Debates of 14 Dec 2018

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:16 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:16 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:16 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 13th December, 2018.
Mr Speaker 10:16 a.m.
Hon Members, the Business Statement, that is item numbered 3, would be taken tomorrow.
Item numbered 4, Questions.
Is the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways available?
Mr Moses Anim 10:16 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways is on his way, but until he comes, if we could take the item numbered 6 which is Presentation of Papers.
Mr Speaker 10:16 a.m.
Hon Member, I am sorry, but I did say that the Business Statement would be taken tomorrow.
Mr Anim 10:16 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is in the Chamber, so we could take the item numbered 4.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10:16 a.m.
MINISTRY OF ROADS AND 10:16 a.m.
HIGHWAYS 10:16 a.m.
Mr Ernest Henry Norgbey 10:16 a.m.
Mr Speaker, this Question has repeated itself for the third time. I do not know the reason for that, but in order not to waste much time, I would just want the Hon Minister to again, give me some assurance that the bridge would be completed on time.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Speaker 10:16 a.m.
Hon Minister, the Hon Member admits that this Question has apparently been taken, but he just wants an assurance as to how soon the bridge would be completed.
So if you could give us a quick assurance, then we would move on. Simply tell us by way of how soon you think the under bridge would be completed?
rose
Mr Speaker 10:16 a.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Mr Avedzi 10:16 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sorry to take you to Question numbered 516. Hon Agbodza has asked --
Mr Speaker 10:16 a.m.
We have moved beyond that, but we would come to it. Now the Hon Minister's attention has been drawn
to Question 517. Let him finish with that and we shall move to Question numbered
516.
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah) 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the concluding paragraph of the Answer to that Question coincides with the future programme. It states and I beg to quote:
‘‘The completion of the project depends on the Employer's ability to pay for outstanding Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) due the contractor''.
This is because the body of the Answer indicated that work on the road has slowed down because the employer owes the contractor.
Mr Speaker, the assurance I can give is that, the Government is making every effort to pay outstanding bills to all contractors nationwide.
As I speak on the Floor, at 2:00 p.m. today, we are meeting all contractors at Swiss Spirit, Alisa Hotel because an arrangement has been made to effect payment to all contractors under a special arrangement.
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Minister, can you give us any idea in terms of time?
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in terms of time, from the first quarter next
year, we are making efforts to send all contractors back to work.
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Members, we go back to Question 516 as the Hon Deputy Minority Leader had indicated earlier.
Question 516 stands in the name of the Hon Member for Adaklu.
Mrs Della Sowah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways --
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Della Sowah, are you the Hon Member for Adaklu?
Mrs Sowah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to say that he asked me to --
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
I know you are not. You would have to tell me something before you proceed.
Mrs Sowah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
The Hon Member for Adaklu has asked me to ask the Question on his behalf. If you would permit me, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Member, you may ask the Question.
Mrs Sowah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Road Construction Projects Awarded Since January 7, 2017 to date
516. Mrs Della Sowah: (on behalf of Mr Kwame Govers Agbodza asked the Minister for Roads and Highways how many road projects have been awarded for construction since January 7, 2017 to date.
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Member, is it for the whole country? The Question is very global.
Hon Minister?
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
Background
The Ministry of Roads and Highways is responsible for the activities of three (3) Implementing Agencies namely, Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) and the Department of Urban Roads (DUR), that are in charge
of the administration, development and maintenance of trunk, feeder and urban roads respectively.
These agencies are responsible for the preparation, procurement and supervision of trunk, feeder and urban road projects respectively. Since 7th January, 2017, a number of road and bridge projects have been awarded by these Agencies as follows:
SPACE FOR TABLE - PAGE 2 - 1026 A.M.
The information provided shows that a total of 258 roads and 20 bridge projects have been awarded at an estimated contract cost of GH¢6.59 billion.
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Minister, I thank you very much for this comprehensive Answer.
Hon Member, I am sure you are satisfied?
Mrs Sowah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have some follow up questions, please.
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
You may proceed.
Mrs Sowah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to know what percentage of these awarded contracts have started?
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Minister, what percentage of these contracts have actually gone beyond the mere giving of contracts and have started?
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, that did not form part of the Question. But what I can say in response is that, once a project is awarded, it requires between a month and three months, depending upon the nature of the contract -- its complexity -- for the contractor to mobilise to go to site and work.
So I do not want to assume any percentage. But I can tell the Hon Member that a higher percentage of this road projects has started in terms of numbers. This is because I know that a number of the contractors have mobilised and moved to site.
Mr Speaker, if she wants in terms of percentage, I can confidently put it around 80 per cent to 85 per cent.
I thank you.
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
Hon Member, in other words, if you would want any further particulars, since it takes time -- between one and three months to actually mobilise -- then you may ask specifically for those so that the figures would be worked on as to what stages they have reached.
Hon Member, any further question?
Mrs Sowah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the Hon Minister if any of these roads he listed have been completed?
Mr Speaker 10:26 a.m.
I understand that to mean the total number of roads; 258 awarded projects, 3,075.84 kilometres, GH¢6,590,368,523.21. Have any of these roads and bridges been completed?
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:26 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I should say yes, because different roads have different completion dates spanning from 6 months, 12 months to 24 months. So it depends upon the nature of the road. I can assure the Hon Member that a number of roads across the nation have been completed.
I thank you.
Mr Thomas N. Ampem 10:36 a.m.
I am grateful, Mr Speaker.
Following from the Answer the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways just gave, I would want to find out if he could give us one road that he knows has been completed.
Mr Speaker 10:36 a.m.
Hon Minister, a number of roads have been completed. Could you tell us of one of them?
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:36 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if they want to know the roads that have been completed, they could come back with a Question and I would provide that number of roads -- [Uproar.]
Mr Speaker 10:36 a.m.
Hon Members, the Question says, how many road projects have been awarded? If you want to know about the continuation processes, please, ask a Question.
If there is any more -- [Interruption.] -- and no shaking of heads on this, for the simple reason that it is a completely different thing to ask about how many contracts have been awarded and then the civil servant would tell you. It is a different thing to ask about what stages the various contracts have reached. That could be computed.
So Hon Members, let us not assume that --

If there is any further question, you may ask.
Mr R. Acheampong 10:36 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
I thank the Hon Minister for giving us this information that 258 roads have been awarded.
I would just want to find out from the Hon Minister if the existing contracts of roads which were abandoned have been recaptured among the 258 that he has mentioned in his Answer?
Mr Speaker 10:36 a.m.
Hon Minister, do the 258 roads mentioned include those now described as abandoned projects?
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:36 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want my Hon Colleague to know that the Question was specific. The Question wanted me to inform this Honourable House of the number of road contracts that have been awarded since January 7, 2017.
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 10:36 a.m.
I am most grateful, Mr Speaker.
I would want to find out from the Hon Minister, if this House could be furnished, probably at a later date, with the breakdown of the specific projects so that we could all help monitor these projects as Hon Members of Parliament. I ask this because he has only given us the bulk figure of 258.
Could we know the specific roads?
Mr Speaker 10:36 a.m.
Hon Member, you may ask a substantive Question on that.
Question numbered 518 in the name of the Hon Member for Asawase?
Dr Clement Apaak 10:36 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to seek your leave to ask the Question on behalf of the Hon Member of Parliament for Asawase.
Mr Speaker 10:36 a.m.
Hon Member, you may proceed.
Completion of Kumasi Roads and Aboabo
Drain Extension Project 518. Dr Clement A. Apaak (on behalf
of Alhaji Muhammed-Mubarak Mun- taka): asked the Minister for Roads and Highways when works on the Kumasi roads and Aboabo drain extension
project, financed by the €37,500,000 facility between Ghana and AFD, will be completed to bring relief to the people of Kumasi.
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:36 a.m.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Background
The road in question starts from Ahinsan through Atonsu to Chirapatre which are communities within the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region. As part of its objectives to improve the road network in the Metropolis and its environs, the DUR has embarked on the following activities:
i. extension of the dualisation of the Lake road (2.0km);
ii. reconstruction of the Lake Road Bridge across the Sussan river linking Ahinsan and Atonsu Agogo;
iii. extension of the Aboabo storm drain by 2km (concrete lining of the Sussan river; and
iv. development of a Terminal at Chirapatre to accommodate the transport operators at Atonsu.
Current programme
The contract for the Construction of Lake Road Extension, Sussan River Drain Extension and Bridges is part of the project titled “Kumasi Road and Drainage Extension Project (KRDEP)” and was signed on 1st August, 2018 for completion within 24 calendar months, that is, not later than 1st August, 2020.
The Aboabo stream connects the Sussan river which then flows about 100 metres before crossing the Lake road at Atonsu.
The Contractor has mobilised to site, and construction of site camp and other auxiliary works are ongoing, thereafter, actual works will commence. The project is funded from the Agence Française De Dévelopement (AFD).
Mr Speaker 10:36 a.m.
Yes, any further questions?
Dr Apaak 10:36 a.m.
Mr Speaker, looking at the written response as read to us by the Hon Minister, he indicates that the project is to be completed not later than 1st August,
2020.
I would want to ask the Hon Minister the measures he has put in place to ensure that this timeline is met given the history we have in relation to the delay in projects of this nature.
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:36 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is true that for the past eight to nine years, projects of this nature have not commenced and progressed successively, but the current Government has put all measures in place and my Ministry is monitoring every single road project because we have engineers and consultants who are supervising every ongoing single project in this country.
Mr Speaker, so we would make sure that the timelines are met. I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Dr Apaak 10:46 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I appreciate the Hon Minister's response.
Mr Speaker, is he prepared to bear the brunt of the inability of this project to be completed within the specified time?
Mr Speaker 10:46 a.m.
Is he prepared to -- ?
Dr Apaak 10:46 a.m.
Would he take personal responsibility should the assurance he has given not be met?
Mr Speaker 10:46 a.m.
Hon Member, that is a wrong question; you may ask another question.
Dr Apaak 10:46 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to ask the Hon Minister what he would expect the outcome to be should the dates not be met?
Mr Speaker 10:46 a.m.
Wrong question; it is speculative. This is purely speculative; to answer this question, you would have to look into a crystal glass. [Laughter.]
Dr Apaak 10:46 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you; that would be sufficient.
Mr Speaker 10:46 a.m.
You would end here; thank you very much.
Question 519 in the name of the Hon Member for Amenfi West?
Completion of Asankrangwa - Agona Amenfi - Ahyiam Road
519. Mr Eric Afful: asked the Minister for Roads and Highways when the Asankrangwa - Agona Amenfi - Ahyiam road would be completed.
Mr Speaker 10:46 a.m.
Hon Minister, your Question.
Mr Amaoko-Attah 10:46 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
Background
The road linking Asankrangwa to Sefwi Bekwai divides into two at Djaboase; one through Ashiem (Ahyiam) to Sefwi Bekwai and the other through Humgyebre to Sefwi Bekwai. The road is located in the Amenfi West and Bibiani - Anwiaso- Sefwi Bekwai Districts of the Western Region.
Mr Speaker 10:46 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
Hon Member, could we move forward?
Question 520, also stands in the name of the Hon Member for Amenfi West.
Resealing of Road between Bawdie and Asankrangwa
520. Mr Eric Afful: asked the Minister for Roads and Highways what plans the Ministry had to reseal the road between Bawdie and Asankrangwa, which is in a bad state.
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:46 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
Background
The Bawdie - Asankrangwa road is Route R123 of length 52km. It connects the Wassa Amenfi West, Wassa Amenfi East and Wassa Amenfi Central Districts of the Western Region.
The road has a bituminous surface in fair to poor condition.
Current rogramme
There are two on-going projects, namely (a) Resealing of Bawdie - Asankrangwa Road (km 0-5) and (b) Resealing of Bawdie - Asankrangwa Road (km 5-10). They are financed from the Ghana Road Fund.
a. Resealing of Bawdie - Asankrangwa Road (km 0-5)
This project commenced on 1st December, 2016 and was scheduled for
completion on 30th September, 2017. The current progress of work is projected at 45.0 per cent physical completion.
b. Resealing of Bawdie - Asankrangwa Road (km 5 - 10)
This project commenced on 1st December, 2016 and was scheduled for completion on 30th September, 2017. The current progress of work is projected at 30.0 per cent physical completion.
The two projects have stalled due to the Employer's undue delay in honouring the payment for the work done.
Future programme
The resumption and completion of the projects will depend on the ability of the Employer to pay for the work done.
The remaining 42km has been programmed for the 2019 resealing works which will include reconstruction of the road pavement at sections that had failed and are beyond resealing. Thereafter, the bituminous surface will be restored at such sections.
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member?
Mr E. Afful 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if I may quote from the Hon Minister's Answer:
“The resumption and completion of the projects will depend on the ability of the Employer to pay for the work done.”
Mr Speaker, who is the “Employer”? It is the Government, so when would Government pay the contractor to complete the project?
Bekwai feeder road (53.20 km) was awarded on 11th August, 2016. This contract was programmed for upgrading of the road from Asankrangwa through Agona Amenfi to Humgyebre Junction which is 53.20km.
The contract commenced on 1st September, 2016 to be completed on 1st September, 2020.
Activities completed to date include:
-- Clearing: CH 0+000 - 53+200
-- Culverts: 60 No. completed
-- Conc. U-drains: 3800 m
-- Formation: CH 0+000 - 21+500
-- Gravel Sub-base: CH 0+000 - 21+500
Progress of work to date stands at 35 per cent physical completion and works are currently on-going. The contract is being funded by the Road Fund.
Future programme
The road from Djaboase to Ahyiam which branch off the on-going project road on the Left Hand Side (LHS) from Asankrangwa is 6.0km. It is in poor surface condition. Engineering design studies will be conducted on the road during the second quarter of 2019 for consideration when funds become available.
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
Is there any further question?
Mr E. Afful 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am very grateful to the Hon Minister for giving the background of this road by spelling out
that the road was given to the contractor on 11th August, 2016, and it would be completed by the year 2020.
Mr Speaker, two years are gone and the road is 35 per cent complete. What is the assurance that the road would be completed by the year 2020 as promised?
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
Hon Minister, your assurance.
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to inform my Hon Colleague, and I believe he could testify, that the contractor, as we speak now, is on site. What we have to do as the Government and an employer is to make sure that we effect payment periodically to enable the contractor to work.
That would be done because it is programmed as part of the overall
Mr Amoako-Attah 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is
true that the Employer is Government and every programme is being put in place to ensure that all inherited contracts are paid for to ensure their completion.
I believe that I have said on this Floor just a short while ago, that Government has put together a programme and because of that we would meet all contractors this afternoon at Alisa Hotel to see how we could make all outstanding payments good for work to resume.
There are a number of road works that were abandoned before the end of the year 2016 and we are making plans to work on all such projects, and this was one of them.
Mr Speaker, I would want to assure the Hon Member, that Government is making plans to bring contractors back to site to continue with all abandoned road works.
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
Hon Minister, thank you. Hon Member, does it exhaust your Questions that are constituency specific?
Mr E. Afful 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you. I think that for now, I am all right. [Interruption.]
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
Hon Minister, border sharing does not stop a thing from being constituency specific. We thank you very much for attending to the House and answering our Questions, especially, for your timeous appearance.
Hon Members, we have a lot of work on our hands and we would want to move with dispatch.
At the Commencement of Public Business -- Item numbered 6(a)(i), by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
Mr Anim 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I seek your leave for us to start from the item numbered 6(o). -- “o” for Olympics, as in Olidade. Laughter.]
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
“O” for Olimpics?
PAPERS 10:56 a.m.
Mr Anim 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we could now take item numbered 6(a)(i), (ii) and (iii).
By the Chairman of the Committee --
(i) Report of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
Mr Anim 10:56 a.m.
we can take 6(b) (ii).
(ii) Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Ghana Revenue Authority for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
Mr Anim 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, take item numbered 6 (b) (iii)
(iii) Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Budget Estimates of the Government Machinery for the year ending 31st December,
2019.
Mr Anim 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we may have to vary the Order of Business and then go to the Motion numbered 7.
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
Motion numbered 7 on page 6, -- by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
[Interruption] --
Hon Chairman, are you ready?
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 10:56 a.m.
[Inaudible] --
Mr Speaker 10:56 a.m.
Are the Reports being distributed? Very well. We shall step it down for a moment. Next? The Reports are being made available, could you -- ?
Mr Anim 10:56 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I humbly seek your leave to request suspension for an hour, hopefully, after which the Reports would be ready and we could take them.
[Pause] --
Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
Hon Second Deputy Majority Chief Whip, could we take item numbered 41 to maximise the usage of time? I am not inclined to suspend the House.
Hon Members, item numbered 41 -- Right to Information Bill, 2018 - at the Consideration Stage.
Mr Anim 11:06 a.m.
Mr Speaker, very well.
Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
The Hon First Deputy Speaker would get ready to take the Chair.
BILLS -- CONSIDERATION STAGE 11:06 a.m.
  • [Continuation of debate from 13/12/ 18]
    • Mr James K. Avedzi 11:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have the Hon Chairman of the Committee here, but we do not have the Hon Ranking Member in the House.
    So I do not know how we could take the Right to Information Bill, 2018, in the absence of the Hon Ranking Member because they have been following the trend of discussion.
    Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
    Hon Member, let us make progress. If any difficulty arises and it requires the presence of the Hon Ranking Member, then we would advise ourselves. Hon Chairman, please proceed.
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr Ben Abdallah Banda) 11:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45 subclause (2), paragraph (a), line 1, delete “or” and in line 2, after “mediation” insert “or arbitration”.
    Mr Speaker, the new rendition would read 11:06 a.m.
    “The Commission may
    (a) resolve complaints through negotiation, conciliation, media- tion or arbitration;”
    Mr Speaker, so we are only seeking to add “or arbitration” because in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, we have negotiation, conciliation, mediation and arbitration. Mr Speaker, arbitration had been omitted in the original rendition of the provision, so we want to include arbitration.
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the headnote of clause 45 reads “Powers of the Commission”. The Hon Chairman seeks to add:
    “The Commission may determine the nature, process and under- taking necessary for the effective

    performance of its functions under this Act.”

    Mr Speaker, I would seek your leave that we open the very first line of 45(1) with “The Commission shall have the power to determine the nature, process ...” Then once we vest power in them, the rest could follow.

    Other than that clause 45(2) would not belong there because it says “The Commission may resolve complaints through negotiation, conciliation or mediation.” Mr Speaker that is a function and not a power. It qualifies as a function that they could resolve complaints through negotiation, conciliation or mediation.

    Mr Speaker, or the Hon Chairman would have to say that the Commission shall have the power to resolve complaints through negotiation, conciliation, mediation or arbitration. If so, then we could agree with him.

    Mr Speaker, this would be my suggestion to improve the clause because the headnote is a summary of the thought of clause 45(1). The Commission has not been given the power, although the headnote says “Powers of the Commission”.

    So we should say the Commission shall have the power to determine the nature, process and undertaking necessary for the effective performance of its functions under this Act.”

    Mr Speaker, so I beg to seek your leave to move a further amendment since this was not advertised and also indulge the Hon Chairman to accept it. Mr Speaker, if the Hon Chairman wants to add just “arbitration” to what is there, then he has

    not vested the power in the Commission. So he should first vest the power in them, that the Commission shall have that power and then we would have no problem if he adds the “arbitration”.

    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
    So first of all, the power of resolution to handle matters and then the examples of the methodology so that it would become holistic. Hon Chairman, I hope you get the idea?
    Mr Banda 11:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I quite understand what the Hon Minority Leader is saying except that I thought that he would wait for me to deal with all the proposed amendments captured under clause 45, thereafter, he could come out with his proposed amendment because his proposed amendment has not been advertised. To a large extent, I would agree with him that power has to be vested in the Commission before the rest follow.
    Mr Speaker, be that as it may, I would plead that we deal with all the proposed amendments under clause 45, and before the vote is taken on the whole clause, he would then come out with his proposed amendment. Mr Speaker, I also have some amendments that are not captured on the Order Paper, but I would wait and deal with those that have been captured and thereafter raise --
    Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
    Hon Chairman, is there anything wrong with identifying the power to deal with complaints at the onset and then come out with all those methods? In fact, it is neater -- people may make complaints and they may be resolved by such means.
    We may even add “or other such means” so that we could use the sui generis rule to interpret the things that have been said. It would then be holistic
    and complete. So formulate and let us go on.
    Hon Minority Leader, are you in a position to help with the formulation?
    Mr Iddrisu 11:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, since you have guided us, maybe, in clause 45(2), instead of saying “The Commission may”, we could say that the “The Commission shall have the power”, and this would affect all the provisions that would follow.
    So I beg to move a further amendment that clause 45(2), delete “may” and insert “shall have the power to”. So, it would read: clause 45(2) “The Commission shall have the power to”, and the rest would follow.
    Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
    I would put the Question because I could see that the Hon Chairman agrees.
    Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeame- kpor 11:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, in consonance with the proposal on the Floor by the Hon Minority Leader in respect of clause 45 (2), I would further urge the House to consider “may” as it reflects in clause 45 (1) to read, “The Commission shall” determine …” because that is where power --
    Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
    If I got the Hon Minority Leader right, he said “shall”.
    Mr Dafeamekpor 11:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, then I am in full support of the further amendment.
    Mr Speaker 11:06 a.m.
    I noted it very well.
    In fact, it would be ridiculous to say that the “Commission may have the power,” then what kind of “may” would that be? The Commission shall have the
    power to resolve and in the process, what follows would be some of the methodologies or any such means, then it becomes holistic.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    There is a further amendment to clause 45. Hon Haruna Iddrisu, it stands in your name.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I moved an amendment before the Hon Minority Leader intervened. A vote has not been taken on that amendment yet.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Proceed.
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, subclause (2), paragraph (a), line 1, delete “or” and in line 2, after “mediation” insert “or arbitration”.
    Mr Speaker, we only seek add “or arbitration” in clause 45(2)(a).
    Mr Speaker, with your permission, if I may read 11:16 a.m.
    “The Commission shall have the power to;
    (a) resolve complaint through negotiation, conciliation, mediation or arbitration.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Iddrisu 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for your indulgence. I beg to move, clause 45 subclause (1), paragraph (b), line 2, at end, add “before it”.
    Mr Speaker, it would read 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    It could also be any matter before the Commission.
    Mr Iddrisu 11:16 a.m.
    Absolutely. So it is should be before it.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Hon Chairman, please, your comment?
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have no objection. Any matter before the Commission instead of “before it”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45 subclause (2), paragraph (d), line 2, before “vexatious” insert “manifestly frivolous”.
    Mr Speaker, the new rendition shall read 11:16 a.m.
    “The Commission shall have the power to dismiss an application for access to information if it considers the application to be manifestly frivolous.”
    Mr Speaker, if we read it this way, it would not make sense, so I would seek your leave and indulgence to add “and”,
    so that it would read: “… manifestly frivolous and vexatious”.
    This is because, if we omit the “and”, it would read “manifestly frivolous vexatious.” I believe that would not make sense.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Hon Chairman, would you like to try the term of act which we all know so well? There is nothing like “manifest''. We do not use that. It should be what is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of the process of the Commission. This is standard, let us move on.
    Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Iddrisu 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if the Hon Chairman would advert his mind, in other jurisdictions — I would particularise that of the United Kingdom — they use vexatious. Therefore we do not need to add manifestly ‘‘frivolous''.
    I do not think that is a necessary addition as Mr Speaker has guided us. Maybe, he could take a clue and add “abuse”, but in other freedom of information legislation I have looked at, it is just “vexatious” which was used.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Hon Chairman, are you inclined towards “frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of the process of the Commission?” Is it acceptable?
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would take a cue from you by deleting “manifestly”, so that it would read: “frivolous and vexatious or abuse of the process”, because these two normally move together; frivolous and vexatious or abuses of the process.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    I would put the Question. Question put and amendment agreed
    to.
    Clause 45 as variously amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 46 -- Functions of the Commission
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Is Hon Opare-Ansah in the House?
    Hon Chairman, are you inclined to take it?
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member's proposed amendment has been overtaken by an earlier proposed amendment that has been adopted by this august House. So this current proposed amendment by the Hon Member therefore falls.
    Very well.
    Amendment withdrawn by leave of the House.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Item numbered 41(v), — yes, Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Iddrisu 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I can see you are proceeding further, but I would like to propose an amendment which is not advertised. Maybe, for us to take a decision for the draftsperson to guide us. The language of clause 45(2)(b) is not elegant:
    “(b) determine the need for, form of and type of investigation…”
    That is not good enough. It should just be “form and nature of investigation.”
    To say:
    “…the need for, form of and type of investigation…” is clumsy. I do
    not know whether the Hon Chairman is looking at it properly. It should just be “determine the nature and form of investigation required for the determination of any matter before the Commission.”
    So, it would read:
    “(b) determine the nature and form of investigation required for the determination of any matter before the Commission.”
    This is more elegant than the clumsy “form, type and need for”. With the leave of the Speaker, I submit.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman?
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I respectfully disagree with him a bit on that. This is because, the need is different from type. The need for investigation, form of investigation and type of investigation are not the same. These three phrases mean different things.
    Mr Speaker, what I would --
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Hon Chairman, the Hon Member accepts your intervention accordingly. So shall we move forward?
    Clause 46, item numbered 41(v)?
    Mr Banda 11:16 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have not taken a vote on clause 45 as a whole.
    Mr Speaker 11:16 a.m.
    Very well, thank you very much.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, before that is taken, with respect, I would like to propose an amendment to clause 45(1).
    Mr Iddrisu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I could agree with the Hon Chairman justifying “determine the need for”, but in the elegance of language, it should be “nature and form”. When you say type, it would come under nature and form. Mr Speaker, as he is aware, we are all reading at cross purposes what --
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    The nature and form definitely covers type.
    Mr Iddrisu 11:26 a.m.
    Absolutely, so the Hon Chairman should marry “nature and form” in what he wants to do, and I am sure Mr Speaker could put the Question.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    I would take the clause 45 (2) (b) again:
    “The Commission shall have the power to determine the need for nature and form of investigation”.
    Mr Defeamekpor 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am in full support of the latest proposition to the amendment on the Floor.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it appears that still under clause 45(2)(h), there is a minor amendment we need to make. Clause 45 (2)(h) reads:
    “the Commission shall have the power to require the production of information to which access has been refused on the basis of an exemption for the purpose of deciding whether it is an exempt information”.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was involved in some other business, but I believe the one that they just did in respect of clause 45(2)(b), I believe you settled on this new construction; “determine the need for the nature and form of investigation required for the determination of any matter”.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the word “any” there before “matter” should rather be “a matter”.
    So we would delete “any” and rather insert “a”, the indefinite article.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have no objection.
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Very well, I would put the Question.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker -- [Pause]
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Hon Chairman?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was just urging the Hon Chairman to allow you to put the Question on the
    amended clause 45(2)(b). Once you have done that, then he could go to clause 45(2)(h).
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    That is what I am doing. Hon Chairman, I hope you are with us.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Rightly so, Mr Speaker.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the way clause 45 (2) (h), the third and last lines, have been crafted is not what this august House has adopted. So I would insert a proposed amendment to read:
    “require the production of information to which access has been refused on the basis of an exemption for the purpose of deciding whether it is information exempt from disclosure”.
    Mr Speaker, that is the language we have been using all along.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, last but not least is clause 45(2)(k). Mr Speaker, with your permission, it should read: after “undertake any”, insert “any other action”, because paragraph (a) to (j) are all actions.
    So Mr Speaker, paragraph (k) is just an omnibus clause to indicate that the Commission could also take any other action in addition to the ones listed above. So, I would seek your indulgence to insert,
    “undertake any other action that it considers necessary for the effective performance of the
    functions of the Commission”, instead of “of its function”.
    Mr Iddrisu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the second leg of the Hon Chairman's proposed amendment of the insertion of the word “ other” after “any”. But if we look at clause 45 very well, we are talking about defined functions as we are guided by sui generis.
    When we take clause 45(k), it is to allow the Commission to perform other functions not defined by Parliament as we are doing now. So if he has no objection, it should read:
    “perform any other action that is considered necessary for the attainment of the object of this Act”.
    It would not be functions.
    We are giving them room to make determination of additional functions for the attainment of the object. I agree with him on any other, but it cannot be effective performance of its functions, because in this particular clause, we are determining the powers of the Commission.
    The Commission has some object to achieve, so they can perform any other for the attainment of the object of the Commission.
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    So it can be globally interpreted; it must be contextualised in terms of its already defined functions, and this is what we talked about in terms of the sui generis rule.
    Hon Chairman, any objection?
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I honestly do not see anything wrong with the current rendition, because the Commission has certain functions to perform, and it needs
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Could you give us the rendition again?
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the rendition for clause 45(2)(k) reads:
    “undertake any other action that the Commission considers necessary for the effective performance of the functions of the Commission.”
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    It should be “its functions”.
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, these days, we are told to avoid the use of possessive pronouns. That is why we have avoided “its”, “his” and “hers”. So it should be “the functions of the Commission”.
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Hon Minority Leader, at this stage, do you have any objection?
    Mr Dafeamekpor 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to differ with my Hon Chairman on this matter and rather defer to the
    proposition put forward by the Hon Minority Leader.
    This is because if you look at the headnote for clause 45, “Powers of the Commission”, and compare that carefully with that of clause 46, “Functions of the Commission”, it appears that if we support the proposition put forward by the Hon Minority Leader, it would dovetail into the powers of the Commission and thus reads:
    “undertake any action that it considers necessary for the effective attainment of its objects.”
    It does not say that by doing so, it is not able to perform its functions. It is for the attainment of the objects that is why you perform your functions and the powers. So I would want to rather support the proposition by the Hon Minority Leader in this case.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, in the Constitution, “power” is defined to include functions. There is a very thin line between powers, functions, aims, object and so on. I may agree with the Hon Minority Leader just because we have a separate clause which defines functions, but as I said, the Constitution itself defines “powers” to include functions.

    For the avoidance of doubt, what I said takes its root from article 295 of the Constitution, the Interpretation which reads:

    ‘“functions” includes powers and duties”'.
    ANNOUNCEMENTS 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Hon Members, yesterday we had the benefit of the wisdom of two distinguished Women of our continent when they made outstanding presenta- tions on the topic for discussion at the Symposium which formed part of the activities to commemorate the 25th Anniversary Celebration of our Fourth Republican Parliament.
    This morning, we are glad to have them in our midst to witness our proceedings. I will proceed to acknowledge them as I formally introduce them to the House.
    They are:
    Rt Hon Rebecca A. Kadaga -- Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda; and
    Hon Oda Gasinzigwa -- Member of East African Legislative Assembly.
    They were accompanied by a team of officials of both Legislatures.
    They are:
    Mr Victor Manzi -- East African Legislative Assembly;
    Mr Jonathan Moses Kango -- Parliament of Uganda;
    Mr Deogratias Okwalinga -- Parliament of Uganda;
    Mr Andrews Kalaali Waiswa -- Parliament of Uganda;
    Paskazia Tumwesigye -- Parliament of Uganda;
    Philip Kabogoza -- Parliament of Uganda;
    Nwrh Byarufu -- Minister Counsellor, Ugandan High Commission, Abuja.
    Hon Members, on your behalves, I welcome them to Parliament and I wish them a safe journey back home as they depart today to their respective countries.
    Once again, we appreciate them for honouring our invitation and sharing with us their thought-provoking presentations on the subject- “Enhancing Women Political Representation and Participation in the Search for Good Governance and Development in Africa - Affirmative Action and Beyond.
    May God richly bless them.
    Hon Members, we would proceed as the Hon First Deputy Speaker takes the Chair.
    BILLS -- CONSIDERATION STAGE 11:26 a.m.
  • [Continuation of debate from column 4561]
    • Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, we are on the last leg of clause 45. How do we conclude this, so that I put the Question on the clause as a whole?
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, with the intervention of the Hon Minority and Hon Majority Leaders, clause 45(2)(k) would now read:
    “The Commission shall have the power to
    (k) undertake any other action that the Commission considers necessary for the effective performance of the object of the Commission.”
    Mr Iddrisu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are on powers of the Commission and we are on the very last item which is a kind of a save clause: to provide for additional, undetermined or unknown responsibility, which may aid the attainment of the object of the Commission.
    So, the Hon Chairman had proposed that, further to his amendment, it would read:
    “…undertake any other action necessary for the attainment of the object of the Commission”.
    If he has no problem with that—
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Hon Chairman, does that make it easy and clear? Hon Chairman agrees, so I would put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 45 as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Clause 46(iv) is abandoned. Clause 46(v)?
    Clause 46 -- Functions of the Commission.
    Mr Anim 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we had earlier varied the order of business to take the Right to Information Bill. Now the Reports are ready, if we could —
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Have they been distributed?
    Mr Anim 11:26 a.m.
    Yes, they would be distributed.
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Iddrisu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we would come to the Estimates. What we need to do to help the Hon Deputy Majority Whip is to reduce the contributions, go to the numbers and then Mr Speaker could put the Question. We could finish clause 46 and then go to other public business.
    Thank you.
    Mr Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker would take the Chair and proceed with that accordingly.
    11. 50 a. m. —
    MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have been informed that the House has agreed to suspend the consideration of the Right to Information Bill, 2018, when we finish with clause 46.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Very well.
    Clause 46, amendment proposed standing in the name of the Hon Frederick Opare-Ansah. Is there anybody here to move the amendment on his behalf?
    Yes, Hon Chairman?
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member's proposed amendment has been overtaken by events. His preceding amendments in relation to clause 45 were not approved. In view of this, this current proposed amendment falls.
    Mr Iddrisu 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have examined clauses 45 and 46 very well on pages 26 and 27 and I know some work was done by the promoters of this Bill.
    If we look at what we have considered as powers of the Commission, now we are on functions of the Commission, and if we read the details of the functions, it comes to me more as the powers than the functions. Maybe, I should read a few: Clause 46(1)(a) reads:
    “To achieve its object, the Commission shall determine and issue general directions for the hearing of a matter including notice to parties”.
    That sounds more like a power. Clause 46(1)(b) reads:
    (a)”issues specific directions where sensitive matters relating to the State are concerned,” --
    Clause 46(1)(c) reads: issues specific directions in matters concerning confidential information…”
    Clause 46(1)(d) reads, ‘‘decide on matters relating the need for…”
    So I have some suspicion that they may have transposed to the two Headnotes. But I need to be guided. Clause 45 should have read as the functions and then, clause 46 would be the powers. But I would yield to the Hon Chairman.
    Mr Speaker, look at it. If we go further to clause 46(1)(e), it reads 11:26 a.m.
    “…decide on issue of representa- tion where necessary”
    What is the function there? There is no function there.
    Clause 46(1)(g) reads:
    “…hold hearings in public unless it is considered inappropriate to do so.”
    That is not a function. To hold a hearing cannot be a function of a commission, it is a power.
    Mr Speaker, then, Clause 46(1)(h) reads 11:26 a.m.
    “…publish its findings, recom- mendations, orders, decisions and directives quarterly”.
    It is not a function; it is a power.
    Hon Chairman, I do not know, but it appears to me that we could consider it. Let us take the Headnotes; “Functions of the Commission” to clause 45 and take “Powers of the Commission” to clause 46 and then, we are good to go.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:26 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr Banda 11:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, per article 295 of the Constitution as the Hon Majority Leader rightly pointed out, functions include powers. So it appears to me that there is a thin line between functions and powers.
    Mr Speaker, it depends on how one may look at the powers listed under clause 45 vis-à-vis the functions listed under Section 46.
    Mr Speaker, for instance, in clause 45 (2)(a), one could also forcefully argue that if somebody could resolve complaints through mediation, conciliation and negotiation, it is a power that is vested in the person. If the person does not have the power, how does the person have the capacity to resolve complaints through mediation, conciliation and negotiation?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:56 a.m.
    Very well. Let us consider the proposed amendments on the Order Paper.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, you suggested that clause 46(iv) which is on the Order Paper has been overreached by the amendments effected to clause 45. Is that right?
    Mr Banda 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is right.
    Mr Dafeamekpor 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not have any advertised amendment, but I would want to propose an amendment to clause 46(1).
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:56 a.m.
    Hon Member, there are advertised amend-
    ments, so let us finish with them before you can propose yours.
    Clause 46(iv) on the Order Paper has been overreached and there are still two more advertised amendments on clause 46, so let us deal with them.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was just going through what has been specified in clause 46, and I agree with the Hon Minority Leader that there are some of them listed in it that really are powers. In clause 46 subclauses (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), they all belong to “powers'', and subclauses (f), (g) and (h) are really activities, so they are ‘'functions''.
    If we look at ‘'the powers of the Commission'' in clause 45, the issuance of written orders, it is really an activity -- examination, examining, reproducing and taking extracts are all activities and so, they are ‘'functions'' -- subclause (j) which is ‘'take any action'' is also an activity, so it is a ‘'function'' and subclause (k) which is ‘'undertake any action'' is also an activity and so, a ‘'function''.
    Mr Speaker, I have realised that the ‘'function'' and ‘'powers'' have been mixed up in clauses 45 and 46. We could further agree on it, and take those ones that are powers to clause 45 and those that are activities from clause 45 to 46. I believe it would be better that way.
    Mr Speaker, all said though, as the Hon Chairman of the Committee said, article 295 is also not helpful to us at all, when it states that functions include powers and duties.
    That is where the problem is. It is a mixed bag, but if we would want to make a distinction, then those activities that fall
    under ‘'powers'' in clause 45 should be lifted and placed in clause 46, and the powers listed under ‘'functions'' should be lifted from clause 46 and placed under clause 45. I believe we could easily do that.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:56 a.m.
    I am waiting on you to make up your minds as to the way we should go. I thought that we would conclude the amendments that are advertised. Let us conclude the advertised amendments, but I would not put the Question.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, that would further compound the problem, so I would urge that for clause 45, even though the Question has already been put, you relax the rules so that we could go back to clauses 45 and 46. We could easily sort it out. Therefore clauses 45 and 46 should be stood down for us to make the determination.
    Mr Speaker, on that note, if you agree, then we could take the Annual Estimates.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:56 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Minority Leader, do you agree to the proposal made by the Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Iddrisu 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, rightly so, I concur with the Hon Majority Leader.
    I am sorry, I was conferring with the Clerk on an important matter.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:56 a.m.
    We would then defer a further consideration of clauses 45 and 46.
    Hon Members, that brings us to end of the Consideration Stage of the Right to Information Bill, 2018, for today.
    Hon Deputy Majority Whip, what next?
    Mr Anim 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we could go to
    item numbered 6; Presentation of Papers and lay just item numbered 6(i).
    PAPERS 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Anim 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we can now take item numbered 16 on the Order Paper.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:56 a.m.
    Very well.
    Item numbered 16; Motion - by the Hon Minister for Planning.
    MOTIONS 11:56 a.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:56 a.m.
    Hon Minister, we want you to tell us a little more. Why should we give you this money?
    Prof Gyan-Baffour 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Natioanl Developement Planning Commission exists to advise the President on national development planning, policy and strategy and to prepare and ensure the effective implementation of approved nationally developed plans and to coordinate a decentralised planning system.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 11:56 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and in so doing, present your Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    The 2019 Annual Estimates for the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) was laid in the House on Thursday 15th November, 2018, and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House.
    This referral followed the presentation of the 2019 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government to the House by the Hon Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.
    The Committee, in considering the Estimates, met with the Acting Director- General of the Commission, Dr Grace Bediako, the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Stephen Adei, and a technical team from the Commission as well as officials from the Ministry of Finance and hereby presents this Report to the House.
    The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) exists to advise the President on national development planning policy and strategy, to prepare and ensure the effective implementation of approved national development plans and to coordinate the decentralised planning system.
    Objectives and Functions The objectives of the Commission as
    derived from the Medium- Term Development Policy Framework: The National Medium- Term Development Policy Framework (NMTDPF) “Agenda for Jobs” are as follows:
    Ensure improved fiscal performance and sustainability;
    Improve decentralised planning; and
    Enhance capacity for policy formulation and coordination.
    Pursuant to Act 479, the core functions of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) are to advise the President on development planning policy and strategy and to do any of the following suo motu or at the request of the President or Parliament:
    Formulate national development policy frameworks and ensure that the strategies, including consequential policies and programmes, are effectively carried out;
    Study and make strategic analysis of macro-economic and structural reform options;
    Make proposals for the development of multi-year rolling plans taking into consideration the resource potential and comparative advantage of the different districts of Ghana;
    Make proposals for the protection of the natural and physical environment with a view to ensuring that development strategies and programmes are in conformity with sound environmental principles;
    Make proposals for ensuring the even development of the districts of Ghana by the effective utilisation of available resources;
    Monitor, evaluate and co-ordinate development policies, programmes and projects; studies and make recommendations on development and socio-economic issues;
    Formulate comprehensive national development planning strategies and ensure that the strategies and their consequential policies and programmes are effectively carried out;
    Prepare broad national development plans;
    Keep under constant review national development plans in the
    light of prevailing domestic and international economic, social and political conditions and make recommendations for the revision of existing policies and programmes where necessary and perform such other functions relating to development planning as the President may direct; and Coordinate the decentralized national development planning system by prescribing the format and content of development plans for the districts, ministries and sector agencies to reflect integration of economic, spatial and environmental principles and ensure their compatibility.
    2018 Budget Performance
    The Budget Estimates approved for the Commission for the 2018 financial year amounted to GH¢8,568,073. The breakdown was as follows:
    Compensation of Employees -- GH¢4,349,173.00
    Goods and Services -- GH¢2, 218, 900, 00
    CAPEX -- GH¢2.000.000.00
    Total -- GH¢8,568,073.00
    Outturn for January to September 2018 shows the following:
    Compensation of Employees -- GH¢l, 849,895.80
    Goods and Services -- GH¢1,776,580.00
    CAPEX -- GH¢393,836.85
    Total -- GH¢4, 020,312.65
    Achievements of the Commission as at September 2018 include:
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:06 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Bia East?
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC -- Bia East) 12:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion that this House approves the sum of GH¢7,312,555 for activities of the NDPC for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, we know the critical role played by NDPC; helping us to monitor the implementation of programmes and
    Mr Daniel Okyem Aboagye (NPP -- Bantama) 12:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion on the Floor and in doing so to say that the estimates for the NDPC, an amount of GH¢7,312,555 is so needed for the Commission to be able to undertake its activities in the year 2019.
    Mr Speaker, I would just want to say that if you look at item (ii) on page 4 of the Report, and the fact that the Commission has been able to come up with baseline report for sustainable development goals, a goal that we have all subscribed to such
    that if we push it as a country, we would be able to get all these indicators and the world would be a peaceful place.
    The Seventeen Sustainable Develop- ment Goals are so important. If we should look at goal number 1 that says “No Poverty” -- that we should try to do away with poverty and goal number 2 which talks about zero hunger and all those goals talking about innovation et cetera, if the Commission is able to pursue this, coordinate and educate all stakeholders as to how we can pursue this, Ghana is not only going to be a better place ---
    I believe that if they have the funds they need to support their operations, we would be able to get this really understood by all Ghanaians and we would be able to pursue it as we develop as a nation. I believe that if we can support and approve the amount they are requesting for in this 2019 so that Ghana would move at least a notch up.
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu (NDC -- Tamale South) 12:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute for the adoption of the Report for the release of GH¢7,312,555 for the services of the
    NDPC.
    Mr Speaker, in doing so, just to encourage the Hon Minister that we need to have a manpower focus for this country. What are the manpower needs of our country between now and 2020, and now and 2030? Are we to emphasise the humanities as we are doing currently? Are the universities doing as we please?
    They are producing persons who are not immediately employable not just because the economy is not expanding but as a country, we have not defined our
    manpower needs and manpower requirements. We need to have a manpower policy which defines our manpower needs into the future.
    Mr Speaker, as the Hon Minister may recall, I joined him to support the President to launch the National Medium Development Policy Framework pursuant to article 38(5) of the Constitution. As meaningful as it was, conspicuously lost in the entire document is the President's vision of “Ghana Beyond Aid”.
    I cannot understand, neither can I explain what that devil could have been because we cannot --
    Mr Speaker, if that is the vision of the President, we ought to have assisted him to have espoused it pursuant to article 38 (2) of the Constitution.
    But as I peruse the ‘‘in and out'' of the document, “Ghana Beyond Aid” only became an afterthought or an addition to that. But we must begin walking the process of “Ghana Beyond Aid”.
    What do we need to do as a country? Maybe we should up revenue collection, discipline ourselves in terms of expenditure, reduce donor support because naturally, it is also being reduced because of our attainment of middle income status.
    Mr Speaker, finally, I will conclude with the SDGs; who monitors the SDGs? We need to have someone to do that and so the two Hon Ministers -- Maybe as we heard from our guest lecturers yesterday, we should begin to have an equal opportunity secretariat or commission to monitor the extent to which we are pursuing the SDGs.
    Once we have the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Norway play a global advocacy role, we should be able to report well as a country as to how far we are progressing on that.
    Mr Speaker, with this, I support the Motion. I thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:06 p.m.
    Hon Minister for Planning, would you want to wind up? Otherwise, I would just put the Question.
    Prof Gyan-Baffour 12:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank Hon Members for their comments and reactions. Indeed, the SDGs, as I present the Report on the Estimate for my Ministry, I would mention a little about how we are handling the SDGs.
    Mr Speaker, the NDPC is a creature of the Constitution. Therefore whatever government comes in, the Commission exists. As I will explain later, my Ministry comes in to give them the political direction rather than actually doing the work of the NDPC. So my role is actually using the coordinated programme to facilitate the activities that go on in the Commission.
    Mr Speaker, the Commission was inaugurated recently and there had been a little delay in the process, but it was done with caution. We tried very hard to ensure that we have the right people to actually be in the Commission.
    If you look at the team that came out recently, you would see that it was well calculated and I believe all the lost glory of the Commission will really come to the fore.
    Mr Speaker, on that note, I thank all Hon Members for supporting the Motion.
    Mr Anim 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I now know that the Hon Minority Leader firmly believes in the Ghana beyond Aid Policy of the Government.
    Mr Speaker, we would take Motion numbered 17. The item numbered 17 are two on page 14 of the Order Paper. We would take the one which stands in the name of the Ministry of Planning.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:16 p.m.
    Hon Second Majority Whip, if we look at it sequentially, the next item 17 is actually 18. So I direct that, on page 14 of the Order Paper, the second item numbered 17 should be amended to read 18.
    So would we take Motion numbered
    18?
    Mr Anim 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we would take Motion numbered 17 standing in the name of the Minister for Planning.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:16 p.m.
    That is for the Ministry of Planning.
    Mr Anim 12:16 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:16 p.m.
    Very well, I thought it was the one for the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation.
    Yes, Hon Minister?
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thought we were taking item numbered 17 which is a Motion and not Motion numbered 17.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:16 p.m.
    Yes, item numbered 17; Motion by the Minister for Planning.
    ANNUAL ESTIMATES, 2019
    Ministry for Planning
    Minister for Planning (Prof George Y. Gyan-Baffour)(MP) 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I take a cue from you that I should say something but Parliament itself is a master of its own rules in the way it regulates and practices what goes on in this House.
    Mr Speaker, the beauty and elegance of this House lies in what looks like a ritual. Per your directive, the sanctity and augustness of this House lies in the rituals but, at times, these are curtailed by time constraints and it is within this context that I intend to use the Despatch Box to move, that this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢2,668,000 for the services of the Ministry of Planning for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, the mandate of the Ministry of Planning is to give the Executive a strategic direction to the preparation of national, sectorial and sub- national plans and programmes.
    This involves the preparation of the Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies which we have already laid in the House and ensuring that the policies influence the national plan and the plans of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
    Mr Speaker, the mandate also includes coordinating and ensuring the alignment of regional, global and international development benchmarks and goals including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 with our national plans.
    Mr Speaker, in 2018, the Ministry was given a total budget of GH¢3,262,720.00. In 2019, the Ministry has been allocated a total of GH¢2,668,000.00 of which GH¢390,000.00 is for compensation; GH¢902,000.00 for capital expenditure (CAPEX); and GH¢1,373,000.00 for goods and services.
    Mr Speaker, the prioritised activities for the Ministry in 2019 includes, first, the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Resource Centre to facilitate and monitor SDG interventions in the country and to assist in the preparation of the SDGs Voluntary National Reporting (VNR) that Ghana has voluntarily subjected itself to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN) in July 2019.
    It is also to facilitate strong linkages between sector and district medium term development plans, annual work plans and budgets and their implementations in line with the national vision.
    Mr Speaker, it also tries to ensure value for money for public projects at the MMDAs level through effective capacity building, project appraisal and monitoring for planning officers.
    Mr Speaker, under the inter-agency modelling team, the Ministry would facilitate two researches on the informal sector and revenue generation and monitoring policy and growth come next year.
    Mr Speaker, we would also continue with the engagement with key stakeholders and interest groups on the dissemination and implementation of the coordinated programme.
    Mr Speaker, to perform these functions, the Ministry has been allocated the sum of GH¢2,668,000.00 for the 2019 financial year. I therefore request this august House to approve the sum for the activities of the Ministry.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker. Hear! Hear!
    Question proposed. Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark
    Assibey-Yeboah): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion delivered from the Despatch Box.
    Mr Speaker, I present your Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    The 2019 Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Planning was laid in the House on Thursday, 15th November, 2018, and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House.
    This referral followed the presentation of the 2019 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government to the House by the Hon Minister for Finance Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.
    The Committee, in considering the Estimates, met with the Minister for Planning, Hon Prof Gyan Baffour, and officials from the Ministries of Planning and Finance.
    Background
    The Ministry of Planning provides executive direction to the formulation and
    Minister for Planning (Prof George Y. Gyan-Baffour)(MP) 12:16 p.m.


    Financial Performance for 2018

    For the implementation of the above- stated objectives and planned activities for 2018, a sum of three million, two hundred and sixty-two thousand, seven hundred and twenty Ghana cedis (GH¢ 3,262,720.00) was allocated to the Ministry.

    Out of this budgeted amount, only one million, nine hundred and seventy one
    Mr John Abdulai Jinapor (NDC-- Yapei/Kusawgu) 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to the Motion and by so doing seek to support same as moved.
    Mr Speaker, as far as I am concerned, the Ministry of Planning represents one of the most cardinal elements of governance in this country.
    Indeed, if we look at the mandate of the Ministry, it is supposed to facilitate the preparation of the Medium Term Development Policy and coordinate the implementation of the national action plans but, more importantly, to ensure that this country achieves the SDGs.
    This is even more important for me because the SDGs follow up on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight of which were set in 2000. After 2015, we broadened it to 17 goals to achieve the SDGs.
    Mr Speaker, it is therefore, my position that this Ministry ought to be resourced and to be given the needed financing to implement and undertake its pro- grammes and achieve its objectives.
    Mr Speaker, it is only sad to note that, from a budgeted figure of about GH¢3.2 million, taking into account inflation vis- à-vis the pivotal role that this Ministry plays in coordinating and ensuring that government's total and overall objective is achieved, which underpins the developmental process of this country, I am highly disappointed that such an important Ministry would have its budget not even maintained, but reduced from GH¢3.2 million to GH¢2.6 million, which represents a reduction of about 20 per cent.
    Mr Speaker, planning and monitoring is key to the development of this country. If one fails to plan, one plans to fail. So I think that this august House ought to make a case for this Ministry that this amount is woefully inadequate.
    Indeed, even if we look at what they were able to do with their capital expenditure, they procured only one pickup, one saloon car and two motor vehicles. We had the belief that donor agencies would have supported them; but when we look at page 7 of the Report, it is obvious that donor agencies did not support them.
    It is therefore my position that we do whatever we can, in the midyear budget review, to realign some of our expenditure to take care of this Ministry, especially when it is headed by no less a person than the venerable Hon Professor himself, who has distinguished himself as far as performance and achievement is concerned, so that we could have some results from this Ministry.
    On this note, Mr Speaker, I wish to associate myself with the Report and further recommend that we review their budget upwards for implementation.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Daniel Okyem Aboagye (NPP-- Bantama) 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor for discussion.
    The Ministry of Planning is important. As my Hon Colleague on the other Side of the House said, if one fails to plan, one plans to fail. If we look at what the Ministry does, it provides executive direction to the formulation and coordination of national plans.
    The role it plays is so important that if we, as a nation, do not plan, coordinate, monitor and ensure that our plans are delivered, we would really suffer.
    I believe that what the Ministry is doing would help us not to only achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but it would help the country to achieve or, at least, walk along the path of the vision that has been so clearly provided by the President -- Ghana beyond aid.
    It is a vision that says that we should ensure that we are, at least, able to manage our resources efficiently and effectively to the point that we could provide for our basic needs without depending on others so much.
    Of course, this vision is misinterpreted because some people think that it excludes borrowing. It includes responsible borrowing. I believe that if we have the Ministry of Planning plan and bring out ideas, indicators, measurements and follow-up these plans, the nation would make significant progress because our destinies would not be determined by chance; they would be determined by plans that we have outlined to actually get to our goals.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that if we approve the amount that is requested for the year 2019, which is GH¢2,668,000.00, they would be able to undertake all the plans and the programmes they have to help us move forward as a nation.
    I support this Motion, and I encourage my Hon Friends to support it.
    Thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:16 p.m.
    Available Hon Leader --
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC-- Bia East) 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support your Committee's Report that this House approves an amount of GH¢2,668,000.00 for the Ministry of Planning to undertake its planned programmes for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, as earlier speakers have indicated, the amount allocated to the Ministry, as compared to that of the year 2018, is woefully inadequate. It cannot help them to achieve their planned programmes.
    So I would advise the Hon Minister, since he is here -- the World Bank comes with a big envelope. He could identify some of his activities within the envelope, so that the donor funding amount could be given to the Ministry to undertake its planned programmes.
    Mr Speaker, if we turn to page 4 of the Committee's Report, we are told that planning officers were trained at the district level to monitor and report the investment and expenditure of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA); but they gave us an indication that they did it between 2013 and 2016.
    I would want to urge the Hon Minister to expand it to the year 2019 because we have difficulty tracing these investments.
    Almost every year when we do reconciliation, the Ministry of Finance would indicate, for example, that they have constructed 25 boreholes, but Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) would say that they have seen only 20 boreholes. Sometimes, they check the location of the project.

    When one goes to the Ministry of Finance, one would be told that they have constructed a borehole at, for example, Adabokrom; but when they went to Adabokrom, they did not get a piece of land, so they went to Camp Junction to construct the same project; but the information would direct them to Adabokrom.

    PIAC would publish it as a ghost project; they went to Adabokrom but they could not find the project, but it is in the district. So during reconciliation and tracking, it would help everybody to understand what the Ministry of Finance uses our oil revenue for.

    I entreat the Hon Minister not to limit himself to only the year 2016. Some may think that it is for political expediency because he has assumed power and they would want to know what the previous Administration did. Let us expand it, going forward, so that we could keep track of what we use our oil revenue for.

    Mr Speaker, with these few observations, I call on Hon Members to support your Committee's Report to approve an amount of GH¢2,668,000.00 for the Ministry of Planning to undertake its planned activities.

    I thank you very much for the opportunity.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:16 p.m.
    Does the Hon Minister want to conclude?
    Prof Gyan-Baffour 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am very grateful to Hon Members for their concerns, their reactions and the comments that they have made. We would try to take some of these reactions and concerns on-board.

    Question put and Motion agreed to.

    Resolved:

    That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢2,668,000.00 for the services of the Ministry of Planning for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Anim 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 20 on the Order Paper.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:16 p.m.
    Item numbered 20 -- Motion by the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways.
    ANNUAL ESTIMATES, 2019
    Ministry of Roads and Highways
    Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah) (MP) 12:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢1,290,665,926 for the services of the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the year ending 31 st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, this amount is made up of the following 12:16 p.m.
    i. Compensation of employees;
    ii. Goods and services;
    iii. Assets;
    iv. Consolidated Fund;
    v. Annual Budget Funding Amount;
    vi. Internal Assets; and
    vii. Internally generated funds,
    which total the aforementioned amount.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Roads and Highways has oversight responsibility for the road transport sector, which comprises roads infrastructure, roads maintenance, financing and training.
    The Departmental Agencies that operate under the direct ambit of the Ministry of Roads and Highways are:
    a) Road infrastructure made up of the Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Feeder Roads and Department of Urban Roads;
    b) Road maintenance financing under the Ghana Road Fund Secretariat and then;
    (c) the Training aspect at Koforidua Training Center.
    Mr Speaker, touching on the year 2019 Budget Statement -- the underlying objectives for the preparation and implementation of the 2019 fiscal policy of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and its Agencies are to ensure effective linkages with the thematic arears of the national medium-term development plan and the national transport policy for greater impact in the overall governance objective of reducing poverty and creating wealth.
    The Ministry and its sectors face a number of challenges in the road sector in achieving economic growth. Some of the envisaged challenges are inability to raise adequate revenue from other sources to support road maintenance programmes, low delivery capacity of the local construction industry thereby affecting the early completion of road projects, inadequate logistics for project supervision and long delays in honouring contractor's payment certificates.
    Mr Speaker, that notwithstanding, there are actions to mitigate these challenges some of which are:
    Progressively reducing upgrading and development works financed by the Road Fund and focusing on undertaking maintenance activities.
    Strict implementation of banned programmes and undertaking activities such as electronic towing to increase the revenue to support the Road Fund.
    On expectations for the year 2019, the Ministry's 2019 budget has been prepared to ensure that upon successful implementation, there will be sturdy and significant improvement in road transport infrastructure and safety. The improvement will benefit all sectors of the economy by ensuring adequate, safe and affordable accessibility and mobility.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move for this Honourable House to, therefore, approve the Total Budget Estimates of GH¢1,290,665,926 for the Ministry of Roads and Highways and its Agencies in order to undertake part of its programmes and activities for the year 2019.
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye) 12:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the motion and in so doing, present your Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    On Thursday 13th November, 2018, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, in accordance with article 179 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana presented to Parliament the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government for the 2019 financial year.
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye) 12:36 p.m.


    Subsequent to this, the draft Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry for Roads and Highways was referred to the Committee on Roads and Transport for consideration and report pursuant to orders 140(4) and 189 of the Standing Orders of the House.

    Deliberations

    The Committee on Thursday, 6th December, 2018, met with the Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, and his two deputies, Mr Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi and Mr Anthony N-Yon Puowele Karbo together with officials of the Ministry and Heads of Agencies under the Ministry to discuss the Estimates.

    In attendance were officers from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to assist in the deliberations.

    The Committee is grateful to the officials for their attendance and providing clarifications on issues raised at the meeting.

    The Budget Estimates being programme, based cover Management and Road Infrastructural Development and Maintenance, which includes Training and Financing.

    These programmes are undertaken by:

    i. Ghana Highway Authority

    (GHA);

    ii. Department of Feeder Roads (DFR);

    iii. Department of Urban Roads (DUR); and

    v. The Koforidua Training Centre

    (KTS).

    Reference Documents

    The Committee made references to the following documents during the consideration of the Budget Estimates:

    i) The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana;

    ii) The Standing Orders of Parliament of Ghana;

    iii) The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2019 Financial Year;

    iv) The National Medium Term Development Framework (NMTDF) for 2019-2021 Programme Based Budget Estimates;

    v) Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) 2019-2022

    vi) Programme Based Budget Estimates for 2019; and

    vii)The Report of the Committee on the 2018 Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

    Mission (Goal)

    MRH exists to provide an integrated, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable road transport system responsive to the needs of society, supporting growth and poverty reduction and capable of establishing and maintaining Ghana as a transportation hub of West Africa.

    Functions

    The core functions of the Ministry of Roads and Highways are:

    i.Policy formulation, monitoring, evaluation and coordination with regard to the Road Infrastructural Sector;

    ii. Development and Maintenance of Road Infrastructure;

    iii. Improving Road Safety and Environment;

    iv. Financing of Road Maintenance; and

    v. Training of professionals (Engineers, Contractors,etc.)

    Policy Objectives The policy objectives relevant to the

    Road Sector are:

    i. Ensuring safety and security for all categories of road users by incorporating pedestrian safety facilities in planning design construction and maintenance of road infrastructure and to ensure adequate road signs, markings, traffic calming measures, streetlights and non-motorists facilities are provided.

    ii.Establish Ghana as a Trans- portation Hub for the West African Sub- Region.

    iii. Create a sustainable, accessible, affordable, reliable, effective, and efficient transport system that meets user needs.

    iv. Integrate land use, transport and development planning.

    v. Create a vibrant investment and performance-based management environment that maximises

    benefits for public and private sector investors.

    vi. Develop and implement comprehensive and integrated Governance and Institutional Frameworks.

    vii.Ensure Sustainable Develop- ment in the Road Transport Sector.

    viii. Develop adequate Human Resources and apply new Technology.

    Policy Objectives in NMTEF (2018-2021)

    The main policy is to improve efficiency and effectiveness of road transport infrastructure and services.

    i. Ensure capacity improvement by constructing missing links.

    ii. Expand and maintain the national road network.

    iii. Provide bituminous surface for road network in district capitals and areas of high agricultural production and tourism.

    iv. Provide private sector participation in construction, rehabilitation and management of road transport.

    v. Prioritise international corridor development programmes towards completion of Western, Central and Eastern Corridors.

    vi. Provide regular training for local contractors and consultants to improve the quality of delivery in road infrastructure, procure-
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye) 12:36 p.m.


    ment, management and supervision of road contracts.

    vii. Promote local content and participation in the provision and award of contracts.

    Overview of the 2018 Budget

    The total planned budget for the Road Sector for 2018 from all sources (except Road Fund) was GH¢3,969,644,297. The total approved by Appropriation was GH¢ 532,689,187 which constituted 13per cent of the planned. The planned and approved
    Mr Yusif Issaka Jajah (NPP -- Ayawaso North) 12:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion that this House approves a sum of GH¢1,290,665,926 for the services of the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the year ending 31 st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, last year, this House approved an amount of GH¢532,689,187 for the Ministry of Roads and Highways. This year as at September, an amount of GH¢329,734,220 has been released so far which represents 62 per cent.
    As my Hon Chairman mentioned early on, all the disbursements have been above 50 per cent which is all right with the exception of goods and services which is 34 per cent.
    It is very worrying that knowing what the goods and services can do for a
    Mr Yusif Issaka Jajah (NPP -- Ayawaso North) 12:46 p.m.
    critical Ministry such as this, as at September, only 34 per cent has been released.
    We are just hoping that the Ministry should look at it to make sure that by the end of December, at least, an appreciable amount should be released to the Ministry of Roads and Highways especially, under the goods and services.

    Mr Speaker, in 2019, there has been an allocation of GH¢1,290,665,926 to the Ministry of Roads and Highways and out of this, 4 per cent from the source of funding would come from the Government of Ghana, 29 per cent would come from the ABFA and 66 per cent would come from donor partners.

    Mr Speaker, it is clear that the Ministry of Roads and Highways is being driven by donor funds and our worry is that in the case of any delay in the release of loans or grants, what would happen to this Ministry? Mr Speaker, 66 per cent of over GH¢1.2 billion would come from the donor partners, should there be any delay in the release of funds what would happen to this Ministry?

    Mr Speaker, again, only 4 per cent would come from the Government of Ghana and we believe that the allocation should be increased so that in case there is any delay from the loans and grants, then the support from ABFA and the Government of Ghana could augment the effort of the Ministry.

    Mr Speaker, going forward, the budgetary allocation source of funds by programmes -- we have Management and Administration, Roads and Bridge Construction, Roads Rehabilitation and Roads Safety and Environment.

    Mr Speaker, it is clear from this table that the Ministry of Roads and Highways has given priority to the Roads and Bridges because an amount of GH¢943,461,421 has been allocated and this represents 73.1 per cent of the total amount of budget that has been allocated to the Ministry. Mr Speaker, it means that all efforts and priority are geared towards roads and bridge construction.

    Mr Speaker, it is sad to note that the Road Safety and Environment component has been allocated with only 4 per cent of the total amount. Mr Speaker, this is worrisome because we all know that the road safety awareness programme needs to be strengthened.

    We cannot allocate all the Capex amount to roads and bridges and just 4 per cent to road safety which we need to create awareness to avoid and curtail road accidents in our society.

    Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Roads and Highways is under the infrastructural sector and out of GH¢ 4.631,502,126 allocated to the infrastructural sector which comprises of nine Ministries, I am happy to note that the Ministry of Roads and Highways is second to the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives, with 28 per cent of the allocation to the infrastructural sector.

    Mr Speaker, I beg to refer to item 13.0 on page 14 of the Report -- Outlook for 2019. Mr Speaker, it reads: “The following key construction projects and pro- grammes for construction in 2019.” Mr Speaker, these are the 10 lots that have just been approved by this House between the Government of Ghana and Sinohydro.

    Mr Speaker, we still believe that under this Agreement, we would still need value for money and we know that the Hon

    Minister is a very good man, but we would still insist that we would need value for money for these 10 lots.

    Mr Speaker, we are also saying that the 30 per cent local content issue that we have raised is still important. It is interesting to note that the Hon Deputy Minister mentioned the other time that if the 30 per cent local content allocation is not given then what would happen to the project?

    Mr Speaker, nothing would happen to the project if the 30 per cent allocation is given or not, but the rationale behind the local content allocation is not to have an impact on the output of the project.

    Whether there is 30 per cent local content allocation or not, the project would go on but the most important thing is that the local content would help our local contractors, and in terms of labour our people would learn some cutting-edge technology that would be brought in. Mr Speaker, so for somebody to say that the issue about 30 per cent local content allocation is not important, I do not think that it is true.

    Mr Speaker, we need it and I would urge the Hon Minister --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:46 p.m.
    Hon Member, is there allocation for the project in the Budget Statement? If there is allocation, then it means that it would be done. So let us move on.
    Mr Jajah 12:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item 13.0 is an outlook for 2019 and --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:46 p.m.
    The 30 per cent arguement could be made with the Hon Minister once we are done with the budget.
    Mr Jajah 12:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is alright.
    Mr Speaker, I would reiterate that the 4 per cent allocation to the National Road Safety Commission is woefully inadequate; we need to up it. I believe that the Hon Minister could take it up during the mid- year review and we could look at it. Again, it has been mentioned in the Report that the Road Fund indebtedness --
    Mr Speaker, earlier, the Hon Chairman mentioned the IGF -- it is sad to note that a critical Ministry like the Ministry of Roads and Highways that has been generating some amount of moneys are not allowed to retain a penny.
    We would plead with the Ministry of Finance to see to it that by the mid-year review, an amount of IGF that would be generated by the Ministry of Roads and Highways would be retained so that the Ministry could use it and this would also augment the local sources rather than just depend on donor partners. Mr Speaker, should there be any delays or defaults in the loans and grants we would be found wanting.
    Mr Speaker, I would urge my Hon Colleagues to support this Motion to approve an amount GH¢ 1,290,665,926 for the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:46 p.m.
    Hon Member for Tema Central?
    Mr Kofi Brako (NPP -- Tema Central) 12:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion that this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢1,290,665,926 for the services of the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the year ending 31 st December, 2019.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:56 p.m.
    The Motion has been moved; you support it.
    Yes, Hon Tanko?
    Mr Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim (NDC -- Yagaba/Kubori) 12:56 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion to approve the sum of GH¢1,290,665,920.00 for the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the 2019 financial year.
    Mr Speaker, I would however want to make a brief contribution by saying that I pity the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways. You would bear with me that from the Presidency to the district level, everybody is putting pressure on the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways to get his or her roads done. However, some roads were started and for a very long time those roads have not been completed.
    Mr Speaker, we all know that it is very important to construct the road network. Once we start them, it is only proper that we make frantic efforts to complete them.
    Mr Speaker, I would refer you to page 93 of the 2017 Budget Statement. I would mention a few roads that the Hon Minister for Finance came to this House -- [Interruption.] On page 93, paragraph 510, I just want to mention a few roads.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:56 p.m.
    Page 93 of what?
    Mr A. T. Ibrahim 12:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, page 93 of the 2017 Budget Statement. I have with me the Budget Statements for 2017, 2018 and 2019.
    In these Budget Statements submitted to the House, the Minister for Finance made it clear to us that, they were making efforts to get these roads completed and that their construction was ongoing. Among them are the Bolgatanga-Bawku- Polmakom, Tamale-Yendi, Oti Damanko- Nakpanduri Roads.
    Mr Speaker, if you drive on these roads, you would find out that work is not ongoing on these roads. Once a project is awarded to a contractor, the contractor writes on the sign post that the source of funding is either from the Government of Ghana (GoG) or it is donor funded.
    Once it is GoG funded, any Government that comes to power would have to take steps to ensure that those projects are completed. That is not what we see.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) tool for this year, with your kind permission, I would quote. It says:
    “A total of GH¢200 million was appropriated for capital expenditure from only ABFA. Therefore no capital expenditure was appropriated under GoG for 2018.”
    Yet Mr Speaker, we are talking about Ghana beyond aid. In 2018, no amount was given to the Minister, yet we are talking about a Ghana beyond aid.
    Mr Speaker, in asking that this amount be made available or approved for the road sector, I would want to urge the Minister that once the money is released, at least, he should make efforts to get vehicles, just like we are doing in the case of donor
    funded projects. This is so that the few engineers we have would also go round and monitor the roads to ensure that we have a good finish.
    Mr Speaker, I would not end without saying that in the Report, the Roads and Transport Committee submitted, they indicated that --
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:56 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, all of us in this House, in our various constituencies and districts we would want to have roads constructed, re-gravelled, re-engineered and so on.
    Mr Speaker, our Standing Orders provides, however, that when it comes to considering any matter, a person is required to declare his or her interest before going on with the debate. The Constitution also provides in article 284 that a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance or the functions of the office.
    Mr A. T. Ibrahim 12:56 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, my interest is that moneys be released to the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways to do the Suame and Yagaba/Kubori-Mankarigu roads among others.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:56 p.m.
    Hon Member, is your company involved in any of the roads you mentioned?
    Mr Speaker, Yendi 12:56 p.m.
    None

    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would ask that the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways ensures that we get as many engineers as we can to supervise our roads, so that we would get a very good finish.

    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would want to call on Hon Colleagues to support the approval of the said amounts for the running of the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:56 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu (NDC -- Tamale South) 1:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would be very brief, so that I can take leave of you to go for Friday prayers.
    Mr Speaker, we are being called upon to support the approval of GH¢1, 290,665,920.00 for the programmes of the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the 2019 fiscal year. I support the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, as you are aware, none of us, whether in Bekwai, Suame, Tamale South, Dome Kwabenya, Sunyani East, Kpandai or Koforidua does not require roads.
    Mr Speaker, in our bid to convince constituents to appreciate that we play a developmental role, we have all promised
    getting a particular road either in our constituency, town or region tarred or improved. Therefore we should be unanimous in seeking massive investment in the road sector.
    Mr Speaker, my first application is ABFA. May I refer you to page 214 of the Budget Statement? On page 214, there is what we call the Critical Ministries Lump- Up and its breakdown.
    Mr Speaker, I know we are not dealing with policy, but look at it. We have GH¢679 million going to infrastructure and education. It is understandable. But look at the item numbered 4, rail and other critical infrastructure the amount of money allocated to it. It is not adequate to support the Ministry's programmes.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:06 p.m.
    [Inaudible.]
    Mr Iddrisu 1:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader has referred to page 214, as I have requested. He is a Minister in Cabinet supported by the Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation.
    We are saying that they should make a strong case to the Hon Minister for Finance, that the allocation of ABFA must go to a critical Ministry like Roads and Highways, so that instead of giving them GH¢ 380 million, we could give them GH¢ 500 million.
    Road infrastructure
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:06 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I believe my good Hon Friend has forgotten that this august House has approved an amount of US$646 million for
    the road sector. So it is not GH¢380 million, it is US$ 646 million.
    I know he is talking about the ABFA, but I would like to suggest to him that the entire road sector budget is not just GH¢380 million. He should multiply US$646 million by four and add it to the figure, and he would see what he gets.
    Mr Iddrisu 1:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, when they rise to boast about Sinohydro and borrowing, what is left of the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda? -- [Laughter] -- When they have their own internal resources of petroleum revenue---
    Mr Speaker, I am making a strong case, this is not a partisan case. I would like it to even be a rule of thumb if it is adopted. This House must take interest in how the ABFA is allocated. We could decide that for this year, in the Ashanti Region, they should, through their chiefs and opinion leaders, dedicate a project for us to finance.
    Then the following year we could move to the Brong Ahafo Region, Upper East Region, Upper West Region, et cetera. Then we could show results.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member should go back to where he stood in the debate on the Petroleum Revenue Management in 2015. He should not let the changing and shifting of political office allow him not to uphold his values strongly. I know him.
    So Mr Speaker, the ABFA allocation to the Ministry of Roads and Highways which is only GH¢380 million is inadequate. We should not forget that what we have approved for Sinohydro, between the confusion of GH¢640 million and GH¢ 444 million, which we must help resolve -- Are we borrowing all of it? Are
    we borrowing 85 per cent of it? Is Government providing a counterpart funding of 15 per cent? He should not forget again, as he has been at the Ministry of Finance.
    The President is struggling to get money to finance the Free Senior High School Education policy. They are spending GH¢ 16 billion to finance debt, yet they cannot find GH¢2 billion to finance the Free Senior High School education policy. That is why I asked if they were also not borrowing. They are borrowing and have not departed.
    So Mr Speaker, I am just making a strong case for additional resources for the Minister for Roads and Highways, particularly from the ABFA, notwith- standing the decision for Sinohydro and others.
    Mr Speaker, may I now go to page 16 of your Committee's Report; and the Hon Chairman of the Committee should take note.
    Next time, he should share with us how much internally generated funds has been generated over the years that he wants to make a recommendation to this House that they retain part. They only put in a paragraph that the Committee was informed that the sector ministry generates money internally.
    We are not told how much, and they say they want to retain some. How much do they want to retain? That puts us in a difficulty.
    Mr Speaker, again, in this House, I have heard people always complain about arrears. Members of Government should be told; single-spine came with huge arrears which was paid over a long period of time.
    Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye 1:06 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Leader is on his feet, but I would just like to draw his attention to page 14 which indicates all the projects, that is bullet point 13.0 -- Outlook for 2019. It indicates the projects under Sinohydro.
    Also, the IGF, if you look at page 5, under the Allocation Budget for 2018, indicates GH¢10,488,860.00 being generated as IGF for 2018. The 2019 projections are also on page 11, table 7; that is GH¢ 10,020,376.00.
    Mr Iddrisu 1:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, still on page 14, Master Project Support of Agreement (MPSA) is to be corrected;
    “The following key construction projects are programmed for construction in 2019. The projects are under the Master Project Support Agreement”.
    The Hon Chairman should delete the “of”, if I have his indulgence to do so. The Obetsebi-Lamptey zero expansion of Kasoa to deal with the traffic between Kasoa and the Central Region --
    Mr Speaker, unless you experience travelling on that road at night, you would not appreciate it.
    Then also, as I indicated yesterday, the road from Assin Fosu towards Bekwai is not in a good state. On many sections on that road, one would see manholes and not potholes.
    Mr Speaker, my conclusion is this, In this country, every day we hear the President say we would want to grow the private sector. When we do not pay contractors and interest accumulates on their borrowings, they only work for banks and not for themselves and the private sector.
    We need to take a more serious look at it. That is why the Hon Minister deserves more allocations to retire the arrears because all the contractors working in this country work for banks. When we delay their payments, they get nothing yet we say we want to grow the private sector.
    Which private sector? Contractors are key to the private sector of this economy and therefore, the cost of materials, early and timely payment is important.
    Mr Speaker, if the Hon Majority Leader would recall, in one of the debates, he made a very poignant point. That is where we should deal with the matter of exceeding budget ceilings, so that the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways would stay within his budget.
    That does not mean that he has adequate resources. I even think that if we could adjust the Road Fund levy even by a pesewa to retire some of the arrears, the better for Ghanaian contractors.
    Mr Speaker, generally, it is a Ministry that we all have interest in. The Hon Majority Leader teased Hon Tanko. The roads in Tamale South Constituency are not complete and politically, my vote margin is sometimes measured by the extent to which the roads are fixed just like his in Suame.
    Mr Speaker, I support the Motion but I advocate strongly that additional resources, in particular, the ABFA be made available to the Ministry for Roads and Highways.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:16 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, do you want to talk? Otherwise, I would put the Question.
    Mr Moses Anim (NPP -- Trobu) 1:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion and remind all of us that anytime we engage in
    construction, it improves the cash flow of everybody. Therefore, it is so refreshing to also note that once we look at the highways and major roads, we have made allocation for inner city roads as well.
    It is so refreshing to note that the outlook for 2019 makes a lot of allocations for inner city roads. In fact, inner city roads lead to the reduction of axle load vehicles on our main roads. If you look at the Sinohydro project, you would realise that the amount in there is largely towards the inner city roads in Accra, Kumasi, Western and Cape Coast.
    These are all roads that would inure to the reduction of axle load vehicles and improve on the shelf life of our main roads and highways as well. It would also reduce traffic and therefore, enhance man hour time and then reduce man hour time losses.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at the road financing in paragraph 15, the feasibility work completed for Accra-Takoradi road, then Accra-Tema motorway and Accra- Kumasi road dualisation is also very encouraging and we believe that any allocation towards that should continue.
    Mr Speaker, my worry is about the arrears which is also very large and does not make it possible for contractors like my Hon Friend to continue to be on the roads. Most of our road contractors are not on site and the attempt being made by Government, looking at the amount that has been paid so far, is also encouraging.
    We have been told by the Hon Minister today that they would meet all contractors and make allocation and payment to them as well. I believe it is so encouraging. It would bring a lot of the contractors back on site and as much as they engage on the road, we are so improved.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:16 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, do you want to say something?
    Majority Leader (Mr Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu) 1:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to say just a few things. First, the issue raised by my Hon Colleague on the arrears that we have to service as a nation is GH¢16 billion.
    Mr Speaker, it is frightening. In 2015, it was about GH¢11 billion; in 2016 it went to GH¢12 billion. It is increasing, and today as we speak, it is GH¢16 billion for debt servicing.
    It is in the region of about 22 per cent of the entire appropriation amount and it is important that we do serious introspection. That is why the President's mantra, Ghana Beyond Aid, should be supported by all of us.
    We should look at ways to practicalise what ideas the President proffers in respect of this, to critique it when necessary and to work to improve it because we would not be able to stop borrowing today; certainly not. But whatever borrowings that we engage in, we should ensure that as a nation, we have value for money. That should be cardinal.
    Mr Speaker, the issue about the ABFA that my Hon Colleague raised is also significant. I noticed that the Hon Minority Leader has overnight become very passionate about that. Mr Speaker, when we crafted the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) at the time, I made the same argument he made today,
    that if we went this way, after 20 years, if we look behind to see what we had applied our funds on, we would not be able to point to anything.
    Thus far, as I speak now, seven years on, what can we point to physically? Mr Speaker, as a reminder, I even related to rail development, that since independence, we have not succeeded in adding one inch to our rail network.
    I also said that if we decided as a nation to apply two or three years' revenue from the petroleum resources on rail development, it would expand and indeed refurbish our system and allow us --
    Mr Speaker, for as long as we do not attend to rail development, would we continue to expend huge sums on road development which would not last because of the heavy loads that we carry on the roads?
    When we were growing up, when timber was carted from the hinterlands of Brong Ahafo or any part of the Ashanti Region, once they got to Kumasi, they were ferried to the ports by rail and nobody saw any timber truck going to Takoradi with any lumber.
    After a while, because we neglected our rail network, we now have to use roads and the heavy loads, including bulk haulage of oil, would not allow our roads to last, regardless of how much we spend on them.
    Mr Speaker, I agree that we have to look at this. That is why I should refer the Hon Minority Leader to section 21 of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act. Mr Speaker, he should go back to the Hansard. When we debated this, I insisted that we should not spread ourselves thinly.
    What are we doing today?
    We have 12 areas we have listed that we could apply the amount on.
    Mr Speaker, I argued at the time that we should not spend the ABFA on service delivery and I was overruled. At the time, I said that we should not engage in this and not allow moneys to be sent to the Office of Government Machinery but I was outvoted on that. So, if we want the proper thing to be done, I would plead, we would have to go back and amend—
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 1:26 a.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. Indeed, that was his position, except two days ago, when he appeared to falter on that position. He was not overruled; the House bought the debate and that was why they sent 70 per cent and the 30 per cent could be used for the service.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, I recall that he could be credited for the insertion of that 21(3) which was then expanded. So he was not overruled.
    He had advocated for expending the 100 per cent and the House agreed that it was important that we pointed to infrastructure because oil is a finite product.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:26 a.m.
    Hon Members, I believe we should move on from there; we all know what we get and we all know how we have used it; we can all give excuses.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the other matter that we should concern ourselves with is the Report on page 15. It talks about the Ministry's
    P ub l ic -P r iva te -P a r tner ship(P PP ) programmes for financing construction and management of road infrastructure, which are progressing and are at different stages of preparation and development.
    Mr Speaker, in 2016, when the nation elected to go on this path, we cautioned at the time that we needed a legal regime in respect of PPPs. As we speak, we have not done so yet.
    We should go back to the debate in 2016 and have a Bill crafted to provide the requisite legal regime to regulate PPP agreements, other than that, as a nation, we may be short-changed and we may not have value for money.
    Mr Speaker, perhaps, the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways who really has to rely so much on PPP agreements and programmes, could be the Hon Minister to shepherd this. This is because we need it but it should be regulated very well.
    Mr Speaker, an Hon Colleague spoke about the need to increase the Road Fund and I share that sentiment. The Road Fund was increased I think about ten years or so ago. Before—
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:26 a.m.
    No, two years ago.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:26 a.m.
    Two years ago; 2015? Was it increased in 2015?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:26 a.m.
    Yes, with the promise that Hon Members who worked on that would be each rewarded with five kilometres of road. That never happened; we worked night and day to get the increment but the reward of the roads never came.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe it is something that we have to look at again if we have to do some relevant
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:26 a.m.
    Hon Minister, do you want to conclude?
    Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta) (MP) 1:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you. With this lengthy debate on the Motion coming from both Sides of the House, I am profoundly encouraged by the support to my Ministry by all those who had the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    I would therefore like to thank my Hon Colleagues most sincerely. They are so passionate about the importance of the Ministry and are the best to attest to that, even from their individual points of view. This is because I know the pressure that comes upon them from the constituents for roads and the way I have been interacting with Hon Members of this House.
    Mr Speaker, they have made a lot of suggestions through their contributions which are very worthy, and my Ministry would take all that into consideration. On their own, they are even advocating for higher budgetary figures for the Ministry for which I am very grateful.
    Mr Speaker, I know Government has been doing a lot. The Ministry is bedevilled with huge outstanding debts to be paid and the Government has been approaching it with courage.
    As at now, we are almost close to GH¢3billion payments but we still have the huge outstanding amounts to be paid. I know that unless we are able to clear the outstanding debts, the road sector front would be stagnating because contractors would not have the opportunity to work.
    We have a lot of projects that have stalled, which we are trying to bring back. I would like to assure all Hon Members that with this support to my Ministry, we are going to galvanise that Ministry and put our efforts together to make sure that in 2019, we deliver a road sector that would be appreciated by not only Hon Members of this Honourable House but the whole country.
    I thank all my Hon Colleagues sincerely for this support and I thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:26 a.m.
    Thank you, Hon Minister.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved:
    That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢1,290,665,926 for the services of the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Anim 1:26 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we may take the Motion numbered as 18.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:26 a.m.
    Very well, item 18, Motion by the Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation.
    Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation (Dr Anthony Akoto Osei) 1:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you see me within the Dispatch Box because this morning, it was intimated that Ministers are afraid of coming to the Dispatch Box that is why they stand by their seats when they move a Motion. I would want to tell the House that I am not afraid.
    ANNUAL ESTIMATES, 2019
    Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢3,161,350 for the services of the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, first, most of my Hon Colleagues, especially, Hon Richard Acheampong, does not understand the mandate of my Ministry. When he sees Monitoring and Evaluation, he thinks it should only be in my outfit.
    No. We are mandated to monitor Government's flagship programmes as approved by this House. Not all programmes are flagships, so somebody else must do the rest. That is the distinction.
    Mr Speaker, when the Budget Statement was being prepared, I had a singular responsibility. Fortunately or unfortunately, after it was read, my Ministry has been assigned an additional responsibility which requires overseeing budget implementations, so my budget clearly did not anticipate that.
    I would liaise with Cabinet and the Ministry to see how we could be given extra money because that may even be more difficult than the current one.
    Mr Speaker, if we compare our budgets for 2018 and 2019, a very weird allocation would be noticed. It looks like it is about the same, but in reality, it is distorted.
    In 2018, we got about GH¢3.18 million and in 2019 we are supposed to get about GH¢3.1 million which looks about the same, but if we look carefully, it would be noticed that the GoG allocation is drastically cut down, but because we are a recipient of a World Bank Project that is part of the Public Sector Reform Programme for which next year, we would receive about GH¢962,000, the budget looks like it is about the same.
    Mr Speaker, in terms of our regular responsibilities, in effect, we have been slashed. The GH¢ 962,000 is only CAPEX for transportation, but in terms of goods and services which is what most of the money is used for, the reports that we have to write to Cabinet may have to be cut back, unless of course, there is a way to find additional allocation.
    But we would want to thank the World Bank for approving about US$3.9 million for the five year project and we are supposed to monitor that project for the five years. So for the next five years, we would be receiving some money from the World Bank.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I beg to move the Motion.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 1:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to support the Motion, and in so doing, present your Committee's Report.

    Introduction

    The 2019 Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation were laid in the House on 15th November, 2018, and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House.

    This referral followed the presentation of the 2019 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government to the House by the Hon Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.

    The Committee, in considering the Estimate met with the Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Hon Anthony Akoto Osei, the Deputy Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Hon William Sabi, and other officials from the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation as well as officials from the Ministry of Finance.

    Background

    The Ministry exists to institutionalise results-based management and evaluation practices across the public sector to improve results delivery, evidence-based policy decision-making, and transformational impact of government priority programmes.

    The core functions of the Ministry are to:

    support the public sector to develop and institutionalise integrated results-based management and Monitoring and Evaluation systems;

    drive evidence-based policy development, improvements and decision making;

    use Monitoring and Evaluation findings to promote collaboration, learning and adaptation in implementation and decision- making processes;

    facilitate coordination and dialo- gue through innovation “lab” approaches between the public sector, the private sector and relevant stakeholders to implement government programmes;

    promote real time monitoring, reporting and utilisation of government results and Monitoring and Evaluation findings;

    promote and implement mixed methods evaluation of government priority programmes;

    improve public understanding about the role of Monitoring and Evaluation in strengthening governance, accountability and achieving development outcomes through field monitoring, citizen engagement and outreach; and

    coordinate with the National Development Planning Commission to develop National Monitoring and Evaluation policies and regulatory frameworks.

    Summary of Key Achievements in 2018

    During the year 2018, the Ministry:

    conducted an annual performance assessment to appraise the delivery and impact of government priority programmes. The report detailed the progress of priority interventions performance, their outcomes, sub- outcomes and milestones indica- tors. The assessment was mainly a desk review, complemented with

    face- to- face and key informant interviews to elicit additional information to validate the initial findings;

    develop comprehensive documents that define goals, objectives, and implementation strategies at the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) Levels; collaborated with MDAs to develop a government result framework for high priorities (2017-2020) in order to monitor and evaluate all government high priority pro- grammes. This is based on the results-chain approach, and the design facilitates a logical articulation of the theory of change. The framework allows for a presentation of the goal, outcomes, sub-outcomes, milestones and the corresponding indicator, baselines and targets in a cummulative manner;

    developed budget tracking template to monitor budget release to MDAs; and

    introduced and operationalise annual results framework in order to increase Monitoring and Evaluation culture. The ministry also provided technical support to the MDAs and this has contributed to increased visibility and interest in results-based monitoring and reporting across the Ministries.

    Financial Outturn for 2018

    The Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation was allocated an approved budget of three million, one hundred and eighty thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢3,180,000) for 2018. Out of this amount, only one million, seven hundred and six thousand, three hundred Ghana cedis (GH¢ 1,706,300) was released to the Ministry for its activities as at August, 2018. Details of the breakdown is captured in table 1 below:
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC -- Bia East) 1:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support your Committee's Report and also ask Hon Colleagues to support the work of your Committee to approve an amount GH¢3,161,350 for the operations of the Ministry in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation.
    Mr Speaker, as the Hon Minister himself lamented that an amount allocated to his Ministry cannot help him to execute its planned project, then it is a cause for worry. This is because in 2018, an amount of GH¢3.1 million was allocated and almost the same amount has been allocated for 2019.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry has indicated a lot of activities to be undertaken and more especially, they would monitor their report on donor funded programmes which has become part of their activities. Again, like the Hon Minister said, he would do the implementation of budget, so after the Ministry of Finance has done its allocations, he would make sure that the Agencies would implement those policies and programmes.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:36 p.m.
    On a point of Order. Mr Speaker, my Hon Friend is trying to put me in trouble. [Laughter] I never said ‘‘I would do budget implementation''. I said ‘'I have been asked to oversee budget implementation''.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:36 p.m.
    Hon Member, take a cue.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is a Cabinet Minister and I was shocked that he could not bring on board his lobbying skills for the Hon Minister for Finance to, at least, up his allocation, but he comes here to lament. We cannot increase the allocation, the only thing he could do is to call his members to reduce their allocation.
    We all have a big challenge that we cannot support them to do the work they have planned to do. But as I indicated, with the donor funding amount of GH¢962 million, they can still call for more to do other projects.
    Mr Speaker, on page 4 of the Committee's Report, one of the activities outlined by the Ministry is conducting in- depth mixed methods evaluation on Free Senior High School Programme and the Planting for Food and Jobs.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Senior Minister's Office would also undertake this same programme. When they appeared before the Finance Committee, the Hon Minister told us that the Hon Senior Minister's Office is the eye of the President and we asked him how the Hon Senior Minister's Office would monitor the Free SHS Programme and the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation would also do the same thing?
    Mr Speaker, I see duplication of resources and efforts. I believe at Cabinet level, there should be proper coordination, so that we would know who would do what. This is because by the end of the day, this allocation of GH¢1.809 in respect of goods and services --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:36 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on. I am trying to find where in the Report is in charge of -- I have seen ‘'conducting in-depth mixed method evaluations''. Is it the same as “overseeing'' it?
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I did not say he would oversee evaluation. The Hon Senior Minister's Office also told the Committee that they would also undertake the same exercise. Mr Speaker, respectfully, you were not there.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member does not want to understand the distinction. The Hon Senior Minister's Office never said that they would do specifically what we would be doing. They never said that. If they said they are the “eye of the President'', it is in a different context, but not what the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation has programmed to do.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, when we look at the 2018 allocation of CAPEX, an amount of GH¢500,000 was allocated to the Ministry. At the Committee meeting we asked the Hon Minister what he used the money for, and he told us that he expended the money to procure two vehicles.
    Mr Speaker, if GH¢500,000 can give you two Land Cruiser Prado Vehicles, then it is a good sign that -- [Interruption].
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:46 p.m.
    -- rose --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:46 p.m.
    Hon Member, let me speak to the Chairman.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:46 p.m.
    On a point oforder. Mr Speaker, I would beg of my Hon Colleague to point the House to the section of the Report which says the GH¢500,000 was going to be used to procure two Land Cruiser Prado Vehicles.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is my good Friend and I am a Member of the Committee. I am reading item 5.2 of the Report which is on page 5. It reads:
    “The Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation informed the Committee that for 2018, an amount of GH¢500,000 in respect of CAPEX was applied to the purchase of two vehicles to support the Ministry's activities.”
    Mr Speaker, because the Report is silent on the type of vehicle they procured --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:46 p.m.
    So you assume that they are Land Cruiser vehicles?
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we went further to ask him because we were comparing his Ministry with other Ministries. We said he did well by buying two vehicles with GH¢500,000. I am going to make a point that in the Report that we
    just considered for the Ministry of Planning, they used GH¢485,000 to procure one vehicle.
    So, if his Ministry used GH¢500,000 to procure two vehicles -- he even told us that it depends on the vehicle specification and that they negotiated and the price came down.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:46 p.m.
    Hon Member, the complaint is that you said he used GH¢500,000 to buy two Land Cruiser vehicles but the Report does not say so and that is what they are complaining about.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are not arguing about this matter. I even want to commend the Hon Minister for doing this. The Report is silent on the type of vehicles which were procured. So, if he can tell us the type of vehicles that would be fine.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:46 p.m.
    Why do you want that information here? Why did you not ask him at the Committee level? You are misinforming the House and I direct that you withdraw that misinformation. That is all.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I withdraw the “Land Cruiser”. But GH¢500,000 was used to procure two vehicles. [Interruption].
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:46 p.m.
    --rose --
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have withdrawn the Land Cruiser but the Hon Minister procured two vehicles -- Is that not the case?
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member said he is my Friend; I am surprised the way he is going. [Laughter]
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not think there is anything to quarrel over here.
    Mr Speaker, you would notice a trend going forward, that with all the Reports coming before you, when it comes to capital expenditure, almost every Ministry and Agency is buying vehicles. So, it is something we need to take a closer look at, because procurement of vehicles does not create employment; it does not help expand our economy.
    The understanding is that capital expenditure would go into capital investment, which in itself would create some sort of investment or employment for our people. But if the entire amount of, maybe, GH¢500,000 is used to procure vehicles, though it brings efficiency and it can enhance the work of the Ministry, we cannot sit for -- [Interruption].
    Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye 1:46 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is misleading the House. As an automobile engineer, I know that when a vehicle is procured, it generates employment.
    Drivers would be employed and mechanics would be given additional work to do to maintain the vehicles.
    The vehicle repairers are also given a job to do. So, the Hon Member cannot say that purchasing of vehicle does not create employment. That statement is wrong.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in a proper context, if a saloon car is procured for --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:46 p.m.
    Hon Member, you would move on.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the amount allocated to the Ministry cannot help them achieve their intended purpose. I would plead with Government, since the Hon Minister who is himself a Cabinet Minister to, at least, add to the numbers so that all the programmes outlined in this Committee Report could be achieved by the end of 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I call on Hon Members to support your Committee's Report to approve the sum of GH¢3,161,350 for the services of the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Anthony Effah (NPP -- Asikuma/ Odoben/Brakwa) 1:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support this Motion to approve the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation.
    Mr Speaker, this Ministry is a novelty in our quest to improve efficiency, monitoring and evaluation of our activities as a country. It is particularly engaged with
    real time operation of monitoring reports for decision making and I believe this is very important for us.
    In the past, when we look at some of the Public Accounts Committee Reports, they are two or three years backdated. Before the Auditor General's Report is submitted to the House for discussion, we already have insight into activities of the various MDAs. I believe that should be a very good thing to do especially the reason why we should support this Motion.
    Mr Speaker, there is also this very important point about the development of a budget tracking template to monitor budget releases to MDAs. Year in year out, all the Ministries that are allocated funds hardly receive a 100 per cent release of funds before the close of the year.
    So if there is a tracking template to determine how much of the allocated funds have actually been released, it would help follow ups and it also helps the Minister for Finance to know where the backlogs are. This would also improve the work of the MDAs.
    Mr Speaker, I read the last bullet of paragraph 4.0 on page 3 that “equipping MDAs with logistics” and I am wondering how the Ministry would be able to accomplish that. The Hon Minister has himself indicated that the allocations to the Ministry are small and that the first allocation for last year were all used for logistics for themselves.
    He has indicated that in the year 2019, the allocation of capital expenditure would be used to buy additional logistics for itself. So, I wonder how the Ministry would be able to achieve that objective. I would recommend that if, indeed, that should be
    a very important activity, then their funding for capital expenditure should be looked at again, maybe, from the donor sources, so that they could if it can get more funding.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:46 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Available Leader? The available leadership keeps changing. [Laughter]
    Alhaji Inusah Abdulai B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 1:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion before the House to approve the 2019 Budget Estimates for the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation and to make some few observations.
    Mr Speaker, there appears to be good reason why H.E. the President established a Ministry known and called the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation. So we expect that allocations that are made to the Ministry for the purpose of carrying out its mandate are released timeously. This Report seems to be talking to the contrary.
    Mr Speaker, in the 2018 Budget Statement, an amount of GH¢3,180,000 was allocated. As of August, 2018, GH¢1.706 million has been released. That is just a little above half of the amount allocated.
    A significant amount of the allocated resources would go to goods and services. These goods and services are what would enable the Hon Minister perform his functions.
    Since there is a reason for the establishment of the Ministry, I believe it behoves on the Ministry of Finance to ensure that public resources that are
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:56 p.m.
    At the conclusion of debate, Hon Minister, do you want to -- ?
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thought that the Hon Majority Leader who is the surrogate Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation would say a few words -- [Uproar]
    I surrogate him and he surrogates me. I thought it would be good if he says a few words.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:56 p.m.
    I do not think the Hon Majority Leader has anything to add which you have not said -- [Laughter.]

    Question put and Motion agreed to. Resolved:

    That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢3,161,350.00 for the services of the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Anim 1:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we would take item numbered 7 -- Motion.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:56 p.m.
    Before then, let me direct that the House Sits outside the regular Sitting hours having regard to the state of Business of the House.
    Yes, item numbered 7 -- Motion.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    MOTIONS 1:56 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 1:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of two million, twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three euros (€2,028,863.00) on goods to be procured in respect of the Enhancement of Road Safety (Phase II)—Turnkey Implemen- tation of Photovoltaic-Based Street Lighting Programme in selected communities.
    Mr Speaker, in so doing, I present your Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    The request for the waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy, amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of two million, twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three euros (€2,028,863.00) on goods to be procured in respect of the Enhancement of Road Safety (Phase II) -- Turnkey Implementation of the Photovoltaic-Based Street Lighting Programme in Selected Communities was laid in the House on Tuesday, 13th November, 2018, in accordance with article 174(2) of the Constitution, and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report pursuant to the Standing Orders of the House.
    The Committee met with two Deputy Ministers for Finance Hon Kwaku Kwarteng and Hon Abena Osei-Asare and technical teams from the Ministries of Finance and Education to consider the request.
    Reference Documents
    The Committee referred to the following documents in its deliberations:
    The 1992 Constitution of Ghana;
    The Public Financial Management Act of 2016 (Act 921);
    The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana;
    The Loan Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Unicredit Bank of Austria amounting to €7,500,000 for the Enhancement of Road Safety (Phase II) - Turnkey Implementation of Photovoltaic- Based (Solar) Street Lighting Programme in Selected Communities across the country; and

    The Tax Assessment by the Ghana Revenue Authority.

    Background

    Successive governments have, through the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) always pursued various road safety programmes and campaigns aimed at addressing the numerous and unacceptably high level of accidents that frequently occur on our country's roads.

    Road Traffic accidents are increasingly becoming a developmental and public health issue in the country. These accidents have also been a matter of great concern to government especially when lives and human capital have unfortunately been lost in the process.

    The NRSC in collaboration with key stakeholders including the Ministries of Transport and Roads and Highways, together with their Agencies, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service are always doing what they can within their mandates to address the issue of road safety in the country.

    While some road safety strategies have made significant impact in curbing the spate of car accidents on our roads, it is very evident that a lot still remains to be done.

    It is worth noting that between January and August 2017, a total of the 8,081 cases of road traffic accidents were reported involving 12,718 vehicles. These accidents resulted in 1,382 deaths and 7,761 injuries. The cost of road accidents in Ghana is estimated at 1.67 per cent of annual GDP. It is also reported that road

    traffic accidents account for far more deaths in Ghana than violent crimes including robbery.

    These accidents and deaths affect productivity, damage property, increase medical bills and in some cases, result in permanent disabilities leading to an increase in the dependency burden and ultimate poverty.

    Statistics reveal that about 80 per cent of the night-time car fatalities in Ghana have occurred on sections of our roads which are without any street lights and has therefore caused poor visibility to many road users.

    It is sad to note that street lights are non-existent on a number of our road networks especially those linking the regional capitals and those in urban areas. This situation has contributed a lot to road accidents resulting in pedestrian fatalities.

    The implementation of the Photovoltaic-based (solar) street lighting programme in selected communities in the country has therefore been designed to address road safety issues, relating to areas designated as black spots and prone to accidents mainly due to the poor visibility in such places.

    The programme is therefore aimed at implementing practical and cost-effective measures which would influence and enhance visibility and in the process vehicle/pedestrian conspicuity in the night especially on sections of the roads where lack of street lights is believed to be the predominant contributory factor to accidents.

    In order to implement this programme, the Government of Ghana has entered into an agreement with Unicredit Bank of Austria for a concessional loan amounting to €7,500,000. This Agreement has already been approved by Parliament.

    Clause 9 of the commercial agreement exempts the contract from the payment of taxes, duties and levies imposed in the country. In order to successfully implement this programme, there is the need to waive off taxes and duties applicable to the programme.

    It is in this regard that the request for tax and duties waiver on materials and equipment relating to the photovoltaic programme has been made to Parliament in accordance with article 174 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

    The Request

    The request is for the waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy, amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of two million, twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty three euros (€2,028,863.00).

    Assessment of Duties, Taxes and Levies

    A breakdown of the tax assessment as undertaken by the Ghana Revenue Authority is provided in Table 1 below:
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:56 p.m.
    Are you the only Hon Member here? I would want to listen to somebody else. [Laughter]
    You are the available Ranking Member?
    All right.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 1:56 p.m.
    [Inaudible]
    Mr Speaker 1:56 p.m.
    Sorry? [Interruption]
    Yes, you would have the last word but I would allow the available Ranking Member.
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC -- Bia East) 2:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion moved by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    As the Hon Chairman of the Committee indicated, this is a condition precedent so I do not believe there is any issue granting this tax waiver.
    Mr Speaker, your Committee did a very good work. If we check the attached assessment, the amount presented to the Committee was €2,130,570.00; but we saw some items that, in our view, were not related to the project that they would undertake. We raised it, and they were in agreement with us. So they pruned it down and it came to €2,028,863.00.
    This is an indication that the Finance Committee is there to make sure that there is value for money and to protect the national purse. It is not for nothing when we sometimes raise issues about value- for-money audits and assessments. We are there to help shape policy and to make sure that we get value for money.
    This is a very straight forward Agreement, so I call on all Hon Members to support the Committee's Report, so that the contractor could get clearance at the port for the goods they would import, and they would continue to do the work for us.
    Mr Speaker, we know how important it is to maintain life and property. The carnage we see on our roads is not the best, so this is a very good initiative. We need to support it and to properly educate our people, so that they would be careful as they ply the roads.
    In the night, we would also get lights on our streets. We do not want a situation whereby we provide the lights on our streets today, but they would be off tomorrow and there would be nobody to give an explanation whatsoever.
    The Ministry should also make sure that the contractor would deliver and give us good job, so that going forward if another facility is brought before us, we could come together and support it.
    I thank you very much for the opportunity.
    Mr Daniel Okyem Aboagye (NPP -- Bantama) 2:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to support the Motion for the tax waiver of €2,028,863.00 for the improvement of the road traffic situation that we have in this country.
    Mr Speaker, if we should look at the last paragraph on page 2 of the Report, we are told that for eight months alone in the year 2017, there were about 8,081 cases of road traffic accidents, which involved 12,718 vehicles. In Ghana, a lot of deaths come as a result of accidents.
    So I believe that if we are able to waive these taxes for them, not only would we improve the traffic situation in Ghana, but
    in some situation theft cases may be reduced. We would also improve on the number of accidents that we actually experience as a country.
    When we sometimes think about what is happening to us, as a people, and the number of accidents that we experience, it is unbelievable. So many people lose their lives, families also lose their members and we are all potential candidates for accidents -- God forbid.
    So I believe that if we support this and the 154 locations that have been listed on page 5 of this Report had lights, it would go a long way to improve the number of accidents that we get in Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, I encourage Hon Members to support this waiver.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much, for the opportunity.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 2:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is a straightforward matter. It is to grant tax waiver; waiver of import duties, import Value Added Tax (VAT), import National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Levy, Exim Levy and Special Import Tax amounting to about
    €2,028,863.00.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, the rationale for tax waivers is simple. If contractors would import materials to undertake turnkey projects that are taxed, the scope of the project would reduce. The same tax that we would collect from them would be used to reinvest. So why do we not waive the tax so that the scope of the project would be expanded? So the rationale is good.
    Street light infrastructure is good because it prevents accidents at night; it promotes visibility.
    Sometimes drivers that are too confident in their eyesight would put off their headlights when there are street lights at night because the place would have been clear and visible, and they could see obstacles and persons far away even before they get there. So they would have the time to stop to prevent accidents.
    Mr Speaker, most importantly, when streetlights are done in towns, it encourages night time commercial activities; retail tea sellers, shop keepers and people who sell their wares under the streetlights at night.
    That would again ensure that people could engage in commercial activities during the day and the night, which would go a long way to mitigate the level of poverty in this country.
    I was concerned when I looked at the assessment of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). I looked at the tax, which was assessed at €2,130,570.00 -- that is the total tax liability.
    When I did my computation, I did not see the tax that was excluded, which brought down the figure to €2,028,863.00 because GRA had assessed the tax at €2,130,570.00; but subject to the reconciliation and the explanation for the reduction in the tax liability, I do not have any objection.
    Mr Speaker, again, we have been given the quantities that they are to bring in, which are as follows:
    i.1,210 solar panels with mounts;
    ii. 1,210 light poles with mounting screws;
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:06 p.m.
    I would hear the Hon Majority Leadership.
    What is it that -- ?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he raised some concerns, and I wanted to address them.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:06 p.m.
    It is not in your Report. It is only an Hon Member of the Committee who bragged that you have saved us some money.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:16 p.m.
    He said that the tax assessment in the appendix of the Report is €2,130,570.00 as assessed by the GRA. But what is waived now is
    €2,028,863.00.
    Mr Speaker, if we go to the appendix, we would see withholding tax - €50854 and inspection fee which is a service charge that cannot be waived and so it was taken off as well as the withholding tax. So if we add those two, that would be about €101 deducted from them to give you --
    Mr Moses Anim (NPP--Trobu) 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to support the Motion because paragraph 4.1 has it that we are waiving those taxes to allow the supply of the street lights and its accessories to improve the lighting of accident prone locations which the Ministry of Roads and Highways terms “Black Spots” and areas with the history of accidents.
    I think that it is so important and if it is done properly, it would reduce the rate of accidents in the country.
    The other issue is that after we fix them, which institution or agency takes responsibility of maintenance? We are told the Districts or Municipalities under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development are supposed to take responsibility of the maintenance of those street lights.
    Mr Speaker, oftentimes, they go off and it becomes a challenge and I think that we should ensure that those who are responsible -- The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should ensure that we maintain them so
    the lights could be on as a matter of necessity.
    Mr Speaker, thank you and I urge everybody to support the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:16 p.m.
    Item numbered 8 -- Resolution.
    Mr Anim 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I seek your leave to allow the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance to take the Resolution. As we speak, the Hon Minister is out of the jurisdiction.
    Alhaji I.A.B . Fuseini 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have no objection.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:16 p.m.
    Very well.
    RESOLUTIONS 2:16 p.m.
    Minister for Finance) 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that
    WHEREAS by the provisions of article 174 (2) of the Constitution, Parliament is empowered to confer power on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax imposed by an Act of Parliament;
    THE EXERCISE of any power conferred on any person or authority to waive or vary tax in favour of any person or authority is by the said provisions made subject to the
    prior approval of Parliament by resolution;
    BY THE COMBINED operation of the provisions of section 150(i) of the Customs Act 2015, (Act 891), the Export and Import Act, 1995 (Act 503), the Export Trade, Agricultural and Industrial Fund Act, 2013 (Act 872), the Value Added Tax Act, 2013 (Act 870), the Value Added Tax (Amend- ment) Act, 2015 (Act 890), the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Act 948) and other existing Laws and Regulations applicable to the collection of Customs duties and other taxes on the importation of goods into Ghana, the Minister for Finance may exempt any statutory corporation, institution or individual from the payment of duties and taxes otherwise payable under the said Laws and Regulations or waive or vary the requirement of such statutory corporation, institution or individual to pay such duties and taxes;
    IN ACCORDANCE with the provisions of the Constitution and at the request of the Government of Ghana acting through the Minister responsible for Finance, there has been laid before Parliament a request by the Minister for Finance for the prior approval of Parliament the exercise by him of his power under the Laws and Regulations relating to the waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of two million, twenty-eight thousand, eight hundred and
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    Mr Anim 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Motion numbered 9.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:16 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman item numbered 9.
    MOTIONS 2:16 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Assibey-Yeboah) 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of eleven million, six hundred and fifty-six thousand, one hundred and seventy-four euros (€11,656,174.00) in respect of the procurement of project equipment and materials for the construction of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development at Somanya under the Commercial Contract between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (Ministry of Education) and Contracta Construzione Italia Srl. for the development of the University of Environment and Sustainable Develop- ment.
    Mr Speaker, I present your Committee's report.
    Introduction
    The request for Waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of eleven million, six hundred and fifty-six thousand, one hundred and seventy-four euros (€11,656,174.00) in respect of the procurement of project equipment and materials for the construction of the University of Environment and Sustainable Develop- ment at Somanya under the Commercial Contract between the Government for the Republic of Ghana (Ministry of Education) and Contracta Construzione Italia Sri. for the development of the University of Environment and Sustainable Develop- ment was laid in the House on Monday, 26th November, 2018 in accordance with article 174(2) of the Constitution, and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report pursuant to the Standing Orders of the House.
    The Committee met with the two Deputy Ministers for Finance Hon. Kwaku Kwarteng and Hon. Abena Osei Asare and technical teams from the Ministries of Finance and Education to consider the request.
    Reference Documents
    The Committee referred to the following documents in its deliberations:
    The 1992 Constitution of Ghana;
    The Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921);
    The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana;
    The Commercial contract between the Government of Ghana and Contracta Construzione Italia Sri. in the sum of forty-five million, five euros (€45,575,000.00) for the development of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development; and
    The Tax Assessment by the Ghana Revenue Authority.
    Background
    The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) is a publicly-funded national institution which will provide training in basic biological, physical and mathematical sciences, agricultural and environmental sciences and environmental design and architecture.
    UESD is a multi-campus institution with its main campus in Somanya. Other campuses would be situated in Donkorkrom (Afram Plains) and Bunso in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
    The university will start with schools of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural and Agro-Entrepreneurship Development, and School of Sustainable Development, all located on the Somanya campus. There will also be creation of the school of the Built Environment.
    The University will approach its programmes and research, emphasising interdisciplinary collaboration and taking into account areas such as leadership, policy and entrepreneurship for sustainable socio-economic development.
    UESD is envisioned to be a world-class institution of learning and research, demonstrating excellence in the development of expertise to address agricultural, environmental and sustainable development challenges.
    The core of the University are as follows:
    The demonstration of environ- mental leadership and education;
    Building and sustaining community partnership;
    Creating a learning environment that fosters idea-sharing and interaction;
    Promoting integrity, innovation and freedom of thought and expression.
    The University will be made up of four (4) Undergraduate Schools, one (1) Graduate School and three (3) Research Centres as follows;
    School of Natural and Environmental Sciences:
    School of Sustainable Development;
    School of Agricultural and Agro- Entrepreneurship Development;
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Assibey-Yeboah) 2:16 p.m.


    School of the Built Environment;

    School of Graduate Studies;

    Centre for Agro-Entrepreneurship;

    Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology; and

    Centre for Sustainable Resource Development.

    In August 2015, the Parliament of Ghana passed the University of Environment and Sustainable Develop- ment Act, 2015 (Act 898) which established the University.

    The Ministry of Education, with the collaboration of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly and traditional leaders, has further acquired a three hundred and twelve (312) acre land at Somanya for the construction of the necessary infrastructure to start the University.

    Parliament has also approved a loan amount of €45,575,000.00 to start the development of the University at Somanya. The funds for the project was sourced from Deutsche Bank S.P.A. and its Affiliates with Export Credit support from SACE (Italian Export Finance Agency).

    The project would therefore involve the development of a completely new infrastructure that would support the functions of the University. Basic infrastructure such as academic buildings, residential facilities for students, staff accommodation, recreational facilities and related infrastructure required for academic activities are to be constructed.

    Clause 7 of the Commercial Agreement provides that the project is to be exempted from the payment of import duties and taxes which may be imposed in the Republic of Ghana with respect to the supply of plant, materials, services and equipment solely for the execution of the Contract.

    To ensure that the project is effectively implemented and in compliance with article 174 (2) of the 1992 Constitution, this request for tax waiver has been submitted to Parliament for approval.

    The Request

    The request is for the Waiver of Import Duties, Import Vat/NHIL, Exim Levy, ECOWAS Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of eleven million, six hundred and fifty six thousand, one hundred and seventy four euros (€11,656,174.00).

    Assessment of Duties, Taxes and Levies

    Attached as APPENDIX is the detailed tax assessment for the project provided by the Ghana Revenue Authority.

    Observations

    Project Benefits

    The Committee observed that the university will help increase access to tertiary education in an equitable manner- bringing public university closer to the people of the Eastern region of Ghana.

    Further on, the University would also introduce curricular that will lead to human resource development for environmental challenges facing the country, as well as other unique programmes relating to environmental management and sustainable development.

    It was observed that the University's curricula has been designed to ensure that it does not replicate courses being offered by other universities in Ghana. Courses to be undertaken are targeted at addressing serious environmental and socio-economic development challenges being faced by the nation.

    The Committee was also informed that the University would be positioned as a Centre of excellence in environmental and sustainable development training and research, not only in Ghana, but in the West African Sub-Region and in Africa as a whole.

    Tax waiver

    It was pointed to the committee that Clause 7 of the Commercial Agreement between the Government of Ghana and

    the Contractor, Contracta Construzione Italie Sri. provides that the contractor is to be exempt from the payment of import taxes and duties in respect of the supply of materials, plant, services and equipment meant for the execution of the project.

    In order to successfully execute the project on time, there was therefore the need for a waiver of the taxes and duties as provided for under Clause 7 of the Agreement, hence the request to Parliament.

    At the end of the project, all construction machinery and equipment would be re-exported or revert to Government of Ghana, failing which duties and taxes would be exacted.

    Conclusion

    Considering the benefits the country stands to gain from undertaking this project and the immense socio-economic benefits to be derived from the project, the committee is of the view that the request is in the right direction.

    The committee therefore recommends to the House to adopt its report and approve the Request for waiver of Import Duties Import VAT, Import NHIL., ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of eleven million, six hundred and fifty-six thousand, one hundred and seventy-four euros (€11,656,174.00) in respect of the procurement of project equipment and materials for the construction of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development at Somanya under the Commercial Contract between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (Ministry of Education) and Contracta Construzione Italia Sri. for the development of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in accordance with article 174(2) of the Constitution.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Assibey-Yeboah) 2:16 p.m.


    SPACE FOR PAGE 24 - 2.16 P.M.

    Respectfully submitted.
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC -- Bia East) 2:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion that the House approves the sum of (€11,656,174.00) as a tax waiver in respect of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development at Somanya.
    We all remember that about three or four months ago, an argument ensued in the House that Donkorkrom had been taken off the project but page 2 of the Report tells us that:
    “Background
    Other campus would be situated in Donkorkrom (Afram Plains) and Bunsu in the Eastern region of Ghana”.
    Mr Speaker, at least, this information tells us that from Somanya, we will move to Donkorkrom before Bunsu. It is a very good information to all of us because some people thought that Donkorkrom would not be considered; and your Committee's Report tells us that they have been considered.
    I think that we have already approved of the facility but looking at the assessment done by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority --
    The Committee noticed something that, part of the items that the contractor would import into the country, include cement - - 15,000 tons in quantity. The issue came up that, at least, we could procure cement in this country.
    We have companies that manufacture cement in this country, and if we are to import almost everything, why can we not
    buy cement from the local producers so that we could also create employment for our people?
    Mr Speaker, this is something that the Ministry of Finance's attention should be drawn to, because we cannot give tax waiver as a condition precedent and any list that they present to us, we would just approve of it.
    At least, cement could be procured locally because we are talking about local content and creation of employment for our people. We have local companies which produce cement, and if they should tell us that they want to import cement into the country, it is very serious. We need to have a second look at the list and at least, take off the cement aspect.
    I am a member of the Committee and we raised it, so one would have expected -- I mentioned in the first Report that the cement component should be taken off but it has still been maintained.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance is here, so let us have a second look at it and see if we could do something about the cement component. Mr Speaker, or it could be outsourced so that the local producers would give us the cement to help all of us.
    Mr Speaker, apart from the issue of the cement, I do not have any other issue to talk about. Thank you for the opportunity and I hope the Hon Chairman would reconsider the application that I have made.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:26 p.m.
    Hon Member for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa?
    Mr Anthony Effah (NPP -- Asikuma- Odoben-Brakwa) 2:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:26 p.m.
    Available Hon Leader?
    Alhaji Inusah Abdulai B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 2:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, just like the previous agreement, this is to give effect to our determination to set up a university in the Eastern Region. Mr Speaker, to do that, we needed to take a loan to bring in certain equipment for the purpose of actualising this objective.
    Mr Speaker, just like the earlier one, waivers are intended to expand and make available the greater number of items that would be needed to complete the project. After all, if we impose tax we would use the tax to import more and it would be a repetition of a cycle.
    Mr Speaker, we must however take note of the Hon Deputy Ranking Member's concern on the purchase of cement. Mr Speaker, I just looked at that and two lots of cement would be brought into this country under the agreement. The first lot would be about 15,000 and this would attract a total tax of €89,889 and the second lot would come in 50 kilogramme bags and it would be 100,000 and this would attract a tax of €277,500.
    Mr Speaker, they could be special cements and if it so, then they are entitled to bring them in, but we do not yet have any evidence to show that these are special mixtures of cement that would be brought in. Mr Speaker, we have also not been told whether the contractor has been encouraged to allow for local participation in the service delivery or in the
    performance of the work that would take place on the university.
    Mr Speaker, apart from this, I note that when the Ghana Revenue Authority assessed the tax liability, the assessment was signed by one Gideon Gley, but he failed, refused or neglected to put the seal of the Ghana Revenue Authority so that we would know that this is coming from a proper custody.
    So to the Ministry of Finance, any time a tax assignment is done the Ghana Revenue Authority must put their seal so that we know that it is coming from proper custody.
    Mr Speaker, apart from this I have no objection to this because it is a good project and we need the university. An educated people is obviously better than an illiterate group of people or an illiterate country so if we would expend money to educate our people, it can never be too expensive.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:26 p.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 10.
    Hon Deputy Minister for Finance?
    RESOLUTIONS 2:26 p.m.
    Minister for Finance) 2:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move that
    WHEREAS by the provisions of article 174 (2) of the Constitution, Parliament is empowered to confer power on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax imposed by an Act of Parliament;
    THE EXERCISE of any power conferred on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax in favour of any person or authority is by the said provisions made subject to the prior approval of Parliament by resolution;
    BY THE COMBINED operation of the provisions of section 150(i) of the Customs Act 2015, (Act 891), the Export and Import Act, 1995 (Act 503), the Export Trade, Agricultural and Industrial Fund Act, 2013 (Act 872), the Value Added Tax Act, 2013 (Act 870), the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 890), the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Act 948) and other existing Laws and Regulations applicable to the collection of Customs duties and other taxes on the importation of goods into Ghana, the Minister for Finance may exempt any statutory corporation, institution or individual from the payment of duties and taxes otherwise payable under the said Laws and Regulations or waive or vary the requirement of such statutory corporation, institution or individual to pay such duties and taxes;
    IN ACCORDANCE with the provisions of the Constitution and at the request of the
    Mr Moses Anim 2:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we would take Motion numbered 11.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:26 p.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 11.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    MOTIONS 2:36 p.m.
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC -- Bia East) 2:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion captured in page 10 of today's Order Paper that the House waives the tax component of US$7,618,079.00.
    Mr Speaker, Ghana secured a grant facility from the Japanese Government of an amount of US$47.95 million which translates to GH¢225,693,463.82.
    We all know the difficulty or the challenges that we go through when we are going through either Akosombo; the kind of congestion we face at Tema Roundabout. If it is able to go through the process, this facility would help us to reduce the traffic that we experience when we get to Tema Roundabout.
    Mr Speaker, in view of that, I do not think there is any difficulty. More to that, there is a condition precedent in the facility. Having procured the US$47.95 million, there is no issue about it than to support the waiver of the taxes on the project.
    However, Mr Speaker, if we look at the assessment again, in the third schedule, you would see four items listed. They are goods and consumables for concrete works; goods and consumables for site works; and goods and consumables for survey. This is what I would want to draw the attention of the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to.
    This is because, if we use the phrase “goods and consumables” clearly, we do not know the type of goods they are going to import. If we do not do a checklist and monitor the kind of imports they are going
    to do, they can bring in anything at all which are not in relation to the construction of the road.
    So we call on GRA and its Customs division to monitor the kind of import they would do.
    Sometimes they even put it in the schedule generators. If you add all, they are importing about 26 generators. But the specification is not indicated in the schedule. How can we know the type of generators they are going to import?
    Mr Speaker, it is the construction of a 3-tier road, and they are importing 26 sets of generators. And we do not know the type of generators they are going to import.
    This is not a technical work the Finance Committee can do, so GRA and its Customs Division should make sure that with the list provided them, whenever the imports are done, they would make sure that those lists provided are the very things imported into the country, else we would be short-changed. This is because, if they say consumables, what are consumables? Unless those consumables are related to the kind of work they are going to do.
    Mr Speaker, these are some of the things we have to be critical about. Because we would be complaining about tax waivers, but if we do not provide this money, we need to find money and add it to the project cost, and at the end of the day, we come back to square 1. But we have to make sure that the right items are imported into the country.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I call on other Hon Colleagues to support your Committee's Report.
    Thank you very much.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:36 p.m.
    Hon Member for Bantama?
    Mr Daniel Okyem Aboagye (NPP -- Bantama) 2:36 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor and to say that if we are getting a grant of GH¢225,693,163 from the Japanese, and we are called upon to waive GH¢35,854,488, I think it is a step in the right direction not only because it would provide benefit to reduce the traffic situation at the Tema Roundabout.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the Tema Motorway itself needs a lot of improvement. Today, if you use that road, you would see tha a lot of people cross the road; these are major roads highways, and it poses a lot of risk.
    So if we have the opportunity to improve the roundabout, which would bring a lot of benefits, I believe it would also reduce the burden of having to fix the entire Tema Motorway. I believe this waiver is a call to duty and a call for our participation. We have to look at it in ways that would help us improve the situation over there.
    Mr Speaker, we are told in page 5, paragraph 4.2 that the benefits of the project include improvement in the capacity of the Tema Motorway Roundabout, improvement in the safety and efficiency of transport operations and provision of uninterrupted traffic flows in order to facilitate trade in the West African Sub-region.
    So it is a major highway for us in Ghana as we know it, and I believe if we are able to fix and provide a 3-tier roundabout, it would help us as a country and the sub- region as a whole.
    Thank you very much for the opportunity, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:36 p.m.
    Yes, Minority Leadership.
    Please, I intend to take one comment each. So let the Hon Deputy Minority Leader speak.
    Alhaji Inusah A. B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 2:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg you it is my project. Yes, this one.
    Mr Speaker, this is a very important project. I am not the one implementing the Tema Motorway, but I am happy to be associated with the design concept of the project. I am happy to have engaged with the Japanese under the Japan Inter- national Cooperation Agency (JICA) in negotiating the grant to be undertaken for the project.
    Mr Speaker, this is part of the grant agreement between the Government of Ghana and Government of Japan connecting the project for the improve- ment of the Ghanaian international corridors. Japan is helping us improve upon traffic flow at the Tema Roundabout, and we all know the extent of bottleneck, traffic congestion at the Tema Motorway Roundabout.
    The Tema Motorway Roundabout is an international corridor, because it leads us to Togo, and so when international vehicles are on that road, they suffer delay.
    Mr Speaker, what is happening is the first phase of the project, and so there would be a second phase. Just like the Hon Colleague who spoke before said, if Japan is giving us a grant of this amount and we have to waive tax on the items which are directly associated with the implementation of the project, we cannot have beef with that.
    Mr Moses Anim (NPP--Trobu) 2:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I know we are all interested in anything relating to roads, because roads have become a very challenging issue for the country, and the Tema Roundabout is one centralised roundabout that connects the Greater Accra Region to the Volta Region.
    I am enthused to support the Motion because of the scope of the project that is
    going to be encouraged, especially the 730-meter underpass section, including 190 meters of box culverts along the east and west direction, and then the carriage ways with three lanes that are attached so that pedestrians would have a walkway along the side of the roundabout to reduce fatality. So I commend the design work as it was done.
    I would also say that we should monitor the project as much as we can, since we are waiving such an amount.
    Mr Speaker, under the Observation, you would know the rationale and essence of the reconstruction of the roundabout at the Tema Motorway, so we would encourage every Hon Member to support this Motion so that the phase 1 of the construction that started in 2018 would continue, to allow phase 2 to also come on board.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr James Klutse Avedzi (NDC -- Ketu North) 2:46 p.m.
    Thank you Mr Speaker.
    I also rise to support the Motion and ask the House to approve it. I believe that the problem being solved by this agreement is to address the difficulty that commuters encounter when they use the Tema Motorway, because of the heavy traffic congestion at that roundabout.
    Mr Speaker, because I am a regular user of that corridor, the challenge that I foresee is that for those of us going beyond the Tema Interchange towards Aflao, the traffic congestion would be carried from the Interchange to Kpone Junction.
    Currently, when there is a delay at the Interchange, it freezes traffic at Kpone interchange, so by the time you get to Kpone Junction, the traffic flows, but once there is no congestion at the Tema
    Roundabout which becomes the Interchange, you would drive through, and all the traffic is carried to that junction.
    This is the phase 1. I would plead with the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways that the phase 2 should consider what should be done at Kpone Junction, because heavy trucks come from Kpone and cross to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) joining the main road and that delays and causes serious traffic congestion.
    In fact, when you are travelling on Fridays and you do not pass there before 3 p.m., you could spend more than two hours at that junction. So if we have the traffic resolved at the Tema Interchange, the situation would be worse when this is completed.
    So the phase 2 should consider what could be done at that interchange so that the traffic can be dispersed and we do not solve this problem and create another problem at the Kpone junction.
    Mr Speaker, that is the only concern I have with this, and we should all approve it.
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (NPP-- Suame) 2:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion that we grant these waivers, but first, I would have wished that we were talking about a four-lane interchange other than a three-lane.
    Mr Speaker, once you build an interchange, 15 or 20 years from now when there is possibly a dramatic increase in the volume of traffic, it becomes difficult to make any adjustments to the inter- change because of the concrete works.
    Elsewhere in Korea, if you go to some places where vehicular traffic may not be
    so heavy, they build roads with about five lanes, and yet you would see the vehicular flow not so much on those roads. You ask and they tell you that they are building those roads for 20 to 30 years ahead.
    With what we have now, I am not too sure that the three lanes would be able to accommodate that. I agree entirely with the proposal by the Hon Deputy Minority Leader, that we should look at continuing the three lanes with at least what we are doing to Kpone Junction.
    I would even suggest that we go further to Dawenya, because that is where the traffic indeed starts building.
    So if we have a three-lane, and then it empties into a single lane, we are only postponing the evil days and sending elsewhere what problems we would be encountering at the Interchange. I would --
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:46 p.m.
    On a point of order. It is going to be a three-lane dual carriage road. It means on every lane -- [Interruption]
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:56 p.m.
    We have six lanes, three on either side of the carriageway. That is why I said we needed at least four. That is the point I am making.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:56 p.m.
    It would be a service road. Because of the lanes which would go underground, if there is a blockage, we should be able to use a service lane to bypass. Actually, they are four lanes but one is designated as a service lane. So maybe, you meant five lanes.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that indeed is not it. The service lane is
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:56 p.m.


    elsewhere. Mr Speaker, I am even afraid of the dimension we have used. If what I see here is what indeed the engineering specification is, then, we should have cause to worry.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:56 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, please proceed.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:56 p.m.
    He does not know what he is talking about, that every lane is 3.65 metres? Where has he seen a single lane of 3.65 metres before? That means that one lane is about 11 feet. Where in the world has he seen that? I am telling him that he is wrong.
    Mr Speaker, we should be concerned because just the next paragraph, reads 2:56 p.m.
    “A one-lane service road of approximately 3.5 kilometres of 3.0 m…”
    That is for the two-lanes in the single carriageway. That translates to 1.5 metres. So when we have that 1.2 metres on the interchange, it is a problem. That is the point that I would want to make. It is smaller there.
    Mr Speaker, my concern is, in that case, if we have two articulated trucks, we cannot have the third lane being used. Just today, when I was coming from the Jubilee House to the Akuafo Interchange, that service road in front of the Royal Netherland Embassy, there was a big truck and we could not have access. Just one truck blocked it.
    Even though it is supposed to serve two vehicles, because of how narrowly we have constructed that road, once we have a big truck in it, a second vehicle cannot pass. That is the problem.
    They used the minimum and the same thing applies here. That is why I said that we should look at it. The 1.2 metre lane is just too small: it is four feet. Already, the Land Cruisers are even more than the width. They are bigger than 4 feet. So if we use 4 feet, what it means is that only two vehicles could drive side by side. That is my worry.
    Mr Speaker, having said that, there is a tall list of items on which we are to provide the exemptions. Mr Speaker, the point I am making is that when we have such referrals, perhaps, if we had the leadership of the Committee on Roads and Transport joining the Finance Committee, these things would not now come up.
    It is important that we have in such referrals, at least, the leadership of the Committee on Roads and Transport. In relevant occasions, perhaps the leadership of the Committee on Works and Housing may link up with the Finance Committee to deal with these matters.
    These are engineering and technical issues and if you saw the Finance Committee Chairman stoically get up to oppose what I said, even though, with respect to him, in the engineering aspect, I am not too sure that he can challenge my knowledge about that.
    Having said so, Mr Speaker, we have a tall list and the Finance Committee and indeed, the revenue authorities should be interested in where these facilities would go at the conclusion of the construction. Often times, we grant the exemptions and when we have done so and the contract is complete, we fail to follow through on what happened to those equipment.
    Mr Speaker, GH¢35 million is not small amount that we can allow to go. After the expiry of the contract period, we should monitor where these equipment would go, and then if they would yield dividends to us, we should follow through.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:56 p.m.
    Item numbered 12 -- Resolution.
    RESOLUTION 2:56 p.m.
    Minister for Finance) 2:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move,
    WHEREAS by the provisions of Article 174 (2) of the Constitution, Parliament is empowered to confer power on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax imposed by an Act of Parliament;
    THE EXERCISE of any power conferred on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax in favour of any person or authority is by the said provisions made subject to the prior approval of Parliament by resolution;
    BY THE COMBINED operation of the provisions of section 150(i) of the Customs Act 2015, (Act 891), the Export and Import Act, 1995 (Act 503), the Export Trade, Agricultural and Industrial Fund Act, 2013 (Act 872), the Value Added Tax Act, 2013 (Act 870),
    the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 890), the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Act 948) and other existing Laws and Regulations applicable to the collection of Customs duties and other taxes on the importation of goods into Ghana, the Minister for Finance may exempt any statutory corporation, institution or individuals from the payment of duties and taxes otherwise payable under the said Laws and Regulations or waive or vary the requirement of such statutory corporation, institution or individual to pay such duties and taxes;
    IN ACCORDANCE with the provisions of the Constitution and at the request of the Government of Ghana acting through the Minister responsible for Finance, there has been laid before Parliament a request by the Minister for Finance for the prior approval of Parliament the exercise by him of his power under the Laws and Regulations relating to the waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, GETFund Levy, AU Levy, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy and Inspection Fees amounting to seven million, six hundred and eighteen thousand, seventy- nine United States dollars (US$7,618,079.00) [equivalent to GH¢35,854,488.81] on the purchase of materials and equipment under the Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways/Ghana Highways Authority and Shimizu-Dai
    Minister for Finance) 2:56 p.m.
    Nippon JV, Japan for the Improvement of Ghanaian International Corridors (Grade Separation of Tema Intersection in Tema).
    NOW THEREFORE, this Ho- nourable House hereby approves the exercise by the Minister responsible for Finance of the power granted to him by Parliament by Statute to waive such Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL, GETFund Levy, AU Levy, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy and Inspection Fees

    amounting to seven million, six hundred and eighteen thousand, seventy- nine United States dollars (US$7,618,079.00) [equivalent to GH¢35,854,488.81] on the purchase of materials and equipment under the Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Roads and High- ways/Ghana Highways Authority and Shimizu-Dai Nippon JV, Japan for the Improvement of Ghanaian International Corridors (Grade Separation of Tema Intersection in Tema).
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    Mr Anim 2:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to ask your leave for us to go to item numbered 37.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:56 p.m.
    The Hon Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture hardly comes here, let her wait small.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:56 p.m.
    The Estimates of the Ministry of Aviation.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:06 a.m.
    Who has called you? [Laughter.]
    Item numbered 37 -- Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture.

    ANNUAL ESTIMATES, 2019

    Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture
    Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku) 3:06 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢75,023,174 for the services of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, in so doing, I would like to make a few comments and take the opportunity to elucidate the Agencies under the Ministry, so we would have a better appreciation for our budgetary support.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is blessed with eleven agencies. They are the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Hotel Catering and Tourism Training Centre, National Commission on Culture with ten regional offices knowns as Centre for National Culture; Bureau of Ghana Languages, Ghana Museum and Monuments Board, the National Theatre of Ghana and its resident groups namely, the National Dance Company also called the National Dance Ensemble; the National Drama Company (Abibigroma), the National
    Symphony Orchestra; Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, W. E. B. Dubois Centre for Pan-African Culture; National Folklore Board and Pan-African Writers Associa- tion. The eleventh agency is a semi quasi- public-private entity called Ghana Tourism Development Company.
    Mr Speaker, 2018 in retrospect, this august House approved GH¢75,279,119 for our activities. I would like to take a minute to share with this august House, some key events that we undertook.
    Mr Speaker, we were able to engage the traditional authorities and Municipal Assemblies in certain key areas. We met with Kintampo Waterfalls community and the allied towns, as the major flagship example of working with the community in terms of participation in tourism activities.
    We also enhanced institutional capacity of some of the underlisted Agencies like HotCaTT, the W. E. B. Dubois Centre, GMMB and the folklore Board. Some of the activities that we undertook that gave us prominence and visibility was signing on with CNN to showcase Ghana as done in other tourist destinations that are reaping benefits.
    We organised the paragliding festival which was in honour of the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey. We doubled it from just once a year to twice a year because we got a lot of requests from our tourists who entered our country.
    Mr Speaker, the key event that I would like to share with you is setting up a cocoa museum in the Mampong-Akuapem area in the Eastern Region as a state-of-the-art museum. As we speak, the walls have been earmarked, feasibility studies completed,
    drawings done and actual work of brick and mortar would begin in the early part of next year.
    For those in these areas, we also have facilitated the signing of an MoU between the private sector companies and the Forestry Commission to develop Ankasa Nature Reserve, Kakum National Park, Shai Hills and Bontomfiri Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kumawu area.
    Mr Speaker, I shared these events just to encourage; Hon Members of the House to promote domestic tourism.
    In our efforts to push festivals and events in the country, we also successfully organised the first “All Africa Music Awards” from the 21st to the 24th of November, 2018 which saw over a thousand foreigners and more than thirty thousand young people in this country convening at the Independence Square to celebrate music from Africa.
    With these few events outlined, we hope and pray that the august House would support our Budget, so we would undertake more events to promote the goodwill of Ghana in terms of tourism, our arts, our friendliness, our warmth in the hospitality industry and above all, the safety and the security features that Ghana is richly endowed with.
    Question proposed. Chairman of the Committee (Mr Alex
    Agyekum): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion ably moved by the Hon Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture.
    Mr Speaker, in so doing, I present your Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    Following the presentation to Parliament of the 2019 Budget Statement
    Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku) 3:06 a.m.


    GH¢1,854.8 million to US$$2,507.3 million in 2018.

    c. Under the auspices of the President, Ghana hosted the first African Union Pan African Writers Conference on the theme: “Promoting African Literature and Reading: The Role of African Authors in Enhancing African Identity, Shared Values and Integration'' at Alisa Hotel from 7th - 9th March 2018. This event was attended by over 300 participants from different countries in Africa and representatives from the African Union. As a result, Ghana has been accorded as the home for Pan African Writers.

    iv Tourism Quality Assurance Programme

    a. The Ministry installed Digital Revenue Systems at Elmin. Castle, Cape Coast Castle, Wli Waterfalls to block revenue leakages and enhance data collection and analysis. This action has resulted in the improvement of customer service delivery and increased revenue at the sites.

    b. After six years of closure, the Hotel, Catering and Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT) was renovated and reopened on the 9th of July, 2018 to commence the training of personnel in the tourism and hospitality industry. Recruitment of students and preparation of curricula to meet the market needs are on-going.

    c. To improve quality service delivery, the Ghana Tourism Authority inspected and licensed 8,759 tourism enterprises in 2018. These comprised 3,374 accommodation units, 178 informal units, 472 formal catering units, 4,311 informal catering units, 393 Travel Trade operators and 31 Entertainment Units. These figures are remarkable improve- ment upon the 2017 data indicating increase in investment in tourism and hospitality facilities.

    d. 5,000 participants from the private and public sectors were trained in the areas of Customer Care, Hygiene, Tourism Levy collection and Security and Safety towards making Ghana more competitive as a tourism destination.

    e. The National Commission on Culture trained 3,000 arts and craft producers in order to enhance their capacities in the production and selling of wood works, traditional pottery and ceramics, traditional textiles, fashion design and leather ware, basketry and jewellery beads making. This action has improved the quality of products and created access to market for the producers and sellers.

    v. Culture, Creative Arts and Heritage Management

    a. International Museums Day was organised by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board at Fort Fredreicksburg in Sesemi, Abokobi. An exhibition was mounted under the theme: “The Corn Fields of Accra” to create awareness on the

    historical and cultural heritage of the nation.

    b. The Bureau of Ghana Languages also organised the Ghana Reading Festival on 6th October, 2018 to commemorate the World Reading Day. The event was part of the campaign to promote the reading of Ghanaian Languages in Greater Accra and the other regions of Ghana.

    c. The National Folklore Board successfully organised a three- day programme, from 20th- 22nd August 2018, in commemoration of World Folklore Day (“WFD”); a formal launch, symposium and Eat Ghana Brunch, a children's fun folklore day and an inter- nations folklore exhibition were all part of the memorable celebrations.

    d. The Bureau of Ghana Languages organised the celebration of the International Mothers Language Day to promote patronage of local languages, its cultural values and identity across the country, particularly in schools and through the electronic media. This is a positive action to sustain the country's cultural heritage.

    e. To rejuvenate students' interest and appreciation in drama, the National Commission on Culture organised 108 cultural exchange programmes nationwide and 10 SHS Drama Festivals to promote Ghanaian Culture and the Creative Industry for increased investments and job creation. In 2017, interventions to develop culture for national development

    as well as develop a competitive creative arts industry in Ghana focused on the organisation of cultural exchange programmes for cultural entrepreneurs and creative artistes overseas; KIDDAFEST International Youth Programme.

    f.Organised the first ‘Zongo festival of Arts and Culture' dubbed “Zongofest 2018”, which was a week-long festival incorporating art and craft workshops for the youth in the Nima, Maamobi and the Kanda catchment areas.

    g. Facilitated and provided funding for the organisation of the ‘Chale Wote' Festival in August.

    h. In the same vein, stakeholder engagements were carried out in four regions to solicit opinions and inputs on the legislation for the National Film Authority. Research into the role of the film industry has been conducted by sections of creative arts practitioners, particularly the film directors and other actors who collected and analysed data to help formulate policies in the creative arts industry.

    i.Under the “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana” campaign, the Ministry collaborated with Promasidor Ghana Limited to organise a hot- air balloon ride for participants to experience the scenic aerial sightseeing of the ecology of Ghana. Participants expressed great joy and recommended the expansion and mainstreaming of the activity on the tourism calendar.
    Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku) 3:06 a.m.


    j. The Ministry supported the Black Star Film Festival celebrated in August, 2018 to promote Ghana as a film production destination.

    k. Successfully organised the First All Africa Music Awards from 21 to 24th November, 2018 which brought together over 50 Musicians from the continent and participation by nearly 4,000 Ghanaians and 300 foreign and local Artiste. Ghana has won the rights to host the event from 2018 to 2020.

    vi. Challenges Faced In 2018

    Despite all these feats chalked by the Ministry, it also faced some challenges, including the following:

    a. The embargo on tourism incentives and tax concessions to Private Sector investors in Tourism Sector is hindering investments in the development of superstructure facilities.
    Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku) 3:06 a.m.
    c. These fees and payments are mostly passed on to patrons resulting in branding Ghana as an ‘Expensive Destination'. The net effect is that we are losing out to our competitors in the West African sub Region.
    d. Underdevelopment of Tourism attraction sites: Our natural heritage and anthropogenic attractions.
    e. Waterfalls, Canopy walkways, Rocks and Stones, Castles/Forts,
    Paga Crocodile Pond etc. remain in their raw natural state without any major development for recrearecreation and leisure to
    boost domestic and International
    SPACE FOR TABLE 3, PAGE 14, 3.06 P.M
    Tourism.
    f. Capacity Building of Tourism Industry: The challenge of inadequate skilled labour in the sector continues to hinder quality service delivery in the hospitality industry.
    SPACE FOR TABLE 4, PAGE 14&15. 3.06 P.M.

    2019 Outlook for the Ministry

    For the 2019 financial year, the Ministry has been allocated a total amount of seventy-six million, twenty-three thousand, one hundred and seventy-four cedis (GH¢76,023,174.00) for its operations. This is made up of GH¢36,549,792.00 for Compensation of Employees, GH¢7,100,268.00 for Goods and Services, GH¢9,500,000.00 for CAPEX, a projected GH¢14,658,114.00 from IGF and GH¢7,215,000.00 expected as Donor support.

    Table 4: Budget for 2019 by Economic Classification

    ii. Management and Administration Programme:

    In 2019, the Ministry and its Agencies will pursue the following programmes, projects and activities:

    a. Lay the Creative Arts Industry Law in Parliament;

    b. Engage Stakeholders to deliberate on relevant issues which impact on the growth and development of the tourism, arts and cultural industry;

    c. Continue the implementation of iconic projects such as the Marine Drive Tourism Investment Project, the Centre of the World Project, Akwaaba Hotels, and Rest stops among others;

    d. Facilitate the passing of the Film and the Travel and Trade Bills into Laws by Parliament;

    e. Restructure agencies such as the Hotel, Catering and Tourism Training Institute, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, National Folklore Board, W.E.B. Dubois Centre, Ghana

    Tourism Development Company among others to improve their management and service delivery.

    iii.Tourism Product Development Programme

    a. Create an enabling environment for public and [private sector investment in tourism, arts and cultural infrastructure and superstructures. It is expected that these investment will boost job creations, foreign exchange earnings, and supply and value chains linkages.

    b. Relocate all offices affected by the Marine Drive Project. This includes the construction of a 17- story cum car parks for the 40 offices at the ‘Rawlings Canteen' within the Ministerial Enclave.

    c. To commemorate the 400 years of slavery, the ‘YEAR OF RETURN', 2019 is envisaged to increase the return to Ghana of Diasporeans from the United States of America, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom.

    d. Engage local communities, traditional rulers and opinion leaders across the country to deliberate on the conservation of community-based eco-tourism sites to create opportunities for inhabitants, investors and tourists to enhance the living conditions of the communities where these tourist attractions are located, whilst boosting tourism related micro- enterprises.

    e. Under the “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana”

    campaign, the Ministry will collaborate with stakeholders to implement more programmes to link tourism, the arts and culture with other sectors of the economy within the context of ‘Local Content' and ‘Made in Ghana Goods' to boost employment and the local economies.

    f.In pursuance of the NPP Government's agenda to establish the National Film Authority, this Ministry will ensure the promulgation of a Legislative Instrument to establish a Secretariat for the National Film Authority and facilitate the construction of an ultra modern Film Production Studio to attract the international film community, train industry players and facilitate the construction of a Film Village to market Ghana as a preferred Film Production Destination.

    g. Facilitate the restoration of LI 1817 to boost private sector investment in the tourism, arts and culturale sector.

    h. Collaborate with Stakeholders to organise Gastronomic Fairs to promote our traditional cuisine and recipes and, Fashion, Music Festivals and other events at both national and sub-regional levels to enhance the experience, improve the hospitality industry and promote Ghana as preferred tourism destination.

    i.Collaborate with the private sector and relevant government agencies to develop Kakum National Park in the Central

    Region, Ankasa Forest Reserve in the Western Region, Bomfobiri Wildlife Sanctuary in the Ashanti and Shai Hills Resource Reserve into world-class ecotourism sites.

    j. Paragliding Festivals will be organised in April and September respectively in collaboration with the private sector and local communities to encourage domestic tourism and promote local economic development in the communities.

    k. The construction of a National Cocoa Museum in honour of Tetteh Quarshie at Mampong- Akwapim will be continued.

    1. Construction of toilet facilities under the ‘SAY NO TO OPEN DEFECATION' campaign will continue at Apam, Fete, Cape Coast, Elmina, Shama, Nkotompo-Sekondi, Denu, Osu and James Town.

    m. The private sector will be encouraged to invest in the Akwaaba Hotels Project. This is a response to providing basic and affordable accommodation on the highways and attraction sites across the country.

    n. Ghana has been selected by the UNWTO to host the Women in Tourism Empowerment Programme (WITEP) in November 2019. A National Planning Committee was inaugurated and preparatory works are on-going.

    iv. Tourism Research and Marketing Programme:
    Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku) 3:06 a.m.


    a. Harmonisation and automation process of the industry regulatory inspection by the Ghana Tourism Authority will be completed in 2019. This is a continuation of the phase I of an Industry Call Centre and the Industry's Single Window project launched with a new portal www.visitghana.com.

    b. To encourage the reading of the local literature and celebrate the Language Week in September, the Ministry and its agency, Bureau of Ghana Languages will celebrate the International Mother Language Day.

    v. Tourism Quality Assurance Programme:

    a. In line with the policy of developing the human capital, improve skills and enhance quality of service delivery the Ministry and its agencies will facilitate the construction and management of a Tourism and Hospitality Training Institute in the Western, Greater Accra and Eastern Regions.

    b. As part of the implementation of Phase 1 of the industry Call Centre and Industry's Single Window Project launched with a new platform as www.visit- ghana.com in 2018, the Ghana Tourism Authority would continue with the harmonisation and automation of its regulatory role in terms of inspections and intensify licensing and classifi- cation of tourism establishments.

    vi. Culture, Creative Arts and Heritage Management:

    a. Facilitate the establishment of the Creative Arts Fund as a viable source of funding for the development and promotion of the industry.

    b. Facilitate the celebration of festivals including ‘Chale Wote', Kundum, Damba, Tadifest, Ghana Music Awards, Fire Festival, Panafest, Odwira, Akwasidae, Asabako, Homowo, Bakatue, Oguaa-Fetu, Afahye Hogbetsotso, , NAFAC, Zongofest, Homofest to boost our cultural heritage and creative arts industry.

    c. Expand the digital revenue mobilisation system to cover more tourist sites to shore up revenue collection.

    d. Encourage the Youth to participate in organised Cultural Tourism and Traditional Games Competition with special emphasis on the youth.

    Observations and Recommendations

    A. Capex Releases from the Ministry Of Finance

    The Committee noted with anxiety that as far as projects are concerned, though the MOFEP gives commencement warranty for the procurement process to begin, actual payment is made only when the Ministry carrying out the project presents actual invoices and certification of project execution. This deferred payment and time-lag affect the budgetary figures under CapEx and the ensuing distortions does not give a clear analysis of CapEx utilisation.

    The Committee is of the view that these bureaucratic processes which have to be satisfied before the release of budgetary allocations must be given a second look.

    B. Development of the WLI Waterfalls

    The Committee was informed that the Wli Waterfalls in the Volta Region is a great income generating source both for the government and for the development of the community within which it is located. Unfortunately however, the GTA which is mandated to see to the collection of the appropriate revenue and to refurbish the place is handicapped due to a chieftaincy dispute over who owns the waterfalls. This matter is in court and so all revenue accrued are paid to the Court and nothing will be released until the case is concluded.

    This is not only stagnating the urgent development of facilities at the site but is also locking up investible resources that the GTA could have taken advantage of.

    The Committee hereby appeals to the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and the stakeholders to treat as an urgent matter and facilitate and ensure a speedy adjudication of the case so as to bring normalcy to this very important tourist site.

    The above notwithstanding, the Committee noted with satisfaction that the operations of the waterfalls as well as the operations of the Elmina and Cape Coast Castles and the National Theatre have been digitised. The Committee believes that this would help to avoid revenue leakages and improve data collection and analysis.

    C. Donor Support

    The Committee noted that for the first time, the MOTAC will be getting some

    donor support and thus congratulates the Minister for her unrelenting drive and passion aimed at making the sector a shining example of innovation and development. The Committee, on its part, will also monitor and ensure that the funds given are used for the intended purpose.

    D. Retention of IGF

    The Committee was happy to learn that the HOTCATT has received approval from the Ministry of Finance to retain all of its IGF and notes that this will go a long way to enable the Agency improve its services delivery.

    E. National Commission for Culture

    The Committee further noted that the state of most of the National Commission for Culture's regional offices leaves a lot to be desired. Indeed, only two regional theatres have been completed. It is therefore recommended that the MOTAC liaise with the Ministry of Finance to request a special budgetary consideration for the construction of the other offices/ theatres.

    F. Bureau of Ghana Languages

    The Committee observed that the BGL intends to enter into a Public-Private Partnership to digitise their operations as well as created a one-stop shop for an e- library and language center. Project documents have been prepared in this regard and the Committee urges the BGL to expedite action in this matter.

    G. Ghana Tourism Authority

    The Committee also observed that the Ghana Tourism Authority, through the Ministry, has initiated legislative processes to consolidate the multiple tax system which has hitherto been a great disincentive in the hotel industry. The
    Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome (NDC-- South Tongu) 3:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to the Motion to approve the sum of GH¢75,023,174.00 for the services of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for the year ending 31st December,
    2019.
    Mr Speaker, looking at the performance in 2018 and the releases by the Government to the Ministry, one would appreciate, per the Report on page 10, that out of GH¢75,279,119, only a little above GH¢46 million was released to this Ministry for them to carry out numerous programmes that we expect them to excel and add good aggregate to the GDP. Definitely, they would not be able to do much with this paltry amount and the delays in even the releases to an extent, add to cost in terms of performance.
    Mr Speaker, listening to the Hon Minister at the Committee hearing, we recognised one who has passion and drive to do and achieve so much, but the releases do not really commensurate to what one wants to achieve.
    Mr Speaker, we hope that the figure we would approve today, which is GH¢75,023,174 for the Ministry for 2019 appropriation, the Government would be forthcoming with releases quickly enough for them to be able to achieve all their targets.
    Mr Speaker, to emphasise on that, the National Commission on Culture which is a very key institution as one of the Agencies under this Ministry, produces products that we should be selling and marketing to be able to come up with various programmes and to be able to increase people who would want to visit and as it were, increase in the tourism drive of the country.
    Mr Speaker, it would be realised that even at the Districts, there are various offices of this institution which are without any programme, and therefore, there is no support for them to do what is required of them. There is also no drive along to be able to have some collaborations with some traditional authorities to identify products and improve on same, so that there would be many people who would want to travel to come and watch and spend money and have real meaning to the tourist industry.
    Mr Speaker, it is the same with the Bureau of Ghana Languages. This is an entity that lacks a lot of logistical support to be able to do much and then with the meagre IGF that they generate, they are supposed to pay everything into the consolidated account of the Central Government.
    Mr Speaker, there were calls at the last meeting to consider their budget in 2018. We said there should be an effort in applying to the Hon Finance Minister to let them retain 100 per cent of their Internally Generated Fund (IGF) to enable them do much more.
    This is because it is one of the areas that we believe that when they are allowed to churn out various books in various languages they would assist the NCCE to disseminate information to every part of this country, and also develop various tourist products that would be more understandable to many. It would enable them to launch on and improve in educating more people and of course improve on internal tourism.
    Mr Speaker, we realised that this year for instance, an amount of only GH¢1,718,000 there about, is what they would get when in actual sense they are given the opportunity, what they are likely to do -- Probably, the proceeds from the books they would likely print and develop, could even add and improve on so much in terms of IGF and also to expand and get more schools to appreciate the need to, inculcate in themselves some cultural values and the need for all of us to develop that internal tourism that is needed to improve on the sector.
    Mr Speaker, there are many more of such Agencies under the sector that require some support --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:16 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, wind up.
    Mr Woyome 3:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is my wish that we would see much more releases to this sector for them to be able to achieve the programmes they have set out to undertake in 2019.
    Mr Speaker, on this note, I would want to urge the House to approve the sum of GH¢75,023,174 for the services of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Nana Amaniampong Marfo (NPP -- Afigya Kwabre North) 3:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor of the House.
    Mr Speaker, it is an obvious fact, tourism holds the key to our teeming unemployment situation that is on our hands. Unfortunately, what we are doing with the Ministry in terms of support, leaves much to be desired. I say so because tourism is a multifaceted institution where everybody's hand must be on deck. Unfortunately, most of the partners who are supposed to help the Ministry to move forward have their hands tied to their backs.
    I say so because there is a plethora of taxes which have been pushed on most of the players. Examples are Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fees, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Fees, Metro- politan Municipal District Assemblies (MMDA) Operating Permit Fees, Fire Services Fees, Property Rate, Police Report Fees and a host of them.
    Mr Speaker, taxes are needed to develop the country, but it must be done with circumspection. If we continue to saddle tourism with these taxes --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:16 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, speak to the allocations.
    Nana Marfo 3:16 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, moving forward, we would want to make tourism continental -wide as far as the economy of the country is concerned.
    Mr Matthias Kwame Ntow (NDC -- Aowin) 3:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor.
    Mr Speaker, tourism has actually made some countries what they are today. I do not know whether it is because Ghana is endowed with so many resources that we are not paying much attention to the development of tourism in this country.
    Mr Speaker, if much attention is paid to this industry, Ghana would be one of the best in Africa, if not in the world in terms of development. If we look at the budget that was allocated to the Ministry, to me, it is woefully inadequate. Why do I say so?
    The first thing I would look at is infrastructure: roads, accommodation, restaurants and resting places in these tourist sites. Even changing rooms at our tourist sites is a problem.
    How can tourists travel from Canada and from the Americas to Ghana and not have changing rooms at these places. So, I would want to urge the Ministry of Finance to ensure that much attention is paid to this industry if indeed we want to develop.
    Mr Speaker, as I said, some of the roads leading to these sites are in a very bad state. You cannot walk on an untarred road to tourist sites --
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister?
    Mr O. B. Amoah 3:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I did not want to interrupt my Hon good Friend, but this is a House of record and we
    should be very cautious when we make certain statements about tourism.
    Mr Speaker, the impression that our washrooms among others are not up to standard and that when tourists come from Canada and the Americas, they are not able to change and so how do we boost tourism? With all due respect, tourism is not about only those who travel from outside Ghana.
    If I move to Cape Coast for any event, I would be pursuing tourism and as a Ghanaian I expect that the facilities there should be up to standard. So, we should not create the impression that the facilities should be good for only those who are coming from outside Ghana. That is a wrong impression that we should not create.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    Hon Member, but how is this related to the Estimate we are debating? If you do not relate your stories to the Estimates, then I would be forced to curtail you because we are considering Annual Estimates for
    2019.
    So if you are talking about bathrooms et cetera, relate that to the Estimates before us. Otherwise it does not reflect on what we are doing here.
    Mr Ntow 3:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the direction.
    Mr Speaker, as other Hon Members who spoke before me have already said, the budget allocation is not adequate. We would want to develop and we can see from the face of the Hon Minister that she is ready to work and to develop these sites. But if allocation to the Ministry is inadequate, how can she work?
    Mr Speaker, if you look at the amount that was given up to September, it is nothing to write home about. That is the more reason I would want to re-echo and ask the Hon Minister for Finance to ensure that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is well resourced. The Hon Minister is a young lady full of energy and ready to work -- she can work.
    Mr Speaker, it is good and would be better for us to talk about the issues on the ground rather than to paint the picture that everything is alright. Yes, I agree with the Hon O. B. Amoah but then, whether we are from Ghana or from outside Ghana, it is very prudent to ensure that we at least have some basic and standard facilities available when we go to these sites.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister talked about chieftaincy dispute at Wli Falls which is very important for Government to intervene and quickly ensure that it is resolved. That would enable the Hon Minister have access to all these facilities to ensure that the IGF increases from time to time.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr Avedzi 3:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, just to draw the Hon Chairman of the Committee's attention to page 10 of the Report. The amount for Compensation of Employees has a typographical error. The figure 5 should be deleted, so it reads
    GH¢36,549,792.00.
    Mr Speaker, if you add up the Compensation of Employees, Goods and Services, CAPEX and IGF, you would not get the GH¢75,023,174.00. There is an omission of a figure of GH¢7,215,000 from donors. So the Hon Chairman of the Committee should correct it by bringing the omitted figure and then correct the figure for the Compensation of Employees.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, it is your Report.
    Mr Agyekum 3:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have noted it; let it be so corrected, please.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    No, correct it so that it would be part of the Official Report. If you state where the correction should be effected, then it is effected and made part of the record.
    Mr Agyekum 3:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Donor Support, as the Hon Member stated, was omitted --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    Hon Member, which page and paragraph?
    Mr Agyekum 3:26 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is on page 10. The total amount is supposed to be GH¢75,023,174 instead of the
    GH¢76,023,174.
    Mr Speaker, also, beneath the IGF quoted, Donor Support is also supposed to be inserted, so that the total would be
    GH¢75,023,174.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, are you referring to table 6.0 on page 10?
    Mr Agyekum 3:26 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    So below the IGF column, we should insert --
    Mr Agyekum 3:26 p.m.
    - Donor Support amount --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:26 p.m.
    How much is the amount for the Donor Support?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the amount for Donor Support is GH¢7,215,000. It is on page 209 of the Budget Statement, and so the total would then come to GH¢75,023,174. It is important we do the reconciliation.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:36 p.m.
    What is the total amount?
    Mr Agyekum 3:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, GH¢75,023,174.00 should be the total amount.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:36 p.m.
    Very well.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved:
    That this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢75,023,174.00 for the services of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Moses Anim 3:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we take item numbered 26 --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:36 p.m.
    Very well. Hold on. I will suspend Sitting for five minutes.
    3:38 p.m. -- Sitting suspended
    3:42 p.m. -- Sitting resumed
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:36 p.m.
    Very well, Hon Majority Leader, let us proceed.
    Mr Anim 3:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 26; Motion.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:36 p.m.
    Item numbered 26; Motion by the Hon Minister for Parliamentary Affairs?
    ANNUAL ESTIMATES, 2019
    National Media Commission
    Minister for Parliamentary Affairs (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 3:36 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢5,032,212 for the services of the National Media Commission for the year ending 31st December 2019.
    Mr Speaker, the National Media Commission (NMC) performs functions that are very critical for sanitising the media environment of our country and promotes freedom of speech.
    The Commission exists to promote and ensure freedom and independence of the Media and Mass Communication in information and it takes all appropriate measures to ensure the establishment and maintenance of the highest journalistic standards in the Mass Media including the investigation, mediation and settlement of complaints made against or by the Press or the Mass Media or other media of expression.
    Mr Speaker, the Commission insulates the state-owned media from governmental control and makes Regulations by a Constitutional Instrument for the registration of newspapers and other publications.
    Mr Speaker, if the country is acclaimed in the sub-region for the richness and diversity of the media, a lot is attributable to the NMC. It is for this reason that for this year the Ministry of Finance has allocated a total amount of GH¢5,032,212.00 for the services of the NMC for the execution of their duties and responsibilities.
    Mr Speaker, I have great joy in moving that this House approves the allocation of this amount for the NMC.
    Mr Philip Basoah (on behalf of the) the Chairman of the Committee 3:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to support the Motion for the allocation to the Commission and present the Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    The Minister for Finance, Hon Ken Ofori-Atta on Thursday, 15th November, 2018 presented the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government for the financial year ending 31st December 2019 to Parliament in accordance with article 179 of the 1992 Constitution. Pursuant to Order 140 (4) of the Standing Orders of the House, the Rt Hon Speaker referred the Annual Budget Estimates of the National Media Commission to the Special Budgets Committee for consideration and report.
    Deliberations
    The Committee was assisted during its deliberations by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, M& Alexander Bannerman, officials of the Commission, and technical officers from the Ministry of Finance and reports as follows.
    Reference
    The Committee referred to the following documents during its deliberations:
    a. The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana;
    b. The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana;
    c. National Media Commission Act 1993, Act 449;
    Mr Philip Basoah (on behalf of the) the Chairman of the Committee 3:46 p.m.


    d. The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2019 Financial Year and;

    e. The 2019 MTEF Estimates for the National Media Commission;

    f.The Coordinating Programme of Economic and Social Development Policy; and

    g. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2019 to 2022.

    Vision and Mission

    The Notional Media Commission exists to promote free, independent and responsible media to sustain democracy and national development. As part of its core functions, the NMC is mandated to take measures to ensure that persons responsible for state owned media afford fair opportunities and facilities for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions.

    Core Functions of the Commission

    i. The Commission exists to promote and ensure the freedom and independence of the Media and Mass communication in information.

    ii. Take all appropriate measures to ensure the establishment and maintenance of the highest journalistic standards in the mass media, including the investigation, mediation and settlement of complaints made against or by the press, by the mass media or other mass media.

    iii. To insulate the state own media from Governmental control and

    iv. Make regulations by Constitutional Instruments for the registration of newspapers and other Publications.

    Achievements in 2018

    During the 2018 financial year, the National Media Commission undertook the following activities among others;

    Guidelines on Religious Broadcasting

    The Commission developed Guidelines on Religious Broadcasting to help sanitise the airwaves and improve the way religious bodies and faith based organisations broadcast their activities and disseminate information on their faith.

    International Engagements

    During the year, some executive members of the National Media Commission attended a two- day Summit organised by High Authority for the Communications and Audiovisual (HACA) of Morocco and UNESCO on Child Protection in Rabat, Morocco in November and discussed Childhood Protection and Media Literacy.

    Orientation for Board Members of the State-Owned Media at Elmina Beach Resort

    The NMC also organised orientation programmes for members of the governing board to equip them with the requisite skills to enable them perform their duties efficiently. These include the Ghana News Agency, New Times Corporation, The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and the Graphic Communications Group Ltd.

    ACRAN Steering Committee Delegation in Cameroun

    In the year under review, a delegation from the Commission visited Cameroun from January 15 - 20, 2018 and held a sensitisation programme in Cameroon for
    Mr Philip Basoah (on behalf of the) the Chairman of the Committee 3:46 p.m.
    hundred and eighty- (fine (481). Out of the number, three hundred and fifty-four (354) stations are currently operational.
    Budget Performance in 2018
    In the year under review, the National Media Commission was allocated a total budget of five million, one hundred and forty-nine thousand, three hundred and eighty-one Ghana cedis (GH¢ 5,149,381).
    The allocation was expended among the following three cost centres.
    Cost Centre 2018 Allocation (GH¢)
    Employee Compensation --
    2,847,901
    Goods and Services
    -- 1,301,480
    Capital Expenditure
    -- 1,000,000

    Total -- 5,149,381
    Mr Philip Basoah (on behalf of the) the Chairman of the Committee 3:46 p.m.
    SPACE FOR TABLE 1, PAGE6, 3.46 P.M
    2018 Expenditure Returns of the NMC (GoG)
    As at 30th September, 2018 the Commission had spent an amount of GH¢2, 922,766.22 which represents 56.75 per cent of its approved budget of GH¢5,149,381 for the 2018 financial year. The breakdown of expenditure is presented in Table 1 below.
    Table 1: NMC budget performance as at 30th November, 2018 Outlook for 2019
    For the 2019 financial year, the National Media Commission intends to undertake the following activities
    i.To review the various Guidelines which have been in existence for the past ten years to conform to modern trends in the digital age.
    ii. To develop content policy on Digital Migration and continue stakeholder consultation on Digital Migration
    ii. Carry out a Pre-election Media Monitoring and build the capacity of Media Monitors, data analysts and data entering officers.
    iv. The Commission will deploy Commissioners to the regions to help the Regional Media Advisory Committees.
    v. The Commission will also undertake Stakeholder consultation on pre and post-elections and organized an orientation of new members of the Commission.
    2019 Budget Allocation to the NMC
    To implement the above programmes an amount of five million, thirty-two, thousand two hundred and twelve Ghana cedis (GH¢ 5,032,212) has been allocated to the National Media Commission (NMC) for the 2019 financial year.
    This is made up of three million, nine hundred and seventeen thousand, two hundred and fifty-four Ghana cedis (GH¢3.917,254) from GoG source and one million, one hundred and fourteen thousand, nine hundred and fifty-eight Ghana cedis (GH¢1,114,958) from Development Partners Fund. The allocations is to be disbursed among the following cost centers of the Commission.
    Cost Centre 2019 Allocation (GHc)
    Employee Compensation -- 3,175,410
    Goods and Services -- 741,844
    Capital Expenditure -- Nil
    Development Partners Fund -- 1,114,958
    SPACE FOR TABLE 2, PAGE 6, 3.46 P.M.
    Total
    -- 5,032,212
    The summary of the 2019 allocation compared to 2018 allocation is presented in Table 2.
    Table 2: 2018 Allocation as Against 2019 Allocation Observations
    The Committee made the following observations:
    Inadequate Budgetary Allocation
    The Committee noted that as at 30th September, 2018 an amount of GH¢768,354.22 was released out of an approved allocation of GH¢1,000,000 to the National Media Commission for capital expenditure. The Committee was informed that this amount was used to

    purchase a Media monitoring Van, Toyota Land Cruiser for use in content monitoring. The balance of GH¢ 231,645.75 is required to finance the renovation and roofing of the monitoring center which is currently in a very deplorable state.

    The committee further noted that budgetary provisions for capital expenditure (CAPEX) has not been allocated to the Commission for the 2019 financial year.

    The Acting Executive Secretary lamented on the deplorable state of the facility housing the monitoring equipment stating that during rainy seasons, the leakages are unbearable, resulting in damages to most electronic gadgets such as air conditioners among others.

    He informed the Committee that for the 2019 fiscal year, NMC requires a total amount of GH¢700,000 to effectively can out its planned capital investment programmes and projects.

    According to the NMC, the Ministry of Finance had earlier made a provision of GH¢ 500,000 to the Commission in the budget ceiling for CAPEX but when the budget was approved the amount was not captured in the budget.

    The Acting Executive Secretary explained to the Committee that for the financial year of 2019, the Commission plans, among others, to furnish offices in two regions, Ho and Tamale, acquire Media monitoring equipment's such as Computers, radio sets, televisions, headphones for real time monitoring activities, purchase an additional mobile monitoring Vans for effective media monitoring and renovate the Media Monitoring and Research Centre among others.

    The Committee noted that considering the strategic importance and the critical role of the National Media Commission in maintaining a stable united and safe society, the need for adequate funding to enable the Commission carry out its constitutional mandate effectively cannot be overemphasised.

    The Committee therefore recommends the following to the Ministry of Finance:

    That the Ministry of Finance should ensure that the Commission is adequately resourced by reinstating the GH¢500,000 initially captured in the budget ceilings during Mid-year review to enable it carry out its mandate for the 2019 financial year effectively.

    That the outstanding amount of GH¢ 231,645.75 for capex for the 2018 approved budget should be released to the National Media Commission to enable them complete renovation works to protect the content media monitoring equipment.

    Increase in Compensation of Employees

    The Committee noted that an amount of GH¢ 3,175,410 was allocated to the National Media Commission for Compensation of Employees for the 2019 financial year as against an amount of GH¢2,847,901 as approved budget for the Compensation of Employees in 2018.

    The Acting Executive Secretary informed the Committee that the Commission does not have the full complement of technical staff to fill the research and monitoring Centre and as a result, the Commission made a request to the Ministry of Finance for clearance during the Technical Hearings in September, 2018.

    The clearance has been given to cater for promotions and recruitment of ten (10)

    additional staff and this therefore accounts for the increase in budgetary allocation for Employee Compensation in excess of GH¢ 207,000.00 for the 2019 financial year.

    He indicated that the Commission requires additional fifteen employees to meet the staff requirements but the Ministry of Finance recommended that the NMC could employ staff from the Nation Builders Corps.

    In this regard , the Committee recommends to the Hon Minister for Finance to provide adequate funds and grant the Commission special dispensa- tion to recruit the requisite staff needed for its operations.

    Guidelines for Media Reporting

    The Committee was informed that the Commission (NMC) has developed Guidelines on Religious Broadcasting to help sanitise the airwaves and improve the way religious bodies and faith based organisations broadcast their activities and disseminate information on their faith.

    To this end, the Committee recommends to the NMC to expand its guidelines to include political and tribal reporting as well as live panelist discussions on television, radio or on political platforms to help sanitise the political discourse in the airwaves during general elections.

    Conclusion

    The Committee, after careful examina- tion of the Budget Estimates of the National Media Commission, recommends to the House to adopt its report and approve the sum of five million, thirty-two thousand, two hundred and twelve Ghana cedis (GH¢5,032,212) to enable the National

    Media Commission implement its programmes for the financial year of 2019

    Respectfully, submitted.
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu (NDC--Tamale South) 3:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion for the approval of GH¢5,032,212.00 to enable the National Media Commission (NMC) implement its programmes for the financial year 2019.
    Mr Speaker, in paragraph 9.2, we note that there is an increase in the compensation of employees. The Commission has been allocated GH¢3,175,410.00 as against GH¢2,847,901.00. It is anticipated that they would improve upon the staff and make some additional recruitment.
    It is commendable that they issued guidelines for religious reporting, so paragraph 9.3 should be “Guidelines for Religious Reporting” and not “Media Reporting”. That is what I indulged the Hon Member who read the Report to note.
    He read that paragraph on religious broadcasting, so it captures that they may have to issue new guidelines for political reporting in getting ready for the 2020 elections and the District Assemblies elections to guide what the media could do.
    Mr Speaker, what came to the fore, as we engaged with the management of the National Media Commission -- We were told that Mr Ayeboafo, one of the respectable journalists in the country, has just assumed the chairmanship of the National Media Commission. They do not have office accommodation and we need to make a strong case for them to begin some work.
    I am sure their monitoring office was given to them around the year 2012. They
    Mr Anim 3:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, so we would take the item numbered 25 on the Order Paper -- Motion.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:46 p.m.
    A Motion by the Hon Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
    ANNUAL ESTIMATES, 2019
    National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)
    Minister for Parliamentary Affairs (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 3:46 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House approves the sum of GH¢46,693,148 for the services of the National Commission for Civic Education for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, the NCCE is established to promote and sustain democracy and inculcate into the Ghanaian citizenry, the awareness of their rights and obligations through civic education. To this end, the core functions of the Commission include:
    i.To create and sustain in the society, the awareness, principles and
    objectives of the constitution as the fundamental law of the people of Ghana;
    ii. To encourage the public to defend the Constitution at all times against all forms of abuse and violation;
    iii. To formulate for the consideration of the Government, from time to time, programmes at national, regional and district levels aimed at realising the objectives of the Constitution.
    iv. To formulate, implement and oversee programmes intended to inculcate into the citizens of Ghana, the awareness of their
    v. civic responsibility and appre- ciation of their rights and obligations as free people; and
    vi. to assess for the information of Government, the limitations to the achievement of true democracy arising from the existing inequalities and inequities between different strata of the population and make recommendations for redressing these inequalities and inequities.
    Mr Speaker, for this reason, in the year 2018, the Commission was allocated GH¢48,019,612.00 for the conduct of their activities.
    This year an amount of GH¢46,693,148.00 has been allocated for the performance of the activities in the NCCE. This means some lamentations that the amount allocated is inadequate.
    For the time being, I would pray this House to approve of the GH¢46,693,148.00 for the NCCE for the year ending December 31, 2019 and following after that, if there is any other matter to [Interruption] -- Mr Speaker, there appears to be a bit of dissonance but it arises out of exhaustion.
    So I would call on my Hon Colleagues to be supportive of the amount allocated and support the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the space granted.
    Mr Philip Basoah (NPP -- Kumawu) 3:56 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion on the Floor and in so doing, present your Committee's Report. Introduction
    The 2019 Budget Estimates of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) was on Thursday, 15th November, 2018 referred to the Special Budgets Committee for consideration and report in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Orders 140(4).
    This followed the presentation of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government for the 2019 financial year by the Hon Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori Atta on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana.
    Delibrations
    The Committee met with the Chairperson of the Commission, Ms Josephine Nkrumah and officials from the NCCE and Ministry of Finance and discussed the Estimates. The Committee is grateful to the Chairperson and officials for their assistance.
    Mr Philip Basoah (NPP -- Kumawu) 3:56 p.m.


    Reference Documents

    The Committee referred to the following additional documents in the course of its deliberations:

    i. The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana;

    ii. The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana;

    iii. National Commission for Civic Education Act, 1993 (Act 452);

    iv. The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2019 Financial Year;

    v. The 2019 MTEF Estimates for National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE);

    vi. The Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Policies;

    vii.The Sustainable Development Coals (SDGs); and

    viii. The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063.

    Mission and Functions of the Commission

    The Commission is established to promote and sustain democracy and inculcate into the Ghanaian citizenry the awareness of their rights and obligations through civic education. To this end, the core functions of the Commission include to:

    Create and sustain within the society, the awareness of the principles and objectives of the Constitution as the fundamental law of the people of Ghana;

    Educate and encourage the public to defend the Constitution at all times against all forms of abuse and violation;

    Formulate for the consideration of Government from time to time, programmes at national, regional and district levels aimed at realising the objectives of the Constitution;

    Formulate, implement and oversee programmes intended to inculcate in the citizens of Ghana the awareness of their civic responsibilities and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as free people; and

    Assess for the information of Government, the limitations to the achievement of true democracy arising from the existing inequalities between different strata of the population and make recommendations for redressing these inequalities.

    2018 Budget Performance

    For the year 2018 financial year, an amount of forty-eight million, nineteen thousand, six hundred and twelve Ghana cedis (GH¢ 48,019,612.00) was allocated to the National Commission for Civic Education to enable it undertake its programmes and activities.
    Mr Philip Basoah (NPP -- Kumawu) 3:56 p.m.
    As at September 2018, the Commission expended an amount of twenty four million, six
    SPACE FOR TABE 1, PAGE 4, 3.56
    hundred and ninety-nine thousand two hundred and twenty Ghana cedis (GH¢24,699,220) representing 59.46 per cent of its allocation.
    The breakdown of the 2018 allocation by cost center and actual releases as at September, 2018 is as follows in Table 1. Table 1: Performance Review of 2018 Budget of NCCE Achievements Made By the Commission in the 2018 Budget Financial Year
    Notwithstanding its financial challenges, the Commission made some key achievements during the year under review in the following thematic areas of its mandate.
    Under management and administra- tion the Commission managed to organise training workshops for selected staff of the Commission for effective and efficient service delivery.
    Furtherance to its capacity building requirements, the Commission provided a Training of Trainers workshop on the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) for its staff using facilitators and resource persons from the Ministry of Finance.
    The Commission provided capacity building training to Regional Directors and their Deputies, Head office, Regional Auditors, Regional Accountants and their Assistants,

    Heads of Regional Programmes Department and Human Resource Department Staff on Performance Management and Risk Management and other related topics to enhance the work of the Commission.

    Furthermore, the European Union supported staff of the Research Department to enhance their capacity on the dissemination of research reports.

    Monitoring and Evaluation

    NCCEs research Department produced two monitoring reports on a nationwide campaign on tax compliance in collaboration with the Ghana Revenue Authority during its Citizenship Week Celebration in 370 Basic Schools in 54 selected Districts in all the regions of the country.

    Civic Education

    The Commission met with four hundred (400) community and stakeholders on corruption and the need to fight it.

    Three thousand, two hundred and fifty- three (3,253) activities were organised on Nation building, co-existence and tolerance for national development;

    Also, one hundred and fifty- eight (158) programmes relating to Child Protection especially human trafficking, child labour and forced marriage were carried out during the period under review in selected districts with emphasis on the fundamental human rights of children to promote their development and well- being;

    Furthermore, several radio and TV discussion/Talk Shows were held to promote Tax Compliance, Good Sanitation practices and education on Anti- Corruption to curb corrupt practices in the Ghanaian society;

    In pursuance of its mandate Under Patriotism and Good Citizenship, the NCCE also had engagements in the following manner:

    Organised a symposium for about nineteen thousand, four hundred and nine (19,409) basic schools across the country during its Citizenship Week Celebration under the Theme “Our Nation, Our Heritage: Consolidating Ghana's Democratic Gains” with the sub-themes “Our Taxes Build a Great Ghana” and “The environment and You”.

    The activities were used to admonish in-school youth on Good Citizenship and Patriotism, particularly, Tax Compliance as well as Good Environmental and Sanitation practises.

    Met with the Security Services on transparency and accountability during the 2018 Constitutional Week Celebration, and thus reminded them that they are stakeholders in the consolidation of democracy in its bid to promote discipline and patriotism among the security services.

    NCCE again organised an inter university Semi-Final and Final Inter- University debate under the theme “Restoring our Ghanaian Values as Active Citizens”. The competition which was also dubbed “Civic Challenge” elicited students' knowledge of the 1992

    constitution and their readiness to defend it.

    Outlook For 2019

    In furtherance of its mandate and stated objectives, the NCCE will undertake the following activities among others in the 2019 financial year:

    i. To organise Public Education/ Awareness Creation on the Election by universal adult suffrage of MMDCEs in Ghana, Public Education on Increased Citizens Participation in Local Governance and the 2019 District Level Elections (DLEs);

    ii. To provide education to the citizenry to improve Tax Compliance by the public and as well sensitise the public on Good Environmental Sanitation in the country;

    iii. To continue to engage and sensitise the Citizenry on Anti- Corruption, Rule of Law and Accountability as part of its anticorruption drive;

    iv. To embark on a programme to educate the public and sensitise them on the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and on Child Protection;

    v. To continue its Sensitisation drive on NACAP with a Focus on

    stakeholder institutions and their roles;

    vi. To continue its sensitisation drive with various groups on Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms;

    vii. To engage the marginalised and excluded such as Women, People leaving with Disabilities on the need to participate in governance and also intensify Civic Education Club activities in schools (CECs);

    viii. To continue its Radio/TV discussions on Tolerance and National Integration as well as undertake Social Auditing engagements to empower citizens to demand accountability from duty bearers; and

    ix. To continue its education and sensitisation of the public on the principles of the 1992 Constitution to increase awareness, advocacy and enforcement of citizen's rights and responsibilities.

    Budgetary Allocation For 2019

    In order for the National Commission for Civic Education to execute its mandate, an amount of forty-six million, six hundred and ninety-three thousand, one hundred and forty-eight Ghana cedis (GH¢ 46,693,148) for its activities in the 2019 financial year.
    Mr Philip Basoah (NPP -- Kumawu) 3:56 p.m.


    SPACE FOR TABLE 2, PAGE 8, 3.56 P.M.

    This sum is made up of forty-five million, five hundred and seventy-eight thousand, one hundred and ninety Ghana cedis (GH¢ 45,578,190) from GoG source and one million,

    SPACE FOR TABLE 2, PAGE 8, 3.56 P.M.

    one hundred and fourteen thousand, nine hundred and fifty eight Ghana Cedis. (GH¢ 1,114,958) from Development Partners Fund.

    The allocation is to be disbursed among the three main expenditure items as follows: Table 2: Disbursement of 2019 Budget Allocation
    Mr Philip Basoah (NPP -- Kumawu) 3:56 p.m.


    NCCE submit a budget estimate devoid of budget ceilings from the Ministry of Finance to meet its expenditure requirements.

    The Committee therefore recommends to the Ministry of Finance to allocate additional funds in the mid-year review budget to support the Capital expenditure needs of the NCCE.

    Insufficient Budget Provision for NCCE's Civic Education Programmes

    The Committee observed with concern that notwithstanding a marginal increase in the allocation of Goods and Services from G H ¢ 2,146,090 in 2018 to GH¢ 2,173,271 in the 2019 budget of the Commission, from a request of GH¢ 28,803,926 to GH¢ 2,173,271 for Goods and Services.

    The Committee noted that no resource has been allocated to NCCE in the 2019 budget for public education on the upcoming referendum on the creation of new Districts and Regions and district level elections.

    The Chairperson of the Commission reiterated that budgetary allocation to the NCCE has never been commensurate with the Commission's operational requirements. She stated that the support from development partners has decreased as a result of Ghana's attainment of middle- income Status.

    She argued that this year's development partner's support of GH¢ 1,114,958 is not guaranteed. She is of the view that if the donor inflows fail, against the backdrop of minimal GoG allocation for its activities, voter turn out in the upcoming District assemblies election and awareness creation for a referendum on the creation of new Districts and Regions may be negatively impacted.

    The Committee was informed that the creation of new Districts and Regions is an additional cost Centre which requires a corresponding increase in budgetary allocation to the NCCE. The Chairperson explained to the Committee that, NCCE submitted its budget on operational needs for Goods and Service to the tune of GH¢28,803,926 to the Ministry of Finance to fund Civic and Voter Education for the District Level Elections and other related programmes such as the upcoming referendum on newly created Districts and Region amongst others.

    The Committee's view is that the amount allocated for Goods and Services is to all intents and purposes, inadequate to meet recurrent expenditure of the Commission and may further disable the NCCE's to deliver on its mandate of providing Civic Education in 2019.

    The Committee noted that, in the event that the Commission is unable to execute its mandate of supporting the elections, it would affect voter turnout on District level elections owing to insufficient voter education.

    The Committee opined that the activity is a local government related activity; therefore, the Ministry of Local Government and the Common Fund Administrator are strongly urged to supplement the NCCE's funding to support this very important activity.

    Conclusion

    The Committee after carefully examining the 2019 Estimates of the NCCE and having regard to the strategic role of the Commission in the democratic dispensation of the country recommends that, the House approves the sum of forty-six million, six hundred and ninety-three thousand, one hundred and forty-eight Ghana cedis (GH¢ 46,693,148.00) to enable the Commission implement its programmes and activities for the 2019 financial year.

    Respectfully submitted
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 4:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion for the approval of GH¢46,693,148 for activities of the NCCE for 2019.
    In doing so, and for my purposes, I just want to emphasise on article 233 of the Constitution -- Functions of the Commission. I am particularly interested in subsection (d):
    “to formulate, implement and oversee programmes intended to inculcate in the citizens of Ghana awareness of their civic responsibilities and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as free people;”
    Mr Speaker, we are not there yet as a country. In particular when it comes to taxation, there are still many Ghanaians who fail to appreciate what their civic responsibility must be, relative to the state. They want to demand access to water, electricity, hospitals and so on, yet, some are also not ready to pay taxes for the state to be able to provide that. They need to up their game.
    I should note with satisfaction that, for the first time in many years, the Leader of Government Business and Hon Chairman of the Committee, myself and other Hon Members of the Committee went to visit the headquarters of the NCCE and infact they exist in a very deplorable office accommodation.

    So again, we make a strong case for them for Government to look into it urgently, looking at their conditions in terms of office space. There are some additions in terms of compensation for

    them to recruit more staff. They do not have the full complement of staff in many districts so they are not able to deliver what we expect of them.

    I have always referred to them as the abandoned constitutional body of the 25 years of our democratic practice. At least, the agencies of Government like the Electoral Commission have received fair support from Government, but necessarily not the National Commission for Civic Education.

    Mr Speaker, so with the indulgence of the Hon Chairman, I would want to make a correction at the opening page of the Committee's Report. Mr Speaker, education has been spelt wrongly in the “2019 Annual Budget Estimates of the National Commission for Civic Education.”

    Mr Speaker, they are not doing enough under Capex. Again, we all know that we have fundamental human rights in the Constitution and we need to know what our rights are.

    It is not good enough that the processes that would lead to the referendum on the creation of the new regions; we have the district level elections scheduled for September next year, then the preparation for 2020 General Elections. They need to be adequately resourced to partner the Electoral Commission in the shared responsibility of voter education.

    Mr Speaker, with these few comments, I support the Motion.
    Mr Moses Anim (NPP -- Trobu) 4:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to support the approval of the Motion and to urge Hon Colleagues to do same.
    Mr Speaker, I would end by quoting the last paragraph of 6.2 which states that 4:06 p.m.
    “The Committee opined that the activity is a local government related activity, therefore, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Common Fund Administrator are strongly urged to supplement the NCCE's funding to support this very important activity.”
    Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to remind the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development or any other Committee that would look into the formula of the District Assembly's Common Fund (DACF) before it comes to Parliament, to see whether the support for NCCE has really been itemised.
    And if it comes to the House, we should also ensure that it has really been itemised in the formula so that we could follow suit to support the NCCE to execute their needed mandate.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved:
    The House approves the sum of GH¢46,693,148 for the services of the National Commission for Civic Education for the year ending 31st December, 2019.
    Mr Moses Anim 4:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we would wind up by laying a Paper. Mr Speaker, we would lay item numbered 6 (g).
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 6 (g) -- by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    PAPERS 4:06 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, at this juncture what --
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the House Sits tomorrow and I would want to plead with Hon Colleagues that as we did the previous weekend, we would Sit at nine o'clock in the forenoon tomorrow. It would really be nine o'clock. [Interruption.]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
    Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu 4:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are in your hands and we look forward to meeting tomorrow to have a light business and then we could do what is required of us for the weekend. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:06 p.m.
    We shall have to close early, that is why we have to Sit early. So, we would Sit at 9.00 a.m. and certainly we would not go beyond 12.noon.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
    I would announce that we would Sit at 9.00 a.m. and close at 12 noon so that the records would reflect that whoever is presiding
    Mr Iddrisu 4:06 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it may even be earlier than 12 noon because I know that there is a delegation that must travel to the north to commiserate with the Hon Minister for the Interior. Therefore, let the Hon Majority Leader be guided that Saturdays and Sundays are not his. We are supporting him and the State. Mr Speaker, Saturday and Sundays belong to us --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
    All right.
    Let me adjourn the House.
    ADJOURNMENT 4:06 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 4.15 p.m. till Saturday, 15th December, 2018, at 9.00 a.m.