Debates of 13 Feb 2019

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:20 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Hon Members, item num- bered 2, correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report. Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 12th February, 2019.
Page 1…9 --
rose
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Ras Mubarak 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I was in the Chamber yesterday but have been marked absent on page 8.
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
You have been marked absent?
Mr Ras Mubarak 10:20 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
You were definitely present?
Mr Ras Mubarak 10:20 a.m.
I was definitely present, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Page 10…14.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 12th February,
2019 as corrected be hereby admitted as the true record of proceedings.
Item numbered 3, Questions.
For the avoidance of any difficulty, do we have the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and the Minister for Education here?
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, there is an Official Report dated 29th January, 2019, which we have not considered.
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Official Report?
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:20 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Incidentally, I do not have it and I do not know if the Table Office could help?

Hon Members, we have the Official Report of Tuesday, 29th January, 2019.

Any corrections, please?
Mr Ras Mubarak 10:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on the alphabetical list of Members of Parliament, several names have been omitted including mine and I was wondering why a huge chunk of names have been omitted. After F, there is no continuation. So it moves from F to R on page vi and ix.
There is an omission, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Very well. The Table Office should please take a compre- hensive look at this and supply all the relevant names.
Any further corrections?
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, also on page i, where we have the list of Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State, we still have the name Mr Boakye Agyarko as Minister for Energy.
As of the time that we met on 29th January, he was not the Minister for Energy. So is Mr John Peter Amewu listed as the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources? His new portfolio is Energy. I think the positions have not been updated.
Mr Speaker, also, under Ministers of State, Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and Mr Joseph Kofi Adda are Members of Parliament and we do not have asterisks against their names. The same mistakes have been repeated under Deputy Ministers. I think the Table Office would have to look at it and effect the corrections.
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Thank you very much. The Table Office should make a comprehensive check and have all these duly corrected.
Any further corrections, please?
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Hon Members, in the absence of any further corrections, the Official Report of Tuesday, 29th January, 2019 as corrected, be hereby admitted as true the record of proceedings.
rose
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sorry to take us back.
Mr Speaker, yesterday, many of our Hon Colleagues were in here, unfor- tunately, they have been listed as having
been absent. I recall that yesterday, the Hon Sampson Ahi was in the Chamber, the Hon Richard Quashigah was in the Chamber, the Hon Sabi William Kwasi was in the Chamber, Dr Kwabena Twum- Nuamah was here, and Hon Woyome Kobena Mensah was also here.
Mr Speaker, after we adjourned Sitting they all even came to me and we had some discussions, so I can testify that these persons were here. I am surprised that they have been listed as being absent. The Table Office should therefore take notice.
Mr Speaker, I am also aware that because of the events that occurred yesterday, the Hon Alima Mahama submitted a leave of absence form, the Hon Dan Botwe and the Hon Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah also did same.
The Hon Amoako-Attah informed me on Monday that he was not going to be in Parliament yesterday, for which reason he had transmitted a leave of absence form. So in respect of those four - the Hon Amoako-Attah, Hon Alima Mahama, Dan Botwe and the Hon Oppong Nkrumah, I am aware that they submitted leaves of absence.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Thank you very much.
rose
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Chief
Whip?
Alhaji Muntaka 10:30 a.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I can collaborate what the Hon Majority Leader said, because yesterday, we had a Committee of the Whole, and the few Hon Members he
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minority Chief Whip.
Hon Members, this is a very important matter because to appear to be fiddling is not good for the repuration of this Honourable House, but that obviously is what any critical observer would see and conclusively so, and we all seated here know this.
As I speak, some Hon Members are nodding their heads in full approval, so, the Administration should also please quicken the process of procurement and Hon Members must take note accordingly.
Hon Members, furthermore, the Votes and Proceedings of 12th February, 2019 is hereby admitted and approved, subject to the further corrections made accordingly.
Hon Members, thank you very much.
Hon Majority Leader, are we able to tackle Question time? In other words, are your Hon Ministers present, and which Questions are we taking?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in view of the ceremonies that are taking place at the Jubilee House this morning, the Hon Minister responsible for Local Government and Rural Development cannot be with us, but in her stead, the Hon Deputy Minister, the Hon Adjei Boateng is here to stand in for the Hon Minister, to respond to the Question posed by the Hon George Nenyi Kojo Andah.
So if I may seek your indulgence, and of course that of my Hon Colleagues in the House, to allow the Hon Deputy Minister to stand in and respond to the Question.
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
Alhaji Muntaka 10:30 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, Hajia Alima Mahama is one of the Hon Ministers who always try to be here herself, so if for a good reason, today, she is asking her Hon Deputy to come and stand in her stead, then we do not have any objection.
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Deputy Minister, you may take the seat accordingly.
Hon Member for Awutu-Senya West, you may ask your Question.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10:30 a.m.
MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT 10:30 a.m.
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 10:30 a.m.
Mr George Nenyi Kojo Andah 10:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, before I ask my Question, with your permission, I would like to announce the presence of representatives of the Traditional Council of the Awutu- Senya West and representatives of the market queens from the Bawjiase Market in the House. They are sitting in the public gallery, and I would like to welcome them to the House.
Q.492. Mr George Nenyi Kojo Andah asked the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development the reason for the suspension of work on the Bawjiase Central Market, when work on the project will commence and the scheduled completion date.
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Yes, Hon Minister?
Deputy Minister for Local Govern- ment and Rural Development (Mr Kwasi Boateng Adjei) (on behalf of the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development): Mr Speaker, the Awutu Senya District Assembly in 2015 decided to reconstruct the old Bawjiase Market into a modern market. In furtherance of
that, a consultant, Green Design Systems was procured to design the entire market including a lorry park and two passenger terminals.
The project was to be executed in phases. Phase I was to reconstruct the lower part of the lorry park to include drainage works; retaining wall; sitting area, sheds; pavement works; and a high rising wall that will separate the lorry park from a nearby filling station.
The contractor, Messrs Real Builders Company was awarded the contract to execute the above project at a contract sum of five hundred and seventy one thousand, sixty three Ghana cedis and forty nine pesewas (GHC¢571,063.49) on 7th December, 2015, to be completed in 12 months.
The contractor executed 60 per cent of the work and abandoned site. The contract was subsequently abrogated on 23rd December, 2016. At the time of the abrogation, the District Assembly had made the following payments in respect of the project:
Certified works paid to contractor -- three hundred and forty four thousand, three hundred and fifty five Ghana cedis and seventy nine pesewas (GH¢344,355.79).
Consultancy services:
(i) Fifty thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢50,000.00) for design works.
(ii) Sixty nine thousand seven hundred and ninety five Ghana cedis (GH¢69,795.00) for supervision.
Again, an amount of forty thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢40,000.00) was paid to ECG for the relocation of a transformer at the site. Thus, bringing the total
Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Thank you very much Hon Member.
Mr Andah 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, my first follow up question to the Hon Deputy Minister is to find out when exactly the work men would be on site to continue with the work on the phase one?
Mr Adjei 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, our information is that the Assembly is making every effort to get the contractor to move to the site to work on the first phase of the project to be able to make progress as far as that is concerned.
As to when they would be able to do that, like we said, the issue is a problem of finance. I am sure with the Common Fund releases; they should be able to handle this project.
Mr Andah 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I read from the Answer that there was an amount of GHc 251,269.50 that has been earmarked for the completion of phase one. I believe that the challenge with the funding is for the GH¢1,687,194.00 for the phase two.
And I would be grateful if the Hon Deputy Minister could clarify that the funding for phase one is secured and it is the funding for phase two that is problematic.
Mr K. B. Adjei 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, phase one of the project is what the Assembly has made provision to continue. Phase two, the Assembly is yet to look for funds for that project.
Originally, the project was intended to be a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project but it was difficult for the
Assembly to get financiers to support the project. That is why they are looking at phase one, which is about 60 per cent complete so that with the 2019 Budget committed to that project, they should be in a position to start that project.
Mr Andah 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if the funding for phase one is secured, then we should be able to confirm when the contractors would move to site to complete the phase one.
That is why I asked my second question; exactly when would the contractors move to site because my understanding was that funding had been secured by the Assembly. For the phase two, that is a separate issue, but the phase one, I would like to know when exactly the contractors would move to site to complete the phase one?
Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, the Hon Member wants clarity on when the contractors are going to move to site? And his question also implies an approximate time at least, for the completion of this work.
Mr Adjei 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the amount of money that has been earmarked for the first phase is supposed to come in by the budgetary releases. I think that the Assembly should be in a position to get the contractor back to site as soon as possible.
We would engage them and see how soon they could get the contractor back to the site.
Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon Deputy Minister?
rose
Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just to find out from the Hon Deputy Minister, do I understand that the 60 per cent completion of the works he has referred to in paragraph 3 of the Answer, for which an amount of GH¢ 344,355.79 has been paid, thus 60 per cent, does not include the consultancy services, which stand as two components, GH¢ 50,000 and GH¢ 69,795.00? And it does not also include the GH¢ 40,000.00 that was paid to the Electricity Company of Ghana for the re-location of the transformer? Do you understand that?
Mr K.B. Adjei 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the amount of GH¢344,355.79 represents payments that have been made to the main contractor representing the 60 per cent. There were additional payments in respect of the consultancy and then, the re- location of the transformer. Those are all different from the GH¢ 344,355.79.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the amount paid to the contractor, that is the GH¢ 344,355.79 is exactly—
Mr KwameGovers Agbodza -- rose
- - 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Agbodza 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just for your confirmation; our Leader asked one question. Are our Leaders allowed to ask more than one question if they are not the main originators of the Question? [Interruption]
Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
You may go on. [Uproar] -- That matter would rest here; it is a constituency specific Question anyway, so for the sake of appropriate balance, we would end the Question time so far as
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think for the elucidation of my Hon Colleague, I would send him to Standing Order 69 (1) which provides—
Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader—?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, this is something that must be explained well to him. There is nowhere in these Standing Orders which limits supplementary questions to one.
By practice, Mr Speaker, you do not determine what is constituency specific Question or what. The Standing Orders are clear in 69(1); they do not limit us to one supplementary question.
Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, thank you for attending to the House and answering our Questions.
Question numbered 503, which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Krachi Nchumuru.
Hon Minister for Education?
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION 10:50 a.m.
Minister for Education (Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh) 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the above- mentioned 3-unit classroom blocks with ancillary facilities were authorised by the GETFund in 2015- 2016 as “Emergency Projects'' to basic schools operating under trees or makeshift structures in the Krachi Nchumuru District of the Volta Region.
The District Assembly was to ensure the successful award and supervision of these projects for early completion. The status of the projects are as follows;
Bejamse -- at gable level (53 per cent of Workdone);
Boafri -- at gable level (57 per cent of Workdone); Motoka -- at finishing stage (83 per cent of work completed).
Mr Speaker, it should be worth noting that the supervising consultant, Messrs PPMC have been directed by the Krachi Nchumuru District Assembly to issue warning letters to the various contractors on the projects, tasking them to move back
to site and complete all outstanding works on the projects by the second quarter of 2019 as per their revised programme of works.
Mr Majisi 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, my checks on the contractors reveal that they have not been paid for the work that has been done, so they are finding it very difficult to go back to site. To what extent have the contractors been paid, especially the contractors working on the Boafri and Motoka classroom blocks?
Dr Prempeh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, all these three works were awarded by the Krachi Nchumuru District Assembly at the same time. How is it that one has gotten to 83 per cent and the other two are at 53 per cent and 57 per cent?
It is not always wholly true that they have not been paid. Sometimes, the work progress that the contractors also exhibit on site is a problem. If between two certificates and you have done only five per cent more work, it is not encouraging to be paid.
This is just a three-unit classroom block and any contractor worth his salt really would complete it within three months. So sometimes, we would listen to the contractors that they have not been paid, but the amount of work they have done at the site is also very important.
Like I said, all these three were awarded at the same time. Why is it that one is 83 per cent complete and has been paid? The GETFund is making arrangements to pay contractors as and when their certificates mature.
Mr Majisi 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is clear that the contractor working on the Motoka classroom block has been paid for some time now. However, the other contractors
who have done 53 per cent and 57 per cent work have not been paid anything.
I want to make a special appeal to the Hon Minister -- If you look at Krachi Nchumuru, we have about nine outstanding projects and none has been completed because the contractors do not have enough money for completion.
Could the Hon Minister make it a point to at least support the contractors who have done some amount of work, so that they could continue with the work?
Dr Prempeh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, GETFund is the payer and the client is the Krachi Nchumuru District Assembly. They award these contracts and not GETFund. So it is only when the consultant certifies payment that it gets to GETFund, we could expedite it depending on circumstances.
As I said, the problem is with the District Assembly and the contractors on the site. So if the Hon Member could urge his District Assembly and the consultant to get the c ontractors back to site to do some work, once the certificates get here, between us, we could find a way of letting them expedite the payment.
Mr Majisi 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, my last question. I have gone round to look at these projects and my observation is that most of them do not have ramps. I think that as we put up facilities, we must make it a point to make them accessible to everybody.
When it comes to education, the issue of disability is very important. So if we are putting up these structures without ramps, it means that the classrooms would not be accessible. I once again make a special appeal, that we should ensure that the classrooms that are put up are made accessible to persons with disabilities.

about disability access which is not in the main Question, so if you urge me to answer -- [Interruption] I am under your --
Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Minister, is that a matter of clarity or due to the fact that it is outside the purview of the original Question?
Dr Prempeh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I did not even know what he was saying, so could he repeat it?
Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
If it is a matter of clarity -- Hon Member, you may ask your question again.
Mr Majisi 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought that the Hon Minister was listening to me.
Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Member, please ask your question again.
Mr Majisi 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I said that I have gone round to look at the ongoing projects and noted that there are no ramps attached to the classroom blocks.
In order to make our classrooms accessible to persons living with disabilities, especially wheelchair users, it is very important that we have ramps and rails, so that the classrooms would be accessible.
So I am making a special appeal to the Hon Minister to ensure that all the classrooms that we have in Krachi Nchumuru, and for that matter, Ghana, are made accessible by making provision for ramps and rails.
Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Minister, at this stage, an appeal has been made to you. Has it sunk?
Dr Prempeh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have noted what my Hon Colleague said and would
discuss it with the consultant to make sure that since Ghana has adopted an inclusive policy on education, our buildings are disability friendly.
Mr Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Question numbered 504, Hon Member for Garu?
Timely completion of Community Senior High Schools
Q.504. Mr Albert Akuka Alalzuuga asked the Minister for Education the measures the Ministry was taking to ensure timely completion of the Community Senior High Schools that were yet to be completed.
Dr Prempeh 10:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Education, together with the GETFund have assessed the status of all Community Day Senior High School Projects and all Government uncompleted school projects.
The assessment reveals that some of the projects are in progress while some of them have been abandoned, with others yet to start.
We have also assessed the impact of these blocks as in some cases, accessibility to the school site would be challenging due to the distances from the nearest communities.
As per the availability of funds, the Ministry is prioritising the completion of these blocks on a need basis. Contracts that have not commenced at all will be closed out and budgeted for later.
It is worth noting that a significant amount of the funds secured by the GETFund with the able approval of the House will be used to pay for Interim Payment Certificates for these projects currently lodged at the GETFund.
We have also assessed the impact of these blocks in some areas, accessibility to the school site may be challenging due to the distances from the nearest communities.
Mr Alalzuuga 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to know from the Hon Minister, what efforts they have made to find out from the contractors who have abandoned their projects and what steps they have taken to ensure that the contractors get back to site?
Dr Prempeh 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, there are many reasons a contractor would abandon a site. A contractor could abandon a site just because his source of funding, if it is through a bank loan, has ceased because the bank may have even collapsed. A contractor may abandon a site because his foreman or project supervisor may have died.
There are a lot of reasons, but ultimately, at the initiation of all these projects there were consultants attached. It is not the Ministry that is the consultant and it is the consultant that should ensure that the project is done timeously.
Mr Speaker, as of December 2016, for both the phase I and phase II in the secondary education improvement project that was sponsored by the World Bank, in these community day blocks, the total
number of schools that had been totally completed and handed over were 29 and some were at the advanced stages.
Between January 2017 and 2019, 21 more of such schools have been completed and handed over and the Government is paying for certificates that are due and honoured through IPCs.
Mr Alalzuuga 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, from the explanation the Hon Minister gave, he said that based on his assessment, some of the projects have been completed and others are yet to start, but I am particular about those that are on-going.
I would want to find out from him whether the Ministry has considered using part of the loans that were secured for the completion of projects to complete some of these projects.
Dr Prempeh 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, for emphasis, what my Hon Colleague said has been answered. I said part of the GETFund allocation would go towards the payment of IPCs. I am assuring him that if the certificates are processed, the part of the loan that this House approved would be used to pay for IPCs.
Mr Alalzuuga 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote paragraph three of the Answer provided by the Hon
Minister which says and I beg to quote 11 a.m.
‘'As per the availability of funds, the Ministry is prioritising the completion of these blocks on a need basis''.
Mr Speaker, I would want to know the criteria that would be used for the selection of the ‘'need basis''.
Dr Prempeh 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it would be
on the ‘'need basis''.
Mr Speaker 11 a.m.
Question starred 505.
Hon Member for Akatsi North?
Charging High Graduation fees
Q.505. Mr Peter Nortsu-Kotoe asked the Minister for Education what steps the Ministry was taking to stop public universities from charging high graduation fees on students.
Dr Prempeh 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, this is one of the Questions I found very difficult to answer. In order not to seem as if I am dodging the Question.
Mr Speaker, I do not know the intent of the questioner, but he said ‘'charging high graduation fees''. Graduation is the specific ceremony in universities and public tertiary institutions and I do not know the fees that are charged. In any case, if they should charge any fees, this House must approve of it, but that would be the direct answer to his Question.
Mr Speaker, I am not sure that is the intent of the Question he wants to ask. So if you could give him the chance to really ask the Question, but if it is about graduation fees, graduation is the ceremony when one completes a tertiary institution and he or she is honoured or awarded a degree or a class.
If the universities should charge, I do not know of any fees they charge and it should also be prior approved by this House as part of the Fees and Charges Act.
Mr Speaker, all public Universities have been informed that all fees and charges have to be vetted and approved by Parliament in accordance with the Fees and Charges Act.
Proposals were collated from the various public institutions and submitted through the Ministry of Finance to Parliament for the 2016/2017 academic year. Approval for the submitted proposals are still pending.
Mr Speaker, we exhausted the 2017/2018 academic year without receiving the necessary approval on the proposals submitted. Fees and Charges in public tertiary institutions remain frozen at 2016/ 2017 rates, until we secure approval from Parliament on the new rates.
Our only challenge is the delay in receiving approval.
Mr Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, I would want to get the Question clear. Is it for fees generally or fees one pays upon graduation for that day?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am talking about fees that one pays at the time that one is about to receive his or her certificate. When one is graduating and presented with his or her certificate, one is made to pay fees before the ceremony takes place.
Mr Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, can you give an example of that kind of graduation charge? It helps to get an answer.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 11 a.m.
Mr Speaker, that is what I talked about that, one is charged to pay a fee when he or she is going to graduate. The universities ask the graduands in a particular year to pay a fee for the programme. Over the years, the fees have been increased that is why I asked that Question.
Mr Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, is it a fee for the programme -- that is the programme of graduation?
Dr Prempeh 11:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the truth of the matter is that, I am not aware that there are specific graduation fees.
Fortunately, there are some Hon Members in the Chamber who are lecturers and I could see from the movements of their heads that graduation fees are not charged.
Mr Speaker, I know also for a fact that all over the world, when one is going to graduate, one goes to hire the gown and so on -- which I know, but the Hon Member should give me -- even if graduation fees are charged, it would vary depending on the institutions.
Mr Speaker, so, whatever fees that are charged, I still insist that if it is a public university this House must approve of it before it is charged.
Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister for the clarity.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 11:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is true that those fees are charged and one pays for the gown and registers for the graduation as the Hon Minister said. I know these are done at the public universities because I have ever paid for a graduation fee.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote the last paragraph of the Hon
Minister's Answer which says 11:10 a.m.
‘'Our only challenge is the delay in receiving approval''
Mr Speaker I would like to find out from the Hon Minister, who or which organisation is delaying the approval of fees for the public universities?
Dr Prempeh 11:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, before I answered the Hon Member's Question, I
did plead that his Question was about graduation and if that was his intent -- I answered it.
So if the Question was graduation specific, then this Answer provided in the Order Paper is not relevant. That is why I pleaded, because his Question was about graduation fees, and I have said here that I am unaware of any graduation fees.
Even if universities are going to charge graduation fees, Parliament should approve of such fees. I just said that and so the Answer provided here is not related to the graduation fees.
Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
The Answer postulated two scenarios, and for the sake of clarity, the Answer tried to address both scenarios.
Hon Member, any more question?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 11:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, my worry is that the Hon Minister is very much aware that Fees and Charges of the various public institutions are to be approved by this House and for two academic years now, nothing of that nature has come before this House as far as I can remember.
So I disagree with him if he says that the Answer here is different from what he should have answered. What I am asking now is, how soon is he going to bring the Fees and Charges before this House for approval?
Dr Prempeh 11:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, Parliament in its wisdom entrusted the Fees and Charges Act and its various amendments to the Hon Minister for Finance, and I think my Hon Colleague can put that question to the Minister for Finance when he is bringing the Fees and Charges Act, constituting all public institutions.

answer, he said it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance.

I woud want to find out from him; as the sector Minister, where this problem is happening, what steps is he taking to make sure that the Ministry of Finance presents this to the House for approval?
Dr Prempeh 11:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague who is a very good friend of mine should not draw me into other people's line of action.
Mr Speaker, when the Hon Member puts the Question, the Minister for Finance would tell him when he would bring the Fees and Charges Act.
Mr Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Very well.
Hon Minister for Education, thank you very much for attending to the House and answering our Questions.
Hon Members, item numbered 4 — Statements.
There is a Statement which stands in the name of Hon Annoh-Dompreh, the Hon Member for Nsawam-Adoagyiri Consti- tuency on the decentralisation of the Scholarship Secretariat.
STATEMENTS 11:10 a.m.
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP — Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 11:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to make this Statement in honour and appreciation of the President of the Republic of Ghana and the Scholarship Secretariat.
Mr Speaker, the Scholarship Secretariat as we all know, was established in 1960 as an extra ministerial body under the Office
of the President. Its main object was to administer and exercise central control over the award of scholarships for manpower development so as to ensure effective manpower support for the various national development pro- grammes.
The secretariat now has a mission to utilise Government funds, GETFund and donor support for the provision of scholarships to brilliant but needy students and qualified workers at a minimum cost for human resource development for the purpose of national growth and development.
The Secretariat issues five types of awards:
thesis grant for postgraduate students;
bursary grant for postgraduate students;
long course allowance for medical students;
disability allowance for physically challenged; and
hardship allowance for needy students.
Mr Speaker, for all this while, since 1960, the centralisation of the secretariat in Accra had virtually restricted access to the facility, especially to citizens who are not within or close to Accra, and that had been a great source of worry to myself and most Ghanaians.
Mr Speaker, the scholarship award is intended to provide financial support to brilliant but needy students whose parents/guardians are financially handicapped.
Manifestly, many financially handicapped parents reside in remote areas of our country with their brilliant but needy children.
Many of such people have never been to the nation's capital, and as such do not even know of the existence of any such secretariat with bursary support for them or even if they do, they are unfamiliar with the processes involved in procuring the application forms, let alone enjoying access.
Some simply do not have the money to travel to Accra for the forms. That means that by its location alone, we have failed to make the agency accessible to the very people it has been set up for.
Additionally, they are put at a disadvantage of competing with other needy students who are closer to Accra or have influential people in the nation's capital, following up on the application forms on their behalf.
Mr Speaker having taken keen interest in the situation since my school days, it had always been my wish to champion and advocate for the decentralisation of such an important institution to our regions and districts by extension.
Mr Speaker, I remember having read a Statement on this Floor in the 6th Parliament, calling for the decentralisation of the Secretariat.
It should certainly not be the case that by virtue of the location, some of our brilliant citizens' access to scholarship remains a dream. It is highly commendable that a positive action is made to bridge this gap arising from remoteness to the Scholarship Secretariat in the other regions of the country.
It is worthy of notice, that after a good engagement with your Committee on Education, an agreement reached has been that the Scholarship Secretariat should be decentralised, and to that end, meaningful efforts are under way.
Mr Speaker, this is a typical case of your referral being followed to its logical conclusion.
Mr Speaker, this House has a respon- sibility and oversight role to ensure that this good initiative sees the light of day and help in turning the fortunes of the educational sector of our dear country.
I must admit that I am particularly elated by the attention, prompt and positive response, that the President of the Republic, and the Scholarship Secretariat have given to this call and I want to say to Mr President that we are grateful.
Mr Speaker, having cited a letter from the Secretariat requesting all Regional Coordinating Councils to team up and collaborate with MMDCE's across Ghana to meet a team from the Secretariat to discuss the roadmap leading to the achievement of the decentralisation objective, this gives me much respite and hope. A boost to our decentralisation drive.
Mr Speaker, having said so, 1 would want to make a few calls again to the effect that this communication immediately be made available to our development partners, while the Scholarship Secretariat also considers and develops steps to make our scholarships more tailored toward our development programmes, such as One District, One factory, One Village, One Dam, et cetera, in the north.
We cannot continue on the old path of pursuing ‘mass scholarships' and we urgently need to veer off onto a new path
Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Members, let us have one Member to contribute from each Side and then we come to Leadership.
Yes, Hon Dr Okoe Boye?
Dr Bernard Okoe Boye (NPP -- Ledzokuku) 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I would like to commend the Hon Member who made the Statement for bringing to our attention, the operations of the Scholarship Secretariat, and making us appreciate the fact that decentralisation is very important.
Obviously, scholarships are very essential tools for transforming the lives of the beneficiaries and the communities that they come from.
Mr Speaker, most programmes of governments over the years have been in Accra, and if one finds himself outside Accra, more often than not, he or she happens to be at a disadvantage.
I am very happy that the Scholarship Secretariat has taken the concern of our Hon Colleague on board and has actually initiated moves to make sure that at all the districts, at least we have some kind of
Mr Sampson Ahi (NDC -- Bodi) 11:20 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement. I would also like to commend the Hon Member who made the Statement and to say that this is a very important matter that he has brought to the fore.
Mr Speaker, scholarship schemes are social interventions meant to support brilliant students who are struggling to finance their education.
Like the Hon Member who made the Statement said, how many of our students from the rural schools are even aware of the existence of the scholarship facilities that the Hon Member alluded to? That is the reason I support the call for the Scholarship Secretariat to decentralise access to the scheme.
Mr Speaker, if you look at the method employed by Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to provide scholarships to the wards of cocoa farmers, they have decentralised it.
So every year, cocoa farmers are aware of the dates and time officials of COCOBOD would be in a particular district and at a particular venue to distribute scholarship forms to wards of farmers.
So if the Scholarship Secretariat would adopt the same strategy, it would go a long way to enable a lot of students who are very brilliant but needy to have access to this important intervention by Government.
Mr Speaker, I believe the Hon Member who made the Statement also stated that the Scholarship Secretariat has started putting measures in place to ensure that they decentralise the distribution and access to the forms. I would just want to add that we as representatives of the people, are also actors in education in this country.
So our offices can be considered because when we have access to the forms, we can distribute same to our constituents, so that we can give meaning to the actual decentralisation of the distribution of the forms.
Mr Speaker, I hope that the Scholarship Secretariat would hear about this important Statement and take on board the
Mr Sampson Ahi (NDC -- Bodi) 11:20 a.m.


important recommendations by the Hon Member who made the Statement, so that going forward, Ghanaian students who are brilliant but needy and are not aware of the existence of this important social intervention, will have access to the forms and apply so that they can also benefit from that intervention.

Mr Speaker, I would want to thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Leadership, I would now take your comments.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC-- Banda) 11:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I would just want to make few comments on the Statement but I cannot do that without thanking the Hon Member for bringing this issue to our attention.
The importance of the Scholarship Secretariat and the role it has played in shaping the national direction cannot be overemphasised.
I believe the institution of the Scholarship Secretariat was to focus national direction in certain specific fields of discipline: whether we wanted more people in mathematics, science, technology and all other areas, in which case awarding scholarship to those areas might have attracted a lot of people in that direction.
Mr Speaker, I believe that if we want to train more scientists, engineers or direct the national attention to a certain area that we want and to attract a lot of students to focus their attention in that area, more
emphasis must be placed on the area of scholarship.
I believe that is the more reason the Hon Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation is awarding more scholarships to those who pursue courses in the area of science and mathematics.
Mr Speaker, but if we want to talk about decentralising the Scholarship Secretariat, it might not only be enough. I think proper attention must be given to the District Directors of Education. In every district, chiefs and opinion leaders know people who are needy and brilliant in those areas.
Whether decentralised or not, if information is sent out there and the criteria for awarding scholarships is publicised for everybody to know --
I believe the Hon Member who made the Statement emphasised that even information on the criteria is sometimes not known to or does not get to those who may need them.
Now that we are in an era where there is radio and television everywhere, if we use the broadcast media to publicise the criteria for awarding scholarships, the era where people have to fill certain forms to be able to qualify would be over and those who need them would know.
Mr Speaker, if chiefs and opinion leaders are made aware that if one performs well in this area, a scholarship would be awarded, they would bring to the attention of those who qualify at the time to fill the forms among other things.
Mr Speaker, in that case, the scholarship would trickle down to those who really need it.
With these few comments, I would want to thank the Hon Member who made the Statement and thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Any comments from the Majority Leadership? [Pause]
There is another Statement on the 12th World Radio Day on Promotion of Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace on World Radio Day.
Hon George Andah?
Twelfth World Radio Day on Promotion of Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace
Deputy Minister for Communication (Mr George N. K. Andah): I thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, it is with joy that I stand before this Honourable House to join the entire UN system and partners around the world to celebrate the 12th World Radio Day with the theme: Promotion of Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace on World Radio Day.
The significant impact of radio is centered in the communication and information sphere in the country at large since its invention.
In celebrating world radio day, it is fundamental to see radio as a platform to promote effective dialogue and to improve civic participation in developmental and socio-economic discourse. Undoubtedly, the influence of radio communication on the development of any nation far outweighs the comparative advantage other media have to their deposits.
As Ghana joins many other nations around the world to commemorate a day
as World Radio Day, our focus and core goal as a people ought to be creating wholesome radio content that will better place our political, economic and cultural twines, while heightening public participation on issues of national interest.
Today, we are fortunate to have our democratic indulgence offer us freedom of speech, freedom of expression and other associated rights. These rights place an enormous responsibility on us all to safeguard and protect them. This can only be possible with the help of radio and the media at large.
There have been countries that have been set ablaze through the activities of radio networks and journalists.
In as much as we are all responsible for our public utterances in the name of freedom of speech, we have a lot to lose if this wonderful mode of communication is not properly controlled to avert what has now become an albatross on the neck of our nation.
Today, it is no news to hear someone say that the first place to hear insults and defamatory language is on radio. This has caused many to lose trust in the operations of some radio networks. The growing age will tend to listen to a playlist on their mobile devices than to listen to the radio.
I ask myself this question; what then does the future look like for radio?
Mr Speaker, the theme before us today is “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace”. I believe this discourse is one in the right direction since the absence of the above keywords in the operation of radio and its media activities has caused huge harm in some countries.
Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Deputy Minister, for this Statement.
May we have one contribution from each Side?
rose
Mr Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Ras Mubarak (NDC--Kumbungu) 11:30 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am very grateful for the --
Mr Speaker 11:40 a.m.
No, I do not mean you.
Mr Suhuyini A. Sayibu (NDC-- Tamale North) 11:40 a.m.
I thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute some few words to the Statement that has been ably made by my Colleague, Hon George Andah to mark the World Radio Day.
Mr Speaker, I associate myself with the entire Statement without more. However, I would wish to also state that it is important as we celebrate this day, we remind ourselves as a nation, that we are not completely insulated from issues that remain threatening to the expansions of media freedoms across the world, and especially in this country.
Mr Speaker, it is important that we remember how far we have come and the sacrifices that have been made to expand the media platforms for us to use in contributing to the growth of our democracy. It is important that we are reminded by the excesses and work assiduously to check those excesses.
Mr Speaker, in my view, some of the threats that remain and must be confronted include what I would call ‘familiar censorship'.
These occur in the forms of corporate bodies that either decide to set up media houses, and because of the familiar considerations they may have with these media houses, it becomes difficult for those media houses to focus on what they might be doing in the society which is unpalatable.
Mr Speaker, again, as a result of the familiarity between people in authority and some of these media houses, it becomes difficult for these media houses
Mr Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon Member, thank you very much for your brilliant contribution.
Mr Alexander Kodwo Kom Abban (NP -- Gomoa West) 11:40 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make brief comments on the Statement ably made by My Hon Friend from Awutu Senya West Constituency.
Mr Speaker, our Constitution grants freedom of expression and I believe that article 21(1) does that and a whole chapter has also been devoted to make sure that we do not have the media gagged or strangled in any way.
Mr Speaker, this has been provided in article 162(1) and with your permission it reads: “Freedom and independence of the media are hereby guaranteed.”
Mr Speaker, but the little knowledge I have about the media is that the media is for education, information and entertainment, but we know that if anybody wants to educate, then that

person must have in his/her command some level of knowledge which the other people do not have before the person would impart knowledge.

Mr Speaker, but we have to ask ourselves the kind of people who are trained and microphones are given to.

Sometimes a lot of misinformation is churned out through radio so I believe that as we celebrate World Radio Day, we should also look at the quality of people who we give the consul to, because sometimes when we listen to the radio, we ask whether the person speaking really has command over what he wants to put across.

Mr Speaker, the other issue is information and I believe that one of the things that the media must guard against is the haste to bring out information when they have not verified the truth or otherwise of the information because it is some of these misinformation that led to the genocide in Rwanda.

Mr Speaker, the last issue is on entertainment and it appears that entertainment even takes sway more than the other two. Unfortunately, sometimes the time that some of these entertainment programmes are carried out are not healthy for our children.

Mr Speaker, I think the National Media Commission should take this as a day to educate the people within the media because sometimes programmes that are specifically for adults are being shown at a time when children are not asleep.

Mr Speaker, we should look into the contents that are aired on radio. With this, I believe that religious bodies and political

parties should be very wary of the people they put on these radio stations.

Mr Speaker, sometimes when you listen to a radio station, you would realise that the people sitting on the radio are just raining insults on one political party or the other.

I believe that a time has come for us to tone down on some of these things because tensions created by people who make unguarded statements could lead to some kind of explosions.

Mr Speaker, I want to commend the Hon Member who made the Statement and I thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon Member, thank you very much.
Leadership?
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 11:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, could I yield to Hon Ras Mubarak?
Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Ras Mubarak (NDC -- Kumbungu) 11:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am very grateful for the opportunity to comment on this particular interesting Statement made by my Colleague, the Hon Deputy Minister for Communications.
Indeed, radio is a tool for entertainment, education, and certainly, a tool for information. However, there are new threats to the use of radio in many democracies. As my Hon Colleague indicated in his Statement, we have had situations where radio has threatened the democracy of other countries.
Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Majority Leadership, any contribution?
Mr Matthew Nyindam 11:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we have yielded to Hon Member for Bantama.
Mr Matthew Nyindam 11:50 a.m.


Bantama): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity. I would like to associate myself with the Statement that has been ably made and to just make a brief comment on the fact that radio gets results, and indeed, it does.

Mr Speaker, the freedoms we have; freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the rest of our freedoms cannot be attained without radio. Radio encourages participation in discussions that goes on in the country.

People get to know what we are doing as a people, governments and even the opposition. It is important that we celebrate what we get from this bigger platform.

We have to be grateful for this platform and to all those stakeholders who are involved; the media men and governments that open it up. I remember those days when we were kids, we used to have only one Ghana Broadcasting Corporation -- GBC One and GBC Two.

Today, we have many radio stations that get information to people. So we have to be grateful for the various governments that supported this initiative, including politicians.

Mr Speaker, today, Ghanaians have developed inelastic demand for radio programmes, especially political pro- grammes because they end up educating people, except that sometimes this platform is abused to the point that people do not want to even listen to these platforms, because some of the words that are used in attempt to either express a political idea or get certain things done.

Mr Speaker, we also have to be grateful to listeners because without them radio would not go that far. As much as we

celebrate, we have to be responsible in using this platform to get whatever result we are looking for, either to entertain, inform or to educate.

We as politicians, have to be careful of the kind of words we use in making sure that we get our points or policies across to the extent that if we are going by the theme that is celebrated on the 12th World Day for Radio, it is so clear that we are talking about dialogue, tolerance and peace.

In our attempt to get results from radio or to use this platform to achieve whatever we have to, we should be mindful to use this to better our development efforts.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Members, this brings us to the end of Statements time.
At the commencement of Public Business -- Item listed 5.
PAPERS 11:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:50 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if I may take us to item numbered 12.
Mr Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, what do you have to share with us?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noon
Mr Speaker, there has been a long standing proposed amendment in the name of Hon Frederick Opare-Ansah, which has been hanging for quite a while.
We would like to bring this matter to a closure so that we finish with the Conside- ration of the Right to Information Bill,
2018.
So Mr Speaker, the --
Mr Speaker noon
Hon Majority Leader, I do not really know your pleasure. What do we do with item numbered 12?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noon
Mr Speaker, I am saying that we should deal with item numbered 12, that is the Consideration of the Right to Information Bill, 2018. There is just one proposed amendment that is holding the conclusion of the Consideration, and we intend to deal with it quickly and bring the matter to a closure.
It is not going to take five minutes. We would finish with it and then move on, so that we bring the Consideration of the Right to Information Bill, 2018 to a closure.
That is the application I am submitting to you so that we deal with the item numbered 12, and then we move to other things.
Mr Speaker noon
Very well, Right to Information Bill, 2018, at the Consideration stage.
BILLS -- CONSIDERATION STAGE noon
  • [Continuation of Debate from 12/02/ 19]
    • Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on behalf of Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah) noon
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, new clause, add the following new clause:
    “Transitional Provision
    The provisions of section 18 and other consequential sections shall come into force 12 months from the date on which this Act is assented to by the President”.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the import of what our Hon Colleague wants to send out there is that the provisions of section 18 and other sections should come into force 12 months after the President has assented to it.
    Why 12 months after the President has assented to it? We are already in February. Let us assume that we bring this matter to a closure and the President assents to it, perhaps, at the end of February, then we are saying that it comes into operation, perhaps, in March next year. Why March next year?
    The fact of the matter is that the Right to Information Bill comes with a huge financial outline. It is the reason in some jurisdictions like Canada -- When Canada passed the Act, it took them five years to operate the Act. When Australia did, they gave themselves two years to start the operation of the Bill.
    Mr Speaker, recognisably, this year's Budget does not make any provision for the implementation of the Act if Parliament passes it and the President assents to it, and we all know that it comes with huge financial implications.
    So what we could do would be for us to say that the Act shall come into effect in the 2020 financial year. We in Ghana are used to having Supplementary Estimates,
    Mr Speaker noon
    Hon Majority Leader, shall we get the rendition very clearly?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I said in the 2020 financial year -- I am further indicating that --
    Mr Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, shall we please get the rendition clearly, and then you can comment?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the rendition would be; “This Act shall come into effect in the 2020 financial year”.
    We could say the next succeeding financial year, but I think being specific would be good.
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I remember very well the why you asked that this Bill be deferred, and I was going to ask whether the statement made by the Hon Majority Leader is the Government's position.
    I know that he leads Government business in the House, but as he may be aware, this is a major policy decision, and it is best if it comes as a Government decision. Being the Majority Leader and the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, I just want him to state that this is the Government's decision.
    Mr Speaker, whereas I agree that provision for the implementation of this Bill has not been made in the 2019 Budget Statement, I equally believe, in my discussion with him earlier, that there is a Contingency Fund. There would be a Supplementary Budget this year.
    In fact, this is the first time we are doing this for a Bill, because most Bills that come to this House truly come with some financial implications, but we have never adverted our minds to the implementation of those Acts and its financial implications.
    Mr Speaker, the one that comes to mind readily is the Disability Act, where this House gave 10 years for the imple- mentation to start. Yet, all of us went to sleep and when the 10 years got matured, the structures -- Government structures had not even been corrected.

    Well, it has taken this House over a decade at least. Since I came to this House, the Right to Information Bill had been laid and then it elapsed at the end of the four years and then it gets laid again. So at least, for the past two or three Parliaments, we have struggled to pass the RTI Bill

    Mr Speaker, I do not want an impression to be created that this House did not intend to pass this Bill and now that it has got to the end, we have tried to give a caveat. If it is a Government policy, obviously, Government is supposed to implement all decisions that are here and if it is --
    rose
    Mr Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Hon First Deputy Speaker?
    Mr Osei-Owusu 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Chief Whip is misleading the House and the record must be corrected. The Bill before us is Right to Information Bill, 2018. It is true that there was a Bill put before us in 2010 that elapsed.
    Another Bill was put before the House in 2013 and that also elapsed. The Bill we
    are considering, which we have almost concluded, is less than one (1) year old in this House and the record should reflect the true picture.
    Mr Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Hon Members, the chronology of events is very important here because this Honourable House has shown that it is most willing to work on this matter.
    Therefore no one can say that this Bill has delayed and that there is a difficulty. Both the House and Government have brought the Bill and worked on it.
    So let us be careful not to incite general terms as rather to create a difficulty. As much as Government is anxious to have the Bill passed, it is also entitled to examine certain practicalities and the House is entitled to look at them and then come to a decision thereon.
    But at least, it shows that there is a serious political will to pass this law, and for that matter, all other problems too would be looked at, whether it would take effect in a futuristic manner. No matter what that date will come, so it is not like, we must try to imply anything at this stage.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon First Deputy Speaker is right. When it comes to this very Bill, it was laid in March 2018, but as all of us are aware, this country has tried to get this Bill through this Parliament for a very long period of time. It is just to state that we have struggled to pass this Bill.
    Mr Speaker, as I said, I remember very well the day you made your ruling. It was that we should get a written consent from the Attorney-General.
    I am happy to hear from the Hon Majority Leader that this is Government decision. Obviously, we cannot challenge that because they have to implement it.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am in support of the Hon Majority Leader's further amendment to the new clause,but my only concern is with the specificity that the Act shall come into effect in 2020. My worry is, what if the President does not assent to the Bill before 2020? [Interruption.]
    Some Hon Members 12:10 p.m.
    Then it does not become law.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 12:10 p.m.
    So I would rather we further amend it for it to say that it shall come into effect, say, nine months after the President assents to the Bill, but to say in 2020 when the President himself might not have assented to the Bill -- We should not tie the President's hand.
    In any event, if after the seven days -- [Interruption.] The President might decide that this Bill be sent to Parliament and that he would not assent to it.
    So that 2020 provision -- And when it comes back to the House, we need two- thirds of the majority to say that --
    [Interruption.] -- For the information of the Hon Majority Leader, you might not have the two-thirds majority when the Bill comes back to the House.
    So let us not tie the President's hands and say that this Bill should come into effect in 2020. We cannot think for the President. He might say that this Bill is not well crafted and thus he would not assent to it.
    So Mr Speaker, let us give a time frame after the Bill has been assented to and not to say that it shall come into effect in
    2020.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 12:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we were all worried that having spent so much time and energy -- Under your promptings, the first two days of Parliament were devoted to completing the Consideration Stage of this Bill.
    I remember the Hon First Deputy Speaker said that they had been given express instructions by you to have the matter concluded. Mr Speaker, we thought that the matter would have been concluded.
    Mr Speaker, I have discussions with the Hon Majority Leader. I appear to understand the rationale. Indeed, he has invited us back to our responsibilities as Parliament, that when Bills are brought to this House by the Executive, we must know the financial outlay that would go with them.
    Mr Speaker, I also agree with your ruling that this being a major policy decision, we ought to have heard from the Hon Attorney-General.
    When I saw the Hon Deputy Attorney- General in the House, I thought that he had come with the information but obviously, the Hon Majority Leader is
    right and he is the Leader of Government Business in this House. So we take it that that is Government's position.
    Mr Speaker, article 106(11) of the Constitution uses words that we can import for the operation of the Act. It says:
    “Without prejudice to the power of Parliament to postpone the operation of a law, a bill shall not become law until it has been duly passed and assented to in accor- dance with the provisions of this Constitution and shall not come into force unless it has been published in the Gazette……..”
    Mr Speaker, that phrase 12:20 p.m.
    “… it shall not come into force…” is what I am interested in.
    So I thought that his amendment should be “This Act shall not come into force or into effect…” or we put it in the positive so that it reads: “This Act shall come into force on the first day of January, 2020” or “… the beginning of the next financial year”, which is 1st January. Mr Speaker, or “… at the beginning of the next financial year.”
    Mr Speaker, we are suggesting this amendment because it puts clarity and certainty to when the law would come into force. Certainty and predictability is part of the elements of the rule of law.
    It can also go a long way to assuage the apprehensions of the media who might be thinking that we have passed a law and taken away its effect.
    But we are saying that because we need to put certain structures in place, we
    need to defer and assure them that at the beginning of the next financial year, it would come into force.
    Mr Speaker, to answer my good friend, the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee, when we finish our work as Parliament and pass the Bill by a Resolution, the President's power to assent is limited to the time given to him by the Constitution. Even if he fails to assent, he has to go through the processes under the Constitution.
    Mr Speaker, he is my good friend so I would not read it to him.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would make my point in spite of all the hecklings.
    Mr Speaker, there are some hecklings. Chairs are turning and there is a deliberate heckling from the front bench but I would make my point.
    Mr Speaker, the invitation --
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Would you like to consult before making your point?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that consultation has been made. [Laughter.] And there is still some disagreement but the Hansard must capture my views for the benefit of my Hon Colleagues.
    Mr Speaker, Parliament is at the Consideration Stage of this Bill. We can get to a Second Consideration Stage before the Third Reading.
    This Bill was introduced on the 23rd of March, 2018. Today is the 13th day of February, 2019. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:20 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, why is there an impression that at all cost we are going to complete the process before 2020?

    Mr Speaker, that assumption is on a very wrong premise.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, Parliament is a House of records. This Bill did not come to this House on the 23rd of March -- [Laughter.]
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker --
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are out of order.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would plead with my Hon Colleagues, in spite of the strong opinions that they may have, not to pollute this House with factual inexactitude -- [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Order!
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this Bill came into this House more than 14 days after the 23rd of March, 2018. My Hon Colleague is totally wrong and he cannot be allowed to continue to pollute the House with factual inexactitude.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank the Hon Majority Leader for the correction. I meant to say that the Bill was gazetted on the 23rd of March.
    Be that as it may, he has corrected me that I should have stated when it was introduced but my reference was in respect of when it was gazetted. So Mr Speaker, that correction has been made.
    Mr Speaker, my point here is that it would be wrong to presume when we are going to complete the process and to even legislate that this must come into force in
    2020.
    Mr Speaker, what if the Second Consideration takes us beyond 2019? Amendment upon amendments are being proposed.
    So Mr Speaker, let us tread cautiously. It would be improper to presume --
    rose
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am
    being heckled.
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Fuseini, I recognise you.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, amend- ment upon amendments are not being proposed. And every Bill has a gestation period in this House. So if within the lifespan of a Parliament, a Bill is not passed even though it is laid in this House, it lapses and dies naturally. So to think that a Bill can be in this House in perpetuity is to mislead the House.
    Mr Speaker, I thought that the Hon Member would take a cue from his Leader and not challenge his Leader and resume his seat so that we could make progress.
    The premise on which the Hon Member is operating is of course not applicable, considering the fact that a Bill in Parliament can be rendered otiose by sheer effluxion of time, and for that matter, we are right in fixing certain dates to ensure certainty of operation.
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, I think you are in a position now to give us the final rendition of what exactly you want it to be.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if we should employ the words of the Constitution and agree with my Colleague, Hon Inusah Fuseini, when he related to the use of the word “force” -- Indeed, that is what I even have here. I corrected the word “effect, “into force”. So it reads:
    “This Act shall come into force at the beginning of the next financial year”.
    Mr Speaker, I do not know if we can even say “the next succeeding financial year.” That again is the language of the Constitution for emphasis: “It shall come into force at the beginning of the next succeeding financial year”.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    We are now only on construction. This is because we agree.
    Hon Minority Chief Whip, are we ad idem on this?
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:30 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. I think the rendition is all right. So we expect you to put the Question.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    What would then follow? It says, “This Act shall come into force…” It is a matter of rendition and I would want both Sides to fully agree on the rendition.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader, I want absolute clarity on the rendition, so that we decide on that.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I said it should be: “this Act shall come into force at the beginning of the next succeeding financial year.” This is for emphasis.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    So it should be captured as “at the beginning of the next financial year”.
    Hon Darfour, you are disturbing the Hon Majority Leader.
    Hon Members, so, it is captured as “it shall come into”. We would want to be very clear as we are --
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:30 p.m.
    It says: “This Act shall come into force at the beginning of the next financial year.”
    Mr Speaker, I said that we could add the word 12:30 p.m.
    “succeeding,” because that is the language of the Constitution. So we could say; … ‘‘at the next succeeding financial year”. The import is the same anyway, but it is for emphasis, when we add the word “succeeding”.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    So it would be captured as “this Act shall come into force at the beginning of the next financial year.” I would put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    The new clause as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have dealt with only the clause, but the headnote has been affected as well. Instead of “transitional provisions”, the headnote would change to “commence- ment”. So before you put the Question on the general provision, we would have to amend the headnote as well.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    I thought that in moving the amendment, he changed the headnote.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with him. Indeed, I said so at the very outset that the “transitional provisions” should now read as “commencement”; and then I came to the body of the provisions. So I thought that we should take it for granted, but for the purposes of

    emphasis, we could say that the headnote now should read “Commencement” instead of the “transitional provisions”. I already made that point.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Members, the Long Title.
    The Long Title ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr Banda 12:30 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that this is almost the end of the road because we are yet to go through the Third Reading.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Member, let us limit ourselves to the Consideration Stage. Do you have anything else?
    Mr Banda 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, for now, there is nothing to be considered.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Very well, thank you very much.
    Mr Banda 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, however, certain proposed amendments have been brought to the Committee to be considered, and the Committee is yet to meet this afternoon to consider same. So if the need arises, there would be the possibility of taking this Bill through a Second Consideration Stage.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Members, for now, that brings us to the end of the Consideration Stage. If there is any Second Consideration, we may want to consider it at the appropriate time, and in the appropriate manner.
    Thank you very much.
    Hon Members, the Hon First Deputy Speaker would take the Chair.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are standing down item numbered 6, and we would deal instead with item numbered 7.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Members, item listed 7 -- Motion.
    Hon Members, the Hon First Deputy Speaker would take the Chair.
    Hon Members, item listed 7. It is a procedural Motion.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80(1) which requires that no Motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the Motion is given and the date on which the Motion is moved, the Motion for the adoption of the Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the Suppliers Credit Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Agriculture) and Knights A.S. of the Czech Republic for an amount of ten million euros (€10,000,000.00) for the Supply of three hundred (300) sets of GLOBAL multipurpose mini tractors and two hundred and twenty (220) compact tractors, including active and passive accessories and spare parts for distribution to small and medium scale farmers in Ghana may be moved today.
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC - Bia East) 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    Mr Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, you may move the substantive Motion listed as 8.
    MOTIONS 12:30 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the Suppliers Credit Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Knights A.S. of the Czech Republic for an amount of ten million euros (€10,000,000.00) for the supply of three hundred (300) sets of GLOBAL multipurpose mini tractors and two hundred and twenty (220) compact tractors, including active and passive accessories and spare parts for distribution to small and medium scale farmers in Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, in so doing, I would present the Report of the joint Committee for finance and Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs.
    Introduction
    The request for approval of the Supplier's Credit Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana Food and Agriculture) and Knights A. S. of the Czech Republic for an amount of ten million euros (€10,000,000.00) for the supply of three hundred (300) sets of Global, multipurpose mini tractors and two hundred and twenty (220) compact tractors, including active and passive accessories and spare parts for distribution to small and medium scale farmers in Ghana was presented to the House on Monday, 10th December, 2018 in accordance with article 181 of the 1992 Constitution.
    Mr Speaker referred the Agreement to the Joint Committee on Finance and Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs for consideration and report in accordance with Orders 169 and 176 of the Standing Orders of the House.
    The Committee was assisted in its deliberations by a Deputy Minister for Finance, Mrs Abena Osei Asare, a Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Hon Dr Sagre Bambangi and officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture.
    The Joint Committee is grateful to the Deputy Ministers and officials for attending upon it to assist in the deliberations.
    Reference
    The Joint Committee referred to the following documents in its deliberations:
    The 1992 Constitution of Ghana;
    The Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921); and
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 12:30 p.m.
    Observations
    Rationale for the project The Joint Committee observed that the
    agricultural machinery and equipment that would be supplied would be used to support small holder and medium scale farmers throughout the country. The tractors would be used mainly to support the production of food crops such as maize, rice, cassava, vegetables and soya.
    The project would also contribute to the success of Government's flagship programmes including the “Planting for Food and Jobs”.
    Value for Money (VfM) Audit
    In response to whether VfM audit has been undertaken, the Ministry stated that it has not been done as yet.
    The Joint Committee was informed that since the project is a sole-sourcing one,
    conducting a VfM audit is a requirement under the Public Procurement Act of 2003 (Act 663) and also a condition precedent for the disbursement of the loan.
    The Committee was assured that the VfM audit would be done before any of the processes under the project is initiated to ensure smooth implementation of the project. Items to be procured under the project
    The Joint Committee noted that under the project, 300 CABRIO compact tractors and Global multipurpose mini tractors (Global System) would be supplied. Attached as APPENDIX I is the proforma invoice.
    Suitability of the Tractors
    The Joint Committee was made aware that the tractors to be procured under the project are suitable for the Ghanaian climate.

    The Ministry explained that some of the farm lands in the country have shallow top soils. Therefore, undertaking deep ploughing with heavy duty tractors buries the top soils deeper and this leads to loss of valuable soil nutrients to plants.

    The CABRIO compact tractors are designed and conditioned to work on these types of lands as well as muddy fields due to its gross weight, size and surface area of the tyres. They also have a power take-off-shaft and two point linkages for attachment of accessories both at the front and rear.

    These features give the CABRIO compact tractors an advantage over similar compact tractors in the system. They are also very appropriate for land preparation in areas with shallow subsoils.

    The Committee was informed that the CABRIO compact tractors would be used by medium scale farmers while the Global system is a hand held machinery meant for small scale farmers.

    Status of Sale/Distribution of compact tractors imported from Czech Republic between 2008 and 2013

    In response to whether the three hundred and sixty-five (365) compact tractors imported from the Czcch Republic under a similar facility between 2008 and 2013 have been sold and released to farmers, the Ministry responded in the affirmative.

    The Ministry further informed the Joint Committee that the tractors were procured in three (3) tranches and all of them have been sold and distributed to farmers. Attached as APPENDIX II is the Ministry's written response on the stock balance of the tractors imported between 2008 and 2013.

    Availability of spare parts and after-sales service

    The Joint Committee observed that a major constraint that faced farmers who procured the tractors was the unavailability of parts and after-sales services.

    The Ministry agreed with the Committee and stated that in order to address this concern and ensure adequate supply of parts, the project includes the procurement of active and passive accessories and spare parts for distribution and servicing of the tractors.

    Further, the supplier would also train ten (10) MoFA technicians and ten (10) private mechanics in the Czech Republic on the operations and maintenance of the tractors. In addition, the dealer for the CABRIO compact tractors has a local agent, BIGA International Limited, incorporated in Ghana to take care of all after sales services.

    The Joint Committee further urged the Ministry of Agriculture to educate farmers on the peculiarity of the tractors and the need to undertake regular maintenance if the tractors are to serve the purpose for which they were procured.

    Tax Waiver

    The Joint Committee noted that as part of the conditions for the disbursement of the loan, all goods to be procured under the agreement is to be exempted from the payment of duties and taxes.

    The Ministry informed the Joint Committee that a request for the waiver of taxes and duties would be presented to the House for consideration at a later date.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 12:30 p.m.
    SPACE FOR APPENDIX II - 12:30 P.M. PAGE 14 SPACE FOR APPENDIX - 12:30 P.M. PAGE 15

    SPACE FOR APPENDIX I - 12:30 P.M. PAGE 16
    12:42-MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr John Jinapor (NDC-Yapei Kusawgu) 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Motion.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Member, while you were away, the rule was that everybody should speak from their place.
    Mr Jinapor 12:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, having legitimately assumed my rightful position as so directed by your very goodself, in contributing, I would like to support the indefatigable and hard-working Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee. [Interruption.]--
    Mr Speaker, I was looking at the Medium Term Expenditure framework for 2018 to 2021 and at the Report from the Ministry of Agriculture in terms of the statistical records.
    Mr Speaker, while we agree that we ought to improve because agriculture employs about 45 per cent of the labour of this country, if we look at the Report, the number of tractors we have been importing into this country, I think we have to take a second look at this whole process of bringing in tractors.
    In 2008 alone, we brought in five hundred tractors and I have done a trend analysis. On the average, we import more than two hundred and twenty (220) tractors into this country annually.
    In fact, when we look at the medium term expenditure framework, in 2017, we imported 220 tractors; in 2018, we imported 200 tractors. And this flows through.
    Mr Speaker, as a House, I think we should be asking ourselves what we are
    benefiting from all these tractors? Then when we go to look at annual yields from 2002 to 2010 in terms of acreages and output, we are not doing that good.
    So why do we sink so much money into importing the equipment, yet we do not see the corresponding effect in terms of, one, the production volumes, and two, the import volumes.
    In some years that we even imported more of these pieces of equipment and farm tractors and stuff like that, we had corresponding increase in importation of rice, poultry and some other produce.
    So I think that we ought to take a critical look at these issues and ensure that when we spend money in some of these sectors in terms of these tractors, farm implements, equipment and all that, there ought to be a corresponding effect in terms of the output so that we do not keep pushing money into some of these areas.
    Mr Speaker, it is a worry to me and I thought that I should single out this very issue for us to look at it so that we could take a second look because we might bring in the best of equipment, if they are not well utilised; if we do not have a value chain in terms of managing post-harvest losses in terms of giving high-yielding disease-resistant crops and all the other issues are the agronomics practices that go with the entire value chain of the whole agricultural sector, we might find out that we are pushing so much money into importing these pieces of equipment; tractors, combined harvesters and all that.
    Mr Speaker, if we go to the northern sector, some of these machines break down from one year to two years, they are broken down. Some of them are just not good for the terrain.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Member for Akim Oda?
    Mr William Agyapong Quaittoo (NPP -- Akim Oda) 12:30 p.m.
    Thank you Mr Speaker. I stood up to attract your attention and question the Hon member who just made a contribution, where he got his figures from, that averagely, we import about 200 tractors annually. I do not think this is a fact; I doubt it so if he could prove the source to us. Two hundred tractors annually?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
    Hon Member, are you contributing to the debate because he is no longer on his feet? If you have a contrary fact, please put it out in your debate.
    Mr Quaittoo 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the sheet I have here indicates that in 2008, about 120 tractors were imported into the country. In 2012, there were about 145 tractors, and then, in 2013, about 100 came in.
    Usually, if we look at the loans that we contract to bring in the pieces of equipment, the equipment do not come at a go. As and when the loans are contracted, the suppliers bring in the equipment given a certain time frame. In the Ministry when we look at the records
    of tractors and other equipment that have come in the last ten years, it does not conform to the statement that the Hon Member made. Even though I do not have the exact figures, the figure that he is quoting is too alarming. I do not think we have those figures. Two hundred tractors annually over the last ten years would mean that we have almost over 2000 tractors.
    And in the last four years when we were on the other Side, I kept posing a question; how many mechanisation centres do we have; how many tractors were there? And the Minister for Agriculture at the time could not supply this information but I went to the Agriculture Mechanisation Centre myself and found out that the total number of mechanisation centres in the country operating at that time were about eighty-six.

    In this House, it kept appearing in our Budget and other documents that we had over 100 mechanisation centres. Averagely, if you pick the number of tractors that have been supplied to them, we were getting less than 1000. So the statement that he made, indicating that we have imported about 2000 tractors is not correct.

    Mr Speaker, contributing to the Report, I would want to add my voice in urging Hon Members to support the Motion on the Floor. If we look at this Report, it indicates that we would bring in about 300 sets of global multipurpose mini tractors. They are not just the ordinary big tractors that the ordinary farmer cannot buy. These are very small tractors that could be used by hand and small-scale farmers could buy them.

    We are looking at enhancing the implementation of Planting for Food and

    Jobs and one of its set-backs, apart from the supply of seeds and fertilizers, is land preparation and expansion and increase in productivity per hectare. These equipment are very important in achieving these objectives.

    Again, if we look at the prices that the supplier has quoted here, compared to the prices on the international market, I believe these prices are very competitive and good. That is probably why we have sole- sourcing being undertaken.

    Mr Speaker, that notwithstanding, we would still want to have a value for money audit done. The Report indicates that the value for money audit was not done. I believe that would be done to make this Report very convincing.

    Looking at the total number of tractors that were imported in the last contract or loan that we took, one would realise that almost every tractor had been sold. They were sold to very big farmers and it is in the air that most of these tractors are spoilt.

    That is not the situation, the situation is that most of the tractors are not being serviced well by those who purchased them. In this country, we have an agent for these tractors.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Member hold on.
    Yes, Hon Member for Yapei kusawgu?
    Mr Jinapor 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague asked for figures and you ruled that if he did not have the figures he should provide them. With your permission --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Member, I said if he had an alternative, he should -- but wait, let him finish before you go back. I would give you the opportunity.
    Mr Quaittoo 12:50 p.m.
    As we speak, if we go to the mechanisation centre of the Ministry of Agriculture, there is not a single tractor available. Every tractor that was imported into the country has been sold out.
    We do not have any accessories over there now and everything has been sold out. Yet, we keep expanding based on Planting for Food and Jobs project.
    Farmers need these equipment for their farms. We are particularly interested in the expansion of productivity per unit area and not the expansion of the land size that the farmers use.
    Mr Speaker, with the terms of the loan, I think that we cannot get anything better than this. It has zero per cent interest rate, four years for repayment and management fees and commitment fees are at zero per cent. There can be nothing better than this. With these few words, I urge all Hon Members to support the Motion on the Floor.
    Mr Eric Opoku (NDC -- Asunafo North) 12:50 p.m.
    Thank you very much Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to associate myself with the Motion on the Floor of the House.
    My first point has to do with the financing terms. We are told by the Report that insurance cover is at the expense of the supplier. But when we go to Appendix 1, the attached proforma invoice, item numbered 11, insurance is €40,000 but on the next page it is €10,000.
    This adds up to make the total €10 million facility that we are taking. So I am a bit confused as to how that €50,000 is
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation?
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is important that when we meet at Committee, Hon Members show up -- [Laughter] -- so that they would get access to information.
    He is the Hon Ranking Member for the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs.
    One of his own Colleagues -- I would not mention her name -- testified to the fact that these are some of the best tractors in the world. If you look at the list of people who bought them -- I do not want to say his name is on the list -- but there are a lot of Members of Parliament(MPs) who bought some. They all testify that this is one of the best machines that have been brought.
    Mr Speaker, four years ago, it cost €16,000. Even if inflation was at one per cent, where would we be? All this information was volunteered at the Committee. As the Hon Ranking Member, he refused to attend, now, he has come here -- He refused.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Member, your point is well made.
    Hon Ranking Member, probably, you should have sought more information before coming, but please continue.
    Mr Opoku 12:50 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that we are not here to discuss attendance but the Report of the Committee which is before plenary now.
    I am the Ranking Member for the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs. At that particular meeting, I was absent, but the Deputy Ranking Member was there to stand in for me. That is how the system works and the Hon Minister must know this.
    Mr Speaker, on a more important note, the Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation must know that we represent the people of this country and their interests should come first. The issue I am raising is captured in the Report. He was talking about two years ago.
    The Report says that between 2008 and 2017, we have imported 365 cargo tractors into this country and that is what I am speaking to. Why then would they refer to two years ago. What I am saying is simple, the cost of these equipment is very high and I would do the calculation for all to understand.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on.
    Yes, Chairman of the Finance Committee, what is it?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the tractors were imported between 2008 and 2013. If you look at Appendix 2, it was the distribution that took place over a four year period but the importation took place between 2008 and 2013.
    Is the Hon Member suggesting that if a tractor sold for €16,500 in 2013, six years down the road, if it is now selling at €17,500 --
    The very vehicles that he drives -the ones he bought four years ago, is it being sold at the same price? What kind of argument is this?
    Mr Speaker, these have gone up by only a €1000 over a four or five year -- [Interruption].
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, the most important thing is the figures. His judgement and your judgement must not be the same, but the figures are what we must put right. They have gone up by €1000 in six years and he says that is very expensive and you say it is not expensive.
    Hon Member, please, continue.
    Mr Opoku 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the issue is not even about the €16,500 and the €17,000. That is the price at which the equipment would be bought from the suppliers, but the issue is how much would we sell them to the farmers?
    The subsidy at that time was 60 per cent, but today, it has been reviewed to 40 per cent. Even with the 60 per cent subsidy the farmers did not buy and the Ministry was compelled to reduce it further. [Interruption].
    I said it, I used the word “they did not buy until'' it was reduced to €24,000. That is the issue I am putting up. We are now talking about GH¢58,000 when the farmers could not even buy it at GH¢24,000 -- and they say it is affordable. It is not.
    Mr Speaker, it is very expensive. We always have to learn from experience so that we do not repeat past mistakes. The price was just GH¢35,000 and the farmers could not buy it and it had to be decreased further to GH¢24,000 and today, they are talking about GH¢58,000 and they say it is affordable. They should look at the figures and do the calculation.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman of the Committee also raised an issue that it was between 2013. I was talking about sales and the Report said it was between 2008 and 2017. They should look at the last page of their own Report.
    I am talking about sales that is why I am using the prices. [Interruption.] I also raised the issue of insurance and he has spoken to that. -- [Interruption] -- has he spoken to that? It is their own Report . [Laughter].
    Mr Speaker, what I am saying is that, yes, agricultural mechanisation is the best
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon
    Member for Akim Oda, you just had your say, what is it?
    Mr Quaittoo 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is giving out some information which need to be corrected. It is true that at that time 60 per cent subsidy was given to the farmers. This went to Cabinet and in the deliberations they said that this time -- he was not there at the meeting when this question was raised and answered.
    The answer was that, that was what the Ministry of Agriculture proposed to Cabinet and it was approved -- not the 40 per cent. The Ministry of Agriculture's reason was that they had given farmers so much subsidy in terms of fertilizer and seeds.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    So what has the Hon Member said that is not true?
    Mr Quaittoo 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he talked about the fact that farmers could not buy --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    You are out of Order.
    Hon Member, conclude.
    Mr Opoku 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am most grateful to you for ignoring my Hon Colleague who just wanted to be heard and intended to make noise - irrelevant to the issue at stake.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon Member, conclude.
    Mr Opoku 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the issue at stake is that the cost of the equipment to the farmer is very high.
    I also raised an important question and thought that the Hon Chairman of the Committee, whose Report is being debated would speak to the issue.
    The issue was about insurance. It is stated in the Report that the insurance is at the expense of the supplier, but it is factored in the cost build up at €50,000. What does that mean? We need clari- fication on that.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon available leader? [Laughter]
    Mr Hammond 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have a considerable issue with the point being raised by my Hon Colleague on the other Side of the aisle. He has put it on record that he is the Hon Ranking Member for this Committee. I have just had the opportunity of going through the Report and I am scandalised that he is speaking the way he is doing.
    The reason is, at the conclusion of this Report, it appears that it was a unanimous decision of the Committee, and he as the Hon Ranking Member of the specific Committee, whose Report is under discussion to rise his feet and to make this allegation --
    Mr Speaker, offence against our rules is scandalous and not acceptable that he disassociate himself from the Report that his Committee; the Committee of which he is the Hon Ranking Member -- I do not quite understand what he is talking about.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon Minority Chief Whip?
    Alhaji Muntaka 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if the available leader wants to get the rules right, he should quote. There is nowhere in the Standing Orders that indicates that
    because an Hon Member is part of a Committee in a meeting, he or she cannot disagree with the Report.
    The Standing Orders make it possible for an Hon Member to participate in a Committee meeting and contribute differently on the Floor of the House from the Committee. [Interruption] -- Yes, the Standing Orders allow that.
    If he says the Standing Orders say that once an Hon Member is part of a Committee, he or she cannot differ from its comments, here he should point to the Standing Orders.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, conclude so that other Hon Members can contribute.
    Mr Opoku 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the fact that I am the Hon Ranking member of your Committee --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon Member, I have ruled on that. Please, conclude.
    Mr Opoku 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this House must ensure that the tractors we would deliver to our farmers are affordable so that they can buy and by their actions and activities people would get food and money so that we would be able to redeem them from abject poverty.
    Mr Speaker, we have to address the issue of insurance and affordability in the Report. They must be addressed immediately. Otherwise, we would talk about loans and import tractors and still complain of low productivity.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
    Hon Minister for Western Region?
    Dr Kwaku Afriyie (NPP -- Sefwi Wiawso) 1 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion and urge Hon Colleagues to support it.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to draw the attention of the House to certain perspectives which are very fundamental to the usage of tractors, and for that matter, mechanisation in this country.
    Mr Speaker, most of the time, in the areas of application, tractors are imported with the view to applying them in transitional zones and the savannah areas of the country. I would want to posit that the forestry areas too need tractors.
    We have to make sure that the plantation crops are maintained efficiently, and I am referring specifically to cocoa, rubber and oil palm.
    Mr Speaker, in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Manifesto, reference was made to getting transportation beyond feeder roads and I see this as a vehicle so to speak, to make good on that promise. This is because if farm tracks are constructed between and among farmers, then human portage could be eliminated to the very minimum.
    Mr Speaker, I also noticed that most tractors appear to cost a lot because most of them are purchased by individuals. I would want to urge the Ministry of Agriculture to consider cooperatives first; cooperative ownership is very important.
    I know that a lot of tractors in this country are underutilised -- they are found sitting in sheds and when we look at the times that they are used throughout the year, it is not good at all.
    Mr Speaker, finally, I would want to draw the attention of the Ministry to the fact that there are also alternate methods
    Dr Kwaku Afriyie (NPP -- Sefwi Wiawso) 1:10 p.m.
    of farming. I am very much enthused particularly about the no-till-farming and green manure where tractor use is minimised.

    I will urge the Hon Minister for Agriculture to also consider that especially in our settings.

    With these remarks, I would still want to maintain that the value for money analysis and all that, at least, per functionary is a good deal. So I support the Motion and urge my Hon Colleagues to do same.
    Mr Samuel A. Jabanyite (NDC — Chereponi) 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, at the Committee level, most of the issues —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are breaching the Standing Orders. Speak from your place. — [Pause]
    Mr Jabanyite 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, at the Committee level, most of the issues were raised and addressed. What is germane that we have realised about the usage of this compact mini-tractors which have 50HP over the last years since they were imported into this country, has been the misapplication of the machines.
    These machines are meant for light soils which are to be used for horticultural lands and generally, not hardpan soils, but that education was not there. So initially, all those that were bought were broken within a very short span. In addition, there were not enough spare parts and after sales services.
    At the Committee level, we got the indication that a lot is going to be done regarding the training, education and spare parts. I would encourage that the Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate (AESD) should take it upon itself, that farmers who come — because I want to believe that these are not the only tractors that are going to be imported into this country.
    The category has already been defined as tractors meant for light soils.
    Definitely, in places like the Central Region, some parts of the Upper East and Upper West, and also some parts of the Ashanti regions are places that are very suitable for these machines.
    And so we would encourage that the AESD takes it upon itself to do a thorough job so that people who come to acquire these machines really understand their usage so that they can serve the intended purposes.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr Asafu-Adjei 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, farm mechanisation in Ghana focuses on two types of producers; the small holder and the large scale farmer. Does your Committee's Report address the needs of the small holder and the large scale famer? Yes it does.
    Mr Speaker, that is found in paragraph 6.1 of page 4 of your Committee's Report — Rationale for the project, and with your permission, I beg to read:
    “The Joint Committee observed that the agricultural machinery and equipment that would be supplied would be used to support small holder and medium scale farmers throughout the country. The
    tractors would be used mainly to support the production of food crops such as maize, rice, cassava, vegetables and soya.
    The project would also contribute to the success of Government's flagship programmes including the “Planting for Food and Jobs”.
    Mr Speaker, the rationale behind the importation of these tractors has been met in this Report, and it is there. There is nowhere that a farmer came before your Committee and complained about the cost of the tractors — [Laughter] — So I do not know why the Ranking Member is saying the farmers cannot afford to buy the tractor.
    There is nowhere in this Report. It does not show. Unless he can point out to me one page that shows that.
    Mr Speaker, another issue we all need to address is the suitability of the tractors; they are suitable in terms of our climate and vegetation? Yes they are. Paragraph 6.4 of page 5, and with your permission, I beg to read:
    “The Joint Committee was made aware that the tractors to be procured under the project are suitable for the Ghanaian climate.
    The Ministry explained that some of the farming lands in the country have shallow top soils. Therefore undertaking deep ploughing with heavy duty tractors buries the top soils deeper and this leads to loss of valuable soil nutrients to the plants…”
    Mr Speaker, I will not go further because it is boldly written. Your Committee agrees that it is suitable for Ghanaian farmers.
    Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC — Bia East) 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just want to reiterate the point raised by my Hon Ranking Member. This is because the Facility before us is £10 million and the supplier has presented to us, a proforma invoice.
    We have seen an insurance cover of £50,000 but in the Report, we are saying that the cost of the insurance would be borne by the supplier. So if this issue is not dealt with, it would mean we are going to pay additional £50,000 to the supplier. This is because the Appendix 1 gives us £8,682,000.00 and the proforma invoice gives us £1,318,000.00.
    If we put the two together, it gives us the £10 million that we are talking of in addition to the £50,000 but that issue has not been cleared and we are going to approve this. This means we would be
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    That is your contribution. I intended to give him the Floor to speak to that and so if you are done, I would call the Hon Chairman to — where is the Chairman — ? [Pause.]
    Where is the Chairman of the Finance Committee? He said I should call Hon Afenyo-Markin to respond to the Insurance.
    Hon Afenyo-Markin, I would want to hear you only on the insurance. Are you an Hon member of the Committee on Finance?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, no. I am a friend to the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Members, he is only speaking to the insurance issue, no more.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I can understand the confusion in respect of the insurance and I would explain it. If you look at page 4 of the Report, we are dealing with a deferred payment instrument and if you are dealing with a deferred instrument, what it means is that the funds would not crystallise upon shipment.

    Mr Speaker, this is not propaganda; these are real issues.

    Mr Speaker, if you come to Appendix 1, you would see --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Member, you would hold on.
    Yes, Hon Jinapor?
    Mr Jinapor 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I wish to draw your attention to where Hon Afenyo- Markin is seated. You gave a ruling --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    You are right.
    Mr Jinapor 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you gave a ruling, not forgetting that you early on said you would give me the opportunity to bring the figures -- [Laughter]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Hon Afenyo-Markin, you would go and continue from your assigned seat.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:10 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are masters of our own rules; you can vary your ruling.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    I have ruled already and I have not varied my ruling.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:10 p.m.
    Very well.
    Mr Speaker, I am making an application for variation.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    No, I have refused your application.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Very well. Hon Member, you can now continue.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, so if you come to Appendix 1, it has the Invoice and in the invoice, you would see item 10 which is Transportation (Ocean Freight), and you see Insurance (All Risks) under item 11.
    Mr R. Acheampong 1:20 p.m.
    — rose -- [Interruptions]
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, you do not know and you will not keep quiet.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, you would address me.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am addressing you but the intimidation is too much. They should keep quiet and listen to me. That is the rule; they cannot intimidate their Hon Colleague.
    Mr Speaker, CIF means you are paying the insurance for the goods that you are shipping. It is Cost Insurance Freight -- in some transactions, you can only opt for Cost and Freight and you the importer would take that risk.
    So with this one the CIF has been provided there which is different from the payment instrument. The payment instrument has to do with the instrument for the payment of the goods; that has nothing to do with the shipment.
    Mr Speaker, so they are confused and they would want --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, so the point you are making is that, that would add to our cost; is that true or not true?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with respect, if you look at page 4 of the Report --
    Mr Speaker, by the way, in this Report, the very Hon Members who are raising the issues -- at the Committee level they agreed to the content in full as captured on page 7. It is not as though they disagreed with the contents of the Report.
    So if we come back to the page 4, that insurance is being borne by the supplier, it is not us because it is that instrument. The Hon Member should please get it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, are you done?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, until they come up again pretending not to understand -- for the time being, I have explained sufficiently and I would not belabour it. If they understand it now then it is enough, but if they do not, I will come back to explain it to them.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Hon Member, I think the most important point is that you said the insurance is borne by the supplier; it is not part of our cost.

    Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, if it is a matter of procedure, I would recognise you. If it is to the debate, I would not.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I fully agree
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    I agree with you. Hon Minister, you are out of order in that respect. [Laughter]
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    Yes, Hon
    Minority Chief Whip?
    Alhaji Muntaka 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman of the Committee is not in the Chamber to help provide explanation on this insurance. [Interruption]
    Mr Speaker, I sincerely believe that we could stand down putting the Question and allow the Hon Chairman of the Committee and the Ministry of Finance to provide further explanation on this. [Uproar] It is because this is a very important Agreement; I am a farmer myself and I know how beneficial this facility will be to our country.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at our number in the Chamber, the absence of the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee and with this issue about the insurance being raised, I would just want to plead that this would not do us any harm if we stood it down and got the Hon Chairman to come in and we resolve this issue so that the Question can be put. I think that would be the neatest way to do it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
    I would want to listen to the Hon Majority Leader.
    Hon Majority Leader, the Hon Minority Chief Whip is saying I cannot put the Question because the Hon Chairman of
    the Finance Committee is not in the Chamber. That is the objection he has raised and I would want to hear you on that.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we hear the Hon Chairman of the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee is here.
    Mr Speaker, with respect, when a Committee submits its Report to this House, the Report is that of the Committee; it is not the Hon Chairman's Report. It is the Committee's Report meant for the House.
    So I would want to suggest that the absence of the Hon Chairman may not necessarily have to delay the adoption of the Report.
    Mr Speaker, if there are genuine matters before us let us relate to those genuine concerns but the fact that the Hon Chairman of the Committee is not here may not necessarily mean that we would have to suspend consideration of the Report. In any event, the Hon Chairman himself has walked in, so, I believe we can proceed.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Thank you. I wanted the opportunity to rule that a Committee's Report is for the Committee; it is not for the Hon Chairman just as if the Hon Chairman was absent, another Hon Member may move the Motion for the Committee, I think it would be appropriate that after the conclusion of the debate, I put the Question even if the Chairman is not in the House.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    respectfully, just as I have also been insisting that Committees of this House
    are Committees of this House; they are not the Hon Speaker's Committees. They are Committees of this House.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    I refuse to be drawn into that - [Laughter] -
    Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
    Alhaji Muntaka 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the explanation from the Hon Majority Leader sounds confusing. On this Floor, he has insisted several times that this Report is the Hon Chairman's Report and that is why it is signed by the Chairperson and the Clerk to the Committee.
    There have been times that we have insisted that this Report has to be seen by both Sides and he said that having read the Standing Orders, his understanding is that it is the Hon Chairman who is to generate the Report.
    Mr Speaker, if the Hon Chairman is the sole person to generate the Report and there are controversies, like the insurance cover at the expense of the supplier on page 4 --
    Now, if one takes the attachment, it is stated as the total amount to be paid by irrevocable Letters of Credit (LC), we need an explanation from the Chairman. If there are no controversies, there would be no issue but once there is some -- [Interruption] -- Please!
    Mr Speaker, once there is the need for further explanation, the one who generated the Report would be the best to explain. That is the essence in trying to bring the Chairman in to explain why there is that anomaly.
    Fortunately for us, the Chairman has walked in. With the greatest respect, the explanation by Hon Afenyo-Markin does
    not explain the issue. It looks as if that is part of the Report in page 4, it would be part of the Supplier's cost and now we have an Appendix purporting a different thing.
    Let us just resolve this very small matter as it is a very important facility. We do not need to belabour it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Hon Leader, I think I have -- [Interruption] --
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    with respect to my Hon Colleague, the Minority Chief Whip, I have never said that Reports from Committees belong to Chairpersons. I have never. Let him quote me properly because I have never said so.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Yieleh Chireh says that he was here when I said so. I believe he was in a dreamland, with respect to him. I have said that by our statutes and the operations of Committees, Committee Reports are supposed to be generated by the Chairman.
    Indeed, the Chairman does not even work alone; he works with the Clerk to the Committee who would have kept the minutes of proceedings.
    I have said that at that level, when they have finished deliberations and come to consider the Report, the Chairman would then introduce the Report that he might have generated, then if any other Hon Member has any issues, amendments or maybe the Member himself has written his own Report, he could bring it up and if they have to amend the Committee's Report which is generated by the Chairman, it would be done.
    At the end of the day, the Question would be proposed on that Report which would then stand in the name of the Committee.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:30 p.m.


    Mr Speaker that is what I have said. Let him not corrupt what I have said. Indeed, standing Order 210 (2) says and I beg to quote:

    “Upon the conclusion of the consideration of the report the Chairman shall put the question “That this report be the report from the Committee to the House.”

    At the stage when it comes to this House, it is the Report of the Committee and no longer the Chairman's Report. That distinction must be made and Hon Members of this House must understand and indeed appreciate the point.

    I thank you very much.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Hon Members, I have already ruled that we have concluded the debate and I would put the Question.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    let us take the Resolution.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Very well, item numbered 9; Resolution by the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Deputy Minister for Finance is here and if I may plead that subject to the indulgence of my Hon Colleagues, you allow her to stand in place of the substantive Minister for Finance.
    Mr Speaker, the Minister is engaged in some very rigorous activities.
    Alhaji Muntaka 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, once again, we are back. The Hon Minister for Finance is avoiding to be in this House.
    Mr Speaker, they said he was preparing budget the last time, is he the one preparing the State of the Nation Address? I would deliberately count the number of times that the Hon Minister for Finance is needed in this House and he would not be here.
    Last week, he wrote to excuse himself from coming to answer a Question. Today, he is not here to carry out Business and has sent his Deputy.
    It cannot be right. Let us make the Hon Minister for Finance understand that he is supposed to respect this House and apportion his time such that some of the times he would be here to carry out the Business of this House.
    It is not right that he assumes that because he has two Hon Deputies who are Members of Parliament he could leave the work of Parliament to them. We have no problem working with his Deputies and do not doubt their competencies but the Minister for Finance must find time to be here.
    Mr Speaker, today, we would accept it and allow our Hon Colleague to do it but I am counting. This is the second time in two weeks.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Hon Minority Chief Whip, where is the Hon Minority Leader?
    Alhaji Muntaka 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if there is any Business for the Minority Leader to do, he would apportion time to be here and pay attention to it because as you may know, he is performing a function on behalf of this Parliament.
    I do not want to ask where the Rt Hon Speaker is, but at least, I know that the Minority Leader is performing a function on behalf of this House.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    The point I am making is that it is entirely part of the process that heads of agencies or organisations may be absent and their deputies may stand in for them. Let us not make capital out of that because we also do that even here in the Chamber.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    just for the information of the House that we have a working understanding with the Hon Minister for Finance to dedicate at least one day in a week to be here with us and Hon Members would get to know beginning next week that every week, the Minister for Finance would have time to be in the House with us.
    Mr Speaker, but to respond to what the Hon Minority Chief Whip said, I know that the Hon Minority Leader is not performing any function for Parliament at this time.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    The point has been well made. We all stand in for our bosses sometimes.
    Hon Deputy Minister, you may move the Motion on behalf of the Hon Minister.
    RESOLUTIONS 1:40 p.m.
    THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 1:40 p.m.
    HEREBY RESOLVES AS 1:40 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we advertised to have a very important joint Caucus meeting for today. At this stage, I believe that we could close deliberations on items on the agenda and move into the joint Caucus meeting.
    Mr Speaker, if it finds favour with you, then I beg to move that the House adjourns today and resumes Sitting at 10 o'clock in the forenoon tomorrow.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Hon Minority Chief Whip?
    Alhaji Muntaka 1:40 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    ADJOURNMENT 1:40 p.m.
  • The House was accordingly adjourned at 1.43 p.m. till Thursday, 14th February, 2019, at 10.00 a.m.