Debates of 7 Dec 2015

MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I hope you would take into consideration the time lost when I was --
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it stands to reason that, if we manage decentralisation very well, then the nation would experience simultaneous develop- ment in all the 216 districts across the country. If we refer to paragraph 353 of the 2016 Budget Statement, it shows that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has been allocated a little over GH¢605 million towards the implementation of its activities for the year
2016.
The question to ask is, how reliable and dependable are these figures and the projected activities of the Ministry for 2016? I am asking this question because the entire process and procedure adopted in arriving at their budgetary figure is shrouded in secrecy and therefore, lacks credibility. Mr Speaker, fortunately, the budgetary procedure for the Ministry is clearly defined in law and I refer to sections 11 and 10 (3) (a) of the Local Government Act of 1993, Act 462. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to read section 11:
“Subject to section 10 (3) (a) of this Act, a District Assembly shall …”
And I would want to emphasise the mandatory word “shall”,
“. . .be responsible for the preparation and approval of its annual budget.”
Section 10 (3) (a) says that:
“Without prejudice to subsections (1) and (2) of this section, a District Assembly shall—”
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Member, you have five more minutes.
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:30 p.m.
The District Assembly
“…shall ensure the preparation and submission through the Regional Co-ordinating Council—
(ii) of the budget of the district related to the approved plans to the Minister for Finance for approval”
Mr Speaker, the combined effect of these two provisions is that, an Assembly not properly constituted and an Assembly which holds an ordinary meeting without first electing a Presiding Member, and transacts any business of the Assembly, runs the whole process into jeopardy.
Mr Speaker, that is exactly what happened in arriving at their budgetary figure. Following the District Level Elections in this country on September 1 2015, a number of District Assemblies have not been able to elect their Presiding Members, including the Accra Metro- politan Assembly (AMA) and Kumasi Metropoli-tan Assembly (KMA).
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 12:30 p.m.
On a point of order.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague at the Ghana School of Law is the last person I would want to interrupt when he is on his feet.

Mr Speaker, he is out of order. Is he asking this House to oust the elective principle and authority of the District Assemblies or the Presiding Members, if he is saying Presiding Members have not been elected? That is what the law has provided for, that they are to be elected. And if there is a problem over the election, he should blame the democratic process and not an institution or Government.
Mr Awuah 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this Budget Statement is a composite one; it includes the figures of all the 216 District Assemblies.
Mr Speaker, what the Hon Colleague is drawing our attention to is that, if the District Assemblies have not actually approved the Budget Statement, how did that become part of the national budget? That is the question.There is no way the Ministry of Finance can include the Sunyani West Budget in the national budget, when Sunyani West has not actually approved of that budget, at the local level. That is the question he is raising.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Very, well.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not want to repeat myself. I think that the intervention of the Hon Minister for Employment and Labour Relations was not to debase what I said.
Mr Speaker, I would want to put it on record that, the credibility of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development's budget is in doubt.
Mr Speaker, again, on even the quantum allocated to the Ministry, if we look through the records for the past years, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has been allocated an average of GH¢250 million, made up of Ghana Government component and donor component. In this year 's Budget Statement, this colossal whooping sum of GH¢605 million is --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Member, unfortunately, your time is up.
Please conclude.
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am speaking as a Ranking Member.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
The information given me was that, you are not the Hon Ranking Member.
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am the Deputy Ranking Member. The Hon Ranking Member has travelled.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Member, are you a Deputy Ranking Member or a Ranking Member?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am the Deputy Ranking Member; I am speaking on behalf of the Hon Ranking Member.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
No! Hon Deputy Ranking Members are not included; it is either Chairmen or Ranking Members. I thought that was the understanding.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Whip?
Mr Awuah 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought Mr Speaker ruled on this just this morning. He speaks as the lead person on our side on local government issues and in the absence of the Hon Ranking Member, he
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Members, if that is the case, you should let me know through the Table Office ahead of time, then I will know what to do.
Mr Awuah 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, well noted.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Very well.
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Mr Agbesi 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that we should agree on one thing and move forward. We should not keep on changing the position.
Hon Ranking Members and Chairmen have been allocated time and if for any reason, the Hon Ranking Member is not available and want to indicate so, we should let the Chair know, so that we can move forward. We do not keep on changing positions like that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Member, in that case, you have 10 more minutes and so, proceed.
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker, I would want to talk briefly on environmental health and sanitation.
Mr Speaker, health is life and life is at risk under poor sanitation. These two key areas of health and sanitation were not given the importance that they deserve under the Budget Statement.
Mr Speaker, as a country, we have experienced a lot of disasters in these areas and one expected that the Budget Statement would carry real programmes that would deal with areas that border health and sanitation but it did not.
Mr Speaker, I would want to remind this Honourable House, that Ghana is ranked the seventh dirtiest country in the whole world and second dirtiest country in Africa. This was captured in the World Health Organisation (WHO) -- United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) 2015 Annual Report. That does not give any good image to this country.
Mr Speaker, again, our country is considered the second worse country after Sudan in terms of open defaecation.
Again, we regret to recall the recent outbreak of cholera in our nation, which was the worse to be experienced in 30 years running. It took this country six months to combat the epidemic. Mr Speaker, during the time, 28,975 cases were reported and 243 of our compatriots lost their lives -- the worst in 30 years.
Mr Speaker, Ghana accounts for one in every five cases of cholera in the world that is reported to WHO. Ghana accounts for 30 per cent of all cholera cases in Africa.With this background, it is regrettable that the 2016 Budget Statement did not take concrete steps to address the poor sanitation and health problems facing this nation and our people.
Mr Speaker, this is happening under the reign of a party that claimed to get rid of filth within 100 days of coming into power, as contained on page 16 of the National Democratic Party's (NDC) Manifesto.
This Government has been in power for seven years now and it is the worse Government this nation has experienced in terms of the fight against sanitation and health. The whole nation is engulfed in filth and we know that our people are suffering.That is why our health centres are always choked with patients and a lot of suffering children.
Mr Speaker, again, during the time of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), a very elaborate and fantastic programme was launched to help the youth of this country. We are aware that this Government introduced the Local Enterprises Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) in 2011, with a colossal sum of GH¢84 million.This was at the heels of the 2012 elections, whereas within the Ministry, a lot of call centres could not even get 20 per cent of their projected allocation.
Mr Speaker, the entire GH¢84 million under the LESDEP Programme was paid. As we speak, we have spent over GH¢100 million under LESDEP but regrettably, between 2012 and now, LESDEP has collapsed with all the fanfares that accompanied it during its inception. The question is, what are we doing to the youth of this nation? Is this Government interested in the welfare of the youth of this nation? Is this Government trying to promote the skill development of the youth in this nation, or it is only interested in free money for whatever reasons they want to have?
Mr Vanderpuye 12:40 p.m.
On a Point of Order Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I am totally surprised — [Uproar] — My Hon Colleague was here when I copiously quoted from the Budget Statement, giving him the articles that enumerated the activities that have been done to address the issue of job creation, especially the redevelopment of the Community Development Programme to create jobs.
I mentioned ASIP, the distribution of dustbins and the programmes that are being done. However, my very good brother and friend, whom I normally call, “Akonta” was here and he heard all these. So, I am totally shocked and surprised for him to now turn back and talk about things that he thought never existed. I wonder whether my Hon Colleague was really in this House.
Mr Awuah 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, your advice has always been that, we should allow the debate to flow. My Hon Colleague has had his turn. In fact, he has debated on this floor this morning and has enumerated all that he is mentioning now. So, if it is the turn of another Hon Member, there is no need for him to re-echo what he has said. In fact, he is only wasting the precious time of this House.
Mr Speaker, such interruptions should not be encouraged.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Well, much as I agree with the point that you have made, the expression, “wasting the precious time”—
Mr Awuah 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will change that. I will simply say that he should not be encouraged to repeat what has already been said.
Mr Awuah 12:40 p.m.
Rightly so.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Thank you.
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not want to respond to the intervention of the Hon Deputy Minister because it does not add any value to what I am saying.
I am talking about the street naming and the property addressing system on page 74, we are informed that 41 per cent has been achieved in this area
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up but I will give you one more minute.
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is a very sad observation because when this programme came on and His Excellency, the President directed that all the 216 District Assemblies should bring those projects to a complete end by September, 2014, and later to read from this Budget Statement that, at the close of 2015, only 41 per cent has been achieved under this project, shows that they have not carried out the instruction of the President. The whole system is choked.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon Member, please, conclude.
Mr Amoako-Attah 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, what is happening to the administration of the District Assemblies Common Fund at the districts is very worrying. The current Auditor-General's Report is horrible because it says that there are a lot of irregularities which have been itemised as”misappropriation of funds” —
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up.
Hon Members, it is now the turn of Hon Kobena Mensah Woyome.
Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome (NDC— South Tongu) 12:50 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to add my voice to the Motion, that this Honourable House approves the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending, 31st December, 2016.
Mr Speaker, in spite of the ripple effect of the global financial challenges on Ghana's economy, the Government's effort at managing the economy very prudently should be highly commended.
Mr Speaker, the many infrastructural development projects in every nook and cranny of this country attest to that. There are a lot of achievements made in the youth and sports sector.
Mr Speaker, please, permit me to refer to my notes. The draft National Youth Authority Bill and the National Sports Bill, which started last year, have been completed and sent to Cabinet and that is a great achievement. We expected that it will help to facilitate sports administration in this country. It will also bring on board, a number of private sectors that have been yearning to also contribute their quota to the development of sports in this country.
Mr Speaker, the first draft of the National Sports College Bill has been completed and sent back to the Attorney- General's Department for the necessary amendments to be effected.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry facilitated the participation of the senior national football team, the Black Stars at the African Nations Cup held in Equatorial Guinea in January. The team placed second at the
tournament. That was also a great achievement and we congratulate, once again, the gallant Stars. Of course, we expect more of that in the coming years,
2016.
Mr Speaker, the construction works at the completed Cape Coast Sports Stadium will also boost sports development in the country. The National Youth Policy Implementation Plan was launched in January 2015 by H. E. the President of the Republic of Ghana. The objective of the plan is to provide an accelerated framework with timelines for a systematic implementa- tion of programmes and activities in the National Youth Policy.
Mr Speaker, the National Youth Authority has also collaborated with the United Nations Population Fund and Futures Group to educate the youth on peer and productive health activities and sexually transmitted diseases as well as infectious diseases, including HIV and
AIDS.
Mr Speaker, a lot have been achieved as far as the administration of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs is concerned.
Mr Speaker, during the period under review, a total number of 1,112 names of chiefs were entered into the national register of chiefs as required by the Chieftaincy Act and the 1992 Constitution. The Ministry completed the collation of data by the chieftaincy bulletin and subsequently, forwarded it to the Assembly Press for publication.
Mr Speaker, we know how important it is to support the administration of chiefs because of the important role chiefs and queenmothers play in the administration of traditional matters in our various towns and villages, more especially, in the
maintenance of peace. It is, therefore, important that the Government continues to support them. Of course, what they are usually given in terms of allowances per month should get to them as quickly as possible to enable them continue to discharge their duties creditably and successfully in the various communities.

Mr O. B. Amoah— rose --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon O. B. Amoah, is that a point of order?
Mr O. B. Amoah 12:50 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Our Hon Colleague appears to be just re-reading the Budget Statement. Mr Speaker, we are debating and he is just re- reading and telling us what the Budget Statement says. This is not the reason we are doing this debate, with all due respect.
If he has anything else to tell us, he should let us know, but just taking the Budget Statement and reading it, I do not think that is what this Motion is all about.
Mr Woyome 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I sought your leave to refer to my notes from time to time and that was what I just did.
Mr Speaker, there has been a lot of significant gains in 2015 so far as chieftaincy is concerned.

Mr Speaker, the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs successfully admitted seven divisional chiefs from the Bawku Traditional Council and five from the Sandema Traditional Council after a long lag, bringing the current membership of the Regional House of Chiefs to 32.

Mr Speaker, this is significant because it also goes to help in the maintenance of - These discussions among themselves help to also foster the unity that we so much want to engender and the development that is so needed in this country. Their role in ensuring smooth, swift and continuous development is very important and cannot be over- emphasised.

Mr Speaker, it is important that my Hon Colleagues on the other side appreciate these gains so far as the administration of chieftaincy and traditional affairs in this country is concerned. We would just have to continue to encourage the Ministry, the Minister and also the Government to continue to support them with the needed resources, so that they can continue to discharge their duties as we all want.

The elimination of Harmful Traditional Practices Project is also another area that has seen so much gain. Much support is still needed come 2016. I believe we would see the results in many of our towns and villages.

Mr Speaker, in this regard, we would have to congratulate the Government for all the good things that they have outlined to undertake in 2016 to ensure smooth accelerated development in the country.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry adjudicated 20 cases by judicial process and three by Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and that also is something that ought to be embraced. Of course, it will help to reduce the congestion in our courts if we

adopt the ADR system in resolving such disputes. This is something that should be encouraged.What they are doing is very good and it has to be supported.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry, in collabora- tion with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, organised a strategic workshop on Child and Juvenile Policy for chiefs and queenmothers from the National House of Chiefs as well as Brong Ahafo, Volta and Western Regional Houses of Chiefs. This workshop was also to address unity among queen- mothers and it is so important that when it is achieved, it transcends the entire fabric of the society which they oversee, and that of course, would accelerate development in peace and harmony.

Mr Speaker, I would want to congratulate the Government for all the wonderful plans that they have put together in trying to achieve -- For instance, in 2016, 10 reports of verification of lines of succession to stools and skins would be converted to draft Legislative Instruments before this House.

Mr Speaker, furthermore, the Ministry is also targeting 40 cases to be adjudicated, using the judicial process and ADR.

Mr Awuah— rose --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Member, do you have a point of order?
Mr Awuah 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague's attention was drawn to the fact that he was reading a text. In this House, the rule is that when we are debating, one is not supposed to read. We can make reference to quotations and what have you, but the Hon Member is reading verbatim, a document in front of him. Mr Speaker, this is a practice which should not be encouraged.
Mr Woyome 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have actually prepared my own notes that from time to time, I would be referring to. The notes emanate from the Budget Statement. So, I do not know what he is referring to or talking about. These are notes that I have prepared and I have actually prepared them for this debate. So, please -- I have noticed a number of you who have actually -- [Interruption]
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member, according to our Standing Orders, may refer to his notes when debating. But the way he is copiously reading, probably, he may help the House if he just placed it on the Table for Hon Members to have access to it. [Laughter.] Looking at the way he is going, he may not be able to exhaust what he is reading before the allotted limited time to him .
Of course, he is referring to his notes but if he could just limit the extent of reference and look up a bit, then we know that he is referring to his notes and not reading.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Member, I believe that per the rules, you are entitled to refresh your memory from the notes, but if it is too copious, it becomes a bit questionable. So, if you could just play within the rules.
Mr Agbesi 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as much as we appreciate the concerns of our Hon Colleagues, we think also that these are three of our Hon Colleagues trying to
intimidate my Hon Colleague continuously -- [Laughter] -- They should allow him.
The Hon Member in question has referred to his notes. He has showed it to you that he is not reading from the Budget Statement and that he is rather referring to his prepared notes. So, please, allow him to do that and complete the debate.
Mr Woyome 1 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I cannot be intimidated in this House. As a matter of fact, I have actually taken full cognisance from the content of our Standing Orders and that is why from time to time, I refer to the notes that I have prepared from the Budget Statement. [Interruption.]
Well, maybe, the Hon Member gets intimidated when I look at him.
Mr Speaker, however, may I use the opportunity to actually indicate that the Ministry of Youth and Sports will get the resources they need to be able to function, operate and achieve their targets, come next year. It is very important.
In fact, sports is a development tool and so, it is important that we look at it as such and be able to get the resources that they need to work and get all their programmes that have been beautifully outlined in the Budget Statement well executed. It is important that that is done.
So, Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would want to thank you and appreciate the opportunity given me to add my voice for the approval of the Government's financial policy.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
Hon Members, it is now the turn of Hon Atta Akyea.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP-- Abuakwa South) 1 a.m.
Mr Speaker, many thanks for the slot to contribute to the Motion, that this House approves the financial policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December,
2016.
Mr Speaker, for the past six years, since I was given a seat in this august House as a Member of Parliament for Akyem Abuakwa South, we have been treated to the yearly ritual of the presentation of the NDC Ledger Book, which essentially, is the projected revenue and expenditure.
I regret to say that all the six Ledger Books, put together, have not transformed the glorious economy that the former President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor bequeathed to this nation, but rather unfortunately, the economic woes of Ghanaians including those who are in the womb of time, are worsening every year.
Mr Speaker, here again, is the typical romancing talk of the President about his commitment to transform the economy and with your kind permission, I would like to quote from page 1, the paragraph numbered 4.
“Mr Speaker, in 2012, H. E John Dramani Mahama was elected for his first four-year mandate to lead our dear country. Under his able leadership, [emphasis added] the Government has been working tirelessly to transform the economy. We are focused on improving the well-being of Ghanaians by honouring the pledges made to the good people of Ghana in the 2012 Manifesto of the National Democratic Congress.”
With due deference, this is an empty slogan and I would just narrow my evidence to the agricultural sector of the economy in support of my submission.
When you inherit an agricultural growth of 7.4 per cent in 2008 and register an abysmal performance of 0.04 per cent in 2015, your hands are not building on that. [Uproar] -- They are destroying -
- 1 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
Order! Order! Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Atta Akyea 1 a.m.
The NDC hands are destroying the very prop and support of the economy of this country.
Mr Speaker, it is only a somnambulist -- a sleep walker -- who would assert that the economy is transforming. This economy is not transforming. Indeed, the economy is deteriorating.
Mr Speaker, the self-applause of the NDC regime is embarrassing. It prompts me to quote the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:12. With your permission, I would like to quote;
“… but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
Indeed, the comparison is not by themselves but where the former President, Mr Kufuor left this economy -- and it is very important we come to terms with that. If not, they would continually celebrate their own mediocrity and empty victory.
Mr Speaker, I need not detain you regarding the sorry state of industry, let alone how the synergy between agriculture and industry can transform our economy --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader, is it a point of order?
Mr Agbesi 1 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
My Hon Colleague on his feet has referred to this economy as one which is deteriorating. This is a misstatement coming from my Hon Colleague.
Mr Speaker, under this economy, water was sent to his constituency -- [Laughter] -- roads were constructed in his constituency for the first time --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Mr Agbesi 1 a.m.
Mr Speaker, this cannot be said to be an economy which is deteriorating.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, he is expressing an opinion. You may disagree with him but you also have the opportunity on your side when given the floor to respond to it.
I do not think that we are here to debate the projects that have gone to various constituencies and things like that. He has made a general statement. You may disagree with him.
Mr Agbesi 1 a.m.
Very well. Mr Speaker.
At the same time, when statements are grossly untrue and misleading, we need to bring them to the attention of the House. However, Mr Speaker, I take your point.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 a.m.
Very well.
Thank you.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Atta Akyea 1 a.m.
Mr Speaker, nobody is manufacturing figures and we are not doing propaganda.
The agricultural growth in 2008 was 7.4 per cent and what we have in 2015 now, is 0.04 per cent. [Interruption] -- This is not “Kyebi” economics; this is the economy of Ghana. [Interruption] -- Yes.
Mr Speaker, my agony is how the NDC regime has perfected the art of borrowing and have actually succeeded in mortgaging the future of this country. When you look at the facts currently, what the NDC has specialised in and touting success, is their capacity to borrow. This has also pushed me to quote the Bible one more time:
“…the borrower is a slave to the lender,” Proverbs 22:7
Ghana is in a debt quagmire and the Hon Minister for Finance concedes at page 36 of the Ledger Book, paragraphs 3 and 4. Mr Speaker, may I, with respect, quote the Ledger Book.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member, is it a point of order? -- [Interruption] -- What is it?
Mr Demordzi 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member keeps on referring to the Bible and he is comparing economics and faith. There is a clear difference between economics and faith. He cannot be comparing Bible debt management against the -- [Laughter.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order.
Yes, Hon Member, please, proceed.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful.
The Bible actually says that the borrower is a slave to the lender; Proverbs 22:7. The Hon Member can go and read it in his quiet time.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:10 p.m.


Mr Speaker, I am quoting the concession by Hon Seth Terkper from page 36 of the Ledger Book.

126. “Mr. Speaker, the public debt stock stood at 69.12 percent of GDP as at the end of September, 2015 from 70.15 percent of GDP in December, 2014.

127. On nominal basis, the provisional debt stock as at September, 2015, stood at GH¢92,161.84 million (US$24,285.07). This is made up of GH¢54,488.26 million (US$14,357.91million) for external debt and GH¢37,673.58 million ($9,927.16 million) for domestic debt.”

Mr Speaker, our national pride of being a chronic borrower is celebrated by the Government when the European market favours Ghana. The NDC Government sees borrowing from the European market as an international achievement and wears same like a necklace. The NDC Govern- ment does not see that we are in a debt quagmire and praise themselves all the time.

Mr Speaker, let me quote from the Ledger Book one more time at page 37, paragraph 130 to 133; this is the Hon Minister for Finance boasting about his success at the European market:

“Mr Speaker, as you may recall, members of this august House in July 2015 approved the Eurobond issue of up to US$1,500 million on the Eurobond market.

131. Government secured US$1 billion Eurobond at a coupon rate of 10.75 percent with a maturity of fifteen years. The

bond is a soft amortizing bond to be repaid in three instalments of US$333 million in years 2028, 2029, and US$334 million in

2030.”

Mr Speaker, that is to say that the children in the womb of time would come and meet such a colossal debt.

“Ghana has once again issued a landmark bond …”

Mr Speaker, when somebody is borrowing and he is touting that it is a landmark achievement, it leaves much to be desired.

Mr Speaker, listen to this; and with your permission, I beg to quote:

“…and has become the first sub- Saharan African country outside South Africa to issue a 15-year bond. The International Develop- ment Association provided a partial guarantee of US$400 million to enable Ghana borrow on reasonable terms.”
Mr Speaker, this is the coup de grace 1:10 p.m.
“Government stated its intention to obtain long-term funds from the Eurobond market in 2015 Budget Statement, proceeds of which will be used for debt restructuring and financing of capital expenditure. In line with this, government has decided to use the proceeds of the recently issued Eurobond to refinance maturing short-term domestic debt.”
The upshot of this concession, Mr Speaker, is that we have become a nation which borrows money on interest to pay for interest on loans. Mr Speaker, I submit that this is a death quagmire and a horrible
vicious cycle. The NDC Government has succeeded in mortgaging the future of the generation yet unborn.

Alhaji B. Fuseini Alhassan -- rose
-- 1:10 p.m.
Alhaji B. F. Alhassan 1:10 p.m.
Rightly so, Mr Speaker.
The Hon Member is copiously reading from the script before him. The same argument that they made not too long ago, Mr Speaker, it is the same thing. They are sacking them in the evening and they are greeting good night.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon Member, thank you very much.
As I indicated earlier, the rules permit that you refresh your memory from your notes.
So, Hon Member, please, proceed.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for your wisdom. I was referring to the Budget Statement, and that was what I was trying to do.
Mr Speaker, there has been some Jae Jun arguments that we borrow massively for the purposes of financing infrastruc- ture. This House demands that the NDC Government should do a forensic audit to show the correlation between moneys spent out of loans and how they have been applied to the so-called infrastruc- ture. If that is not done, we would not be able to assess how we are performing --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon Member, you have seven more minutes to go.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful. I would be able to end very soon.
Mr Speaker, how can an economy in which the debt stock stands at 69.12 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of September, 2015 be transformed?
I do not see how the good people of this country should renew the mandate of the NDC Government to push us further into this debt quagmire. It would be very dangerous for the generation yet unborn to permit the NDC Government to rule Ghana for four more years on this trajectory of unbridled and excessive borrowing. There is no hope for the future of this country.

Mr Speaker, I would like to quote Nana Akufo-Addo when he said that this country should move from routine leadership; this country should not continue the status quo. There is the need to affect the “Guggisberg” economy.

Mr Speaker, I would like to quote, with your approval, from his speech at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) debate in 2012. This is what Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said:

“The hard truth is that the current size and structure of our economy
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon Member, is it on a point of order?
Dr Bisiw 1:10 p.m.
Rightly so, Mr Speaker.
To start with, our Hon Colleague is reading a document that we do not have.
Also, we are discussing the Budget Statement. Maybe, he would want to indicate to us which page of the Budget Statement he is reading from, then we would all open and read.
Maybe, Mr Speaker, he may have to lay the document so that we can all have access to it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Very well
I think that the Rt. Hon Speaker gave a ruling earlier in the day concerning this issue. It has to do with relevancy as much as possible. So, there is some permission for him to make reference to a speech like that; but ultimately, we are looking at the Budget Statement.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I understand my good Friend's predica- ment; she was being coached by the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance.
Mr Speaker, because my quotation has been interrupted, with your kind permission, I would like to quote, and the source --
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 1:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, probably, the Hon Member and Hon Deputy Minister who raised the objection may address her mind to Order 89, and with your permission, I beg to quote:

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member stated the source -- IEA debate, 2012 and made a reference to it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, I do not want us to drag this matter beyond its limits.
Mr Agbesi 1:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, except that, the quotation being given to us, Hon Members are interested in knowing where it is coming from.
Please, I agree that he can quote but let us know the source he is quoting from. That is what we are talking about.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with due respect, I am quoting from the IEA 2012 speech of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo and I am prepared to lay it. This is
where it is coming from and it tells me that, he has not been following the IEA debates.
Mr Speaker, with your kind permission, I am about to end and because I have been disrupted, I need to quote him in continuum;
“The hard truth is that the current size and structure of our economy is not big enough to provide the jobs that are needed. If we want a different result, then we have to do things differently, and we have to do them urgently. We have to make a deliberate effort to move on from the Guggisberg, raw material- economy to a new economy that can deliver prosperity for our people.
We will encourage importers and Ghanaians abroad to shift from bringing in finished products to bringing in the know-how, tools and capital inputs that will enable us produce finished goods right here in Ghana. The long-term solution for the stability of our cedi is industrialization.”
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up. You should conclude.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would say that, when much is committed to you and you have squandered every opportunity, the good people of this country should never renew your mandate.
The time and resources allotted to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and their abysmal performance, are good indication, that they should be slashed out.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up.
Mr Atta Akyea 1:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, Akufo- Addo is coming and we should hold on for a change. [Hear!] [Hear!]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Members, it is now the turn of Hon George Aboagye -- the Hon Member for Ahanta West.
Mr George K. Aboagye (NDC -- Ahanta West) 1:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to share my views on the Budget Statement on the economy of the Government of Ghana for the approval of the Budget Statement for the financial year ending 31st December, 2016, presented to Parliament by Hon Seth Terkper.
Mr Speaker, there are positive aspects of the Budget Statement, particularly with the figures on the economy. The Budget Statement seeks to consolidate progress that has been made and to consolidate this progress, we would look at some of the positive indications in the Budget Statement.
Mr Speaker, the thrust of my argument will be on external trade of the economy. The services sector grew from 54.1 per cent to 51.9 and countries that have achieved middle-income status tend to do well in the area of services. This is because by that time, you would have had a larger middle-class group, people would have acquired a lot of knowledge and skills and the economy would be moving towards a knowledge-based situation.
There is nothing wrong with achieving higher digit figures in service. Plus the fact that industry has also shown positive signs and grown moderately from 26.9 per cent to 26.6 per cent, that is between 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 a.m.
Hon Member, you have 10 more minutes to go.
Mr Aboagye 1:30 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
The Ghana Standards Authority, the Food and Drugs Authority, Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Food and Agriculture -- all these institutions have received about 28 laboratories from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Ghana Standards Authority has also issued 576 export consignments and certified 288-locally manufactured products to improve their competitiveness.
This exercise would be enhanced in 2016 with the issuance of 1,500 health certificates, 2,000 export certificates to cover export consignments, certify 750 locally-manufactured products to relevant standards in order to improve the competitiveness of industry domestically and globally.
These efforts are meant to aid in ensuring that our trade deficit is narrowed. Mr Speaker, unless we are able to tackle our trading relationships with foreign countries in such a way to be competitive, in such a way to be able to penetrate their markets and have access, and in such way to be able to continuously supply, uninterrupted product -- because the raw material base is there to continuously produce for export, our trading deficit would keep yawning wider and wider to our disadvantage.
Unless we tackle trade, especially our external trade relations and give seriousness to it, as I see in this Budget Statement, which is consolidating progress that has been made so far, I think that we are -- I do not want to use the word “doomed” but we would be very disadvantaged.
Mr Speaker, again, countries that have achieved middle- income status have also been known to slip and countries that have achieved middle -income status and have been able to enhance their fortunes, have done so also on the backs of services as well as on the backs of industry. Therefore, to see that the services sector is growing and industry is growing -- These are positive signs that we should consolidate on and work on to our advantage.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 a.m.
Hon Members, it is now the turn of Hon O. B. Amoah.
Is he not in the Chamber?
Is Hon Titus-Glover here?
Very well. It is your turn.
Mr Daniel N. K. Titus-Glover (NPP -- Tema East) 1:30 a.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the 2016 Budget Statement presented to us by the Hon Minister for Finance.
The NDC is good at themes. Years ago, we had a slogan called “I care for you”. They followed up with another one called “Better Ghana”. Mr Speaker, this year's Budget Statement is themed “Consolidating Progress towards a Brighter Medium- Term”.
From the streets of Cape Coast North in your own constituency, Mr Speaker, to Tema East Constituency, we are in the Christmas mood. One cannot even smell the aroma of Christmas. This is a serious matter we find ourselves in. Honestly, we are in difficult times and I think that we have not seen the Better Ghana” in the past seven years and the people of this country are the best judges to assess my Hon Colleagues opposite the aisle.
Mr Speaker, I would want to take Hon Colleagues through page 90 under paragraph 446 -- Performance of 2015 and outlook for 2016, under Trade Development Programme. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote:
“Mr Speaker, this programme seeks to create competitive advantage on a more diversified range of products with higher levels of value-addition and also to ensure Ghana's global competitiveness in terms of cost, price, quality, design and logistics management.”
Mr Speaker, these are beautiful phrases but if one has to evaluate the full meaning of this statement, then the issue about manufacturing comes into question. I am coming from a constituency which is the citadel of industrialisation in this country and the unfair competitiveness that local industries are going through in this country is unbearable.
I hold in my hands a petition that the Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism by chance had the opportunity to have a copy of which the Steel Manufacturing Association of Ghana sent to the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry.
I beg to quote, with your permission - - it is dated 18th September, 2015. I am sure Hon Ricketts-Hagan is watching me.
“Unfair Competition --
The local manufacturer is facing unfair competition against the imported finished product that is selling far cheaper on our market fore among others.”
Mr Speaker, if we would want to go by this arrangement, these are local steel industries that are contributing to revenue generation, firstly, at the port, when they import their raw materials. The local scraps they generate from the local market is taxable. The employees they employ are being taxed under “pay as you earn”, yet we have a concessional regime of 5 per cent, which is given to importers of steel.
These people are not getting the fair arrangement and what it takes for the local industry for them to grow.
Mr Speaker, it is also on record that when one goes to these steel industries, between 15,000 and 20,000 of manufac- tured steel products of various types are in their warehouses. They cannot compete with these --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Member, you have five more minutes.
Mr Titus-Glover 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me also take Hon Members through the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Business barometer third-quarter report for the year 2015.
It shows the top five challenges that affected business performance for the quarter under review.
1. Exchange rate volatility.
And we all know how the cedi is haemorrhaging in this country, making businesses to suffer.
2. It also talks about inadequate power supply.
Mr Speaker, if one comes to the industrial area in Tema, even in our homes, I am sorry that my Colleague, Hon Haruna Iddrisu is not here. At the time, he talked about “Adundum adundum begyae” to wit “Power outages will end”. What is the situation today?
Mr Speaker, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has plunged the country into total darkness -- [Hear!
Hear!] -- and for that matter, the manufacturing industries are seriously comatose. What are we talking about?
Today, the Volta River Authority (VRA) needs money to power their machines. It is good that the power barges are in. The money we are putting into the power barge, if we had put it into the VRA machines, at least, it could have generated energy more than the 250MW the power barge is bringing to us.
Mr Speaker, let us also talk about access to credit. The NDC Government is still competing with the private sector and our local banks, making the cost of borrowing so expensive. This is totally unacceptable. It is not bringing richness and the competitive levels of our local industries in the country.
Mr Speaker, I am a grandson of a fisherman, and a proud one, of course. In this budget, let me go through paragraph 420 of page 86 -- Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Programme, and I beg to quote:
“Mr Speaker, to enforce Fisheries Laws and Regulations to protect aquatic resources, 18 additional Vessels Monitoring Systems (VMS) were installed on industrial trawlers bringing the total to 97 in 2015”.
This is a very beautiful one. Mr Speaker, it is not about the enforcement of the Fisheries Law. I am not here to say that anybody who breaches the Fisheries Act, being a fisherman should not be punished. But in my opinion, the fishermen have a contract with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.
I have said, and I would want to repeat here again in this Chamber, that the World Bank money of US$53.8 million which was given to the Ministry to help develop the
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Member, you have two more minutes.
Mr Titus-Glover 1:40 p.m.
Then, they can direct the fishermen how they have to go on their fishing expeditions.
Mr Demordzi 1:40 p.m.
On a point of order.
I am at a bit lost to what my brother is saying, that since they have not completed a project in his constituency, they should not enforce the Fishery Law. I am a bit of worry. What is he saying?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
I do not understand you.
Mr Demordzi 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he is saying that, there is a project that is supposed to be undertaken in his constituency and because of that, the Fisheries Law of Ghana should not be enforced. Is that what he is saying? He should come again.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Member, was that what you were saying?
Mr Titus-Glover 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I made reference to the quotation, that I am the
last person to prevent the enforcement of the Fisheries Act. What I am drawing the House's attention to is that, it is a two- way affair. As much as we would want to enforce the Fisheries Law, whatever is expected for the Ministry, that the US$53.8 that was given by the World Bank to develop the Fisheries sub-sector, which includes the rehabilitation of the boatyard and the purchase of the research vessels, is what I am talking about. You do not arrest poor fishermen when you have failed in your duty. That is the angle I am coming from.
Mr Speaker, and on the premix fuel -- we are all from the coast and I am sure the premix fuel is a very important tool to all our fishermen. Recently, the Hon Minister came up with a new Board on the National Premix Committee because the information was that there was a lot of corruption as regards the premix fuel -- the distribution, allocation and even areas where we have ghost landing beach sites.
I think that for the past two or three weeks, when one comes to the canoe beach, we are not going to get some of these things that are happening --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up. Please, conclude.
Mr Titus-Glover 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is worrying --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Please, conclude.
Mr Titus-Glover 1:40 p.m.
At the helm of affairs of this country, the President, John Dramani Mahama --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Please, Hon Member, conclude. Otherwise, I will cut you off.
Mr Titus-Glover 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am winding-up.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
I have asked you to conclude.
Mr Titus-Glover 1:40 p.m.
Thank you very much.
He has disappointed us. This is because the indices or indicators in the manufacturing sector are so disappoin- ting and in my opinion, for us to stand our feet --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up.
Hon Members, is it now the turn of Hon Ashiaman?
Mr Daniel K. Ashiaman (NDC -- Buem) 1:50 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2016 Financial Year.
In doing so, I would like to start by looking at the theme which states that “Consolidating Progress towards a Brighter Medium Term”. Mr Speaker, since last week, I have listened to Hon Colleagues and their discourse about the Budget Statement that was read to the House with rapt attention and I came to realise that we would all agree that administration of a nation is about hydra- headed issues that need to be taken into consideration.
Looking at the communication sector of this country, where His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has really performed to ensure that we consolidate on the progress towards the medium-term has been a bit overlooked.
When we talk about the National Communications Authority (NCA), which is an agency under the Ministry of Communications and actually rolling out policies that the telecommunications
companies and other media institutions should abide by in this country, I believe it is a laudable idea. It was mentioned that, next, 2016, the Interconnect Clearing House (ICH) would be introduced into this country.
Mr Speaker, some of our Hon Members said, no, it is not good and that we should allow the telecommunications companies to handle this issue. This is where I come in with Hon Papa Owusu-Ankomah's statement he made last week, that we need, as of now, to take control of this nation or make sure that we do the right thing.
The ICH policy that is being brought in is to allow the Government to monitor the international calls that come into this country; hitherto, telecommunications companies are allowed to actually monitor this and tell the Government what is happening.
Mr Speaker, at this age, if the Government has allowed them from the beginning to take charge of this, we are saying that through His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, Ghana is growing and developing and for that matter, there should be an institution that would tell the President or the Government of this nation what is happening.
In so doing, none of the telecommu- nication companies should say that maybe, the Government is not allowing them.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Member, if the matter is before the court, then we should be very careful.
Mr Ashiaman 1:50 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
In any case, I am very much aware of that. I am not discussing the issues that are in court. I do not think, with all respect to the Hon Member, anybody has been asked to stay out of the Chamber today. So, if they are not here, it does not mean I cannot say what the Government is doing today.
Mr Speaker, all that I am trying to say is that, we as members of the Communications Committee are trying to handle this issue in a very cool headway to allow every Ghanaian that has a business in this country, to grow. We understand the growth of this nation --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon Member, you have five more minutes.
Mr Ashiaman 1:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the role of this nation is to support Ghanaians to grow businesses.
To move on, we would look at the Western Corridor Fibre Optic project that the Ministry of Communications would be rolling out next year to actually engulf the oil field sector, so that we would know what is actually happening over there. It would also extend to the western lands where we have agro and other natural mineral resources that are being exploited.
Mr Speaker, I believe this is a laudable idea from the Government. But having looked at the infrastructural programme development, we would also turn our attention to the capacity development and this is where the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence is coming in to train more youth.
This is because the data centre that is being established -- and the Ministry is saying that, in 2016, they are going to roll out 600 routes to actually take care of Ghanaians and private sector data in this country. Also, a similar thing is being done in Kumasi as a repository. That means that, should there be any problem here, the Kumasi centre would be able to give us the information.
Mr Speaker, in today's world, informations is the most paramount and vital thing in business transactions. So, if the Government is taking on these steps, I think it is the best thing for this nation.
Mr Speaker, also, the Ministry of Communications is looking at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) to train our brothers and sisters into the film industry to actually employ themselves or create businesses for themselves. So looking at that aspect too, I think it is good news for the Ghanaian youth.
Mr Speaker not that alone, we are looking at the meteorological Department, where we get information about rains and flights in this country. They are going to employ 50 workers and train them next year. I think this is very good for this nation and we must move in this way.
Mr Speaker, having talked about the Media and its virtues and vices, the National Communications Authority, together with the World Telecommunica- tion Organisation, are looking at ways that we can protect our children from being abused, using this internet services and to make laws that would help us groom our children well into internet business and not into, excuse me to use the word, pornographic materials.
Mr Speaker, I would like to say at this particular point, that we as Ghanaians and Members of Parliament should continue to give hope to this nation. What His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is doing today, is consolidating on our forward march to this nation's development.
Mr Speaker, today, we are not talking about the black roads that we see that are actually taking face in this city. We are no more talking about the water issues that are coming down because he is doing well in those sectors. We are talking about the health issues that he is trying to tackle. We only look at the figures and talk about them.
Mr Speaker, what I would like to say is that, theory is very good but the practicalities are very essential for this nation. If the roads that were constructed in the year 2000 to 2008 cost a lesser amount, that does not mean that that would be the same today.
Mr Speaker, if we talk about transforma- tional leadership, we are talking about His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. He has moved from the concrete overhead bridges to give us the aluminium overhead bridges and he is doing that at a faster rate. That is what should tell us, that he is moving from one step, which is seen to be archaic and getting to the better side of it.
Mr Speaker, what more can we say for His Excellency John Dramani Mahama? I would like to tell all our brothers and sisters that Christmas is coming. Most of us, excuse me to say, maybe we have not gone to our rural areas to see the new things that are coming. Go there and see them and when we come back in the year 2016, come and tell us the good news of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama.
Mr Speaker, not that alone, the eastern corridor road that has been put in this budget is going to help trade in this nation for our brothers in the northern sector of Ghana to transport goods. If we talk of industrialisation, are we talking about location of industry and location of businesses and what they could do? Are we going to concentrate our industries in the big towns?
This is the reason His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is moving his road networks to the rural areas for the people over there to take charge of their own private entrepreneurship, so that this nation would move forward.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Members, having regard to the nature of business, I direct that Sitting goes beyond the stipulated time.
It is now the turn of Hon O. B. Amoah.
Mr Osei B. Amoah (NPP -- Akwapim South) 1:50 p.m.
Thank your Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the floor.
Mr Speaker, this last Budget Statement of the two-term Administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has the theme: “Consolidating Progress towards a Brighter Medium Term”. But
Mr Osei B. Amoah (NPP -- Akwapim South) 1:50 p.m.
for the Local Government sector, I can say with confidence, that there is little progress and that there is nothing bright to be consolidated.
Mr Speaker, indeed, as my Hon Colleague said, it is a sector that is characterised by retrogression and stagnation.
Indeed, Mr Speaker, looking at the sector, it is obvious that the 2016 Budget Statement does not offer major solutions to the challenging situation in that sector regarding weak decentralisation, poor waste management services and practices, congested and dirty urban centres, flood prone communities, poorly managed Assemblies, poverty and its associated deaths.
Indeed, Mr Speaker, to start with, the management and utilisation of the District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) -- The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), in recent years, have been characterised by lack of effective monitoring, deficiencies and weaknesses in internal controls and in their operations.
Reports of the Auditor-General for the past years indicate that there are several irregularities associated with the management and utilisation of the DACF. These reports indicate misappropriation of funds, unaccounted value books, failure to recover Assembly funds, unearned salary payments, procurement irregularities and statutory tax irregu- larities.
Mr Speaker, the Auditor-General, in one of his reports, had this to say and it is very instructive. With your permission, I would beg to quote. He complained that:

“However, I wish to reluctantly conclude that increased and widespread instances of malfeasance and mismanagement of finances and resources of Assemblies by public officials as portrayed in my current report under review may be indicative that the Ministry has not significantly implemented the admonishing and recommendations in my previous reports.”

If he wants the source, he should kindly get up and ask me of the source, and I would tell him that the devil is in the detail.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, is it on a point of order?
Mr Agbesi 2 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought my Hon Colleague would have been generous enough just to say it, but he is saying that I should see him in chambers. What is the source? We are interested.
Mr O. B. Amoah 2 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I said it was in the Auditor-General's Report. The devil is in the detail. I have the latest Report here -- 2014 ending 31st December and the Report is here. Every Hon Member of this House has a copy of this
Report. [Interruption] -- I said it was in the Report of the Auditor-General on the Management and Utilisation of the DACF and other Statutory Funds --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon Member, can you make reference to the page you are quoting from?
Mr O. B. Amoah 2 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would refer our Hon Member to pages 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Report. He has a copy; it was laid in this House.
Mr Speaker, apart from the fact that our MMDAs are not being run well, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development appears to be retrogressing, given the fact that for all these years, we depend on donors to fund our programmes and when they do not bring the funds, we are stuck. I can give examples, Mr Speaker.
For instance, if you look at our sanitation situation, between 2014 and 2015, for environmental sanitation, we allocated 31 per cent in 2014 and reduced it to 18 per cent in 2015. For 2016, the figures are even far lower. For sanitation and waste management, it went down from 17 per cent to 2.8 per cent. For environmental health and sanitation, it went down from 1.03 per cent in 2014 to 0.38 per cent in 2015 and in 2016, it is no better.
Indeed, as I said, if one looks at the figures, for 2014, the Ministry was donor driven to the extent that 65 per cent of the Budget Statement was to be supported by the Ministry. In 2015, it went to almost 84 per cent. This is a Ministry that has been tasked to ensure that there is good local governance and rural development.
Now, if we come to policies, Mr Speaker, we are told that the Ministry would initiate a comprehensive rural development policy to guide the overall development of rural
communities. This statement in the 2016 Budget Statement is a repetition of the statement in 2015. As we speak, there is no comprehensive rural development policy to guide overall development of our communities. It is just a repetition of what was said in 2015. But in the whole of 2015, we did not see any comprehensive policy towards rural development. It is just a repetition of what was said in 2015.
What the Ministry is rather doing is to look for money to fund some projects and this cannot be rural development as far as the mandate of the Ministry is concerned.
Now, the Ministry is also talking about a national urban development policy. The 2016 Budget Statement does not address the challenges confronting urbanisation in Ghana. No or little funding is earmarked to deal with it.
One, over concentration of growth and development of our cities; two, urban poverty, slums and squatter settlements; three, increasing environmental deterioration; four, inadequate urban infrastructure and services; five, lack of urban safety and security; and six, congestion and degradation.
No wonder, Mr Speaker, that we keep on saying that when it comes to sanitation, Ghana is ranked so low to the extent that in the whole world, we are seventh and in Africa, we are the second dirtiest. This is simply because all the policies that this Government has put on paper have failed; they are not working and we are just pursuing ad hoc measures, to the extent that we were in this country when in 2012, before elections, there was so much funfair --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Member, you have 10 more minutes.
Mr Speaker, it goes on to say 2:10 p.m.
“The process include contract amendment and scope privitisation by the contract CONTi, correspondence
with EXIM Bank, call for priority letter, review of amended contracts…”
So, all these things have not been done for the past four years and we are saying that we have brought GH¢633 million into this country to take care of sewage and sanitation projects? Indeed Mr Speaker, this sums up how we are treating the local government sector.
We can go on. Even the little things -- Mr Speaker, the little simple things that you would expect the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to do, they are not able to do them.
Take a simple thing like bir th registration. Since this Government came in 2009, there has been stagnation. Between 2005 and 2008, it moved from 30 per cent to 70 per cent. The registration of children is a right. It moved from 30 per cent to 70 per cent. Since 2009, it has stagnated.
Indeed, it has come to 60 per cent. In some districts, it is 25 per cent. If we are not able to do simple things like these, how do we say we are running local government in this country?
It is interesting enough Mr Speaker, to see in the 2016 Budget Statement that the Births and Deaths Registry is ready to look at the backlog of birth registration since 1912. I cannot understand that this simple thing, they are now telling us that they are looking at the backlog since 1912.
Meanwhile, all the international reports are saying that Ghana is stagnant. This is a copy of the report -- [Raises the report] -- Every Hon Member of this House has a copy. The devil is in the detail. Simple things like these, we cannot do, Mr Speaker, how much more major things as far as local governance is concerned. That is how we are ranked lowest in everything under local governance.
It is a shame and an embarrassment to this country, that we pump in so much money from sectors, donor communities, donor communities, DACF et cetera, but simple things --
Our children are dying because of simple things like sanitation, health, cholera, malaria and other diseases. Ghana is second only to Nigeria. Mr Speaker, you can imagine that if the Hon Deputy stands here to say that there is so much going on in the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry, I do not know which Ministry he is running. This is because, the devil is in the detail as I said.
All the reports including this year's Budget Statement show that when it comes to local governance, there is stagnation and retrogression. We have failed; we have not been able to do it. If we cannot do it, the best thing, Mr Speaker, is to move away for others to come and do it.
Indeed, Mr Speaker, we are told that there is a draft Local Government Finance Bill, which was completed in 2008. It has still not been reviewed and laid before Parliament. This is a Bill which seeks to provide a comprehensive law to guide Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to raise private capital, enter into partnership for joint ventures and then mobilise other financial resources.
Since 2009, we are told that this draft Bill is being reviewed and studied. As we speak, the draft Bill is not in this House; it is not before Parliament. What is the Ministry waiting for? Are we really serious about running local government in this country?
Now, they are telling us in the 2016 Budget Statement that there is a draft Local Government Lending Agency Bill, which is ready for consultation. I am sure, Mr Speaker, with all due respect, that this Bill will also suffer the same fate as a Local Government and Rural Development Finance Bill.
All in all, Mr Speaker, I am saying that when it comes to things that should be run in the Ministry, we are still retrogressing and stagnating.
Let us take this transfer into the DACF. In accordance with Act 455, the allocations made by Parliament and paid quarterly as instalments into the DACF.
According to the Auditor-General, the Assemblies have been denied access to funds for their developmental activities due to the delays by the Ministry of Finance. For instance, by 2014, a total of GH¢1 billion had accrued to the Fund. Since 2014, the amount of GH¢1.5 billion payable has not been fully paid. There is an amount of GH¢735 million still unpaid.
The payment schedule for the arrears has not been fulfilled to enable the Assemblies have access to needed funds.
Mr Agbesi 2:10 p.m.
On a point of order.
Mr O. B. Amoah 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, every Hon Member of this House knows the situation. I do not need to belabour the point. [Interruption.]
Mr Nitiwul 2:10 p.m.
On a point of order.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Majority Leader knows that what he said cannot be the truth. We have DACF for the fourth quarter of 2014 outstanding.
In fact, in 2015, the Hon Minister had to come through the Budget Statement to say that we should allow him to pay off the third and fourth quarters in tranches. We also have the third quarter DACF of this year, 2016, even though we are in the fourth quarter -- outstanding.
Mr Speaker, as it stands today, every Hon Member of Parliament receives a copy of the transactions that are sent to the districts. There is no district in Ghana which has received its share of the third quarter of DACF. Neither has any Hon Member of Parliament receive notification that they have received that. Not at all, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, can you respond?
Mr Forson 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not correct that the Ministry of Finance has not discharged its obligation to the DACF for the third quarter.
Mr Speaker, I can confirm here that we have discharged our obligation to the

Mr Speaker, the fact that Hon Members have not received notification from the DACF, cannot be seen as if the Ministry of Finance has not paid DACF -- [An Hon Member: In fact, mine is in my accounts.] -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Order! Order!
Mr Nitiwul 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member knows that there is a huge difference between a release letter from his Ministry and payment. Sometimes, they release the money and for about one month or two months, they have not paid.
Mr Speaker, for Social Innovation Fund (SIFs), release letters were signed as far back as March, 2015. It was only last week that they paid Hon Members of Parliament. For six months, the Ministry said they had released the money, but it was never paid.
Mr Speaker, I stand on authority to say that they may have written that they have released the money, but the Common Fund Administrator has not received the money and he has not transferred it to the districts. So, it is outstanding. The money has not been released. The Hon Member should find out whether there is money in the account; it is not true.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, we need to overstretch this issue. I will prefer that the Hon Member be allowed to proceed with his submissions. Otherwise, it will be eating too much into the time allotted him.
Please, proceed.
Mr O. B. Amoah 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought you stopped my time as the March Commissioner.
Mr Speaker, I would want to touch briefly on an issue which I rose earlier in the day, which is the School Feeding Programme.
Mr Speaker, if you look at page 762 of the budget, we are told that Government has placed the School Feeding Programme under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. According to the Ministry, a National School Feeding Policy --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, I am giving you two more minutes. Your time has passed but I am giving you two more minutes.
Mr O. B. Amoah 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful.
A National School Feeding Policy has been submitted to Cabinet for considera- tion. We do not have any report regarding 2015. We are told that the Programme is currently providing one hot and adequately nutritious meal to 1.69 million pupils in 4,881 schools. The claim is not accurate, Mr Speaker. It is very inaccurate.
We are told that in 2016, the School Feeding Programme would be expanded to cover three million pupils nationwide. This claim, Mr Speaker, cannot be met. It is unachievable, given the haphazard manner the Programme has been run and handled. We owe caterers; we do not have money to even run the Programme.
What is interesting, Mr Speaker, is that, for the past three years -- If you add 2016, it is four years. We are always told that there is a National School
Feeding Policy in the offing. It is in the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 budgets under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. So, when is the National School Feeding Policy coming for us to know what this Government is doing about school feeding?
Mr Speaker, unfortunately, we have been given the impression that it is just for the records. It is just a repetition of what should be the situation every year. As I said, it is even interesting that if you look at 2014, we were supposed to have fed more children in fewer schools than in 2015. The figures do not add up.
This morning, the Minister for Finance gave us the impression that, the School Feeding Programme is still under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is only overseeing and paying --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up.
Mr O. B. Amoah 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with all due respect, if you look at the budget for this year, school feeding is not under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. It is under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. So, what is the Hon Minister telling us?
The Hon Deputy Minister is here; he is still emphasising that but the records show-
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Very well. Hon Member, we thank you for your contribution.
Mr O. B. Amoah 2:20 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity [Hear! Hear!]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Members, the last contribution will come from Hon Bright Kodzo Demordzi, Member for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro.
Mr Demordzi 2:20 p.m.
The Speaker.
Some Hon Members 2:20 p.m.
Who should go back?
Mr Demordzi 2:20 p.m.
We -- [Interruption]
Mr Speaker, with your kind permission, page 86, paragraph 420 of the budget reads 2:20 p.m.
“Mr Speaker, to enforce Fisheries Laws and Regulations to protect aquatic resources, 18 additional Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) were installed on industrial trawlers bringing the total to 97 in 2015”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, you have five more minutes.
Mr Demordzi 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is to ensure that the fisheries regulations and the laws of this country are enforced. As a result, Government is investing a lot of resources to ensure that we monitor all the activities in our marine.
Mr Speaker, I would want to move to the crop sector, which is very important. Mr Speaker, despite the traumatic difficulties of poor weather conditions with regard to rainfall, this Government has not put in any austerity measures compared to 2007 where we had to reduce taxes to bring in rice.
That is how come today we are suffering huge importation of rice in this country. In 2007, huge reduction of tax in the importation of rice -- that is how come we find ourselves in the situation today.
Mr Speaker, there are three major processes in agriculture production. If you would want to watch whether Government is doing very well in the area of agriculture production, then you would need to monitor the whole chain.

Mr Speaker, already, 63 of Agricultural Mechanisation Services Enterprise Contres (AMSECs) have been established in this country. We are bringing in additional 500 tractors to support land preparation.

Mr Speaker, not only that. Tractors have been brought into this country to support rice farmers.

Mr Speaker, this is the reality; and if one is a cocoa farmer, one would know. A friend of mine, who is an Hon Member of Parliament here, called me this morning and told me that he had received his free fertiliser in his village, Manso Adubia. This is what we are doing to improve the cocoa sector.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr I. K. Asiamah 2:20 p.m.
On a point of order.
Mr Speaker, in spite of all the wonderful things that he is saying, agriculture recorded only 0.4 per cent growth. So, where is the investment going? The huge investment we are pumping into the sector, where is it going? Or are they landing in some people's pockets? We should know.
This is because it has not reflected, we do not have the impact and it is not being felt. Hon Colleague, where is the investment going? Let us know. This is because it has not reflected in the output. We have recorded just below one per cent and he is happy. What is it?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Very well.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Demordzi 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, clearly, my Hon Colleague is not listening. This is because in my first statement, I said it was because of the bad climatic conditions. I said it. So, he should listen. Despite the bad climatic conditions, we have not gone
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Mr Nitiwul 2:20 p.m.
On a point of order.
Mr Speaker, is it not an indictment on his own Government? In 2009, seven years ago, this Government brought a programme for us to have irrigation in the Accra Plains, Northern Region, Western Region and the Eastern Region. In fact, we even approved the loan and now, he is still talking about bad weather conditions?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Member --
Mr Nitiwul 2:20 p.m.
Please, the Hon Member should use another excuse --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, please, proceed. You have one more minute to go.
Mr Nitiwul 2:20 p.m.
But Mr Speaker, he should use another excuse. This is because last year, the Ghana Meteorological Agency told us --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, your point is well made. You are looking at different sides of the same coin.
Mr Nitiwul 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is not my point. My point is that, last year, the Ghana Meteorological Agency told us that, that was the highest rain pattern we have had in a long time. [Interruption.] It was never true. The Ghana Meteo- rological Agency told us that the highest rain pattern for a long time was last year. Maybe, he is talking about this year, but we are not talking about this year.
In the years 2014 and 2015, from the Ghana Meteorological Agency, that was the highest rain pattern we have --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, you know that we are debating the 2016 Budget, yet we are looking at 2015, entering into 2016?
Yes, Hon Member, please, proceed. You have one more minute.
Mr Demordzi 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minority Leader is confused. But frankly speaking, if we are talking about cocoa, I do not know where he has ever seen cocoa under irrigation.
But I can refer him to the same document that, in 2015, we have finished with feasibility studies on about 120,000 hectares of Pwalugu Irrigation Project. So, he should go back to the budget and check. Everything is being done to implement that project.
Mr Speaker --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
All right. Thank you very much.
Hon Member, your time is up.
Hon Members, this brings us to end of the debate for today on the Financial Statement. Tomorrow, we will continue.
Hon Members, I believe that it is about time we adjourned proceedings till tomorrow at 10.00 o'clock in the forenoon.
Thank you very much.
ADJOURNMENT 2:20 p.m.