Debates of 12 Feb 2019

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:33 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:33 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
Hon Members, correction of Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 8th February, 2019.
Hon Members, any corrections?
  • [No correction was made to the Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 8th February, 2019.]
    • Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
    Hon Members, correction of Official Report of Wednesday, 12th December, 2018.
    Hon Members, any corrections?
    Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
    There being no Statements to be read, we move on to the Commencement of Public Business.
    Item numbered 4 -- Presentation of Papers.
    Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 4(a) stands in the name of the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of the House. He is not available at the moment. With your kind indulgence, could you allow Hon Dr Kwaku Afriyie to lay the Paper on his behalf?
    rose
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 10:33 a.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. The Paper is to be presented by the Hon Majority Leader in his capacity as Majority Leader and not as a Minister.
    So the application he made to you is for the Hon Western Regional Minister to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader.
    In the absence of the Hon Majority Leader, the Hon Chief Whip himself who made the application to you should be the one laying the Paper.
    Hon Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu): Mr Speaker, you would note that the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs walks on two legs in this House. Sometimes when it pleases him, he plays the right; and when there are stubborn defenders, he plays the left.
    In this matter, I agree with the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee that this Paper is being laid in his capacity as Majority Leader and Leader of the House, not one for which he has an extension to the Executive. Therefore he is very capable himself to do so on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the views expressed by my Hon Colleagues and I seek your indulgence to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader.
    Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
    So in the meantime, you want to withdraw laying it on behalf of the Majority Leader?
    Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I withdraw the earlier application and in its
    place, I seek your indulgence to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of the House.
    Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
    Hon Majority Chief Whip, I have not really gotten your position. What is your clear position on the matter?
    Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I said that I agree with the views expressed by the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Hon Minority Leader. So I was seeking your permission to withdraw the earlier application I made and rather seek your indulgence to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader.
    Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
    Any objection? He is laying it on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader.
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 10:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have no objection.
    Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
    You may rise and formally lay it.
    PAPERS 10:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 10:33 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
    Alhaji Muntaka 10:43 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, I would be very grateful if you would indulge me because I should have been up before the commencement of Public Business.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    In fact, I was waiting for you.
    Alhaji Muntaka 10:43 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, two Questions were programmed for today to be Answered. We came this morning, and both Questions are not on the Order Paper.
    Mr Speaker, just a while ago, the Clerks- at-the-Table showed me a letter from the Hon Minister for Communications that she could not come to the House. This is the beginning of the third week, and in almost all the weeks that preceded, we had Hon Ministers writing to stand down their Questions.
    Mr Speaker, I would want our Hon Colleagues opposite to take note of this. It is very important, because one of the aspects of the oversight function of Parliament is done through Questions. If Hon Ministers could just write to us and Questions are taken off, then it would impede this House in the performance of its functions.
    This is because for the past two weeks alone, not less than five Hon Ministers have written for their Questions to be stood down. With the other Question, nothing has been written to us by the Hon Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture and yet, the Question has been taken out without any explanations to the Hon Member who asked the Question.
    Mr Speaker, we have just started with the Meeting, so I wish this signal would be sent to the Hon Ministers; they must make time to be in the House. They cannot
    Mr Nyindam 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the Hon Minority Chief Whip, that we cannot downplay our oversight responsibilities, and Questions should be given all the attention that is needed.
    I would convey this message to Hon Colleague Ministers who are supposed to be in this House to Answer Questions on a timely basis, so as to make sure that at the end of the day, this House is seen as playing its oversight responsibility.
    Mr Speaker, however, with regard to the Ministry for Fisheries and Aquaculture, there is a little conflict that the Hon Minister has to come and resolve with Leadership.
    She came yesterday, and we thought that we could get the Hon Majority Leader this morning to solve that particular issue, but unfortunately, the Hon Majority Leader went to Kumasi and could not come back early enough.
    Mr Speaker, I would therefore want to assure my Hon Colleagues on the other
    Side that tomorrow, God willing, this particular Question would be Answered.
    We conveyed the same message to the Hon Member who asked the Question, that is the Hon Member for Awutu Senya, to let him know that the Hon Minister is more than willing to provide Answers to his Questions, but unfortunately, we have to clear that hurdle before.
    Mr Speaker, I therefore agree with the Hon Minority Chief Whip; it is good for him to draw the attention of the House to the attitude of some Hon Ministers who are not prepared and are not ready to come and Answer Questions.
    We would try as much as possible to convey this message to them and get them to come and Answer Questions appropriately.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Hon Minority Chief Whip, I hope you have got the correspondence?
    Alhaji Muntaka 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, rightly so.
    Mr Speaker, I said that if you check your file, you would realise that some of the Hon Ministers, in just these two weeks, have written twice, to just stand down Questions, and their persistence in asking permission not to appear before this House would hinder the progress of this House in terms of Questions. So a signal should be sent to them to also prioritise the activities of Parliament instead of always writing to excuse themselves from coming to Answer Questions.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Thank you very much.
    Hon Members, Parliament is entitled to be jealous of Question time, for which matter Hon Ministers are obligated to be here when duly asked to do so. I noticed there is a communication about the travel.
    I would want to direct that whether there is communication or no communi- cation, it must not remain a private arrangement between the administration here and whatever official there may be, whether an Hon Minister or otherwise.
    What has been listed must be listed, and an explanation given on the Floor of this House, so that the owner of the Question would know exactly, beyond doubt, what is happening. I believe we owe this to Hon Members.
    Thank you.
    Hon Members, we would move on to item numbered 4 (b), by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    PAPERS 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Hon Members, we would move on to the item listed as 5 -- Motion.
    Hon Members would recall that this Motion numbered 5 was moved on Thursday, 25th January, 2018 by the Hon Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr James K. Avedzi, and seconded by the Hon Member for Fanteakwa South, the Hon Kofi Okyere Agyekum.
    Mr James K. Avedzi 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker, this Motion was moved, as you said, but there are outstanding issues upon which the Committee met last week Friday, so we hope that by Wednesday, we would finalise the Report, so that we can continue debate on this issue.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    So should this be stood down to Wednesday?
    Mr Avedzi 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, exactly so.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Thank you very much.
    Hon Members, the Motion is stood down until Wednesday accordingly.

    Hon Members, we would move on to the Motion listed as 6, by the Hon Chairman of the Committee, the Hon First Deputy Speaker.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this
    Motion was listed much earlier, but it left the Order Paper for some time. Subsequently, another matter that involved the same subject matter was again referred to the Committee.
    Leadership discussed with me that probably we should finish with the two and present the Reports together.
    Mr Speaker, I had not expected that I would move this Motion today, but it looks like with even the other matter which was referred, the Hon Member and his lawyers have raised an issue challenging the referral, so they would come back to you.
    The Committee has decided that we should bring that matter back to you, so that their Motion would be determined whether or not we should continue our work.
    Mr Speaker, in the circumstance, may I suggest that this Motion be adjourned till tomorrow, so that depending on the discussion and arrangement that I reached with Leadership, we would be willing to fully move and present the Report to the House.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Hon Member, the latter does not preclude the prior issues.
    Mr Osei-Owusu 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with you entirely.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    So we would proceed accordingly.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, in that case, may I ask for ten minutes to get the Report, since I do not have it here?
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    You may do so.
    10. 53 a.m.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Hon Yieleh Chireh?
    Mr Chireh 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think what the Hon First Deputy Speaker indicated was that there is another matter where the same Hon Member was referred to the Privileges Committee again and if we want the matters to be resolved --
    This has also been on the agenda for long and it is not only the Hon Chairman of the Committee who does not have the Report -- We all do not have it, because it has been over seven months now. So I believe we should reconsider the issues and take the Motion either tomorrow or the day after.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to plead with you to consider the explanation that the Hon First Deputy Speaker gave.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Thank you very much Hon Yieleh Chireh.
    Very well. Hon Members, the matter would be considered tomorrow accordingly. Please, notify the Hon First Deputy Speaker of the decision of the House on item listed 6.
    Item listed 7 Motion, by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    MOTION 10:43 a.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 10:43 a.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/GETFund Levy, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of eight hundred and two thousand, two hundred and sixty-two euros (€802,262.00) on project materials and equipment to be imported for the implementation of the “Services for the Enhancement of Nationwide Water Network Management” Project by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
    Mr Speaker, in doing so, I present your Committee's Report.
    Introduction
    The request for the waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT/ GETFund levy, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of eight hundred and two thousand, two hundred and sixty- two euros (€802,262.00) on project materials and equipment to be imported for the implementation of the “Services for the Enhancement of Nationwide Water Network Management” Project by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) was laid in the House on Wednesday, 30th January, 2019, 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 Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the two Deputy Ministers for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon Patrick Yaw Boamah and Hon Michael Yaw Gyato, a Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon Kwaku Kwarteng and officials from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Ghana Revenue Authority 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 Export Credit Agreement between the Republic of Ghana and UniCredit Bank Austria AG for an amount of 8 millioneuros (€8,000.000) for the Execution of the Nationwide Water Network Management Project; and
    The Tax Assessment by the Ghana Revenue Authority.
    Background
    As part of efforts to improve service delivery, the Government of Ghana is assisting the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to procure a Geographic Information System (G1S) in Hydraulic Network Modeling (HNM) Technology to improve its operations.
    The project involves the establishment of a G1S for some of the regional offices of GWCL as well as facilitating proper planning and maintenance of the systems, improvement of revenue collection and public relation support of the company.
    This will be achieved through the use of modern geo-referenced database information technologies, which will additionally enhance the quality of the administration of the company as well as water service delivery to the general public.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 10:43 a.m.


    GWCL will also acquire, or possibly develop, digital maps of the regions and demographic data for this project in addition to all relevant hardware, software and training requirements.

    It is noted that rapid advancement in technology continues to exert its strong effect on CIS planning processes in both hardware and software. Building and maintaining a GIS and Hydraulic Network model is an investment which encom- passes gathering and maintaining quality data, creating manageable workflows, providing hardware and software and user training and technical support.

    The effective management and control of this investment is therefore an essential part of improving accountability, financial efficiency, risk management and relationships with users.

    In order to successfully implement this project, the Government of Ghana has entered into an Export Credit Agreement with UniCredit Bank Austria AG for an amount of eight million euros (€8,000,000) to procure this technology, among others for the GWCL to execute a nationwide

    water network management project. The agreement was approved by Parliament on Monday, 18th December, 2017.

    Point 3 of C.2.2 of the Contract Agreement for Supply, Work and Services provides that the contract price does not include any taxes, duties, customs or similar imposts levied in the country of the client. In order to successfully implement this project, there is the need to waive taxes and duties applicable.

    It is in this regard that the request for the waiver of tax and duties has been submitted to Parliament in accordance with article 174 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

    The Request

    The request before Parliament is for the waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT/ GETFund levy. Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy, amounting to Ghana cedi equivalent of eight hundred and two thousand, two hundred and sixty-two euros (€802,262.00)

    Assessment of Duties, Taxes and Levies

    A breakdown of the tax assessment undertaken by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is provided in Table 1 below:

    Attached as APPENDIX is the details of tax assessment.

    Observations

    Rationale for the project The Committee was informed that the

    project would support GWCL to: develop a plan for systematic measurement and reduction of non- revenue water within the service area;

    develop an area map for flow control and the effective management of Districts to the walk and cycle level;

    locate the strategic assets, conditions of the assets, develop applications and remotely manage these assets;

    increase revenue collection; and

    ensure sustainable potable water sendees delivery.

    Update on the project The Committee was made aware that

    the project was at the early stages of implementation. Procurement activities are being undertaken.

    Benefits of the project

    The Committee noted that when completed, the project would enable GWCL to properly plan and maintain its systems, improve revenue collection, reduce non- revenue water, and improve public relation support of the company.

    Conclusion

    Considering the 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 to approve the request for the waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT/ GETFund levy, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of eight hundred and two thousand, two hundred and sixty-two euros (€802,262.00) on project materials and equipment to be imported for the implementation of the “Services for the Enhancement of Nationwide Water Network Management” Project by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in accordance with article 174(2) of the Constitution, the Public Financial Management Act of 2016 (Act 921) and the Standing Orders of Parliament.

    Respectfully submitted.
    SPACE FOR APPENDIX - 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 10:43 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Chairman of the Committee, for your presentation.
    Mr Alex Adomako-Mensah (NDC -- Sekyere Afram Plains) 10:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and in doing so, I would make a few remarks.
    Mr Speaker, this loan facility for the project was approved on the 18 th December, 2017, to finance the services for the enhancement of Nationwide Water Network Management by the Ghana Water Company Limited.
    There is lack of technological expertise and equipment to adequately deal with the loss of water in most water utility. The project, when executed, would provide a tube to help the company to incorporate and optimise the revenue building and collection which can monitor centrally and also help the reduction of non-revenue water.
    Mr Speaker, this Government has continuously assured us that it would review the Tax Waiver Policy, but as of now, it has not been laid in Parliament. We wish to appeal to Government to bring the Tax Waiver Policy, so that we can review it to meet the standard of the country.
    Mr Speaker, in the update, it was indicated that the project was at its early stage, so we hope with this support it could be completed as quickly as possible for the benefit of the people of Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I second the Motion.
    Question proposed
    Mr Kwame Govers Agbodza (NDC - -Adaklu) 11:03 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of this Motion.
    Mr Speaker, reading through the Report and the attached document, I could say that it is a very good project which seeks to support the Ghana Water Company to develop a system of documenting and having a reliable map system throughout the country for their services.
    Mr Speaker, this is a very good thing and appears to be the way forward. If we notice, with regard to public utilities such as water, telephone and power, ever so often, one would notice that when we are doing road work, before one realises, in the process of excavation, some of these transmission lines are damaged and it interrupts the delivery and that actually costs the state.
    If we can develop a model that every utility company or anybody who wants to work around those places would know that we have certain transmission lines buried within such areas and one does not have to go close to it, I think it would be very good for the state.
    Mr Speaker, I think it is the way to go in the 21st Century public service delivery. This House has over the years approved tax waivers for projects that are donor or loan funded. But as a House, we have all made comments about this in the past that if these projects were to be embarked upon by a local developer, then this developer may not be entitled to all these things.
    We keep saying that when a foreign developer gets all this tax rebates, indeed, it makes his business stronger. If he goes bidding with a local developer, surely, he would beat him. That is because his rate would be higher than the foreign developer. And so we still need to consider how we would make tax waivers.
    If we believe tax waivers reduce the cost of the project, then I am sure the
    Mr Anthony Effah (NPP — Asikuma/ Odoben/Brakwa) 11:03 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to support the
    Motion that has been presented to the House.
    Mr Speaker, Management Information Systems (MIS) is actually the way to plan, have data and also improve on service delivery. Investing in this activity, I believe, would help enhance the service delivery of the Ghana Water Company.
    One area that is worthy of note is that this investment would include the acquisition of instruments for leakage detection. The Ghana Water Company Limited is noted for late responses to where it is evident that there are leakages of water supply to homes and industries.
    And so if this investment is going to include monitoring of the pipelines as well as early detection of leakages to these pipelines, then I presume it is a good thing to do and I would encourage the House to support it. With these few words, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Alhaji (Dr) Abdul-Rashid H. Pelpuo (NDC — Wa Central) 11:03 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I also rise to contribute to the Motion to request for tax waiver to ensure the efficient identification and supply of water to the people of Ghana.
    This is a very important request, given the fact that it is aimed at improving the quality of services delivered by the Ghana Water Company Limited. Even though most of the time I am against the fact that we are giving too much of tax waivers, this is critical, given the fact that water is life and Ghana has reached a very high level of water supply delivery in the country.
    At least, we have hit a point of about 82 per cent coverage. And so we need to step up our delivery mechanisms and technology.
    The idea of ensuring that this is going to provide the Ghana Water Company Limited with a geographic information system in hydraulic network modelling, is a good one. It is stepping up our technology one step forward; it is also a very good idea.
    I think that allowing about GH¢802,262 to go just because it is going to improve our system nationwide is not too much a burden for us. And I would want to support the waiver and ask my Hon Colleagues to do same.
    Mr Speaker 11:03 a.m.
    Thank you very much Hon Member. The last contribution from my right hand side.
    Mr Issah Fuseini (NPP — Okaikoi North) 11:03 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    I urge the House to support the grant of this tax exemptions so that we get to employ MIS in the production and distribution of water within the country. It is interesting to know that this system is going to help the Ghana Water Company Limited to improve upon its revenue collection systems.
    Mr Speaker, when Ghana Water Company produces water, there are two components, of course, which are the fixed and the variable. If we have many people using it and paying for the services, the cost per head would be lower than many people using but having just a few people pay for the services they get from Ghana Water Company Limited.
    The issue of improvement in revenue collection is not only limited to the water utility but it should also be extended to the electricity and other utility service providers.
    Mr Speaker, the incidence of illegal connections to such utilities, both power and water, is something these utility companies have been grappling with over the years. It is refreshing to know that we are working towards using Information Technology (IT) to resolve this age long problem.
    Mr Speaker, one of the earlier contributors did mention the issue of government policy towards this tax exemptions. So many times, we have these exemptions come to the committee level. And we have urged the Ministry to come up with a policy that would guide the granting of these tax waivers.
    We urge the Ministry to work with the committee so that the House is presented with a policy that would guide the granting of these policies which can actually match it to a sort of standard every year, to know how we are doing, whether we are granting too many exemptions or less.
    Mr Speaker 11:03 a.m.
    Minority Leadership?
    Mr James K. Avedzi (NDC -- Ketu North) 11:13 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that providing a facility that would help Ghana Water Company Limited to manage its network is a good thing.
    Mr Speaker, GWCL is a limited liability company and limited liability companies are with profit motives. The shareholder of the GWCL is definitely the Government of Ghana. Most of the time, we go in for facilities to support the work of the GWCL and the facility for which we are exempting €802,262.00 -- This facility is also taken by Government to support them.
    Mr Speaker, what we should begin to ask is, when at all would the GWCL be profitable to undertake certain minor

    improvements? If GWCL, with GoG as its shareholder cannot make profit to undertake a project that would cost €802,262, but for that the Government of Ghana must go for a loan to undertake this project, when at all would utility companies in Ghana be profitable? When will they be managed in such a way that they can do certain minor things on their own?

    Mr Speaker, if we are going to have a major expansion of the network where we are going to provide water to communities, Government would definitely come in but there are certain minor things that GWCL should be able to do.

    If they are not able to do that, then it is becoming too much, to the extent that a project of €802,262 cannot be undertaken and we would have to exempt them from paying — waivers. I believe it is high time we began questioning some of these utility companies, because when these loans are taken by Government and given to them, they do not pay back.

    Mr Speaker, that is the reason in the previous Administration, this on-lending facility was introudced to make them responsible to manage whatever support is given to them by Government; we on- lend these things to them.

    Now we do not have the on-lending facility anymore and so Government would take the loan, look for money and pay and the water company would take the project, collect the revenue and use it to pay themselves and run the office; but when there is the need for expansion, they would have to fall on Government again.

    I believe it is time we made the management of these utility companies more responsible; there are certain minor things they should be able to do by

    themselves and not fall on Government for support all the time.

    Mr Speaker, but this is one of the things that would help them to enhance revenue collection and manage the system. We hope that this facility would help them to improve on their revenue collection so that in future, minor development projects can be undertaken by them, which shall not be supported by the Government.

    I thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 11:13 a.m.
    Majority Leadership, any comments, please?
    Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just walked in but I have listened to my Hon Colleagues who have spoken to the Motion and I agree entirely with the issues that they have raised.
    Yes, we need to enhance the delivery of potable water to our people and besides everything else, it would help us achieve the targets contained in the Sustainable Development Goals which we have resolved as a nation to attain, especially, in respect of the delivery of potable water to every person in this country within the next ten years.
    Mr Speaker, so it is imperative that we assist GWCL to do what is required in order to position them to do what, as a country, we have appended our signatures to, which is to deliver potable water to every single person in this country latest by the year 2030. We are told that the effort would enhance revenue due GWCL; how many of such have we not done before?
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Second Deputy Speaker used to chair a Committee by the Ministry of Works and Housing at the time when it was responsible for potable water delivery. It was seen that in the
    entirety of the West African sub-region, non-tariff water in Ghana is the highest.
    How do we explain this? Yet, every year, governments kept investing in GWCL. It meant, in other words, that we were just investing only for the amounts invested, so to speak, to be flushed down the drain.
    Mr Speaker, for per capita production of potable water in the entire sub-region, Ghana ranks second in the production of potable water. Per capita --- I am talking about the totality of potable water generated by the systems in the country; Ghana ranks second in the entire West African Region. How come that we are not able to make enough to pay for services?
    Mr Speaker, the truth of the matter is that, in the metropolitan areas and the cities where the big systems operate, quite apart from the fact that they pay low rates, unlike what happens in the rural settings where community water and sanitation agencies operate, the rural dwellers are paying much higher rates than the city dwellers.
    Apart from that, unmetered water exists here in the cities and the metropolitan areas than it is in the rural areas. So the usage of potable water is much unaccounted for in the metropolitan areas than the rural areas and that is where the problem is.
    The GWCL is not making much effort to ensure that potable water that is delivered -- the users are chased to be metered because there are so many of them that are not even on meters and that is where the problem is.
    Mr Speaker, the third issue relates to leakages. As we speak today, even when some improvements have occurred, close
    to 35 per cent of all water that is produced is unaccounted for. About a third of water produced by the systems of GWCL is unaccounted for.
    It ends up as non-tariff water and yet we would have to pay for it. We have to treat the water at huge expense, especially in this day of galamsey operations when the water appears so muddy. A lot would have to be done to purify it. When it has been done, people do not pay so, that is where the problem lies.
    Government would continue to invest and every year we have these tax waivers, yet we do not see the fruits or dividends of the investments. I guess the time has come for a much more collaborative effort between the Ministry responsible for water delivery now and the District Assemblies.
    There should be that collaboration between the two departments to ensure that any potable water that is delivered to any household, we are able to trace and track the delivery of the water.
    And we are able to monitor the usage of the water by serving every household with meters which should read the consumption and then provide the necessary tariffs and make sure the people pay.

    Mr Speaker, other than that, we would continue to do these investments and not yield the necessary dividends. At the end of the day, if we are not careful, we would not be able to meet the targets contained in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which should be the aspiration of all of us as a country and especially of the ruling Administration.
    Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 11:23 a.m.


    Mr Speaker, it is a puzzle that we must further interrogate, and as I said, we need the collaboration of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development using the District Assemblies to have this collaboration with the Ministry for Water Resources and Sanitation now to ensure that we receive the necessary tariffs from consumers in order to pay for this, otherwise, it would become a ritual.

    Every year, we would be going through the process and not see the benefits of what we are doing.

    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Majority Leader.

    Sorry, I thought you would make a comment before --
    Mr Kwarteng 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have taken note of the discussions.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    I would put the Question then.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister for Finance, may I take advantage of your presence and simply ask: is it possible for us to have exemptions simultaneously with our approval of loans? In other words, a loan is brought before Parliament to approve and in the process, also approve of waiver of taxes to so much so that the two can go in tandem.
    Mr Kwarteng 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the issue is that the loan facilities themselves are not the subject of these tax exemptions. It is normally on the projects that the facility would finance.
    So normally, we really look at the tax exemptions in the Commercial Agreement unless we are bringing the project Agreement together with the facility Agreement, it may be difficult to do the Resolution altogether.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Very well.
    Item numbered 8, Resolution by the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:23 a.m.
    Mr
    Speaker, I am told the Hon Minister for Finance is otherwise engaged and it explains why he has asked his Deputy Minister for Finance who is one of our own to stand in for him.
    So may I seek your permission and the indulgence of my Hon Colleagues to allow the Deputy Minister for Finance, the Hon Kwaku Kwarteng, to stand in for the Hon Minister?
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Any objections?
    Mr James K. Avedzi 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we
    have no objections but just to note that it has become a normal practice for the Hon Minister for Finance to be absent and that his Deputies in the persons of Hon Kwarteng or Hon Abena Osei Asare are always here to do the work on his behalf. So Mr Speaker, he can continue and perform the duty of the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister -- [Interruption.]
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, for the records, the Hon Deputy Minority Leader, in the previous life of Parliament used to be the Chairman of the Committee for Finance. He is aware of the burden on the shoulders of Hon Ministers of Finance.
    Many times, and he would testify as I know that he is a devout Christian, he would not lie -- In fact, on this, I would want to believe that he is incapable of l y i n g - - [Interruption.] That the truth is that when he was the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee, he experienced the same predicament. We found a way about that as we are finding a way about it now.
    Mr Speaker, I thank him and the House and I know he would not dare to get up again.
    Mr Avedzi 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader knows very well that the Hon Seth Terkpe was always here in the Chamber so he cannot compare him and Hon Ken Ofori-Attah -- [Uproar] -- He should not do that.
    As the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee in the previous life of Parliament, I was always with my Hon Minister for Finance to move Resolutions but in the current situation, the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee is actually suffering because his Hon Minister is always absent and he has to fall on the Deputy Minister to do the work, but he should go ahead and do it. There is nothing wrong with that.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Seth Terkper who became the Hon Minister for Finance was a deputy to Dr Duffour for four years. How many times was Dr Duffour in this Chamber? Hon Seth Terkper spent four years to learn the rules, so when he became the Minister, he was able to fit in.
    Really, what he is saying is neither here nor there. The truth is the truth and some people should not distort history in this House.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister for Finance, tell us the truth. [Laughter]
    Mr Kwarteng 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to move the Resolution but I have to indicate that I do not consider this as suffering as the Hon Deputy Minority Leader indicated. We are doing this work together.
    The Hon Minister for Finance has had to absent himself to do this.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, move the Resolution before you lose the privilege.
    Mr Kwarteng 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I take your advice but I just wanted to make the point in respect of the comparison.
    Mr Speaker 11:23 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, move the Resolution.
    RESOLUTION 11:23 a.m.
    Chairman of the Committee on Finance (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 11:23 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to. Resolved accordingly.
    Mr James K. Avedzi 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, kindly permit me to raise an issue which was early on raised in the Chamber by the Hon Minority Chief Whip.
    Mr Speaker, this is a letter from the Minister for Communications that states, “Parliamentary Questions” in reference to a letter number 0954 dated 7th February, 2019, on the above subject matter and wish to inform us that the Hon Minister is currently out of the country on an official assignment and would not be available to appear before the august House to respond to the Question.
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Just a moment. In the meantime, the Hon First Deputy Speaker will arrange to take the Chair.
    Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
    Mr Avedzi 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this was raised early on by the Hon Minority Chief Whip and because of that the Questions slated to be answered by the Hon Minister for Communications were not tabled for today but we have the Hon Minister in the Chamber although the letter says that she would not be available to answer Questions scheduled for Tuesday, 12th February, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, she is now here. And the letter was signed by one, Mr K. A. Tabi, Director of Finance and Administration for the Hon Minister.
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    The Hon Minister is in the House and very capable of speaking for herself. Hon Minister?
    Minister for Communication (Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful) 11:33 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I travelled to Addis Ababa on Friday to attend the Board meeting of the Smart Africa Group which was held on the
    sidelines of the African Union (AU) meetings.
    I was scheduled to return to Accra today, as the steering committee meeting was held on Saturday to prepare for the Board meeting of our Heads of States of the SMART African countries on the 18th February, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, I was scheduled to return to Accra on the, 19th February, 2019, on the Ethiopian Airways flight. I was fortunate to be given a ride with the Presidential entourage which returned to Accra yesterday after the Board meetings.
    So if my office informed Parliament that I would be unavailable to answer the Questions, they were right because I was to return to Accra today. If I had not been fortunate to be given a ride with the President yesterday, I would now be arriving in Accra on the Ethiopian Airways flight and would be unable to attend to Parliament to answer the Question as my office anticipated.
    My office is not even aware that I am in town today because I have not been to the office this morning. I came straight to Parliament to perform my dutiful duties as the Hon Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West Constituency.
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister, for your explanation and for your subsequent dutiful attendance to the Business of this Honourable House this morning. The Question has been scheduled for tomorrow, and we would be glad to hear your Answers.
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Hon Member, this would be dealt with administratively, of course. Chief Directors are good at matters of returning tickets. Let us not take the time of the House on this. Let the Chief Director take due notice of that accordingly.
    Hon Members, the Right to Information Bill at the Consideration Stage.
    Hon Majority Leader, has any development taken place?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, at the time I was leaving, it was intended for us to have some discussion on this matter. I had already had some discussions on the issue with the Hon Minority Leader and the Hon Minority Chief Whip at a different forum. We had some agreement. Unfortunately, they are not here. I believe we could stand it down and perhaps deal with it tomorrow.
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Very well. It is stood down till tomorrow.
    We move on to item numbered 10 then -- Payment Systems and Services Bill, 2018, at the Consideration Stage.
    BILLS -- CONSIDERATION STAGE 11:33 a.m.
  • [Continuation of debate from 7/02/ 19]
    • Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Item numbered 10(i) -- clause 23. The proposed amendment stands in the name of the Hon Minister for Communication. The debate is to continue.
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, with the amendment standing in the name of Hon (Mrs) Ursula G. Owusu- Ekuful, I do not know what the “G” stands for. I know Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful. I do not know what the “G” stands for. I do not know whether it is a new insertion.
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Please, are we making any?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to know whether the amendment is in the name of Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful that I know. There is a “G” in the name that I do not know of. I would want to know whether it is the same person. If it is the same person, does the “G” here have a meaning in this case?
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Hon Minister, you may deal with the amendment in your name. In the process, you may tell us all your names and other allied descriptions.
    Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my name is “Ursula Gifty Abena Bema Owusu-Ekuful, who is also known and referred to as Obaahemaa Abena Bema Gyankobaa I, the nkosuohemaa of Akyem Asuom.
    Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Communications says the “G” stands for Gifty. In another breath, she said “G” stands for “Gyankobaa”. We have heard Gifty and Gyankobaa. To be clear in our minds, is the “G” for Gifty or Gyankobaa?
    Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, as I indicated, my full name is Ursula G. Owusu-Ekuful. The “G” refers to Gifty, and we all filled forms and registered with Parliament at the beginning of the term of the current Parliament and the previous Parliament.
    So the official record of my name has always been Ursula G. Owusu-Ekuful, the “G” meaning Gifty.
    Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
    Your long name is being challenged.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:33 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is the first time I am seeing the “G” in her name. Having said so, she goes further to tell us that she bears a queenly name, she being the first.
    In the realm of traditions and customs, if there is no second queen or king, there cannot be a first, so she cannot call herself something the first, when there is no second. She is totally wrong.
    Mr Speaker 11:43 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, when Nkosuohenes are created, stools are created for the first time. I have known as quite the practice that they may name the person Nana so and so the first. The person does not have to die for the second person to come. That is the specially created stools, like the Nkosuohene of so and so.
    Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah 11:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would simply plead that we stick to the official names in Parliament, because we all have a lot of titles. In fact, I have a lot of Nkosuohene titles, if I start bringing them to this House the day would not end.
    So let us stick to the official names.
    Mr Speaker 11:43 a.m.
    Very well.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, to be fair, I insist that indication whether kingship or queenship, if there is not a second person bearing the same name, the first person to bear the name does not bear
    the title “ the first”. It is not so anywhere, and I do not believe that it is so in ‘Ga Land'. I do not believe so. If there is no second, there is no first --
    Mr Speaker 11:43 a.m.
    Where do you come from?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:43 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, in Ghana.
    Mr Speaker 11:43 a.m.
    I differ.
    Anyway, Hon Minister, let us proceed with your business. Are you dealing with the clause?
    The Hon First Deputy Speaker would take the Chair.
    MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, where were we?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are on the proposed amendment for clause 23 of the Payment Systems and Services Bill, 2018.
    Mr Speaker, I would plead that we stand the Consideration of the amendments down until after Thursday, and the reason is that the proposal by my Hon Colleague, the Hon Minister for Communication, goes to the root of the Bill. It relates to policy and it cannot be changed here unless the matter is resolved at the level of where it is coming from.
    So Mr Speaker, I would plead that we stand it down. I have had some discussions with her, and she knows what I am talking about.
    Thank you.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the
    Hon Majority Leader indicated that we stand it down until a certain time.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    After Thursday.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:45 a.m.
    Very well, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    So can we proceed with the other proposed amendments?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is very fundamental, and once we adopt it, it may have some consequential effects on some of the other clauses, so we would stand the Consideration down until that matter is resolved.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Very well.
    That brings us to the end of Consideration of the Payment Systems and Services Bill, 2018.

    Are we ready to do the final Consideration of the Right to Information Bill, that is the outstanding proposed amendments?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have pleaded for the deferment of that last clause, and when we are through, we would complete that as well.
    I believe we can now move to Committee of the Whole to deal with the formula for sharing the District Assemblies Common Fund.
    Mr Speaker, if I may, I would like to take the liberty to announce that tomorrow Wednesday, we shall have a Joint Caucus meeting.
    Thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Very well, in that case, we shall revert to the Committee of the Whole - [Pause]
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, so we could suspend Sitting and move to a Committee of the Whole.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Very well.
    Hon Members, Sitting of the House is suspended. We would now revert to the Committee of the Whole meeting.
    11.50 a.m. -- Sitting suspended.
    1.57 p.m. -- Sitting resumed.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Members, can you resume your seats so that we conclude for the day?
    Hon Majority Leader, what can I do now? It is just before 2 p.m. .
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we had about exhausted the agenda for the day and then we moved into a Committee of the Whole meeting and after the completion of the matter before us, now, we have reclined to plenary.
    Mr Speaker, as you said, with the time reading about two minutes before 2 o'clock, on your own, you still could adjourn the House.
    We have exhausted the Business for the day and as I indicated before we went into the Committee of the whole meeting, we intend to have a joint caucus meeting tomorrow. I do not really know when exactly we would have it -- whether we would break into plenary and have the meeting or maybe do so immediately after the Business for tomorrow, but certainly tomorrow.
    Mr Speaker, we are therefore in your hands. You may adjourn until tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
    Alhaji Muntaka 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed.
    ADJOURNMENT 11:45 a.m.