to ensure that the project would be executed before he leaves office.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:30 a.m.
    Question number 396 standing in the name of Hon Kwadwo Kyei-Frimpong, Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho.
    Mr Emmanuel A. Gyamfi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member has asked me to ask the Question on his behalf with your permission.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:30 a.m.
    Yes, proceed.
    Small Town Water System for Asiwa (Provision)
    Q.396. Mr Emmanuel A. Gyamfi (on behalf of Mr Kwadwo Kyei-Frimpong) asked the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing when Asiwa, the district capital of Bosome-Freho would be provided with a small town water system since potable water supply was now a problem in the town.
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency has identified 25 towns in the Ashanti Region to be provided with small town water systems including Asiwa in the Bosome- Freho Constituency.
    Mr Speaker, as soon as funds are available, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency will support the district to implement the project.
    Mr Gyamfi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister said that “as soon as funds are available, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency would support the district to implement this project.” I would want to find out from the Hon Deputy Minister when the funds would be available.
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have submitted our request to the Ministry of Finance about the importance of providing water facilities to these communities. We are at the moment waiting for the response from the Ministry of Finance. I cannot be specific, but as soon as the Ministry grants our request, the project would be executed.
    Mr Gyamfi 1:30 a.m.
    I would want to find out from my Hon Colleague, the Hon Deputy Minister how 25 towns in the Ashanti Region were selected to benefit from this particular project? I would want to find
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are getting a grant from the World Bank to undertake some water projects and these communities have been captured under that facility. So, when we get it, it would be done.
    Mr Gyamfi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my final supplementary question. I would want to find out from the Hon Deputy Minister whether the Asiwa community, which is the district capital of Bosome-Freho, has been informed about this particular project? If so, are they required to pay the five per cent contribution which is requirement when such projects are being implemented?
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the community has not been informed yet and it is not expected to pay anything.
    Mr Awuah 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, from the answers given, the Hon Deputy Minister was not definite when the people of Asiwa, the district capital of Bosome- Freho are going to get potable water. I would want to ask the Hon Deputy Minister, while waiting for the small town water system, what system are they putting in place so that the people could, at least, enjoy potable water?
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Asiwa community is currently being served by mechanised boreholes. I agree that the preparation at the community today
    requires small town water system and that is why they have been put on thisWorld Bank grant programme. So, it is not as if they do not have access to any water at all. There is this mechanised borehole system which is serving the community currently.
    Prof. George Y. Gyan-Baffour 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, when you listened to what the Hon Deputy Minister has said, it is either they are waiting for a loan from (Amsterdamsche and Rotterdamsche Bank (AMRO)) or they are waiting for a grant from the World Bank. What do they use the money that they get from the budget for?
    Mr Ahi 1:30 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the money which was budgeted to provide boreholes are used purposely for providing boreholes to communities including these ones. That is why I said ‘grants' and not ‘loans'.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    I was going to offer Hon Ahi protection, but I think he does not need protection, so I want more Hon Members to ask him questions. [Laughter.]
    Question number 397 standing in the name of Hon Bright Edward Kodzo Demordzi, the Member of Parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro. He is not here so we can move on.
    Question number 398 standing in the name of Hon Joseph Yieleh Chireh, the Member of Parliament for Wa West.

    Small Town Water Systems for Lassia-Tuolu et cetera Towns

    (Provision)

    *398. Mr Joseph YielehChireh asked theMinister for Water Resources, Works and Housing when the following towns in the Wa West Constituency would be provided with small town water system:

    (i) Lassia -Tuolu (ii) Nyoli (iii) Vieri.
    Mr Ahi 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there are plans to provide water to the communities in the Wa West Constituency.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry has started implementing these plans as a result of which Wuchiau, the constituency capital, has been provided with a small town water supply system. This system is scheduled for handover to the District Assembly by the 25th of June, 2015.
    Mr Speaker, the remaining towns 1:40 p.m.
    Lassia-Tuolu with a population of 1,280 has nine boreholes, three of which are not functioning. Nyoli with a population of 2,134 has six boreholes two of which are not working. Vieri, with a population of 2,306 has four boreholes, one is not working.
    Mr Speaker, from the above, Nyoli and Vieri qualify by population threshold for small town water supply system. The Ministry will support the Distr ict Assembly to construct systems in these towns when funding is available.
    Mr Chireh 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have seen the Answers the Hon Deputy Minister has given. But, if he looks at the population that they gave to the first town, the only senior high school currently in the District is in that town and their population alone is slightly over 800. I think they should look at the population. But, I would want to say that it qualifies to be considered. Would the Hon Deputy Minister agree with me with this new information that I have given that it also qualifies?
    Mr Ahi 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the information would be taken on board.
    Mr Chireh 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister said that if they have resources -- he said he would support the District Assembly, and I want to know the nature of the support. What are they
    going to support the District Assembly with to provide the small --
    Mr Ahi 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in doing small town water system, the Ministry and for other matter Community Water and Sanitation Agency does it in conjunction with the various District Assemblies.
    It is the District Assemblies which actually award the contract, and we do the technical work and then together with the District Assembly, award the contract. I mean we would collaborate with the District Assembly to do the project.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, you have just said it is the District Assemblies that award the contract.
    Mr Ahi 1:40 p.m.
    Yes.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Then you said that; “we together with the District Assemblies award the contract”, so which is which?
    Mr Ahi 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, all I am saying is that, awarding the contract for small town water system, Community Water and Sanitation Agency is responsible for doing the engineering work, coming up with the cost estimate and everything and after all these things, it is the District Assembly which is mandated to award the contract together with the Regional Co- ordinating Council -- by law, and that is why I said that we would collaborate. We would do our part and then request the District Assembly to also do the award. So, it is a collaborative thing that we do.
    Mr Chireh 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you know that as for the award it is a process but the funding. Is it that the Ministry would support and give funding to Community Water and Sanitation Agency and then the process of awarding contract, which
    Mr Ahi 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry is responsible for sourcing for funding for the various projects and the engineering works is done by the Ministry and for that matter, Community Water and Sanitation Agency and the District Assemblies are brought in during the procurement processes and that is what I mean.
    The Ministry would go on to look for the funding and do all the engineering work and then allow the District Assembly to --
    Mr Chireh 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the spelling of the capital town --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Sorry, Hon Member, I am being advised that you have exceeded your questions.
    Mr Chireh 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am making a correction. I am not asking a question. I am satisfied with the answers he has given.
    I am saying that if one looks at the capital of Wa West, it is “Wechiau”. They have put “u” instead of “Wechiau”.It is not “Wuchiau” it is “Wechiau”. He should say it after me, “Wechiau”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Who should say after you? Is it the Hon Speaker? [Interruption.]
    All right thank you.
    Mr Kwesi Amoako-Attah 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is really clear that supply of water in the constituency is inadequate. But from the
    Hon Deputy Minister's third paragraph of the Answer, as many as six boreholes are not functioning. We are in a country where we do not pay attention to maintenance.
    I would want to know from the Hon Deputy Minister what steps are being taken by his Ministry to work on these six boreholes which are not currently functioning? Otherwise, pretty soon, all the boreholes there would not be functioning and it would aggravate the water situation in the constituency.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Thank you Hon Amoako-Attah.
    Mr Ahi 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, from the Answer, I did not say six boreholes are not functioning. I said:
    “Nyoli with a population of 2,134 has six boreholes of which 2 are not working”.
    Mr Amoako-Attah 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with your permission, if I could come back.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Yes, please.
    Mr Amoako-Attah 1:40 p.m.
    The Hon Deputy Minister said that, Lassia-Tuolu with a population of 1,280 has 9 boreholes of which 3 are not functioning and then the second town Nyoli of which 2 are not functioning and then the third town Vieri, 1 is not functioning. The total comes to 6, and that is why I am saying that 6 of the boreholes are not functioning in the constituency which is already deprived of water supply.
    And what is his Ministry doing to make sure that this nonfunctional boreholes function? That was my question.
    Mr Ahi 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, these boreholes, which are not functioning are in three communities. It is the responsibility of the communities to collect revenues from these boreholes and use it to maintain them. It is not the responsibility of the Ministry to -- in fact, sometimes, Members of Parliament (MPs) are even called upon to use part of their Common Fund to help repair these boreholes.
    Mr Speaker, and so I would also encourage my senior Hon Member to, in the next quarter, take some money from his Common Fund to repair these boreholes.
    Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Deputy Minister himself, how many such boreholes he has used his Common Fund to repair since he became an Hon Member for the last 16 years?
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, you do not need protection. You got up. Come and answer the question.
    Mr Alfred K. Agbesi 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this question is reduced to a personal matter. A follow-up question should not be directed at the Hon Deputy Minister himself, so it is not a relevant question.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you want to rephrase your question?
    Mr Agyeman-Manu 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister in answering his question, made reference to himself. He is an Hon Member of Parliament (MP) and if he told us that Members of Parliament should use their Common Funds to repair bore holes—he invoked me to ask him how many such bore holes he has actually repaired during his lifetime as a member of Parliament.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    I think you can see him after the Sitting and he would discuss that with you.
    Mr Isaac Osei 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just want to know whether it was a matter of policy for the Ministry, in instances where these water systems are not properly funded, or that the funding are in the fund demand queue? I want to know whether the Ministry as a matter of policy, decided to use stand-alone systems like Henderson boxes and bore holes in the interim to alleviate the plight of the people.
    Mr Ahi 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in all these communities, they have boreholes, but when the population grows, then one has to expand the facilities. Expanding the facilities requires construction of Small TownWater Systems which is enhanced than the boreholes. But, there are boreholes in all these communities.
    Mr Alexander K. Afenyo-Markin 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was not lucky enough. I was trying to draw your attention to Standing Order 66, when the Hon Deputy Majority Leader tried to raise an issue of the admissibility of a question asked by a senior Hon Member on our side. I felt that our Standing Orders provide that you have the sole power to determine what is admissible. However, we have passed that stage.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he tried to stay clear of who is responsible. I remember you were even trying to draw his attention that he was giving two different answers at the same time.
    At first, he said the Assemblies had the sole mandate and he later said, in collaboration, then he said the Community Water and Sanitation Agency does the technical bit. He ended by telling this House that, the District Assemblies, by law, are mandated to award such contracts. He himself is nodding but others are disagreeing with me. He concedes that that is what he said by nodding, unless his nodding means no.
    Mr Speaker, my question is, which law specifically mandates the Distr ict Assemblies to be solely in charge of awarding contracts which same contract funding is sourced by the Ministry?
    Mr Ahi 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that has been the convention of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency since it was introduced.
    Mr Awuah 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister says that Lassia-Tuolu, a community with a population of 1,280 has 9 boreholes, Nyoli has a population of 2,134 and has 6 boreholes and Vieri, with a population of 2,306 has 4 boreholes. I just want to know from the Hon Deputy Minister the basis for allocating boreholes to communities, since communities with even lower population are having more boreholes and then those with higher population are rather having lesser boreholes.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister?
    The fewer the merrier.
    Mr Ahi 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, what I know is that, per the standard, every 300 people must have 1 borehole and therefore, it is clear from the Answer that, these boreholes are not enough for the people and that is why they are requesting for the facilities to be enhanced. So, we are working on it to enhance the facilities in these communities.
    Markin — rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you have a follow-up question?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is point of information.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    About what?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in an answer to my question, which was based on the Hon Deputy Minister's earlier answer -- He now says that by practice and convention—he now moves away from law. But I would want to draw the attention of the Hon Deputy Minister to a very important decision of the Supreme Court, in a matter of ex-parte, Dr Richard W. Anane.
    Mr Speaker, this is reported in 2007— 2008, Supreme Court of Ghana Report, particularly page 213 and with your kind permission, I beg to quote:
    “No unconstitutional or unlawful act, no matter the number of times it has been perpetrated without question or challenge could ripen into constitutional or lawful practice or precedent. Indeed, unconstitu- tional acts could not be validated by the estoppel doctrine of res judicata. Acts violating either the constitution or other statutes could not be validated on the grounds of practice and precedent or custom or its usage”
    Mr Speaker, what I am trying to draw my Hon Colleague who is also a Deputy Minister's attention to is that, the mere fact that by practice —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Can you give us the relevant law?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he referred to the law.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    But he has changed his position.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, then he should say so.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    The Hon Deputy Minister said by law — I was as interested in the law as everyone was, and I thought you had the law and that is why I allowed you to ask the question.
    You asked him and he got up and said—”I said by law, but I mean, by convention”. That is the import of what he said. He said by convention.
    So, if you know the law - I thought you were going to tell us the law. Do you know the particular law?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with the greatest respect, you know you are a senior -- is it his pleasure to withdraw his earlier statement that the Assemblies have a mandate by law to award contracts? If it is his pleasure to withdraw, then he should withdraw that aspect of his answer and substitute same by saying that it is a practice of convention.
    He said by law, and if he is now changing it, he should crave your indulgence or take leave of you, Mr

    Speaker, to withdraw that earlier position that the District Assemblies have been awarding contracts because the law mandates them to do so. He is now changing to convention. It is not for me to now provide him with the law [Interruption] That is what he said -- he said that by convention, they have been awarding -- convention is not law; the Hon Deputy Minister is a law student -- [Interruption] Convention in our practice is not law. I am saying so, it is wrong.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon Member, resume your seat.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2 p.m.
    Thank you Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    It is obvious that the Hon Deputy Minister knows that convention is not law and that is the reason that when you asked what law, he said that it is convention. It is obvious that he knows --

    I will continue!

    Question number 451 standing in the name of Mr Sanja Nanja.

    Small Town Water System for Atebubu Township

    (Improvement and Expansion)

    Q.451. Mr Sanja Nanja asked the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing the steps the Ministry was taking to improve and expand the small town water system of the Atebubu township to meet the needs of the growing population.
    Mr Ahi 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, originally, the Atebubu Small Town Water System was commissioned in 2002 to serve Atebubu town with a designed population of 20,000 people.
    Mr Ahi 2 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, the management of the System is vested in the Water and Sanitation Management Team of the Community through the Distr ict Assembly. Therefore, the Water and Sanitation Management Team collects revenue for the sale of water, maintains the system and is responsible for the expansion when the need arises.

    Mr Speaker, the Ministry therefore, recommends to the District Assembly to contact the Brong-Ahafo Regional Office of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency at Sunyani for technical support to plan and execute the expansion they require.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon Members, with regard to the state of business in the House, I direct that Sitting be held outside the prescribed period.
    Yes, Hon Member?
    Mr Nanja 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister is saying that the system was designed for a population of 20,000. As I speak to you now, the population of Atebubu Town, as I have checked from the District Assembly is 50,000 plus, and this means that the system has outgrown its usefulness to the people. Since the Water Board Committees cannot raise the required funds to expand the system to cover the overgrowing population, the question is what is the Ministry doing to help this distressed system?
    Mr Ahi 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is the responsibility of the Water Board and the District Assemblies to collect revenue and undertake all expansion works. So, I am asking that particular Water Board and the Atebubu District Assembly to actually use the revenue to undertake the expansion.
    Thank you.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, I wonder whether in an answer, a Minister can give directions to other bodies. [Pause] The Hon Deputy Minister has directed that the District Assembly and the Atebubu Water Board should use the revenue they receive.He said that he is using this opportunity to direct them that they should use the revenue they receive to expand the water system. But I wonder whether the Hon Deputy Minister can make such directions from the despatch box. [Laughter.]
    Mr Bagbin 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that the Hon Deputy Minister, in circumstances like this,may be informing the House of a directive of the Ministry to the Assembly, but not using this opportunity to direct because nobody would act on that. You know that with the public servants, they would want to see a written directive of some records of authority before they act. So, maybe, he is just trying to say that the Minister has directed or would direct but not that he would use this opportunity to direct.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
    Thank you Majority Leader.
    Yes, Hon Member?
    Mr Nanja 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the issue is that the Assembly and the Water Board he is referring to cannot simply raise the amount to expand the facility. This is because at the source of water to Atebubu town is about 16 kilometres and the Water Board and the Distr ict Assemblies -- even laying the transmission lines, they cannot raise that revenue.
    That is why I asked the question whether the Ministry has any plans of helping such distressed systems to function, else the system would break down. If the system breaks down, would
    the Ministry then come to help the Assembly to rehabilitate it?
    Mr Ahi 2 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the policy, as it stands now, is what I have said that the Board and the District Assembly are responsible for expansion works on the system. His request would be taken on board when funds are available.
    Thank you.
    Maj Derek Oduro (retd): Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister says that the District Assembly should team up with other agencies to raise funds to expand the system. Judging the poverty level in that area and the inability of the Assembly to raise funds, what is the Ministry doing to assist the District to expand the system for them to get water for their use?
    Thank you.
    Mr Ahi 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, when the systems are built, they are handed over to the communities and they collect revenues from the sale of the water. The policy is that the revenue generated from the sale of the water can be used for maintenance and expansion. But the Hon Colleague has put in a request and I have responded that the request would be considered as and when funds are available.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    All right. Hon Member, let me take the Hon Member for Wenchi.
    Prof. Gyan-Baffour 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is encouraging the District Assemblies and the Water Boards to use the resources that they generate there to fix these water systems. But Mr Speaker, the fundamental problem is that these
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    So what is the Question?
    Prof. Gyan-Baffour 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Question is; do you not think it is because of the political interference of the Boards that they do not have the resources to maintain these water systems? If that is not the case, what really is the reason that they cannot do what they are supposed to do?
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    But I do not know. Nobody has laid that foundation that they cannot do what they are supposed to do. So, I would disallow that part of the Question. Your first Question was why can the Boards not do their work? So, maybe, you can answer that if that is the case.
    Hon Minister, do you want to answer that? [Interruption] Do you not know? [Interruption] Pardon me? [Interruption] For the records.
    Mr Ahi 2:10 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I said I did not get his Question.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    Can you ask your Question again without a preface? Can you ask just the Question?
    Prof. Gyan-Baffour 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Question is this; what I am saying is that through his answers --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    No, your Question?
    Prof. Gyan-Baffour 2:10 p.m.
    Why are the Water Boards not efficient? Why are they unable to handle the operations of the Boards?
    Mr Ahi 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not aware that the Water Boards are not efficient. I am just hearing it.
    Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah 2:10 p.m.
    Thank you Mr Speaker. From the Questioner, the population of Atebubu township has grown from 20,000 to 50,000.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to know from the Hon Minister, given the fact that the population has grown to 50,000, whether he would consider putting Atebubu on a more permanent water system run by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) instead of depending on the Small Town Water systems for the community?
    Mr Ahi 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, subject to the availability of funding, that would be considered.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    Your Answers are a little predictable. -- [Laughter.] Hon W. O. Boafo?
    That is the last Question.
    Mr William O. Boafo 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the Hon Deputy Minister. In his response, he said that the District Assembly should consult or liaise with the regional office of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency for them to take up the issue at stake.
    May I know from the Hon Deputy Minister whether they are getting to a state where they are abandoning their ministerial responsibility and serious oversight and relegating it to such regional units?
    Hon Kofi Frimpong --rose --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    Hon Kofi Frimpong, do you want to answer the Question?
    Mr Kofi Frimpong 2:10 p.m.
    No! Mr Speaker, I am on a point of order. It has become the practice of the House that when a questioner puts a question and it is constituency specific, it is only the questioner who is allowed to ask supplementary questions.
    Here, my good Friend is being bombarded with questions by Hon Members who did not put in the Question. -- [Laughter] -- I am coming to his aid, that these Questions that are being asked, I believe, are seriously out of order.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    Hon Kofi Frimpong, under what Standing Order, please?
    Mr Kofi Frimpong 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is the practice of the House -- [Laughter] -- it is not an Order. [Interruption] -- It is a convention and not law that when a question is constituency specific, it is only the Hon Member who put in the Question that is allowed to put in supplementary questions. The Hon Minister has stayed here for a long time and as such wasting a lot of our time here.
    If Hon Sanja Nanja has finished with his Questions, I believe that the Hon Minister must be discharged. [Interruption.] I am suggesting, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    Hon Ahi is enjoying himself thoroughly and he is capable of answering the questions.
    In fact, the name “Messi” has already been taken up, otherwise, I would have called him “Messi” as well. So, I am sure that he would be able to answer questions from all and sundry.
    The last question is the Question from Hon W. O. Boafo.
    Please, ask the Question one more time.
    Mr W. O. Boafo 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I wanted to find out from the Hon Minister, from the answer he gave, that the district assembly should get in touch with the regional office of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) to ensure that what is requested by the Hon Member would be attended to.
    Do I understand him to say that his Ministry is trying to shirk its fundamental responsibility of ensuring that good drinking water is provided to the regional units?
    Mr Ahi 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry has several agencies working under it. One of these agencies is the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA). We have regional offices in all the regional capitals.
    So asking the district assembly to see the regional manager means that the Ministry is in full control and we know what we are doing. We are executing our mandate of providing water to Ghanaians. That is why we are requesting one of our agencies to support Atebubu township in the process of expanding the system that they have.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
    Hon Kofi Frimpong, do you have a question to ask the Hon Minister or it is constituency specific?
    Mr Kofi Frimpong 2:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want you to acquit and discharge the Hon Minister. -- [Laughter.]
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Since the Hon Minister has not committed any crime, I can discharge him but acquittal, I think -- [Laughter.]

    Hon Member, let us discharge him.

    Nii Armah Ashietey: Mr Speaker, from the Answer given by the Hon Minister, the system being described is more of devolution. We always want to talk about the District Assemblies when it becomes necessary. I think that for better management, coordination and harmony, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency needs to be decentralised.

    Therefore, when we talk about the Assembly, like the Hon Minister is saying, it would be right from the planning to the execution stages. We would have a better arrangement and better value for money.

    Mr Speaker, I would like to find out what the Ministry is doing to support the decentralisation of some of these Agencies under the Hon Deputy Minister's Ministry, since he has so many Agencies that he is dealing with.

    Thank you.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, this Question is a major question and indeed, it is a very interesting and important subject; devolution, how power is given to the Assemblies and how the central Government supports the devolution of power.
    I would recommend that you ask a substantive question and then the Hon Minister can answer it, and I am sure Hon Members would be interested in follow- up questions.
    Hon Member, I advise that, perhaps, you come with a substantive question.
    Hon Minister, I am told to acquit and discharge you, but you are not guilty of any crime. So, I would just discharge you.
    Thank you very much for attending upon the House.
    Mr Agbesi 2:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item 9 on the Order Paper, which is a Motion.
    MOTIONS 2:20 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr George K. Arthur) 2:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Committee on Poverty Reduction Strategy on the 2011 Annual Progress Report on the Implementation of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), 2010-
    2013.
    Mr Speaker, in so doing, I present your Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    The 2011 Annual Progress Report on the Implementation of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), 2010 -2013 prepared by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), was laid in the House on 18th March, 2013 and referred to the Committee on Poverty Reduction Strategy for consideration and report in accordance with the Standing Orders of the House.
    In order to consider the Annual Progress Report, the Committee invited Ministers and Chief Directors as well as Chief Executive officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies that have been mentioned in the Report. Deputy Ministers represented Ministers who were unable to appear before the Committee. The Committee is most grateful to them.
    Reference Document
    The Committee referred to the following documents to consider the Report;
    1. The 1992 Constitution
    2. The Standing Orders
    3. The Budget Statement for 2011
    4. The 2011 Annual Progress Report on the Implementation of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA),
    2009 - 2013
    5. Recommendations made on the previous Annual Progress Reports especially 2010 and
    2011.
    Summary of the Report
    The 2011 Annual Progress Report (APR) provided an assessment of the implementation of policies and strategies outlined in the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), 2010- 2013, during the year 2011. It is the second assessment of the progress of implementa- tion of the GSGDA, and the tenth in the series of APRs prepared since 2003.
    The overall goal of the GSGDA is to accelerate the growth of the economy with the view to creating more jobs, generating more incomes, and reducing poverty.
    Policy measures identified to achieve this overall goal are prioritised in seven thematic areas, namely;
    Ensuring and sustaining macro- economic stability,
    Enhanced competitiveness of Ghana's private sector,
    Accelerated agricultural modernisa- tion and sustainable natural resource management,
    Oil and gas development,
    Infrastructure and human settlements development,
    Human development, productivity and employment, and
    Transparent and accountable governance.
    The 2011 APR presents the result of the assessment of the status of indicators and targets adopted for monitoring the progress of key policy and programme interventions undertaken in 2011. It also documents key policy measures and strategies implemented during the year to bring about the expected changes in these indicators.
    The Report indicates what the various MDAs have done to ensure that the accelerated growth is achieved. These indicators were developed by the MDAs themselves based on their programme of work as presented to Parliament and approved.
    Out of a total of 315 indicators assessed, 36.8 per cent achieved their targets in 2011 compared to 28.6 per cent in 2010, while 20 per cent made steady progress compared to 27.9 per cent in 2010. The number of indicators which did not achieve their targets or recorded slow progress however increased from 23.8 per cent in 2010 to 27.3 per cent in 2011, while indicators without data declined from 19.7 per cent in 2010 to 15.9 per cent in 2011.
    The Report indicates what the various Ministries, Department and Agencies
    (MDAs) have done to ensure that the intended growth as anticipated under the Budget for the 2011 fiscal year is achieved.
    As mentioned earlier, the indicators were developed by the MDAs themselves and it is on this basis that the 2011 budget was prepared and presented to the House.
    These targets were approved by Parliament and the MDAs were expected to achieve them.
    Objective
    The objective of the referral is to access and evaluate the progress of development made in 2011 in the various sectors of the economy and whether the targets set by MDAs have been achieved.
    Methodology
    The Committee resolved to discuss the issues in the Report under the broad thematic areas as classified in the GSGDA 2009 -2013 Annual Report.
    Ministries, Departments and Agencies whose work and activities fall under various thematic areas were invited to attend upon the Committee and account for the progress made towards achieving the relevant targets.
    Each MDA made presentations and offered explanations preferred to questions asked in relation to the indicators/ issues raised. This was to assist the Committee comprehend the results achieved.
    The Committee further resolved to report on matters that in its view should engage the attention of the House.
    Observations
    The Committee made the following observations during its consideration of the Report and has classified them into the following thematic areas:-
    GSGDA 2:20 p.m.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    Any seconder?
    Prof. George Yaw Gyan-Baffour 2:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, this document is very important and I think that all Hon Members should have access to it. It monitors the Government's activities in the country. Every indicator we would want to look at is actually in that document. But Hon Members do not even have copies, but if they have copies, maybe, it is not something that they usually look through.
    Mr Speaker, if you want to know about every social indicator in this country -- Where we are in education, health and water resources -- Everything is really monitored by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and it appears in this document.
    It is very useful for the discussion on the floor of the House so, I would urge Hon Members to also look at the document and use the document effectively.
    Mr Speaker, the only concern that I have is that, it is not up to date. In fact, the latest one that the Chairman actually discussed and reported about is up to 2013 and we are already in 2015.
    Mr Speaker, it is all because that institution is under-funded, that is the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). They get a very small amount of resources and they are not released to them so most of the times, they are a bit behind just as the Auditor- General (AG) was behind in some of the audits in the past.
    Mr Speaker, I would urge the Finance Minister who I know is not here that, that institution should be looked at very closely so that we could monitor what is going on. If the Government is doing something, and the Government does not know where they are, it becomes very difficult to assess themselves but this
    Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi (NPP -- Atwima Kwanwoma) 2:30 p.m.
    Thank you Mr Speaker, for this opportunity to add my voice to the adoption of the 2011 Report, and in doing so, I would like to touch on the usefulness of this exercise.
    Mr Speaker, the debate on the Annual Progress Report (APR) and its essence is to allow Parliament to make inputs into the Budget of the succeeding year and the policy frameworks of what is to follow.
    For this to be more effective, time is of essence.Unfortunately, the APR is delayed and presented to Parliament very late and it therefore loses its essence and makes the oversight role of Parliament very ineffective.
    My opinion is that, because of the lateness of the Report to Parliament, the APR loses its value. I would therefore, want to recommend to or request Mr Speaker to move, that in order to make the debate about the APR more effective, the Committee on Poverty Reduction Strategy presents its Report within the year that the Report is submitted to Parliament.
    The second recommendation that I would like to seek with your permission is to move a motion to order the NDPC to present the Report in the succeeding year in which the Report is issued rather than to present a Report of 2011 and make us debate that Report in 2015.
    Mr Speaker, I do not know what purpose this Report is supposed to serve when events in 2011 are being debated in 2015. The other issue I would like to touch on is the disconnect between planning and implementation of our medium term plans.
    Mr Speaker, Ghana is noted for developing and designing one of the best plans in the world and the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) is the fourth in the series of such policy frameworks.Unfortunately, there is a disconnect between the Budget which is supposed to drive the policy framework so one ends up having targets set in the budget deviating from the reality. So the targets do not correspond with what is actually prevailing on the ground.
    It is therefore necessary to synchro- nise the targets that are set in the Budget with the prevailing circumstances. Another issue that I would like to touch on briefly is also the basis for the projections in the policy frameworks. Most of these basis have lost their relevance, so one gets targets being set in the medium term plans very high which are unachievable and that makes our oversight very difficult and irrelevant.
    If we are supposed to oversight or depend on targets which are not achievable, I do not think we would be serving any good purpose in as far as our oversight is concerned.
    With these few words, I thank you Mr Speaker.
    Mr Gershon K. B. Gbediame (NDC-- Nkwanta South) 2:30 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    I also rise to support the Motion on the floor and to just make a few comments, and like the previous Hon Members have said, we were taken through a rigorous exercise with the NDPC and we would realise that they have a very fine
    programme where if these programmes are actually executed, I think we would see the growth that this country requires. But what came to light was that, most of the monies that are allocated for the various sectors within the year are not released and for that matter, with all the good plans that have been set out, we would not be able to get the required money to carry out the programme and therefore, the targets that are normally set are not achieved.
    We are talking about an interest rate of about 8 per cent within those periods. Right now, we are talking about 18 to 19 per cent, and it is my prayer that, with the energy crises and the other few challenges that are being faced by the economy, we quickly come out of this energy crises so that at least, we carry out the agenda that has been set, and the growth that is required would be achieved as well as lowering the inflation rate and even the Budget deficit.
    With this little contribution, I also support the motion that it must be approved by the House.
    Thank you Mr Speaker.
    Mr Samuel Ambre (NDC -- Assin North) 2:30 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity to add my voice to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, if we go through the Report, you realise that what happened is that, there is lack of data which runs through all the Reports. The Metropolitan, Municipal and Distr ict Assemblies (MMDAs) submit reports without data, and so I urge the House to carefully look at this and the other Reports to make sure that the MMDAs bring data so that we can measure the level of their performances.
    Thank you Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin?
    Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin (NPP- -Effutu) 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thought the Committee did its work and they had a responsibility to make recommendations. So, perhaps, I do not want to get into the arena of misquoting the Hon Member who just sat down. But if I got him right, he was trying to suggest to the House to come up with some recommendations yet he is a member of the Committee, perhaps. And it is the duty of the Committee to recommend that some of these Reports do not go with the required data, then the Plenary would support.
    So, he puts me in a very difficult position to support him, unless they would go, withdraw and come back with the proper recommendation. I do not know if that is the suggestion that he is trying to make. I do not know.
    Mr G. K. Arthur 2:40 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker
    -- 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    I would put the Question.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Accordingly, the House adopts the Report of the Committee on Poverty Reduction Strategy on the 2011 Annual Progress Report on the Implementation of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda
    (GSGDA), 2010 - 2013.
    I also direct that the various comments, especially the comment made by Hon Appiah-Kubi that the Reports should be made in the year preceding -- Hon Member, the point you made again?
    Dr Appiah-Kubi 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I suggested that the Report should be released to Parliament and debated in the succeeding year.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Yes, succeeding year. Thank you.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Yes?
    Dr Appiah-Kubi 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you could indulge me, there is an issue that I may want you to add.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Yes.
    Dr Appiah-Kubi 2:40 p.m.
    We still have two Reports outstanding and I would request your indulgence that if we can take the two at a go. So, that we can clear that within this year.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    I think I also request that the National Development Planning Commission through the Ministry of Finance, inform the House when they can present the Reports for -- Are the Reports before the House already?
    Dr Appiah-Kubi 2:40 p.m.
    They are ready on --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    That is the Committee's business. It is not the Ministry's -- [Interruption.]
    Dr Appiah-Kubi 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, without your permission, we cannot combine the two reports --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Do the two and come. Discuss with Leadership. If it is before the House, then it is not a problem.
    Hon Appiah-Kubi, thank you very much but the matter is before the House.
    But the recommendation you made and --
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr G. K. Arthur 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we cannot combine the Reports because every Report has its own indicators.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Has its own?
    Mr G. K. Arthur 2:40 p.m.
    Every single year's Report has its own indicators. So, we cannot combine two or three Reports at a go. What the Committee wants to do is to find out whether they were able to achieve the indicators or not. So, we want to take the Reports one by one but the only thing we can do is to be very fast so that we can go to the next report in time.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    All right. Thank you.
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Please, no. Hon Appiah-Kubi, please? We would then engage in this debate. I think you are the Hon Ranking Member of the Committee and that is the Hon Chairman of the Committee. Talk to each other in the Division Room. There are matters that you discuss that only you should know, so talk to each other. So, we have finished.
    I have directed that the concerns should be brought to the attention of the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Yes, Hon Agbesi?
    Mr A. Agbesi 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, on the Item number 11 on the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Bill, 2014 which is at the Consideration Stage, my information is that the Committee is still looking at some aspects of the Bill and so it cannot be taken today.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Hon Agbesi, I think there was a Statement by the Hon Richard Quashigah to commemorate the International Day against Persons with Disability.
    It was recommended by Leadership and the Speaker has approved it.
    Mr A. Agbesi 2:40 p.m.
    Very well, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    So, number Item 4. Is it Statements?
    Mr A. Agbesi 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, Item 4 -- Statements.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
    Hon Quashigah?
    STATEMENTS 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Richard M. Quashigah (NDC -- Keta) 2:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to make this statement to commemorate the international Day Against Disability.
    According to the World Heal th Organisation (WHO), there are more than 600 million disabled persons in the world and approximately 80 per cent live in low-income countries.
    In most developing coun tries including Ghana, disabled persons constitute an impoverished marginalised group. In Ghana, it is estimated that twenty per cent of the population constitute people living with disabilities, a group, often perceived by some as unproduct ive and incapable of contributing in a positive way to society and rather seen as constituting an economic burden on the family.
    Mr Speaker, as we commemorate this day set aside as International Disability Day, I crave your indulgence to focus on the visually impaired. According to the World Health Organisation, over 2S5 mil lion per sons are visual ly impaired worldwide with over 39 million being totally blind. Out of this number, 7.1 million persons are from Africa and that repreasent 1 per cent of all Africans.
    The situation is no better in Ghana. Although there appears to be no definite statistics it is obvious that the numbers are quite significant.
    Mr Speaker, these persons with visual disability, are citizens like the rest of us and thus have a r igh t to proper functioning and also the right to their personal as wel l as nat ional development. The basic mobility aid tool for these persons is the White Cane.
    Mr Speaker, mobility canes have been with man for as long as blindness or loss of sight has been around. However, the white cane as we know it today; is not just a tool that can be used to achieve independence; it is a symbol of the blind citizens in our society.
    The white cane provides effective means for blind students to get to school; blind adults to get to work. The aged to remain active. Unfortunately, the cost of procuring a white cane is often beyond the pockets of those who need it.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Thank you Hon Quashigah.
    Hon Quashigah, how much is five times three hundred?
    Mr Quashigah 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is one thousand five hundred.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    So if we have 275 Members of Parliament (MPs) and each person is buying five white canes, how could we get 23,000 white canes? [Laughter] -- It is in paragraph 4.
    Mr Quashigah 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is possible that there was an error in my calculation. I would crave your indulgence to permit me to correct it. That would amount to 1,375 white canes.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    So, if each Hon Member of this House decides to buy five white canes in solidarity with our visually impaired brothers and sisters, there should be available to them 1,375 white canes instead of the 23,000 white canes which is written there.
    Mr Quashigah 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that was overambition.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    I would take one contribution from each side. I
    would ask the Hon Deputy Majority Leader for direction, so nominate one person from your side.
    Mr Agbesi 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, one from here, and one from there.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    All right. Hon Gifty Kusi, you are sitting in the front Bench. Is it you or you would ask somebody?
    Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi 2:50 p.m.
    I would ask somebody to do it.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    All right.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to commend my good Friend, Hon Quashigah, for the Statement he just made. I believe that as a country, we have not done badly at all.
    Mr Speaker, although he emphasised a lot on the visually impaired, I would like to add that the hearing- impaired have also received some attention from our Government. In my constituency, the Government since the year 2001 introduced this inclusive system of education, where the visually - impaired and the hearing - impaired studied with regular students.
    Mr G. K. Arthur 2:50 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, it was not in the year 2001. This has been there. I attended the Presbyterian Training College and there was the blind and the deaf all studying with those who could see and hear. So, it is long time since it started.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I take note of that bit of historical information. Then I would put it that, it was
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Quashigah?
    Mr Quashigah 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I appreciate the fact that my younger brother commended me on that Statement. But having made the finishing comment that “it is not controversial at all, coming from Hon Richard Quashigah”, I take an exception to that.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Hon Quashigah, if you take an exception to everything -- [Interruption]
    Mr Quashigah 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I find that as having some hidden meaning. This is because breaking that last bit of the phrase down, it could connote something else.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Do you have any ill meaning, Hon Afenyo- Markin?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he is my MP. We share the same esprit de corps. These are normal. He is rather making it a controversial matter and may create the impression to people that he is controversial. He is not.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Are you controversial?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not, he is not either but he wants to create the impression that he is controversial. This is because we share the same esprit
    de corps. So this one, he should ignore it. Why he says it is an issue, I do not see it.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    When you say you share the same esprit de corps, is it suggesting that you are both controversial?
    Mr Quashigah 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I doubt that and I do not even think that is a very true statement. This is because I do not share same with him and I would crave his indulgence to take me out of that classification.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Hon Quashigah, I have taken you out. You and Hon Afenyo-Markin are all out of esp rit de corps. If you speak again, I will put you in that category.
    Do you want to withdraw it?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if I am trying to share a joke and he is not comfortable, the honourable thing is to withdraw. So, if that aspect that a Statement, a commendable one coming from my Member of Parliament same is not controversial and he thinks that it may mean controversial and that he is controversial, he does not want anybody to think he is controversial and that he is not controversial, I withdraw -- [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker, he is even denying that we share the same esprit de corps, it is all right. If he is denying that, no problem. But Mr Speaker, I withdraw.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    And apologise.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you asked for withdrawal; he did not ask for apology -- [Laughter.]
    But Mr Speaker --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Hon Member for Gomoa Central, you have the floor.
    Ms Rachel F. Florence Appoh (NDC -- Gomoa Central) 2:50 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by my Hon Colleague, Hon Quashigah.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to congratulate the people living with disability for such a special day.
    I believe that of late, people living with disability are doing wonderfully well and we need to commend that. This is because some of them do not even have eyes but when you see the work that they are doing with their hands and at times using every part of their body doing some crafts; weaving, painting et cetera, I think it is commendable and we need to appreciate that.
    Secondly, I would want to say that Government is also doing so many things to support them. Especially, people living with disability are also benefitting from Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty
    (LEAP),
    Government is training them in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and RLG is also training them on Information Communication Technology (ICT). As of 2013 and 2014 Report, Government has trained more than 3000 people living with disability. I think that one is also commendable.
    Also Mr Speaker, I know there is a Disability Fund of 2.5 per cent of the Common Fund. So, my advice to those who are begging on the streets is that, they should also take advantage of this fund, and associate themselves with the Distr ict Assemblies, or Municipal Assemblies and make sure that they benefit from this funds This is because, it is the national cake which, they also have
    to benefit from. But here is the case -- we see them knocking on our car doors or glass, telling us to roll down our car window for them to collect something from us. I think it is not appropriate.
    So, my advice to them is that they should also benefit from whatever Government is sharing; they should move out from the streets and make sure they go to associate themselves with some of the District Assemblies and benefit from the Government Fund.
    Mr Speaker, I also believe that there are so many things some of them can do. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is also training some of them now on vocational and technical skills.
    So, I believe they should also move out, go to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection or Social Welfare and register with them to benefit from this training. I think when they do that, they would be more useful than to just go round on the streets and beg.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would want to congratulate them and also the Hon Member who made the Statement.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Thank you.
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Hon Members, that brings us to the end -- I said one each.
    Thank you Hon Members, time is far spent. I do not think we have any more Business for today.
    ADJOURNMENT 2:50 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 3.08 p.m. till Wednesday, 24th June, 2015 at 10.00 a.m.