Debates of 26 Feb 2019

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:04 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:04 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:04 a.m.
Hon Members, correction of Votes and Proceeding of Friday, 22nd February, 2019.
  • [No correction was made to the Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 22nd February, 2019.]
  • [No correction was made to the Official Report of Friday, 14th December, 2018.]
  • [No correction was made to the Official Report of Tuesday, 5th February, 2019.]
    • Mr Speaker 10:04 a.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 3 -- There is an Urgent Question addressed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 10:04 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
    Ms Safo 10:04 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Agriculture is scheduled to be here this morning. I have been in communication with him and he has given the assurance that he would be here in some few minutes.
    So Mr Speaker, with your indulgence and the indulgence of my Hon Colleague on the other Side, I would want to give the assurance that the Hon Minister has indicated that he just left his Ministry.
    I believe that Mr Speaker is sending the right signal out there that indeed, when we are to Sit at 10 o'clock, we Sit at exactly 10 o'clock.
    That indication would be communi- cated to our Hon Ministers that when Mr Speaker says they have Questions scheduled for 10 o'clock, it is indeed, 10 o'clock.
    However, Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister would definitely appear before the House in a few minutes.
    So Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, you could allow a few Statements, then we could step it down for some few minutes.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 10:04 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, if you ask that we should consider waiting for the Hon Minister, please limit it there. But do not tell us about our times.
    It is not for the Hon Ministers to determine Parliament's times and for that matter come upon summon. This actually is a serious invitation to all Hon Ministers; it is not for them to tell us what time they would come.
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 10:04 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, you have said it all. Except to say that there are two Hon Ministers programmed to come to the House. So maybe, we could take the next set of Questions since the Hon Minister for Agriculture is on his way.
    Mr Speaker 10:04 a.m.
    In other words, we could proceed with item numbered 4?
    Can we tackle the Questions to the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry?
    Ms Safo 10:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, last week, you gave a directive when the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry was unable to appear to answer the Questions scheduled for him, that he appears this morning to answer the said Questions.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister, indeed, respects your directive, except to say that we have received a formal communication, which a copy has been given to the Chief Whip of the Minority Side, which is indicating that the Hon Minister has to accompany the Vice President, Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, to the United Kingdom, to engage in a United Kingdom- Ghana Business Council bilateral discussions in London, which starts today.
    Mr Speaker, therefore, having respect for your good self and the entire House, the Hon Minister has accordingly communicated to the Clerk formally, and on that note, I would humbly suggest that the Hon Minister's Questions be pushed to Friday.
    We have communicated to him, and he has agreed that they would have been back from this bilateral trade and investment discussion by Friday. So respectfully, the Hon Minister would appear before your humble House on Friday.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 10:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I must say that this is worrying. In February alone, the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry has written to the House three times for his Questions to be deferred.
    Mr Speaker, there is some deliberateness. This is because when the President was here to read the State of
    the Nation Address, all of the Hon Ministers found time to be here.
    They prioritised coming to sit here, so that the President would see them in Parliament, but when Parliament wants them to come and answer Questions, they put other businesses ahead of the Business of Parliament.
    For an Hon Minister, in the space of just one month, to have sought permission for his Questions to be postponed three times --
    Mr Speaker, I would just want to serve notice that I would come with a Motion of censure, because the Hon Minister does not want to be an Hon Minister, and he does not respect this House. He does not want to come and answer to the people, but when it came to the President, they were all seated here.
    So I wish to state and send notice that I would come with a Motion of censure on the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry. He does not respect this House; he does not regard this House because in a space of a month, he has asked that his Questions be postponed three times.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that treating Hon Ministers with kid gloves is long overdue. They are not taking this House serious, and even when we re-schedule and ask that they should re-appear, they still write that they cannot be here because they believe that an Executive function is more important than the Legislative function.
    We are supposed to complement each other. Just as they would prioritise the Executive business, they must - because these Questions go to Hon Ministers, and sometimes it takes three to six months just for them to appear before this House to answer them.
    Ms Safo 10:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that the Hon Minority Chief Whip, although he has very genuine concerns but he is blowing the issue out of proportion and actually imputing improper motives, which is against our Standing Orders.
    For him to say that there is deliberateness on the part of the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry to avoid Questions in this House -- it is stated in our rules, Standing Order 93d(2), and with your permission I quote:
    “It shall be out of order to use offensive, abusive, insulting, blasphemous or unbecoming words or to impute improper motives to any other Member”.
    Mr Speaker, it is not as if the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry does not respect this House. That is why as a gentleman, and in order of courtesy, he has taken the pains to write formally to the Clerk to inform him of his reasons.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member knows that as an Hon Minister, he has multiple functions.
    So for him to impute that indeed, in trying to balance his responsibilities as an Hon Minister at the Executive level and
    before this House, he is deliberately avoiding the House, there is nothing to avoid, because the Answers to the Questions have been published since last week.
    So if the Hon Minister, indeed, did not want to appear before this House, then he would not have provided Answers to the Questions. The Hon Minority Chief Whip has a copy of the Order Paper.
    Mr Speaker, the Answers have been provided, which tells us that the Hon Minister is ready and prepared to Answer the Questions. Unfortunately, he is called upon to carry out other functions, and so he would have to balance, and that is why he has formally written to us, and a copy has been shown to him.
    So he should not flout our Standing Orders by saying that the Hon Minister deliberately does not want to appear before the House.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that you should rule him out of order. We are concerned, and as the Majority, we will ensure that our Hon Ministers appear before this House to answer Questions. This is because the Questions are coming from the people's representatives.
    They are coming from the people of Ghana, and we owe a duty to them to be forthcoming with these Questions and Answers, and that is exactly what we seek to do as a Government and as a Majority Side of the House.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that the Hon Minister has communicated to you formally, not intentionally flouting your orders last week, but indeed, with you being a diplomat and former ambassador who held very powerful positions in this country, you understand that these bilateral trade and investment discussions
    with the United Kingdom and all that, amidst this Brexit, is very important for this country as well.
    So the Hon Minister is not frowning on the authority of your House or on Hon Members of Parliament, but indeed, he was really in a tight corner, and the only way he could formally do that was to write to you.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that the Hon Minister for Agriculture, as I indicated, is right before this House, and so respectfully, we could take his Questions and Answers.
    Mr Speaker 10:14 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Muntaka?
    Alhaji Muntaka 10:14 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to correct two issues that my Hon Colleague raised.
    Mr Speaker, Answers to his Questions are not provided here in the Order Paper as she claims, and if you check the letter for the excuse, it was signed by the Chief Director, and not the Hon Minister.
    Mr Speaker, it is not the Hon Minister who signed it, and so I would want to refer my Hon Colleague to Standing Order 60 (3), which says, and with your permission I quote:
    “A Minister shall not…”
    Mr Speaker, it did not say “may not”. It says;
    “A Minister shall not take more than three weeks to respond to a question from the House.”
    Mr Speaker, therefore, for the Question to have gone to him and for him to have sought permission that because of some other business, he would not be able to appear before the House and therefore, it should be rescheduled -- The House accepted to reschedule, but for the second time, he still wrote again that he cannot appear before the House once again.
    That day, all the comments we made we graciously accepted to reschedule him, but for the third time -- and we think that this is not deliberate when the House says that he should not take more than three weeks? He has postponed coming to this House for three consecutive times in the space of just one month.
    Mr Speaker, how else should we describe this action, if not to say that it is deliberate? Because the rules of the House says that it should not take him more than three weeks for him to come and answer the Questions.
    He has been given the opportunity, but he asked us to give him another opportunity, and it was rescheduled, but he comes again and asks us to grant him another permission and the House said all right, for the last time, they would allow it. For the third time, the Chief Director now writes, and they tell me that it is not deliberate?
    Mr Speaker, why was he not absent at the Message on the State of the Nation? Why could he not put other business ahead of the Message on the State of the Nation, but when it came to the oversight of this House -- [Interruption]. Hon Colleagues, we can all choose to play with this.
    We are all Hon Members of Parliament and today, they may think that because they are in the Majority, they can be screaming, but it undermines the fundamentals of our oversight role.
    Ms Safo 10:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is a point of order and information for the Hon Minority Chief Whip.
    Mr Speaker, Hon Members of Parlia- ment and the Clerks-at-the-Table are here. I believe the Clerks-at-the-Table took the Answers to the Questions off today because of the letter; but the whole of last week, the Answers were on the Order Paper. He provided Answers except for the Urgent Question.
    Our rules provide that when they are to answer Urgent Questions, the Answers are not published; the Answers are
    provided on the day the Urgent Question is to be answered. So my Hon Colleague should not mislead this House that the Hon Minister has not provided Answers.
    The Hon Minority Chief Whip made reference to a letter that had been signed by the Chief Director of the Ministry. My Hon Colleague has been an Hon Minister before, and he has been an Hon Chief Whip on this Side and he is on the other Side today. He should not act as if this is out of the ordinary.
    Chief Directors are, indeed, the administrative heads of our various Ministries. Since when did we say on this Floor that when a letter is addressed to the Clerk to Parliament -- the letter is addressed to the Clerk to Parliament, who is the administrative head of Parliament.
    So an administrative head of a Ministry wrote to the administrative head of Parliament, and we are saying that because it is not from the Hon Minister we should throw it out. This cannot be entertained in any Parliament, and it should not be entertained on this Floor.
    We agree, and we are very much concerned that Hon Ministers should appear to answer Questions. We are doing our utmost best here. For the Hon Minority Whip to have just stood to impute improper motive, could he actually prove that the Hon Minister deliberately avoided answering Questions on the Floor? He cannot; that is a subjective test.
    So he cannot prove -- the only way we could indeed prove that the Hon Minister takes the House seriously is on the face of the record. Prima facie evidence is here; he has written to show that he respects the Chair and every Hon Member of the House.
    Mr Speaker, on this note, the Hon Minister for Agriculture is here to answer his Question. I believe that we could carry on.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh 10:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the time we have spent so far to discuss this matter -- in my humble opinion and view, the Hon Minority Chief Whip raised an issue. I believe that if we continue to argue when there is no Motion here, it does not help our situation.
    I also think that after this matter has been raised, the Leadership of Parliament can have further discussions and let us proceed with the Business for today. This is my humble opinion.
    Mr Speaker 10:24 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Member.
    There is one thing that concerns me, which is very important for our consideration. That is why the suggestion of Hon Yieleh Chireh is very pertinent. If we have in our own rules, Standing Order 60(3), that:
    “A Minister shall not take more than three weeks to respond to a question from the House.”
    If it is to be mandatorily interpreted as it stands now, then the Executive and the Legislature would have to come to a good understanding or attendance to answer Questions, particularly with regard to Urgent Questions.
    Of course, exigencies of the Executive must be appreciated; at the same time, the rules of the House must also be respected. I am really concerned about the fact that our rules should also not be honoured in the breach.
    We should therefore have an engagement so that if we have a situation where a Question cannot be answered because an Hon Minister is providentially hindered, like being out of the jurisdiction, there is something we can do about it.
    A lot of Ghana's business also happens out of the jurisdiction. For example, if the Hon Minister is not well and so on, and yet our rule says “three weeks”, what should we do?
    When that clear understanding comes, of course, then the difficulty would also evaporate. This includes a situation where Hon Deputy Ministers may answer Questions, which was the order of the day. I do not see why that cannot be made to operate so that we make progress.
    For that matter, the two Hon Leaders should engage and report to me by tomorrow as a guidance and under- standing for the future because we must not preside over the breaching of our rules either.
    This is therefore postponed to Friday, and then the Hon Leaders would engage and advise in the future. I am concerned about Standing Order 60(3). If it says “three weeks”, we cannot do it anyhow. That is out of the question.
    We would now move to the Urgent Question for the Hon Minister for Agriculture, who has taken his seat accordingly.
    Hon Member for Amenfi West, you may please ask the Urgent Question listed as item numbered 3 on the Order Paper.
    Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh 10:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have the permission of the Hon Member to ask the Question on his behalf. [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker 10:24 a.m.
    As we were worried about
    the Hon Minister not being here at the time, the owner of the Question is also far away.
    Hon Member, you would give me an explanation why he is not here.
    Mr Akandoh 10:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, at the moment, he is attending to other equally important duties in his constituency. [Interruption.]
    rose
    Mr Speaker 10:24 a.m.
    Order!
    Ms Safo 10:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, unfortunately, the Hon Minority Chief Whip's backyard is not cleared.
    Surprisingly, the Hon Member who filed the Question is not even in the House to ask the Question, and he is not interested in asking the Question. He has delibe- rately elected not to be here; he has put other functions as more important than the function of an Hon Member of Parliament.

    Mr Speaker, we would want to seek proof of his absence; where is his leave of absence? At least, the Hon Minister wrote to the Clerk to Parliament. So he has given notice to all of us and given specific reasons why he is not in the Chamber.
    rose
    Ms Safo 10:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, have you granted him permission? [Laughter.] Has Mr Speaker granted the Hon Member permission to be absent? We have to probe this matter. [Laugher.]
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Order!
    Hon Buah, do you stand on a point of order?
    Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. The Hon Deputy Majority Leader should know better that one addresses the Speaker in the House while on the Floor.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Hon Member, you have the permission to ask the Question on behalf of the owner of the Question. [Laughter.]
    URGENT QUESTION 10:34 a.m.
    MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Thank you very much. Hon Minister, you may please answer the Question.
    Minster for Agriculture (Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto):Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to answer this Question.
    Mr Speaker, the Prestea Junction - Samreboi road which is classified under Ghana Highways Authority has been treated as part of the Cocoa Roads Projects. It covers a total length of 90 km and includes the Amoaku Junction - Aboi Junction road.
    The project was being executed at an average cost of approximately GH¢4.0 million/km. Upon assumption of office the new Board of Directors of Ghana Cocoa Board decided to conduct a value-for- money audit on the entire project along with other Cocoa Road Projects in the country and a team of engineers was deployed by the Board specifically for that task.
    Preliminary audit report raised questions about the stretch being undertaken by Messrs. Asabea Engineering Company Ltd which very stretch is the subject matter of this Urgent Question.
    Even though GH¢64,261,652.31 had been paid to the contractor, the stretch from Prestea Nkwanta to Mumuni was seriously problematic. Progress of work therefore had to be suspended to enable the value-for-money audit to be com- pleted.
    Mr Speaker, cocoa beans continue to be evacuated along the route to Samreboi but admittedly with difficulty and it is not as if there is no transportation along that route.
    In view of the importance of this road infrastructure for Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the communities in the catchment area and the nation as a whole, the Board and the Ministry of Roads and Highways have collaboratively programmed to have the road fixed as soon as possible.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Hon Minister, thank you very much.
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Question indicated that the road has been blocked since the year 2017 and what does the Hon Minister say they are doing? The Question was specific as to what measures had been put in place to evacuate the cocoa beans from those areas. So that is what he should answer.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Rather than running a critique, what is your question?
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my question is, what are the measures the Hon Minister is putting in place to evacuate the dry cocoa beans from those places? It happened since the year 2017 and we are in the year 2019 for Christ's sake.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Hon Minister, what are the measures being taken?
    Dr O.A. Akoto 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the impression being created that no transportation of cocoa beans is taking place on that stretch of road since the year 2017 is not correct. I would want to put it on record that that is misinformation.
    As I speak, cocoa is being evacuated along that route although, as I said, with great difficulty, and with all the payments that had been made to the previous contractor, it has proven difficult to replace that money in order to complete that road.

    Not only that, we have such many cases I can mention, where contractors had been paid during the administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the roads were not completed. Therefore we had to come in to organise the financing of the roads to ensure their completion.

    So we, in collaboration with the Ministry of Roads and Highways, are doing everything possible to raise the money to complete that stretch of road. May I repeat that it is not true that there is no transportation of cocoa beans on that stretch of road.

    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
    Any further questions?
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister made mention of a preliminary report on value-for-money audit. When would the full report be available to us?
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    The Hon Minister made mention of a report and when will it be made available to who?
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, to us, as Hon Members of Parliament.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Hon Members?
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, yes.
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Are such reports given to Hon Members of Parliament as a matter of routine?
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it should be a public document --
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    If you want the report, ask for it but do not use it as a query.
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, very well. When would I have access --?
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    In public administration, these reports are not distributed to Parliament as a matter of routine and so if you ask, ‘when are you doing it?' it is as if there is some defect somewhere. If you want it, ask for it and you know how to ask for it. Any further questions?
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am grateful. With all respect, the question is, when would I get access to the full report?
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    How can you have access to a full report when you have not asked for it? This is because I said, it is not automatic.
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is a public record and therefore, if an Hon Member of Parliament wants to have access to the --
    Mr Speaker 10:34 a.m.
    Hon Members, there are procedures and if you want to ask an Hon Minister about a particular report, whether it be about energy, agriculture or whatever, you are an Hon Member of Parliament and you know the procedure to ask for it, but when you ask for something else, you do not suddenly ask the Hon Minister; ‘when am I getting it'?
    This is because that one is a timeous question and it gives the impression that it is something that should be done which has not been done. So please, advice yourself. Any further questions?
    Mr Akandoh 10:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to know from the Hon Minister, if the full report is ready?
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Which full report?
    Mr Akandoh 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, he indicated that the preliminary value-for-money audit report is ready and I ask when the full report would be ready?
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Hon Member, my ruling is that if you want it, file for a Question and ask for it.
    Mr Akandoh 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am grateful.
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Any further questions?
    rose
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Yes Hon Member?
    Mr Richard Acheampong 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, two weeks ago, the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways appeared before this House and told us that the value-for- money audit in respect of the cocoa roads in the Brong Ahafo and Western Regions are ready and has been submitted to the relevant Ministry.
    However, the Hon Minister is telling us that the preliminary report is ready and so, there is a contradiction here.
    So if the Hon Minister would repeat his words, whether he has the full report or it is a preliminary report so that we would know who is telling the truth.
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this audit report is an internal report of COCOBOD and I would like to suggest that if the Hon Member is so interested, then he should write to COCOBOD for a copy and not ask me as the Hon Minister for Agriculture.
    I have supervisory role over COCOBOD but I am not the keeper of their records. Mr Speaker, so I would suggest
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Any further questions?
    Hon Member for Adaklu?
    Mr Kwame G. Agbodza 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    In the Hon Minister's Answer, he said categorically that some contractors who worked under his regime were paid for works that they did not do. Mr Speaker, as a matter of fact, in this country, we do admeasurements contracts. So when a contractor is paid, he is paid only for work done apart from mobilisation.
    Since the Hon Minister has been able to say that there was a contractor who was actually paid but did not do the work, then could the Hon Minister provide information on that particular contractor? Mr Speaker, because he said the contractor exists.
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that I was very specific in answering the question that the Hon Member just asked and I would repeat it for his benefit.
    Mr Speaker, Messrs Asabea Engi- neering Company Limited was paid a total of GH¢64,261,652.31 and that included mobilisation. So if the money had been used effectively, we would not have had the problem we are having today with the disruption in transportation.
    Mr Speaker, as I said, I could quote many of such contracts where mobilisa- tion funds were paid but we did not even see the construction of a kilometre of a road. Mr Speaker, that is the situation.
    Dr Augustine Tawiah 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the
    Hon Minister makes us aware that COCOBOD has essentially pulled out of the construction of the road and that the Ministry of Roads and Highways is now responsible for the road.
    However, as we talk about the value for money, the cocoa is often stuck at the place and cannot be moved out and COCOBOD has taken these syndicated loans to get the cocoa to the ports.
    Now, what is COCOBOD's role to get the cocoa to the ports while the Ministry of Roads and Highways had not mobilised the resources to continue with the construction of the road?
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the impression created that cocoa roads are blocked and therefore, evacuation is not taking place is not correct. Domestic and external cocoa trade are going on as usual inspite of the fact that we paid contractors moneys to repair these roads but they have not been repaired.
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    The last question.
    Mr Eric Opoku 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, though the question is very specific and relating to evacuation of cocoa beans, the Hon Minister in answering one of the questions strayed and talked about a report that has never come to the attention of this House.
    Mr Speaker, could the Hon Minister assure us that he would make that report available to this House to enable us discuss that particular report. Mr Speaker, because the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways was here just last two weeks --
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Hon Member, if you have just entered the Chamber -- I have ruled already. If any Hon Member is interested
    in that aspect, then he or she should bring a Question for the Hon Minister to Answer. It is very simple and we know the processes.
    Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    My question would be a follow-up to the Hon Minister's answers. My understanding is that the road is completely blocked. Mr Speaker, I have heard the Hon Minister used the words that they are admittedly carting the cocoa with some difficulty.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister is reported just now to have said that GH¢64 million was paid to the contractor. Mr Speaker, I would want to know what is in the contractual terms? What was the total contract sum and what is the kilometres of work? How much of it was paid?
    Mr Speaker, it is not sufficient for him to just stand here and say that GH¢64 million was paid to the contractor. Mr Speaker, could he apprise this House what the GH¢64 million was paid for? What was the total contract sum, what interim certificate was he paid and whether he would not deal with any person who, per his words, has been reported to have not worked but received moneys since that is wrong?
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the questions that have been raised by the Hon Minority Leader require additional research. It is not included in the original Question, and I cannot stand here and give the figures. I could go back and arrange to provide this House with the information that he needs.
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Further details may be provided.
    Majority Leadership.
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just want to ask the Hon Minister whether he does not consider the question that has been asked by the Hon Minority Leader to be an infringement of our rules, that is, Standing Order 67 (1) (g) which provides that:
    “a Question shall not refer to more than one subject and shall not be of excessive length.”

    Mr Speaker, I am just making an application to you to rule on this matter because the question is of excessive length, hydra-headed and he wants to put all these questions on one stead. Mr Speaker, could you rule that this question offends Standing Order 67 (1) (g.)?
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, it is just part of that same Order that a Question would not be asked to seek the opinion of the Hon Minister. You are overruled.
    Hon Members, we would move to item listed 4 and the Hon Minister would remain in his seat.
    We would take Question numbered 510 -- Hon Member for Bole-Bamboi?
    Is the Hon Member in the House or he is duly represented?
    Mr Adam Mutawakilu 10:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I seek your permission to ask the Question on behalf of the Hon Member because he missed his flight from Tamale this morning,
    but he would come with the flight scheduled for 11.00 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 10:44 a.m.
    Hon Member, please proceed.
    So he has been providentially hin- hindered by air-traffic? You may go on and I hope that there would be reciprocity, and you would understand constraints from both Sides. Is that not so?
    The Hon Member could be hindered and the Hon Minister could also be hindered.
    Please continue.
    ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTION 10:54 a.m.
    MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE 10:54 a.m.
    Minister for Agriculture (Dr Owusu A. Akoto) 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo launched the One Village One Dam flagship programme (1V1D) at Savelugu in the Northern Region on 23rd July 2017.
    The purpose of the programme is to boost agriculture by promoting all year
    Mr Adam 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Minister whether these dams would be accompanied with irrigation facilities?
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, that did not form part of the original Question, but I would try to answer as a non-engineer.
    Dams, as I know, are engineering works which store water for human and other consumptions like livestock and crop cultivation. I guess whether it is underground water or flowing water or rivers or tributaries, they are all part of what we call a dam for the purposes of agriculture.
    In this particular case, Mr Speaker, it is meant to ensure that during the long dry season in the Northern Savana, our farmers have access to water to farm.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Minister the cost range of these dams.
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this was not part of the original Question, but I would try to answer this question. I know the smallest for cultivation would cost at least GH¢2.5 million. That is what I have been advised before, but as to the details of it, I cannot say it at this stage.
    Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Yieleh Chireh?
    Mr Joseph Y. Chireh 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much. The Hon Minister, in this Answer attached to the Annex “A”. When I looked at those for my districts, I wrote the Hon Minister a survey report about a particular community but I cannot find that community in this site he has indicated.
    However, I have seen the name of my community, unless there is another
    community in Lawra which is Gurungu that needs rehabilitation.
    So I would want to be sure whether the Hon Minister has not located the site properly in the district and that he still has my letter suggesting to him to do something about these sites.
    On page 38, my question is this: is there a community in Lawra called Gurungu? I wrote to him about Gurungu on the survey. That is what I would want to be sure. Has he misplaced it or has he just ignored my letter?
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my very good Hon friend actually wrote to me, and I remember that letter very well; a very eloquent letter that was written.
    I think in my hurry to ensure that I meet his request, I might have categorised it in a different district. I would investigate and correct that mistake.
    Mr Mahama Ayariga 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister, in his attempt to answer the question on cost indicated to this House that the smallest dam costs GH¢2.5 million.
    In his Answer, he distinguishes between dams and dugouts. He said the smallest dam cost GH¢2.5 million. What is the cost of the biggest dam and the average cost of the dugouts?
    Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
    Hon Member, you are asking a question of comparative analysis; big dam, small dam et cetera. Kindly ask a specific question.
    The Hon Minister prefixed his answer with the fact that he did not have appropriate documents with him on this, but he would generously give his viewpoints. If you would want details on that general viewpoint, kindly ask a specific question on that.
    Mr Ayariga 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, for the reputation of the Hon Minister, it would be important that this price is clarified.
    Mr Speaker, I just came from my constituency. I saw some of the dugouts. If it is not clear what the price is, and it goes out there that those things cost GH¢2.5 million, we would have an uprising in this country.
    That is why I would want a clarification; what is the cost of a dugout so that the people in the villages would hear the actual price so that what would go out there in those facilities cost GH¢2.5 million.
    So the Hon Minister should come clear what the actual cost of a dugout is. What the average cost of those dugouts that were constructed there are?
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this question requires an answer on its own. I cannot stand here in this august House and spew out specific answers. We are getting into technical details.
    So I would have to go back to the Irrigation Development Authority, which is under my supervision to get specific answers to this question.
    Mr Speaker, however, I think the Hon Member actually admitted that I kept talking about dams. I never mentioned dugouts, so I do not know the source of his confusion about the figure of GH¢ 2.5 million.
    I am talking about the fact that I kept saying dam, that the smallest dam. I did not say the smallest or the biggest dug- out.
    We have the Aswan Dam, and it cost US$200 million about forty or fifty years ago, so it depends on the size Mr Speaker,
    as you indicated, and if the Hon Member wants specific answers, I would have to consult my experts to provide the answers.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Avedzi 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I overheard the Hon Minister saying that he was told that the price of the smallest dam is GH¢ 2.5 million. That was what he said. As the Minister for the Ministry where the dams are being constructed, did he confirm or would he confirm that this is the cost of the dams that are being constructed?
    Then would he withdraw that portion of his answer?
    Dr O. A. Akoto 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think there is some confusion here. My statement was very clear. I said I am told that the smallest dam costs GH¢ 2.5 million. That is all I said, and I do not want the Hon Member to be confused about that little statement.
    Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
    Any Hon Member who wants details of the various specifications of dams and their comparative costs, and also compare it with other dinghies and so on may ask a specific question and it would be answered accordingly. Thank you very much.
    Question numbered 511, Hon Member for Mion?
    Is the Hon Member for Mion also not in the House? And is there nobody in the position to ask the Question on his behalf?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am applying to you this time, as the Leader, not of the Majority but as Leader of the House, to ask this Question on b e h a l f -- [Laughter.] -- Mr Speaker, in the interest of the House -- [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker, if you agree --
    Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, a Question is asked by the owner of the Question, or a person duly authorised by him to ask the Question on his behalf.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the rules provide for any stand in person to produce an authority note. We have been most liberal. You have been most liberal and have agreed to the words of mouth insistence or application by Hon Colleagues.
    Mr Speaker, I am just taking liberties because the Hon Member is not only a Member of the House where I am the Leader but he is also an Hon friend -- [Laughter] -- and I believe I can always have his authority to ask any Question on his behalf.
    Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
    Hon Minister, thank you very much for attending to the House and answering our Questions.
    At the Commencement of Public Business, item listed 6, Presentation of Papers.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Ms Safo 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 6, with your permission, a Member of the Committee, Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah would lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee.
    Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
    Thank you very much. Any objection?
    Hon Oppong-Nkrumah?
    PAPERS 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
    Item listed 7, Presentation and First Reading of Bills.
    Hon Minister for Health?
    Ms Safo 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 7, with your permission, the Hon Deputy Minister for Health, Hon Aboagye- Gyedu would lay the said Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister.
    Mr Iddrisu 10:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, ordinarily, one would let this pass because the Hon Deputy Minister is one of our own, but a few minutes ago the Hon Deputy Majority Leader was over-excited and enthusiastic when a Member on this Side of the House was not immediately available. She was all joy. I did not know her joy was terminal. [Laughter.]
    Mr Speaker, so we have the right to ask, and we will ask the whereabouts of the Hon Minister for Health.
    That it is only appropriate, that in seeking the permission, this House on behalf of the people of Ghana is accordingly informed of the whereabouts
    Mr Iddrisu 10:54 a.m.


    of the Minister for Health and his inability to lead the process of laying the Paper for the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals.

    Mr Speaker, but for the presumption of reasonability, we are reasonable men here led by you. I leave it there, but the next time she wants to dance, she should be prepared to dance to dawn.

    Mr Speaker, the Dagombas say that the time is not in a haste for any dance which would ensue into dawn. She was in a hurry to condemn an Hon Member of this House for not being available. Let her do same now for the Hon Minister for Health.
    Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
    Definitely, we would need to know why the Hon Minister -- Let us not take that matter for granted. Hon Deputy Majority Leader, you would have to tell us why the Hon Minister is not here.
    Ms Safo 11:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, before I start, I believe that the Hon Minority Leader came in in the middle of my submission. I would want to remind him that the excitement being terminal started with the Hon Minority Chief Whip when he started --
    Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
    Hon Member, tell us where the Hon Minister is. [Laughter.]
    Ms Safo 11:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Health is currently in Bolgatanga in respect of the same agreement that has been laid now, captured in item numbered 6, to inspect the state of that hospital to start the project.
    Mr Speaker, in any event, I wish to quote article 79 of the Constitution.
    Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
    Hon Member, if the Hon Minister is away from Accra, it is enough for our purposes. Let us not turn this into another --
    Ms Safo 11:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, Hon Deputy Ministers are to assist their Hon Ministers.
    Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
    Very well.
    Ms Safo 11:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, per article 79 of the Constitution, they are to assist their Hon Ministers.
    Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
    Order!
    Ms Safo 11:14 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, you may lay the Paper.
    BILLS -- FIRST READING 11:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
    Item listed 8 - Motion. Hon Member for Ofoase/Ayirebi,
    Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah? I have a list and it is agreed upon in
    terms of persons and time which would be duly regarded.
    Hon Oppong-Nkrumah, you have 25 minutes.
    MOTIONS 11:14 a.m.
    Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah (NPP -- Ofoase/Ayirebi) 11:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House thanks H.E. the President for the Message on the State of the Nation which he delivered to Parliament on Thursday, 21st February,
    2019.
    Mr Speaker, at the onset, permit me to recognise the decorum with which Hon Members of Parliament conducted themselves and received the President's Message on the day. Many times, it gets embarrassing to watch the heartbeat of our nation's democracy reduced to a chamber of shouting, placards bearing and catcalls on an august occasion like that.
    In times without number, we ourselves have given cause for the world to ridicule us by virtue of how we have behaved. Mr Speaker, it was such a joy to watch how Hon Members from across the divide in silence copiously taking notes received the President's Message. In particular, I would want to commend the Minority for the decorum that they showed on that day.
    Mr Speaker, I would also want to commend the Majority for not being provocative. It is a good development that I believe we should endeavour to continue in the years ahead of us. Something is changing in our body politic. The change that we have been talking about is gradually beginning to happen.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to also commend the President of the Republic for the themes that he spoke about and the posture that he chose on that day. It was heart-warming to see the Head of State speak with grace, maturity, candour and respect to his people.
    I believe all of us were proud to observe how the leader of the nation did not go into a law tirade of political finger pointing, but instead, gave a message that was apt and fit for the purpose and I commend him too for that.
    Mr Speaker, the Message on the State of the Nation is a constitutional obligation that is imposed on any President to deliver at the beginning and before the dissolution of each Session of Parliament. Article 67 chooses its words carefully. It requires the President to deliver a message on the state of the nation.
    The 1992 Constitution is a very clever document. Where it wants reports, it asks for it; where it wants accounts, it asks for it and where it wants a message, like in this instance, it asks for it. It does not prescribe a form for this act.
    The framers of our Constitution seek, an engagement where the President joins us here in this Chamber and delivers a message that sets the tone for that national conversation, a message that conveys to us where we are heading as a country and a message that rallies our best energies to pursue that cause.
    Mr Speaker, in this debate from today and in the days ahead of us, we are not here to examine with great respect a report, what is included and what was not included; we are not here to examine an account -- what is missing and what was in. We are here to examine a Message on the State of the Nation.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to focus my submission on the conclusion that H. E. the President gave to this Message. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to quote his final words.
    “We may have some challenges but the state of our nation is healthy.”
    Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah (NPP -- Ofoase/Ayirebi) 11:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, permit me to just invoke about five examples from his Message to demonstrate this with the first being peace and security. Mr Speaker, peace and security of a nation is the first obligation of this and any head of State.
    It determines whether we can go about our daily lives with a peace of mind; whether we can find the atmosphere for investors, both local and foreign, to bring in their resources or whether or not we can build on this foundation we are building a nation that is stable.
    Peace and security is not guaranteed by mere rhetoric that we are a peaceful people or nation; it is guaranteed by making the necessary investments in staffing, training and tooling our security agencies.
    Mr Speaker, for many years, our security agencies have been left unattended to leading to a gradual whittling down of their abilities and their professionalism.
    Mr Speaker, basic equipment like vehicles, body apparel, crime fighting equipment, communication gadgets and the real tools which they require to guarantee the peace and security of our nation were either not supplied or in some cases, we are told by the State when an attempt was made to supply them was used as a ruse to squander state resources.
    Mr Speaker, in just two years, the Akufo-Addo Administration has provided the Ghana Police Service with about 4,000 additional men; over 200 vehicles have already been provided and equipment for communication and crime detection as well as a transformation programme for the Police Service is already underway.
    Our military, in the last few days, received the first set of about 140 vehicles, more men, equipment for the defence of our territorial integrity and protection of our oil and other installations.
    Mr Speaker, decades of conflicts that have rendered hundreds of our people jobless, displaced, maimed or even dead are also being resolved in Yendi and in other parts of the country.
    Robberies and other crimes, according to statistics, are down and though the report of about three missing girls scare all of us, our security agencies are being better resourced today so that they can be at the heels of the few miscreants who have breached the peace.
    Violence associated with elections, which have troubled us for decades, is for the first time being tackled by a sitting President demonstrating unprecedented leadership on the matters regardless of whose is good.

    Mr Speaker, the necessary actions to deepen peace and security in our nations are the ones the President and his Administration are attending to. Yes, we may have a few challenges but the state of our security agencies is healthier today. Change is happening, Mr Speaker.

    The state of education is healthier in Ghana today. For many years, we have fought the battle to ensure that education would not be the preserve of the rich in Ghana.

    When my own father qualified for Senior Secondary School at the time, it had to take the entire family to come together to contribute money, put the family's cocoa farm up as a collateral for a

    loan before he could go to the secondary school. The previous NPP Administration commenced the exercise of giving life to the Free, Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE) provisions in our Constitution through the capitation grant's escalation, et cetera.

    Mr Speaker, today, the Akufo Addo Administration has expanded the definition of basic education to include senior high school education. And it is being made free for the millions of children who would be coming through that system across the length and breadth of our country.

    Mr Speaker, additionally, to deal with the potential challenge of congestion, this House has approved about US$1.5billion of funds for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to complete and to augment outstanding infrastructure in the Senior High School.

    Mr Speaker, if I may read a few specifics under education from the President's Message. He says that it warms his heart that we are now able to say that education in the public sector is free from kindergarten to senior high school. And that this year, legislation would be passed to re-define basic education to include senior high school.

    All is set for the construction of the ten state-of-the-art Technical and Vocational Education Training Centres (TVET Centres). Ten Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Centres are also built across the country.

    The importance of science, technology and innovation has left the President to also appoint a Presidential Advisory Council on science, technology and

    innovation. A well-motivated and remunerated teacher is also being put at the centre of quality education.

    Mr Speaker, the state of the railway sector is also healthier today. Railways started in the 1800s in Ghana gave birth to the commercial triangle of Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi. It led to the development of many mineral mining centres across this triangle.

    Again, when I was growing up as a young boy in Koforidua on the campus of Ghana Secondary School, you could hear at mid-day, the touting horns of the train. This has gone down for many years now. Over the years, the railways sector has collapsed and it has put immense pressure on our roads and it has shed hundreds of jobs in the process.

    Mr Speaker, today, due to the hard work of the Akufo-Addo Administration, the Accra-Tema Railway line is healthier and it is back and running.

    The Accra-Nsawam Railway line would be back on stream in a few week's time as a sign of renewed health. Work is resuming shortly on the Accra to Koforidua line and the state of our railways would continue to get healthier as the years move on.

    Mr Speaker, also, the state of governance is healthier today. Decentralisation is being deepened; administrative units for the regions and districts have been increased. State
    Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah (NPP -- Ofoase/Ayirebi) 11:24 a.m.
    agencies for fighting corruption are being strengthened as more layers like the Office of the Special Prosecutor are added.
    Bills like the Right to Information (RTI) Bill which is a critical tool for deepening our governance, have hitherto, been tossed back and forth outside this Chamber. For about seventeen years, successive Governments and Parliaments have tossed the RTI Bill back and forth from this Chamber.
    Mr Speaker, due to the commitment shown by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and this august House, we are happy to note that the Consideration Stage for the RTI Bill has now been completed.
    Ghana would soon be added to the enviable list of nations that could boast of the RTI law; it would be a reality and the liberties of our people would be given through effect. Change is happening even in the governance of our country.
    Mr Speaker, the macro economy is also healthier today than it has been in our recent history. All our vital statistics have literally now stabilised except for a temporary jolt on the currency.
    The competence with which the other economic pillars have been fixed is the same competence with which the temporary jolt of the currency would also be addressed. And here, again, I would like to read a few excerpts of the President's Address:
    “Production in the economy as measured by real GDP growth has picked up very strongly in the last two years. From 3.4 per cent in 2016, real GDP growth is increased to 8.1 per cent in 2017. In 2018, provisional
    data for the first three quarters indicate real GDP growth of 6.0, which is higher than the annual target of 5.6 per cent that was achieved.
    Real GDP growth for 2019 is forecasted as 7.6 per cent. Ghana's GDP growth has placed it among the highest in the world. The fiscal deficit that we have cried about for so long, is now being brought down from the 7.3 of re-based GDP in 2016 to a provisional 3.9 per cent of GDP at the end of the 2018.
    The debt to GDP ratio as well has declined from 56 per cent to 54 per cent at the end of 2018. Inflation has dropped from 15.4 per cent to 9.0 per cent. Interest rates are declining and that is why the Bank of Ghana's Monetary Policy Rate is also reflecting same.”
    Mr Speaker, today, even though after some years of mismanaging our own economic affairs, we went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout because ‘we had chewed the meat down to the bones'. Today, we are happy that Ghana is exiting the IMF programme.

    Mr Speaker, our nation is at an opportune time in history, one in which we have to break the genes of one step forward and two steps backward; one in which we cannot go back to the habit and the practices that held us back as a nation

    for decades. In the words of some of our former Heads of State, we are at a time where we must go forward ever, but backwards never.

    Our focus at this moment must not be on the one or two challenges in our midst. As the President says, yes, we may have a few challenges but the state of our nation is healthier. We must instead, summon the courage to surmount these challenges and move forward.

    And that is why the President concludes his Message by saying that we must stand shoulder to shoulder; hand in hand; I dare even say Mr Speaker, boot by boot working together to achieve the day of the coming beauty of Ghana.

    I thank you Mr Speaker for the opportunity.
    Mr Speaker 11:24 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Oppong-Nkrumah.
    Mr James Agalga (NDC--Builsa North) 11:34 a.m.
    Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to second the Motion ably moved by my learned Friend and Hon Colleague, the Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah.
    Mr Speaker, in seconding the Motion, I would like to first and foremost congratulate you for maintaining order in the House when His Excellency, the President delivered the State of the Nation Address.

    Mr Speaker, having said that, I would also like to commend the President for

    honouring his constitutional obligation captured under article 67 of our Constitution.

    Mr Speaker, in this Chamber, on the occasion of the delivery of the President's State of the Nation Address, was H. E., former President Rawlings and his spouse. I wish to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to them for attending upon the House.

    Mr Speaker, I cannot conclude the vote of thanks for identifiable personalities who attended upon us, without saluting H. E. Former President John Dramani Mahama -- [Hear! Hear!] -- who a few days ago, received a resounding endorsement by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to lead them into election 2020, and possibly, unseat President Akufo-Addo.

    The Hon Member who moved the Motion has attempted to place some interpretation on article 67, and that interpretation is dangerous. He seems to suggest that the debate on the message on the state of the nation must be confined to the text of the speech delivered.

    However, the message on the state of the nation is about what has transpired over the period, so when the President sets foot in this House, his duty is to tell us what the real state of affairs of our nation is.

    Having drawn the parameters, I would like to state that my contribution to this debate would primarily centre on the state
    Mr James Agalga (NDC--Builsa North) 11:44 a.m.
    of security in our country. The rest of the sectorial issues would be dealt with by my Hon Colleagues at the appropriate time.
    Mr Speaker, the first issue I would want to deal with, which was raised by H. E. the President is the state of affairs in Dagbon. I would not mince words and congratulate H. E. the President for his efforts in restoring peace to Dagbon.
    In the President's Address, he singled out the Committee of Eminent Chiefs for praise, namely, the Otumfuor, the Yagbonwura and the Nayiri.
    What is conspicuously missing in the Address is the acknowledgment of the efforts of successive Presidents before H. E. President Akufo-Addo. I recall that in the aftermath of the sad event that led to the murder of the Yaa-Naa and 40 of his followers, former President Kufuor, the then Head of State, caused to be constitu- ted, a Committee of Eminent Chiefs.
    From that time onwards, that committee has been very active and has gone through a lot of challenges. However, as the Otumfuor rightly said in a statement he delivered prior to the presentation of the roadmap to peace in Dagbon, President Akufo-Addo was only the luckiest President under whose tenure the peace in Dagbon was eventually cemented.
    Mr Speaker, consequently, it would have been appropriate for the President to shower praise on former President Kufuor, his predecessor and President Mills, the Asomdwehene, may his soul rest in peace.
    The Asomdwehene worked very closely with the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to try to find a lasting solution to the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis.
    Throughout his tenure as president, the late President Mills supported the committee with all the logistics and support that they required. So the committee was able to hold countless number of sittings, all in an attempt to find peace in Dagbon.
    Then former President Mahama took over. Former President Mahama in line with the directive principles of state policy captured under the Constitution, and realising that government is a continuum, continued with the good work of his predecessors.
    So in 2015, when former President Mahama visited Yendi to join the chiefs and people of Dagbon to celebrate the Damba Festival, the then acting overlord of Dagbon, in recognition of the efforts of former President Mahama in restoring peace and unity in Dagbon, enskinned him as the Yeni zoo-Maligu-Naa of Dagbon.
    Mr Speaker, with the conferment of this title in recognition of the efforts of former President Mahama in restoring peace to Dagbon, the President ought to have acknowledged his contribution towards the restoration of peace in Dagbon.

    Mr Speaker, I would like to make one last point on Dagbon. Yes, the customary rites have been performed and the performance of those rites have resulted in the enskinment of a new Yaa-Naa.

    However, one issue remains unresolved and that issue is the apprehension of the perpetrators of the murders that happened in Yendi.

    The soul of Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II is still crying for justice. I have said time without number on this Floor, that crimes are not affected by statutes of limitation.

    So I would urge President Akufo-Addo to continue to work to ensure that the perpetrators of the murders of Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II and 40 of his followers, are apprehended and brought to justice.

    Mr Speaker, President Akufo-Addo stated on page 24 of his Address that the amendment of L.I. 1 332 has now materialised and would be fully implemented.

    During the Budget debate, I had occasion to caution about the dangers inherent in the implementation of such a policy. I would want to repeat here and now, that the implementation of the amendment to L. I. 1332 would result in us having an ageing force.

    How would that affect the overall security of our State? It would mean that the ability of our men and women in uniform to defend our territorial integrity stands to be questioned.

    All I would say on this point is that what our soldiers need is not the prolonging of their service, but an enhanced retirement package, so that when they retire, they can properly integrate themselves into civilian populace.

    Mr Speaker, let me now turn my attention to another point H.E. the

    President raised which had to do with the increase in the allowances of soldiers who are deployed on United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping operations.

    President Akufo-Addo stated catego- rically that he has caused to be increased, the UN Peacekeeping allowance from US$30 to US$35.

    With the greatest respect to H. E. the President, the increase is not something that he effected. The increase was effected by H. E. former President John Dramani Mahama. [Hear! Hear!] To establish this point, I would refer this Honourable House to the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) 2016 Manifesto to put matters beyond doubt.

    Mr Speaker, with your kind permission, I read from page 150, paragraph 4.

    “President Mills increased it by 11 per cent to US$30, President Mahama increased it by just US$1 to US$31, being a mere 3 per cent increase, in all a total of 14 per cent increase over the 8 years of the NDC Government.

    Mr Speaker, my emphasis is,

    Mr Speaker, with this expose captured in the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) own manifesto, it is palpably wrong for H.E the President to attempt to take credit for the increase in the United Nation's (UN) Peacekeeping allowance President Mahama increased for the benefit of our men and women in uniform.
    Mr James Agalga (NDC--Builsa North) 11:44 a.m.


    Mr Speaker, the President touched on happenings at the Ayawaso West Wuo- gon by-election on the 31st January, 2019, and in doing so, H.E the President related to —
    Mr Nitiwul 11:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of information — [Uproar.]
    Mr Speaker, the Point of Order I rise on is premised on the fact that the Hon Member opposite is absolutely mis- leading this House. This is the third time he has attempted to mislead this House and the third time I have corrected him on the same issue.
    He did it in 2017 and I corrected him, he did same in 2018 and this is the third time I am correcting him.
    Mr Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    Hon Members, let us listen. Hon Members, we shall not engage in the shouting much. Let the point be made and we shall all argue and counter argue intelligently.
    Hon Members order!
    Hon Minister please proceed.
    Mr Nitiwul 11:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, President Mahama announced a US$1 increase for the men and women of the Ghana Armed Forces from US$30 to US$31.
    The NPP then, under my chairmanship of the Security Committee put up a proposal that we would increase it to US$35. Then an announcement came that they had increased it by another US$4. Not a single dollar was paid to any soldier.
    Mr Speaker, not only that — Not a single dollar.
    Mr Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    There would not be shouting much. And the Hon Member on his feet is the Hon Minister for Defence. In fact, I have even recognised quickly, former Hon Ministers on the Minority Side of the House, including Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah and others on matters of energy et cetera when those matters arose in this House.
    I have done it as a matter of practice because I respect their positions. Please, the Hon Minister would tell us what his view or position is on the matter. You may contradict and I will give you the opportunity.
    Hon Minister, you would continue.
    Mr Nitiwul 11:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I used the word, “announced” because an anounce- ment was made, the Ministry of Defence never took action, and the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces then never took action.
    No single soldier under the watch of the previous administration, up to December, 31, 2016 got any payment beyond US$30 a day.
    Mr Speaker, when the NPP came to power, what is even more worrying is that, the soldiers were owed US$13 million. We had to look for that money to pay them and then increase their allowance from US$30 to US$35.
    I have corrected him and this is the third time I am correcting him, that he is misleading this House and he should stop it. Not a single soldier, all ranks; whether officer or other rank was paid anything beyond US$30 —
    Mr Agalga — rose —
    Mr Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    Hon Member, you would have your chance again. And in fact, time is not running against you. I have looked at the time. But please, no disorder.
    Hon Minister, please continue.
    Mr Nitiwul 11:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, so I just want to put the facts right, that until the 13th February, 2017 soldiers in Ghana received US$35 a day.
    It was when the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo went to Burma Camp and announced that the time they would start would be January, 2017 and that was the date we started paying soldiers in Ghana US$35. Until then, soldiers in Ghana received only US$30 a day. And he can find out.

    Mr Iddrisu — rose—
    Mr Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    Order! Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Iddrisu 11:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am compelled to rise so that what you succinctly described a few days ago as extraordinary could repeat itself. But I may be disappointed if we do not guide the process of the debate on this subject. I respect the Hon Minster for Defence; he has a right of reply and response, but not to debate a Member who is already on the Floor.
    Mr Speaker, may I refer you to Standing Order 92(1b), and I beg to quote 11:44 a.m.
    “(b) to elucidate some matter raised by the Member speaking in the course of his speech, provided
    that the Member speaking is willing to give way and resume his seat, and that the Member wishing to interrupt is called by Mr Speaker.”

    Mr Speaker, when the Hon Minister for Information, Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah got his turn, we could be rising up and down and interrupting. We gave him his opportunity. I am saying we should all define the character. I am fine either ways. We are ready for the debate.

    As an Hon Minister, he has an opportunity any day to speak for as much time as the Speaker may permit. But to be debating in the name of point of order and point of information, I have a problem with it.

    For instance, when he says, his security committee — President Mahama was not privy to his security committee. Secondly, if a President makes an announcement, it was for the chain of command to respect him as Commander in Chief — More importantly, he says, an announcement was made — If he wants he could correct the NPP manifesto.

    The Hon Member was quoting verbatim from the manifesto and not from his head and mind. And so let us define the character of the debate.

    If he wants to change the NPP manifesto the Hon Member quoted, he should say so, bring it here, lay it and so change it. Those words of US$30, US$31 plus US$4 — Agenda for Change were his words
    Mr Speaker, may I refer you to Standing Order 92(1b), and I beg to quote 11:54 a.m.


    I would want the character properly defined. We are ready -- whether in the air, sea -- let us define the rules and proceed.

    Mr Speaker, but I am guided that you wanted to guide all of us when you said what happened was extraordinary; let us continue in an extraordinary manner, respect each other on our rights to speak, but speak factually on the matter.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:54 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    our Standing Orders provide that in the course of any debate, the debate could be interrupted and that is Order 91. The Standing Orders provide where and when a debate may be interrupted by a point of order being raised.
    Mr Speaker, the Standing Orders provide in Order 92(1)(a) -- I realised the Hon Minority Leader elected to deal with Order 92(1)(b).
    Mr Speaker, I recollect that the Hon Minister for Defence first came on a point of information but later on reclined and said he was on a point of order because the Hon Member was misleading this House. In that regard, Order 92(1)(a) applies and not Order 92(1)(b). Order 92(1)(a) which provides that:
    “No Member shall interrupt any other Member except:
    (a) By rising to a point of order, that is, where any of these Orders is alleged to have been infringed, whereupon the Member speaking shall resume his seat -- ‘which is what he did' -- and the Member interrupting shall simply direct the attention to the point which he desires to bring to notice and submit it to Mr Speaker for decision;”
    Mr Speaker, in this case the Hon Member said he was misleading this House by presenting factual inaccuracies; the Hon Member has not said that an announcement was not made.

    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member sought to create the impression that indeed, US $35 per head and per day had been paid - -- that is the impression the Hon Member sought to create.

    Now, the Hon Minister for Defence admits that indeed that announcement was made to increase it from US$30 to US $31 and from US $31 subsequently to US

    $35.

    But indeed, though the late Prof. Mills promised to increase it from US $30 to US $31, subsequently, the then President Mahama increased it from the alleged US$31 to US $35 but indeed and in truth, nothing was paid out. That is the reality that the Hon Minister has related to.
    Mr Speaker 11:54 a.m.
    Hon Members, the cumulative effect of point of orders and point of corrections et cetera is that an Hon Member while another is making a statement may rise to correct that statement if he or she thinks it is factually, statistically, scientifically or otherwise wrong. [Interruptions.]
    Hon Members, order!
    Hon Members, in fact, that is the interpretation of the rule; it has always been and would in fact always be. That is the reason you as Hon Members yourselves have repeatedly drawn my attention to the fact that this House is a House of records.
    Therefore, if at any given time, an Hon Member is of the view that something that would be going on the record needs to be withdrawn, corrected or contradicted -- whatever -- that person is entitled to make that contribution.
    I believe that is the essence of what is happening right now. If upon this basis, any person would want to interrogate the correctness or otherwise of the matter further, that Hon Member may please file a question or to the details of the Armed Forces payments et cetera to be duly answered.

    Hon Members, I am not asking for a withdrawal; I am doing that advisedly. One statement is there and another statement there, if you would want to carry the matter a step further, ask a question and that question would then become statutorily provided for.

    Hon Member, you may go on.
    Mr Agalga 11:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am guided.
    I would now turn my attention to the Ayawaso West Wuogon By-Election which was alluded to by H.E. the President in page 28 of the State of Nation Address,
    2019.
    Mr Speaker, H.E the President in his Address seems to suggest that the Ayawaso West Wuogon By-Election which was characterised by violence was not any different from what happened at the Chereponi, Atiwa, Akwatia and Talensi by-elections.
    But the distinction between Ayawaso West Wuogon and Chereponi, Akwatia, Talensi and Amenfi are very distinct and unique.
    Mr Speaker, unlike the other by- elections, for the first time in our political history, vigilantes masquerading as security operatives were unleashed to cause mayhem on innocent Ghanaians whose only offence was that they had come out on the morning of 31st January, 2019 to exercise their franchise. That is the difference between Ayawaso West Wuogon and the rest of the by-elections I have related to.
    Mr Speaker, H.E. the President also tells us in the State of the Nation Address, 2019 that rather than allowing the police to continue with criminal investigations, he found it necessary to set up a Commission of Enquiry.
    The danger inherent in the establish- ment of the Commission of Enquiry to deal with the matter is that we are simply granting immunity from prosecution to the perpetrators of the violence at Ayawaso West Wuogon By-Election.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you have any difficulty? [Pause]
    Hon Members, I would want to make it very clear that an Hon Member is entitled to make opinions and statements. I would only allow interruptions upon certain statistical or factual matters; there, you may correct.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you and I rise on a point of order.
    My respected senior Hon Colleague submitted that a court cannot hear a matter in the criminal procedure in a situation where a Commission of Enquiry has made adverse findings.
    Mr Speaker, with the greatest respect, this is not an opinion. He is making a legal submission and that is not the law. The learned judge he quoted, and unfor- tunately, he did not quote him verbatim, His Lordship Marful-Sau, J.A. as he then was, never said that.
    Mr Speaker, I challenge him that if he is making a legal submission here to convince this House that the President has erred, and that the setting up of the Presidential Commission would grant immunity to people who otherwise could have been prosecuted, I challenge him to procure that law before us on this Floor.
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, wait and let him explain.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:04 p.m.
    Very well.
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, you may.
    Mr Agalga 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I referenced a court judgement; The Republic v Charles Wereko Brobbey and Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani. That authority is very clear.
    Mr Speaker, my learned friend is a lawyer. If he is in doubt --
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, do not worry about he being in doubt. You just repeat the essence of your statement. What can be done or cannot be done when it is a Commission of Enquiry upon which you are making a premise? I see your point but clarify it.
    Mr Agalga 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the point I made was that per the decision in The Republic v Charles Wereko Brobbey and Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani , the ratio decidendi is that, findings of a Commission of Enquiry cannot form the basis of criminal prosecutions and that is the position I made.
    This is what the decision in The Republic v Charles Wereko Brobbey and Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani says.
    What is he trying to controvert?
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    In other words, if you want to prosecute, prosecute but no Commission of Enquiry.
    Please, continue. I would give you another five minutes because of the interruptions.
    Mr Agalga 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you. The Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah in moving the Motion told this Honourable House that crime statistics are very favourable and for which reason H. E. the President should be applauded for an excellent delivery when he attended upon this Honourable House.
    Mr Speaker, what the Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah failed to do was to disclose the statistics that he prefers to rely on but I would assist him with some crime statistics if he is minded to take pains and listen.

    Mr Speaker, in 2018, we recorded 1919 incidents of robbery which represent 38 per cent increase from the figures of 2016 when the NDC government left office. So if he is talking about crime statistics, he should be guided by these figures.

    Mr Speaker, above all, H.E. the President omitted to refer to the contract killings that have so far hit our country in the month of January 2019. The murder of the journalist, Ahmed Suale, is something that ought to attract --
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Order! Yes, Hon Opare- Ansah?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 12:04 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member across just mentioned that there are contract killings. Would he be kind enough to tell this House one single incident that has been proved in court in Ghana, that that was contract killing, otherwise, he should withdraw his statement? [Uproar.]
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, I would advise if you want to talk about killings, do so. Contract killing is a whole phenomenon by itself. So just go on but withdraw contract killing.
    Mr Agalga 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I withdraw but would say murders. The unresolved murders that we recorded in January 2019 ought to have been referenced in Mr
    Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    I thank you very much, Hon Agalga.
    Hon Dr Okoe Boye, you have12 minutes.
    Dr Benard Okoe Boye (NPP-- Ledzokuku) 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor and in the process appreciate the President for fulfilling his constitutional duties in appearing before this House.
    Mr Speaker, knowing that you are a very meticulous person, I really arranged my presentation but I would like to say a few things to some of the claims by my Hon Brother on the other Side when he tried to speak mainly on the security matters.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Brother on the other Side says that H. E. the President was only lucky to have had the enskinment of the overlord of Dagbon during his time but I would like to quote
    Dr Benard Okoe Boye (NPP-- Ledzokuku) 12:14 p.m.


    “Luck is a word that is void of sins, for nothing can exist without a cause.”

    What it means is that anything one sees cannot be an accident. It is a deliberate effort and inputs that makes one see them. I am happy to say that the President of the Republic did not go to sleep when he came to meet the Committee of Eminent Chiefs and he gave them all the support and made sure that we succeed in having a Yaa-Naa enskinned.

    Mr Speaker, when we lost the Yaa-Naa unfortunately some years ago, there was a price to pay for the Government that was in power. And whether one was comfortable with it or not, the Government that sees to the enskinment of a new Yaa- Naa has a reward to carry and that reward has been carried by this Government.

    Mr Speaker, this attempt to attribute successes or efforts by Governments to luck and other things has actually not showed up only in security. Even when it comes to the Presidential and Parliamentary election results of 2016, some still claim that they were doing so well.

    Government changed only because we told stories to the public, but I am here to announce that the judgement that was passed on 7th December, 2016 to a larger extent has been justified by the things we see under President Akufo-Addo.

    Mr Speaker, my brother, Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has spoken to some of the gains made when it comes to the economy. Every trade was in the negative.

    In 2011, we had an unprecedented growth in real GDP - 14 per cent. There was a downward trend from 14 to 9.3, 7.3, all the way to 3. 4 per cent. Immediately in 2017, there was a reversal of the trend.

    The reversal did not happen only with the economy. Even in agriculture, Ghana was doing about 2.3 per cent growth in 2015. We did 2.9 per cent.

    Mr Speaker, I am happy to announce to you that in 2017, we did 6.1 per cent growth in agriculture. Every graph changed direction under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.

    Mr Speaker, this is very commendable.

    Mr Speaker, the Manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) clearly states in its theme: “Change, an agenda for jobs”. So, after having spoken about the macro- economic gains, it is important to relate them to jobs.

    Mr Speaker, in 2018, the Youth Employment Agency gave opportunities to over 107,000 of Ghana's youth in various modules. In 2019, it is being scaled up to 125,000 youth.

    Mr Speaker, as an individual who has worked in the health sector in this country, I am happy to announce that during these two year period, we have had clearances given to Ghanaians in numbers that we have never witnessed in the past eight years.

    Close to 13,000 Ghanaians were given clearances to work in the health sector in 2017. I am happy to mention that in 2018, 11,118 individuals have been given clearances by the Ministry of Finance to be engaged in the health sector in this country.

    In September 2018, we had a further 14,524 nurses assistants given clearances to be engaged in our hospitals.

    Mr Speaker, I lived it and I experienced it. During the 2016 campaign, I met a nurse who told me that I do not have to speak that much because she had sat home for the past five years.

    Mr Speaker, a total of 88,719 Ghanaians have been given clearances to work in the public sector --
    rose
    Mr Speaker 12:14 p.m.
    Hon Muntaka?
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is misleading this House. For him to state that all nurses who were trained up to 2016 have been posted and what is left is those of 2017 and 2018 -- the clearance for 2016 graduands is yet to come.
    Mr Speaker, I have constituents and I am sure ordinary Ghanaians are listening to us. The clearance of graduands of 2016 are still not in. I can say this for a fact because I have a sister who completed in 2016 and up till now, she is waiting for her clearance.
    So he should get his facts right. It is true that clearances are being processed but it is not correct that only that of 2017 and 2018 are outstanding. That of 2016 is equally outstanding.
    Mr Speaker 12:14 p.m.
    Hon Dr Boye, continue.
    Dr Boye 12:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the fact that the
    Hon Minority Chief Whip states to 2016 means that he admits that clearances for 2013, 2014 and 2015 have been given. Out of reverence for him, although his position is very contentious, I would move on with my debate.
    Mr Speaker, data from Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) makes us understand that 208,620 formal jobs have been created in the private sector. This is an improvement on the 197,000 formal jobs created in 2017. These are SSNIT figures.
    Mr Speaker, the only way we can have this massive improvement is to have an environment that is conducive for business. So there is a clear correlation between the macro-economic environment that we have created and the jobs that are being realised.

    Mr Speaker, I am very happy to mention as the grandson of a fisherman that for the first time in the history of my community, Ledzokuku and the communities in other 12 districts in this country, we are going to have the construction of 12 landing sites.

    This is massive infrastructural development that would have serious effects when it comes to informal jobs.

    Mr Speaker, it is not only Teshi that is going to benefit. James Town, Keta, Ada, Axim, Mumford and so on would also benefit. This is the way we have to go as a Government. We promised to construct them during our campaign in 2016 and we have lived to our word.

    Mr Speaker, when one has a job, the next thing he or she thinks about is the sustenance of the job and satisfaction. He or she also has to now start thinking of things like food security, education for his or her children and the future of the next generation.

    Mr Speaker, we were told by some of our Friends on the other Side that with the best of efforts and with the most efficient teams in Government, it could be realised only in 20years.
    Mr Speaker 12:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, two minutes more.
    Dr Boye 12:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am happy to mention that we have not only commenced the Free SHS programme, we have also seen to its preservation.
    This is the third year that it is going into operation and we are happy to mention that the funding is available. It is not only available but we are committed.
    Mr Speaker, the President mentioned that an NPP Government is good for Ghana. I have been thinking and pondering over those words and it led me to an interesting revelation. Anytime an NPP Government comes into power. Agencies or projects that were moribund and virtually dead all of a sudden found life.
    The University of Ghana sports complex which has been lying idle since 2007 all of a sudden has seen a life breath into it and as I speak, Consar is right on it.
    Mr Speaker, Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) was almost moribund and comatosed. As I speak, they have opened about two new port lines.
    This is because this Government made special arrangements so that they could buy power at 0.03 cent per kWh.

    Mr Speaker, I would also mention the bouncing back to life of the National Health Insurance Scheme, also moribund, but now very alive and kicking.

    Mr Speaker, with all these achieve- ments that I have itemised, it is very fair to mention that a retention of President Nana Akufo-Addo for a second term is no more an option to be considered, it is an obligation to be fulfilled. [Hear! Hear!] It is a call to duty, and an assignment to be honoured.

    Mr Speaker, I believe in this country. I believe in your guidance as the Rt. Hon Speaker. I believe in the cooperation of the Minority, but more importantly, I believe in the hope that Ghanaians have in President Akufo-Addo.

    The hope that at least, we have made gains, and so appreciates the aspirations of the future.
    Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Helen Ntoso, you have 12 minutes.
    Hon Member, you would end at 12. 40 p. m.
    Hon Members, the Hon First Deputy Speaker would take the Chair in the process.
    Hon Member, you may proceed, and by 12. 40 p. m., you should be done.
    Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso (NDC -- Krachi West) 12:24 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity to debate on the 2019 State of the Nation Address, delivered by His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, in the 2018 Message on the State of the Nation Address, the President stated in paragraph 4 on page 14 and with your permission I quote, it says:
    “Mr Speaker, the safety and security of our people are at the heart of all that we do. Ghanaian citizens have a right to expect to
    Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
    Hon Member, withdraw. It is most inappropriate to say that the President has surrounded himself with vigilantes. The President is protected by the State security and not by vigilantes. Please, you should withdraw and proceed quickly. [Interruption.]
    Hon Members, Order!
    Ms Ntoso 12:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I can explain, but I would withdraw, because we saw some of them following him. [Inter- ruption.]
    Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
    Hon Members, Order!
    Yes, Hon Member, what did you say?
    Ms Ntoso 12:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I withdraw and will proceed.
    12. 31 p.m. --
    MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Ms Ntoso 12:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my other question is that would the President purge the security agencies of all the vigilante group members that have been necodemously recruited into the regular security services? [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Speaker, I am asking this question because there is the need.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:24 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on. I am stopping your time, so that you do not lose it.
    Yes, Hon Member for Okaikwei Central?
    Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah 12:24 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, we are guided by your directive that this is a serious debate on the message that the President delivered to this House.
    The Hon Member for Krachi West made a categorical statement that the President has surrounded himself with vigilantes and was asked by the Rt Hon Speaker to withdraw, but all that she said was that she apologises.
    Mr Speaker, what she has to say is that she is withdrawing the statement that she made and have that statement expunged from the records. If she says that she apologises, she has not withdrawn the statement, so she has to withdraw that categorical statement and apologise.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:24 p.m.
    Hon Member, I heard her say: “Mr Speaker, I am withdrawing and proceeding”. So the records reflects that she withdrew the offending statement.
    Hon Member, you may continue.
    Ms Ntoso 12:24 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Hon Member was not listening. He should now listen with rapt attention.
    Mr Speaker, I am asking these questions because there is the need for the people of this country to gain back the lost confidence reposed in the regular security services.
    Mr Speaker, it is rather unfortunate that the President did not find space in his 30 page address to talk about the girls who
    were kidnapped. I am a mother, and there is no one here, that when his or her child is kidnapped, would be able to have a sound sleep.
    Therefore I expected the President as a father, to talk about the girls who have been kidnapped, and till now, have not been found.
    Mr Speaker, in the 2018 State of the Nation Address, the President stated on in paragraph 2 on page 9 and with your permission I quote, it says:
    “As I have heard it is said among the Ewes, that which is important, you cook in an important pot.”
    Mr Speaker, he spoke this proverb in the Ewe language -- “nu veve la, wo da ne le eze veve me”. The President spoke about the disbandment of vigilantism.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader -- ?
    Ms Safo 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I refer to Standing Order 89. I see my Hon Colleague on the other Side reading. [Interruption.] Standing Order 89 states and with your permission, I quote:
    “A Member shall not read his speech, but may read extracts from written or printed documents in support of his argument…”
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague has read since she rose from her seat. I can actually see from my side, the speech she is reading from.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Member, you can refer to your notes.
    Ms Ntoso 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.

    Mr Speaker, the President, in paragraph 6 on page 24 of the 2019 State of the Nation Address, said:

    “This year, we will also complete and commission the 500-bed Military Hospital in the Ashanti Region, and begin the third phase of this project.”

    Mr Speaker, I am a member of the Committee on Defence and Interior. Last year, it was stated that this project would be commissioned and operationalised -- it did not happen. He has told us that it would be completed this year, and a third phase -- the Hon Minister for Defence is here.

    There is no third phase for this project. I dare him to challenge me; there is not third phase for this particular project.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to refer to Revelation 12 12:34 p.m.
    9; we are told that the serpent that deceived Eve by its craftiness was thrown down to the Earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. So we should worry; the scheme of craftiness to deceive the people of this country should stop.
    rose
    Ms Ntoso 12:34 p.m.
    In conclusion, Mr Speaker, the President's attempt to disband vigilantism should not be a mere political catchphrase. It is critical; it must, therefore, be cooked -- I am referring to his proverb that important things must be cooked in an important pot. He should cook vigilantism in a very important pot.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, she has finished.
    Ms Safo 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member said that the attempt to deceive the people of Ghana -- the use of “deceive” is very offensive and unparliamentary, and ought to be withdrawn, especially when it is a message from the First Gentleman of this country who appeared before this House to present and actually satisfy his constitutional responsibility under article
    67.
    To describe that whole act, which we all wore our traditional clothes to witness, as a deception of the people of Ghana should not be entertained in this House.
    Although the Hon Member has concluded her submission, she ought to withdraw for it to be expunged from our
    records; it is unparliamentary and unheard of. It offends Standing Order 93(2).
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Member, I was not listening because the Clerk to Parliament was giving me some information. Did you say it was an attempt to deceive?
    Ms Ntoso 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I quoted -- I do not know if you did not listen or you did not hear me. I quoted the President who had said that the 500-bed capacity hospital in Kumasi would be completed this year and a third phase would be started. I said it was deception because there is no third phase to that project.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    So you stated that there was deception; that is unparliamentary. Kindly withdraw.
    Mr Ntoso 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I withdraw; but what is stated is a half-truth.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Minister for Defence, it is not your turn.
    I would now invite the Hon Minister for Agriculture to debate.
    Minister for Agriculture (Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto) 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to be part of this debate.
    I rise to support the Motion on the Floor. In doing so, I would stick to my portfolio of Food and Agriculture, which was eloquently covered by the President of the Republic during his visit to this House a few days ago. I would quote him from the second paragraph of page 21:
    “…this House stands informed, that, in 2018, exports of food crops
    such as cassava, rice, yellow and white maize, soya, plantain, cowpea and yam were made from Ghana to Burkina Faso, Togo and la Cote d'Ivoire in considerable quantities.”

    A total of 120,000 metric tonnes of food were exported in the year 2018. In the first year of the “Planting for Food and Jobs” Programme, 108,000 metric tonnes were exported to those five countries. Mr Speaker, if I may, I would like to mention the 17 crops one by one.

    We are talking about plantain, citrus, banana, white maize, yellow maize, soya beans, yam gari, rice, palm fruits, palm oil, cowpea, ginger, sorghum, groundnuts, pawpaw, cabbage and green beans.
    Some Hon Members 12:44 p.m.
    Source?
    Dr O. A. Akoto 12:44 p.m.
    The source is the Hon Minister for Agriculture -- [Uproar.] I am the source.
    Mr Speaker, I stand here as the Hon Minister for Agriculture of the Republic of Ghana and I have all the resources of the State --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.
    Hon Minister, kindly hold on. Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Agriculture stated some figures and said that he was the source. I would want you to enjoin the Hon Minister to do the right thing.

    The Hon Minister knows that he is not a technical person, and if he says that it is his Ministry, he should state that. He cannot be the source, and I would also want to say that he is misleading this country when he says that all these were as a result of his efforts.

    Mr Speaker, so far as we are concerned, plantain is not part of the “Planting for Food and Jobs” Programme --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.
    Hon Member, are you debating now? You have raised the point that he is not the source but his Ministry. That is well -- Yes, Hon Minister, correct your records.
    Dr O. A. Akoto 12:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I said that I was the source as a way of lightening the atmosphere and he knows it.
    The Ghanaian State has provided my Ministry with all the resources to be able to capture any data on agriculture in this country, and one would not get a more reliable source than at the Ministry of Agriculture; that is what I meant by that.
    Mr Speaker, so, we have 17 crops that I have mentioned and we have collected this primary data from 11 major local markets in this country. We have five countries that these items are going to, they include; la Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria and Niger and the records are there in the various occasions for anybody who cares to go and see.
    The success of agriculture under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo in two years, cannot be challenged.
    All the 30 million Ghanaians have been affected in one way or the other by the impact of this “Planting for Food and Jobs” Programme and the agricultural policy which this Government has chosen to pursue brought growth and transformation to the economy of Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, food prices in the urban areas have never been so cheap and I am sure that all of us would attest to that fact. The small holdings in the villages around this country have never had it so good in terms of raising farm incomes with increased productivity, volumes and prices and so on.
    Built on these two years' experience, the Government of Nana Akufo-Addo is coming out with four other modules under the “Planting for Food and Jobs Programme”; two of which are going to be launched this year and the other two, early next year.
    These are to do with livestock and tree crops. We are doing the tree crops in close collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development under whose auspices our agricultural extension officers now report to.
    As a result, that programme seeks to substantially expand the production and export of six tree crops. These six tree crops are; oil palm, rubber, cocoa, cashew, coconut and mangoes.
    They are seriously being worked on by the District Chief Executives (DCEs) around the country where each of them has been given a target of a number of seedlings that they have to produce in their hundreds of thousands to be given free-of-charge to farmers so they could have a source of income in cash crops.
    Mr Speaker, if you go to the northern sector of the country today, in the Upper East, Upper West and the Northern
    Regions, farmers are planting cashew; it is going to be the new cocoa of the Savannah Region.
    They are being produced in their millions, and for the next four to five years, that is going to be a programme that this Government will seriously undertake. It will be unveiled by the President of the Republic very soon in April 16, and the location has been chosen where the entire country will know the details of this massive plan to try to diversify the agricultural economy of this country.
    In addition to that, a major input is going to be made in the livestock sector with poultry as the major target, because we are spending over US$350 million every year in importing poultry when only 20 years ago, we used to export poultry to our neighbouring countries. The poultry industry is going to be revived based on the increased production of maize and soya beans that we are seeing under the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs' Programme.
    Mr Speaker, in addition to that, we have the small ruminants of sheep and goats and all the animal centres around the country which were closed under the previous Administration of the NDC. These would be revived and be launched by the President of the Republic under the ‘Rearing for Food and Jobs' which would be coming off in June in Wa.
    Hence serious efforts are being made to actually seize upon the experience that we have made and the huge jumps in production that we have witnessed in this country in agriculture and that is going to be something to further boost production in agriculture.
    As we speak, we are taking delivery of tractors and farm machinery suited to small
    holder agriculture and they would come in their thousands.
    I would appeal to this House that Hon Members should assist farmers in their various constituencies by organising and asking the farmers to come forward and assist with the farm machinery.
    Mr Speaker, this Government has decided that it is going to subsidise these farm machineries by 40 per cent. So 40 per cent of the Cost, Insurance and Freight price (C.I.F.) would be absolved in order to make machinery cheaper and accessible to both commercial and small holder farmers.
    So I would say that what the President came to this House to report on in my sector is something that every Ghanaian should be proud of.
    For the first time, instead of the one, two or three per cent growth rate that we experienced for 10 good years, under the previous Administration, the growth rate has increased to 6.1 per cent in the year 2017 and we expect that it would go even higher when the final records come to be collated for the year 2018.
    Mr Speaker, we know that with the massive participation that farmers are responding to in our programmes, we started with a target number of 200,000 farmers and the assistance was increased to 500,000 in the year 2018 but ended with 677,000 farmers.
    This year, we are targeting one million farmers to be beneficiaries of the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs' Programme and all of these is to help transform the economy of this country.

    Mr Speaker, on that note, I support the Motion on the Floor. Thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.
    I now invite the Hon Member for --
    Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (NDC-- Ellembelle) 12:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.
    All right. Hon Buah, I did not recognise you but I was actually looking for the list to recognise you. You would now have the Floor -- [Laughter.]
    Mr Buah 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion moved by the Hon Member for Ofoase/Ayirebi, Hon Oppong Nkrumah, and seconded by Hon James Agalga, Hon Member of Parliament for Builsa North, on the Message on the State of the Nation, delivered by His Excellency, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday, 21st February, 2019.
    Mr Speaker, I will restrict my comments to the Energy sector. I absolutely agree with the President when he stated that:
    “Mr Speaker, affordable and reliable energy is absolutely critical to realising our vision of economic transformation.”
    Mr Speaker, but this is where my agreement with the President ends. Mr Speaker, did the President really mean this statement? Has the President put his money where his mouth is? What investments has this Government made
    in the Energy sector? Mr Speaker, I ask these questions because the words of the President, his actions and the record are different.
    Mr Speaker, with 2017 and 2018 rural electrification -- my source is the 2017 Budget Statement -- 2,185 communities were projected and in 2017 only 289 were done. Mr Speaker, in 2018, 1,796 were projected but only 122 were done. Let us match that with the record of the NDC Government.
    Mr Speaker, how are we doing with renewable energy? The President talked about the fact that in the coming year, there would be rooftop solar panels on the Jubilee House and he talked about what the Ministry of Energy has --
    Mr Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on.
    Hon Member for Effutu.
    Mr Alexander K. Afenyo-Markin 12:54 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, we are enjoined to make our submissions well- grounded on facts. My respected Hon Colleague in his submission said that the figures for rural electrification are far below the achievements of the NDC.
    Mr Speaker, that cannot be an accurate submission because the NDC was in office for eight years. So if he is making an argument in absolute terms, then I dare- say that he is wrong because the NDC was in office for eight years and he is talking about two years of the NPP and he says it is far lower.
    Mr Speaker, if he wants to talk about records for two years, then he has to come out with those facts. Mr Speaker, he wants to be a running mate but he is misleading this House.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, your point has been well made.
    Hon Buah, keep your comparisons within the appropriate --
    Mr Buah 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I made that point and I compared on a yearly basis the number of communities that were connected.
    Mr Speaker, I would continue because I have so much to say. Mr Speaker, what is the state of our energy sector institutions? Is our national company taking the lead to get Ghana to achieve energy security? Are we investing in the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) and are they building their capacity? Mr Speaker, we just had a report from GNPC and that report would be brought to this House.
    Mr Speaker, GNPC is in arrears of its cash cost to the oil companies and they are spending all that money. The report says they would spend on social corporate responsibilities in the communities. Recently, the national organiser of the NPP was so proud and as part of Government's achievements announced that GNPC has built 40 schools.
    Mr Speaker, that is good but not when GNPC is in arrears in everything. Mr Speaker, when would we get GNPC to discover oil and produce 100 per cent of oil for our country? Mr Speaker, what about indebtedness to the power utilities?
    As we speak, the indebtedness of Ghana National Gas Company Limited (Ghana Gas) is US$700 million and counting, and in 2018, Electricity Company of Ghana had a loss of GH¢2 billion and their debt keeps growing.
    Mr Speaker, we passed the Energy Sector Levies Act in this House at a very difficult time, and our Hon Friends who were in opposition said so many things, but the Energy Sector Levies Act has turned out to be very good for our country.
    Mr Speaker, in the last Budget Statement, it was very clear that part of that was used for pensions. I am calling for a forensic audit of the Energy Sector Levies.
    Mr Speaker, on page 15 of the President's Address, he was so proud to announce an increase in gas production.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to quote the President 12:54 p.m.
    “I am happy to announce that gas production tripled during the year, from 100 to 300 million cubic feet per day.”
    Mr Speaker, indeed, it has increased and the reason that this has happened is because the NDC Government led by the late President Mills -- may his soul rest in peace -- and former President Mahama undertook a journey on a comprehensive strategy to indigenise our gas and because of this we stopped and brought in the No Flaring Policy.
    We brought the Western Corridor Gas Infrastructure Project; a 60 kilometre pipeline to Atuabo, 111 kilometres to Takoradi and the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.
    Mr Speaker, we continued with the ENI Gas Project that has never been done on this Continent, producing 180 million standard cubic feet of gas a day and on a formula where our power utilities were really in debt.
    We made it happen with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank. Mr Speaker, as I speak today, Tullow Oil, Jubilee Oil Field
    Some Hon Members 12:54 p.m.
    No!
    Mr Buah 1:04 p.m.
    So when the President says that his new agreement discovered the oil, it is laughable.
    Mr Speaker, the oil block that the President made reference to belonged to Hess Corporation and they took so many years since 2006 -- Mr Speaker, I beg to advise the President that it takes a lot to discover oil.
    Hess Corporation took more than five years to acquire 300 kilometres seismic data in the deep-west Tano basin and they continued to apprise the world. Mr Speaker, I would give you the numbers so that you could make the judegment.

    Hess Corporation made the first discovery, Paradis-1 on 16th May, 2012, during the NDC Administration. The second was Hickory on 3rd September and Almonds on 11th October, 2012; Pecan was on, 6th December, 2012; Cob-1, was on 22nd January, 2013. These are all from the Petroleum Commission and the GNPC. You can check.

    Mr Speaker, these seven successive discoveries were all made when the NDC was in power. Hess could not wait because of the hideous ruling, and they sold their shares to Aker Energy. Aker Energy has come in and they have assessed the already discovered oil and they are saying that after that appraisal, the oil is more than what was discovered.

    Mr Speaker, that cannot be a new discovery. We have to move forward. This is the record; let the world know. Ghana has so far made 23 new discoveries. The NPP Government has only two of these discoveries.

    I have the records from the Petroleum Commission. The NDC Government has 21 new discoveries. I am going to mention them one by one. They should check it. I would tender that in.

    Mr Speaker, the only reason the late President Atta Mills and Former President Mahama would come to deliver the State of the Nation Address and brag about it was because we believe that discovered

    So for the President to come to the House --
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on. [Interruption.]
    Yes, Hon K. T. Hammond, what has he said that is not factual? If any one of you would want to talk, I would give the opportunity, but I do not want you to shout across.
    Hon K. T. Hammond, I have given you the Floor. What has he stated that is not factual?
    Mr Hammond 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not sure where my Hon Brother has been in the years preceeding 2004 or maybe 2000. I do not know why he takes the opportunity to mislead this House and the whole country.
    Mr Speaker, if he is talking about the history of oil discovery in Ghana, he should not start from where he seems to be heading towards. I would not bore the House by giving the history of the discovery but on the specific question of discovery of oil by Aker Energy.
    I am not so sure why my colleague, the Hon Member, who was at the Ministry for so many years, could make the point that he was making.
    Mr Speaker, could I develop my point in a minute?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    I would want you to go straight to the point. What has he said that is misleading?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.


    President, in the Message on the State of the Nation, described the discovery of oil by Aker Energy and attributed it to the NPP Administration, and I saw him slap the paper on the table like this -- [the Hon Member slapped the document on table]. [Uproar.]

    Mr Speaker, that is scandalous. The discovery of oil by Aker Energy was spearheaded by NPP-1 under former President John Agyekum Kufuor's Government.

    You would recall that in this very House, sometime in 2010, there was an argument on the Floor here with respect to the acquisition of oil block by Aker Energy and Tweneboa. It was the NDC Administration then sitting at the Majority Side, which I would not say connived; that is not parliamentary.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    So, your point is that Aker Energy discovered oil during the NPP. Is that your point Administration?
    Mr Hammond 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would not just say that they discovered oil within the tenure of the NPP. The point I am making is that it was the NPP Government under former President Kufuor which originally granted Aker Energy the contract to discover oil. In the process, what happened was that --
    Mr Hammond 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is important that we settle this matter because it was not the NDC Government under former President John Mahama that discovered oil with Aker Energy.
    Let us get the facts clear. It was this Government that collected US$30 million from Aker Energy and took away the broth that NPP Government gave to Aker Energy. It was in the process of Aker Energy coming back that coincided with the discovery we have now made.
    We prepared the grounds, and so we discovered the oil.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    Your point is well made.
    Dr Kwebena Donkor 1:04 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague and Brother, is misleading the House. He is misleading because, here, we are talking only of discoveries and not allocation of blocks.
    If it is discovery, then that field was discovered by Hess. What Aker Energy did on their second return was to appraise. These are two different issues.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, I thought you were going to respond. The Hon Member on his feet said that the allocation was done by the NDC. It is that point that has been corrected.
    Hon Member, please proceed with the debate.
    Mr Buah 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the first discovery by Hess was on 16th May, 2012. That was the point we were making. It does not matter the entry. I was talking about the discovery of oil.
    Mr Speaker, I still insist that on the record of GNPC and the Petroleum Commission, we have 23 oil discoveries: 19 of these discoveries were made by the NDC Government.
    SPACE FOR TABLE - PAGE 5 - 1.04 P.M.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have three minutes. I would stop you.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee on Mines and Energy?
    Please, we should avoid taking opportunity to debate. If we make a statement which is not correct, point it out, but as for opinion, everybody has his own opinion. What has he said that is not correct?
    Mr Emmanuel K. Gyamfi 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, first of all, I would want my Hon Colleague to tender in the document that he read. The second issue is that discoveries could be in normal discovery or commercial discovery.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, you would have the opportunity to debate and explain the difference.
    Hon Member, please conclude.
    Mr Gyamfi 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, what he mentioned are not commercial discoveries.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
    It is all right. That is why you would have the opportunity to debate.
    Yes, Hon Buah, conclude.
    Mr Buah 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.

    Mr Speaker, the President went ahead to talk about the fight on corruption and transparency in the oil industry. I am quoting the President.

    “On the fight against corruption in the oil industry and to aid transparency, we have established a National Register of Contracts on which all Petroleum agreements signed by this Government would be published”.

    Mr Speaker, he also mentioned the licensing regime. This is the record of the NDC when it comes to transparency and fighting corruption in the oil industry.

    The first thing we did was that we passed the Petroleum Revenue Manage- ment Act, and allowed the people of Ghana, in the form of the people you see to audit the Report on an annual basis -
    - 1:04 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have one minute more.
    Mr Buah 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we did not stop there. We extended the EITI to the oil industry. We established the Petroleum Commission; we passed the Local Content Act, and then we revamped the whole Petroleum Law in Act 919.
    It is the Act 919 that was passed in October 2016 that caused the President to make sure that we bring the petroleum
    register, to make sure that we do a bidding round. It is all required under the Act 919 that we passed.
    Mr Speaker, since the President has been so selective in picking and choosing, I would advise that we still have over 60
    -- 1:14 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, your time is up.
    Mr Buah 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me conclude.
    Mr Speaker, the Energy Sector under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo is on the wrong path. If we do not change course, we would go back. The hard work that the NDC Government put --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer.
    Mr Andrew K. E. Mercer (NPP-- Sekondi) 1:14 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion, that this Honourable House thanks His Excellency the President, for the Message on the State of the Nation, which he delivered to Parliament on Thursday, 21th February, 2019, ably moved by the Hon Member for Ofoasi Ayirebi and Minister for Information, Hon Kojo Oppong- Nkrumah.
    Mr Speaker, before I proceed, I wish to respond to some assertions that were made by Hon Armah-Kofi Buah. The suggestion that the NDC indigenised gas for Ghana is completely inaccurate.
    The foundation gas that Jubilee provided, which necessitated the setting up of Atuabo Gas Processing Plant, was negotiated by Former President Kufuor.
    When they had the opportunity to negotiate the ENI contract, they allowed them to strip off all the natural gas liquids offshore, and then agreed to purchase the lean gas that they exported to us at practically the most expensive price in the whole world. These are the facts.
    Mr Speaker, with your kind permission, I would start by quoting His Excellency the President on page 29 of his Message to this House. He said;
    “Mr Speaker, we have our chal- lenges, but our nation is in good health”.
    Mr Speaker, I could not agree more with His Excellency the President when he makes this assessment of the state of our economic strength. Indeed, this is so, particularly, having regard to where we were in December 2016 and where we are today, with respect to our economic strides, our challenges notwithstanding.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at the positive gains that we have made in the economy -- in education, healthcare delivery, energy, particularly the oil and gas and electricity sub-sectors, in our quest to industrialise as a nation through the “One District One Factory'' initiative, housing, particularly the plans that have been laid out in the 2019 Budget to attain 2000 housing units for our country, the excellent work that is being done in our railway development sub sector, and the gains in practically all other sectors of our economy. Indeed, His Excellency the President was right in stating unequivocally to this House that the health of our economy is strong.
    Mr Speaker, of course, Hon Members, in contributing to this Motion, have indicated that their desire would have been for the President to address some specific issues that were dear to their
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on.
    Mr Benjamin K. Kpodo 1:14 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member referred to US$1 million per constituency. I would like to find out from him whether he is referring to the expired one or the one that is coming again.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    You are not entitled to ask him a question.
    Hon Member, continue, you have two minutes more.
    Mr Mercer 1:14 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    The setting up of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to complement other agencies of State in the fight against corruption clearly demonstrates this Government's commitment. Indeed, this House, as we speak, is considering a review of the Companies Bill.
    I understand the Seventh Parliament -- if the Leader's statement at the end of the session is anything to go by, then it is the Parliament of this Republic that has done significant work in the Fourth Republic.
    Mr Speaker, all these go to show a Ghana on the rise, founded on a more responsive system of governance under the able leadership of His Excellency the President.
    Mr Speaker, the President's belief in the rule of law is consistent. He has set up the Emile Short Commission in accor- dance with article 278 of the 1992 Constitution to investigate the un- fortunate incident of Ayawaso West Wuogon --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    You have one more minute.
    Mr Mercer 1:14 p.m.
    Commentary from our Hon Friends on the other Side initially said they were not going to participate, but when the proceedings started, they themselves saw the wisdom in the President's setting up of the Commission, and are clandes- tinely allowing their members to participate.
    I wish that they would boldy come out and support the cause of the Commission, so that we all as a people can bring some finality to electoral violence in our country.
    Mr Speaker, I daresay Ghana could not have had a better President than H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo -- [Hear! Hear!] to steer its affairs at this stage of her development and I therefore call on Hon Colleagues on both Sides of the House to join me in asking for God's guidance and protection, wisdom from on high in his H. E. the President's quest to lead this country to a Ghana Beyond Aid. [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Thank you, Hon Member, your time is up.
    Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, ordinarily, I would not do this. My Hon Colleague on the other Side referred to our Side that commentary from his Friends on the other Side was that they would not comment or take part in the Emile Short Commission.
    Mr Speaker, I would want him to bring out his source. What we said was that the Commission which shall be set by a Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) was not before this House.
    Mr Speaker, as I stand here today, this House has been served with the C.I. for the Commission. This is what we requested, so he cannot refer to commentary from my Friends from the other Side, A or B. We referred to this House being served with C.I. per the Constitution.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Hon Member, what is your complaint?
    Mr A. Ibrahim 1:24 p.m.
    He referenced commentary from his Friends from the other Side. We did not make commentary so he should withdraw that statement before he proceeds.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Did anybody make a comment?
    Mr A. Ibrahim 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not privy to that, but we on this Side did not make any commentary.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    If anybody made a comment on this Floor of the House, then it is a commentary and it is not offensive.
    Hon Members, now is the turn of Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
    Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for the opportunity to contribute
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on. Yes, Hon Member for Adentan?
    Mr Asamoa 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, to say that one publication that the Hon Member cited means that Ghana's image abroad is unfavourable is extremely unfair.
    To cite the President as being unfair and then turn round and use one publication to lambast his Address is also unfair. What is the factual basis? Do you have --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on. I am not clear on what you are complaining about. Which one did the Hon Member on his feet say that you say is out of order?
    Mr Asamoa 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he said that it is a fact that Ghana's image in the international media is not as rosy as the President painted it. What is the basis of
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Very well, Hon Member, that is your interpretation.
    Hon Member, your interpretation is based on one fact. Yours should be more. You are allowed. Please go on.
    Mr Ablakwa 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if my Hon Colleague would be patient, there are many more publications here.
    Mr Speaker, apart from this European Union blacklist, which must be of concern to all of us -- it would affect the transaction of businesses, investor inflow and really frustrate our business community when they transact business in Europe. We ought to be concerned on how quickly we can get Ghana out of this blacklist.
    Mr Speaker, that is not the only recent publication of concern. The Bloomberg, the internationally renowned news outlet, only a few days before the President addressed this Nation, said that the Ghanaian cedi is among the worst performing currencies in the world and that of 140 currencies tracked, the Ghanaian cedi is the worst performing currency.
    Indeed, the report goes further to state that international investors are shunning Ghanaian bonds and that since the Bloomberg has been tracking Ghana from 1994, this is the worst era so far as the currency is concerned.
    Mr Speaker, there is also a vested matter of the murder of the journalist, Ahmed Hussein Suale.
    I am surprised that this very important matter, which engaged the entire international community, did not find expression in the President's State of the Nation Address.
    We saw the United Nations and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) issue a statement.
    The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) issued a statement to condemn it -- Global Witness, the International Federation of Journalists, Media Foundation for West African, United Press for Development Network, the Press for Justice Coalition, the West Africa Journalist Association, the Global Investigative Journalists Network and many more including a United States (US) congressman.
    Mr Speaker, the US Congress is looking into this matter as we speak and yet, the President of our Republic, who we all commend for leading the processes when he was the Attorney-General to repeal the Criminal Libel Law -- How is it that all of a sudden, our President did not say a word about the assassination of a journalist which has attracted so much international condemnation?
    Mr Speaker, the point has to be made that when the President says that Ghana's image internationally is -- Mr Speaker, to quote him verbatim, the President said, “… considering how often Ghana is in the news usually for good reasons …”
    Mr Speaker, these cannot be good reasons and all of us ought to be worried.
    Mr Speaker, the other issue that is worth speaking to has to do with the last
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Hon Member, hold on, you have five minutes more; I would stop the time there.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:34 a.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I know my Hon Colleague is the Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs but he has just made a statement which is palpably false. The President's last international assignment was not in Washington. It was in Togo.
    Before he came to this House, he went to Togo. So a Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee should not be talking like that. He should withdraw.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Hon Member, be guided.
    Mr Ablakwa 1:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the point of order is noted. The substantive issue really has to do with the lack of transparency in the fundraising effort.
    Mr Speaker, but most importantly, as we speak, the —
    Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh 1:34 a.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I am taking my Hon Colleague on a point of order; he quoted the President on page 12 of the Address out of context. If you would permit me, this is what the Hon Ranking Member says:
    “Mr Speaker, considering how Ghana is often in the news usually for good reasons, we have not been able to attract as many visitors to our country as we should”.
    The Hon Ranking Member is impugning negativity saying that the President was portraying a negative impression. But if we read on, the President says:
    “We are making a special effort from now onward, to attract tourists into our country, under the ‘See Ghana'; ‘Eat Ghana'; ‘Wear Ghana' —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Hon Member, he has not quoted the President wrongly. As for how you would interpret it, it is up to you.
    Hon Member, continue.
    Mr Ablakwa 1:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we still have serious concerns about our prioritisation on why we should bring down important national edifices, including the passport office?
    As I speak now, the Hon Chairman of my Committee knows that staff of the passport office do not know where they would be relocated to. It is a major issue we are grappling with.
    Is that a priority for us as a country? Could we not have found an unencumbered
    land to put up this cathedral? Should we be bringing down the passport office? Should we be bringing down accommoda- tion for judges and other important structures like the official residence of the Regional Minister to put up a cathedral?
    I believe that these are matters that should engage us and it is not too late for our President to change his mind about the location of this cathedral, because as we do know, staff of the passport office are stranded and do not know where they would go.
    Mr Speaker, the other issue I am concerned with has to do with the President's Chair. He is the Global Co-Chair of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And we all know that a major issue that is of concern to the international community now has to do with gender equity; The Affirmative Action Bill.
    Mr Speaker, in the 2018 State of the Nation Address, this is what the President said:
    “Mr Speaker, I have an apology to make to the House. I promised last year we would endeavour to pass into law, the Affirmative Action Bill. This did not happen. My commit- ment to the promotion of the advancement of women is without question. Women constitute the majority of the population and our success or otherwise as a nation would be measured by how well women are doing. The Bill will definitely come to Parliament this session.”
    Mr Speaker, in the 2019 State of the Nation Address, no mention was made at all. And this is an era that we have seen
    how Rwanda and Ethiopia have achieved gender-balanced cabinet and are being celebrated all over the world. We cannot even have our Executive make a commitment to the Affirmative Action Bill.
    Mr Speaker, these are matters that are of enormous concern to the international community. We need to address the state of insecurity; it is affecting investor confidence; the stability that Ghana has been noted for.
    Mr Speaker, finally —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Hon Member, you have one minute more.
    Mr Ablakwa 1:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, finally, the President's last words on the assurance for the two main parties to meet. My view is that, that meeting — the President said that if it is successful, then we may not need legislation but if it drags, then he would sponsor a legislation.
    My view is that we need legislation whether that meeting succeeds or not. We must take a firm position against this ‘militiaism'; these political militias that are threatening our democracy.
    We should begin by purging our Armed Forces and the National Security from the security establishments of those who have been recruited into the system.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    The last contribution from the Majority Side is from Hon William Agyapong Quaittoo.
    Mr William A. Quaittoo (NPP--Akim Oda) 1:34 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, I also rise to contribute to the debate on the Floor.

    Mr Speaker, I think my Hon Colleagues on the other Side of the House have mentioned that the President, in his Address, left out a lot of important issues and messages that he should have touched on.

    Mr Speaker, the President, in such a State of the Nation Address, cannot mention everything. He would, of course, focus on the most important things that everybody would be interested to hear.

    Mr Speaker, when the President came to the House, the former President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, had made a statement, an unfortunate statement, that they were going to match us boot for boot and that if it came to unleashing some kind of atrocities to us, they were born in it. That was a serious statement.

    The President never touched on this, so it is obvious that the President would always focus on more important things to the people of Ghana and not just anything. And I want that to be on record.

    Mr Speaker, before I go on my substantive contribution on agriculture, let me quote from pages 21 and 22; last paragraph of the State of the Nation Address, 2019:

    “Mr Speaker, during times like these of banking and business upheavals, agriculture appears even more attractive. It is more predictable and the soil and plants and animals far more reliable than sharp figures. The past two years have shown that, when a Government takes deliberate measures to support agriculture, it pays healthy dividends.”

    My emphasis is on the last part of the statement. And that is exactly what the

    President is doing; investing in agriculture. That is what would assure us of our food security.

    Mr Speaker, because consciously, the President has done that, let us look at some figures here in terms of agricultural contribution to Gross Domestic Product

    (GDP).

    Mr Speaker, in 2017, agriculture contributed 18.7 per cent to the total GDP and employed about 45 per cent of the labour force. From a sluggish growth averaging about 2.3 per cent between 2014 to 2016, the sector recovered strongly with a growth of over 6.1 per cent in 2017. And by the third quarter of 2018, recorded 5.5 per cent growth.

    I am sure that when we get the final figure for 2018, very sure, it would go beyond the 6.1 per cent. The strong performance is attributed to increased public investment in the sector through the various Government flagship programmes, particularly Planting for Food and Jobs.

    What did the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme set out to do? Mr Speaker, Planting for Food and Jobs, of course, we all know that, was set out to deal with the declining agricultural growth; the low productivity that our farmers were recording.

    What were the strategies involved? The strategies had five pillars. Planting for Food and Jobs provided seeds at 50 per cent cost to the farmer. If say, you had a kilogram of maize that would cost the farmer, GH¢100.00, Planting for Food and jobs (PFJ) gave these seeds at GH¢50. That is a whopping 50 per cent. PFJ gave fertilizers to farmers at a whopping
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Hon Member, you have one more minute.
    Mr Quaittoo 1:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, enough on PFJ, and just a little on cocoa. The international price of cocoa is still not the best. We experienced a reduction of a third in the price level and this forced the Government to forfeit its share of the freight on board (FOB) price to farmers.
    So consistently, from 2017 and 2018 to date, farmers have had to take the same old price.
    Even though this is a very huge loss to the Government, we could say that this is a listening Government and that is why it has maintained this price at GH¢7,600 per tonne of cocoa that farmers sell to the Government.
    Other than that, the price should have reduced because the international price is not doing well.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Your time is up, Hon Member conclude
    Mr Quaittoo 1:34 a.m.
    Nonetheless, a lot of interventions are going on in the cocoa sector, and because of this, the cocoa sector alone is helping to create about 95,000 casual staff, as we speak, in the area of rehabilitation of cocoa farms, replanting, spraying of cocoa, application of fertilizer
    -- 1:34 a.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Thank you Hon Member, your time is up.
    Mr Ras Mubarak (NDC -- Kumbungu) 1:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for your kindness and for this opportunity to comment on the President's State of the Nation Address.
    In commenting, I would like to commend Hon Members from both Sides of the House for the level of comportment during the State of the Nation Address which drew a lot of commendation from the general public.
    What the public is clearly expecting from us is this kind of conduct in the House. Even though there were signs of heckling from the other --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 a.m.
    Hon Members, having regard to the state of Business, I direct that the House sit outside the regular Sitting hours.
    Mr Mubarak 1:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as I was saying, even though there were signs of heckling from the other Side of the House, I do hope that in the future, when we do agree to comport ourselves and show decorum to H.E the President, we would all abide by that statement.
    Mr Speaker, having said that, let me say that anyone who wants to see the true state of the Nation would have to look at a video that recently went viral, where a senior citizen, the founder of the NDC, the former President, H.E Jerry John Rawlings was seen directing traffic off the Prampram road. That is the true state of the nation.
    There is gross indiscipline in the country today. And if it takes former
    President Rawlings to get down from his vehicle and direct traffic, then it is an indication of the failings of this Government in ensuring discipline in our country, in maintaining law and order and in ensuring that the police get to do their work.
    Mr Speaker, the true state of the Nation today is lack of discipline on our roads, in our schools.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, please hold on.
    Mr Ekow Hayford —On a point of order
    Mr Speaker, I think our Hon Colleague is misleading this House. He is supposed to speak to the Message on the State of the Nation. The former President directing traffic is not part of the Message on the State of the Nation.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are out of order.
    Mr Mubarak 1:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the true state of the nation today is the lack of discipline on our roads, in our schools, in our places of worship and in our politics
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, please hold on.
    Dr A. A. Osei 1:54 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I just want to advise my good Friend; what we are debating is not the State of the Nation. It is a Message on the State of the Nation. People ought to say the right things in this House. We are not debating the state of the Nation.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Your point is well made.
    Hon Member, please be guided.
    Mr Mubarak 1:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am rightly guided and the point is well noted.
    Mr Speaker, I must say that in the President's Address, he made mention of the fact that there is a lot of filth in our country. He decried the filth that has engulfed our country.
    And, indeed, it is a worrying pheno- menon. If we are expected to attract investments in our country, then it behoves all of us to ensure that we keep our communities as clean as possible.
    But we saw just yesterday in the newspapers and online, a mountain of filth at the Jubilee House. And I do think that the President would have to practice what he preaches, by ensuring that, at least, the Jubilee House is seen as a place that is cleaner, where we all can learn from. It is the embodiment of the Nation.
    And if the Jubilee House is engulfed in a lot of filth, then clearly it is an indictment on all of us. So, indeed, we have a duty to tackle filth in our communities. But we expect that at the Presidency, they would do a lot more in ensuring that we are not engulfed by the kind of filth that we are surrounded with.
    Mr Speaker, in the President's Address, he touched on issues bordering on health,
    and in pages 9 and 10 of his Address, there were interesting issues he raised. There is no denying that health is wealth and that, indeed, a healthy nation is a productive nation.
    Regrettably, Government is ducking and dodging its responsibility in the area of health. We have several Community - Based Health Planning and Services (CHIP) compounds in the country that are begging for funds to be completed, and indeed, in my own constituency of Kumbungu, there are a couple of them that have not been completed since this current Administration took over.
    So it is our prayer and hope that the Government would walk the talk and ensure that these building blocks in the health sector are given the necessary attention. A lot of them have sadly been abandoned.
    Mr Speaker, again, on page 10 of the President's Message on the State of the Nation, and I beg to quote:
    “Ghana's hardworking nurses and doctors would do their best, as they have always done, to make sure we get the best health care, but it behoves each one of us to look after ourselves better. Apart from exercising and taking our regular health check-ups seriously, it is imperative that we eat healthy diets to prevent diseases that are caused by poor choices of nutrition.”
    Mr Speaker, I must use this opportunity to thank and single you out for commendation, as Speaker of the House, you have taken time off to exercise to burn fat and calories —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are out of order. We are speaking to the President's Message on the State of the Nation.
    Mr Mubarak 1:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, absolutely, but H.E the President was encouraging all of us to exercise to keep healthy. Because he knows and we all do know that a healthy nation is a productive nation. I am saying that as the leader of the House and the Speaker, you have led by example.
    We see you in the gym every now and then and I am hoping that Hon Members of the House, especially from across the aisle —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Keep praying for me so I can stay.
    Mr Mubarak 1:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am hoping that our Hon Colleagues from across the aisle, including the Hon Majority Leader, would take it upon himself to exercise so that his constituents would actually see the benefit of burning fats.
    Mr Speaker, having said that, let me say that there is a lot that we all have to do as a country. Indeed, if we look at what has happened in the Ministry of Youth and Sports -- we heard last year of reports of visa racketeering.
    We expected that in the true Message on the State of the Nation, H.E the President would have, at least, touched on an issue that has denigrated, dented and has brought ridicule and left Ghana as a bat of public joke as far as the issue of visa racketeering is concerned.
    Mr Speaker, as we speak, this House does not have the report. The President had directed the National Security to conduct investigations into the issue.
    Mr Issac K. Asiamah — rose --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Hon Member hold on. I keep your time so do not worry.
    Mr I. K. Asiamah 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, reference was made by the Hon Member on a supposedly visa racketeering that happened.
    I am the Minister for Youth and Sports. When the issue came up, it was referred to the Hon Minister for National Security and an investigation was conducted. So, if the Hon Colleague has any concrete evidence to that effect, he should let us know. Because it was made public and Ghanaians were made aware.
    He, as an Hon Member of Parliament cannot come here and just pollute the environment. I am calling on him to produce any evidence that shows that there was a visa racketeering. There was an investigation and that was properly conducted.
    He should not be polluting the environment once again. The Ministry has been stabilised.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Your point is well made.
    Hon Member, I did not hear the exact word he is complaining about, but be guided by the outcome of the investi- gations.
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am accordingly guided.
    The point I raised was that indeed, the President had called for investigations to be conducted by the National Security into the allegations of visa racketeering. I am saying that, indeed, the National Security Secretariat had completed its work.
    Mr Speaker, we are representatives of the people, but as I speak, we do not have
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Hon Ranking Member of the Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture?
    Mr Kobena M. Woyome 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would just want to lend some support to what my Hon Colleague said earlier. Because when this matter broke, it became a national issue and we have had cause to discuss it with the Australian authorities. Some of them would want to see the --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, I thought you were raising a point of order?
    Mr Woyome 2:04 p.m.
    We believe H. E. the President's call for investigations would have been made known --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, if you are not raising a point of order, then you are out of order because he has stated that and you do not need to repeat it.
    Hon Minister?
    Mr I. K. Asiamah 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, they should quote one law that requires that investigations should come to Parliament. They did not cooperate --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Hon Minister, you are out of order. He is entitled to raise the issue here. It is up to us to
    decide whether we would want to deal with it here or not.
    Hon Member, you would continue, please.
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am very grateful.
    Mr Speaker, I would also like to touch on the issue of vigilantism; what I call faggery. At the start of this current Administration, we saw a senior police officer in uniform in the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) assaulted at the Office of the President.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Who saw it; you?
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, all of us because it was --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    I have not seen any such video. When was that?
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it was in January of 2017.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    And this State of the Nation Address is in respect of which year?
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am building a point based on the President's comment in his Address to the effect that we would have to deal with vigilantism head-on.
    Mr Speaker, my point is that there has to be demonstrable commitment because if an officer -- we may decide to play partisan politics with it, at the end of the day, it is our country that is going down.
    In any serious country, when people assault a police officer in uniform, they would not get away with it -- that is the crux of the matter. I believe that we need
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, let me say this. I believe we have all been dishonest in how we discuss the alleged vigilantism. When it suits us, we quote the other Side and when it is on the other Side, then we pretend it did not happen.
    If we really want to ensure security, we should accept -- I said this when we had a debate on this matter about a year ago. We should cut out this blaming of one another and leaving wronged people in this discussion as if it happens on the other Side, only, please.
    We all know what has happened over the years; let us focus and bring change. Let us cut out this needless blame left and right because it is not going to help us. One day, one of us will be a victim and it could be either way. Please!
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you are absolutely right. I am with you on this that what was wrong and unacceptable in the past should not be acceptable today.
    Mr Speaker, the President had given an indication that he is inviting leaders of the leading political parties to sit and discuss this issue. I am saying that crime is crime; if it was committed yesterday, they have committed a crime.
    We do not need the parties to meet and discuss this. We would be sending a wrong signal if an officer in uniform was assaulted and if an Hon Member of Parliament was assaulted.
    If it had happened in the past or it happened today, we would be sending the
    wrong signal if we do not deal with these things head-on and that is all I am asking for. I am hoping that there would be a lot of vision in dealing with this because many of the people who are into these things are young people.
    Mr Speaker, for the leading agencies that are responsible for facilitating youth development, they have ample resources to engage these young people whether from the left or right in a manner that would not keep them doing what they are doing today.
    Mr Speaker, I would give you some figures. In 2018 for instance, the National Youth Authority got GH¢90,670,222. The Youth Employment Agency got GH¢
    118,214,444.
    My point is that for the leading agencies that have the mandate to facilitate youth development to keep these young people off the street, to keep them from acts of thuggery, we need to have resources to engage them in a manner that would keep them busy - that is the crux of my argument.
    rose
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    I do not see why the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports is on his feet.
    Mr Speaker, but having said that and finally, this Administration promised to put moneys in people's pocket.
    Where is the money? That is the true state of the Nation address. If we want to see what is happening in the country today, we do not have to look beyond the traders in Abossey-Okai, Suame, Makola, Kejetia, Ho and Kumbungu who are struggling to get by. They would give us the true state of the Nation.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Hon
    Member, conclude, your time is up.
    Mr Mubarak 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in this country today, people's living standards are clearly declining. The telecommunica- tions sector is in decline; we have seen two years of this Government's failure -- failure to meet revenue targets, failure to tackle crime head-on and certainly, failure to spell growth in areas such as the telecommunications sector.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
    Hon Members, that is the end of the debate for today.
    It is past 2 o'clock already, so unless the Hon Leaders have something else, I intend to bring proceedings to a close.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you may, we could go to the item listed as 11 and spend some time on that even if it is a brief one.
    Alhaji Muntaka 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, whereas I believe that we would want to do more work, it is past 2 o'clock. [Interruption.]
    The Hon Deputy Majority Leader said that it was stated in the Business Statement that it is known to be an extended Sitting. I was not here on Friday and I am not aware of that. He is saying that the necessary arrangements have been made for extended Sitting, so maybe we may have to do some work.
    It is just that having started the State of the Nation Address today, I thought we could adjourn and continue tomorrow.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Very well, we will continue the Consideration of the Payment Systems and Services Bill, 2018.
    BILL -- CONSIDERATION STAGE 2:14 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Very well, clause 23, there is an amendment proposed.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Order Paper states, “Debate to continue”. As a matter of fact, we concluded debate on the amendment proposed in clause 23, so if the Question could be put on the amendment here, we could make progress.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the record provides that the debate on the amendment proposed should continue.
    If there is nobody interested in continuing the debate, then, you may put the Question just so that nobody may rise up tomorrow to say that you truncated the debate. If nobody expresses interest to debate it, then you truncate it and put the Question.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Hon Members, I recall that the last time we discussed this amendment, I was in the Chair and I suggested that winnowing be done.
    I am advised that winnowing could not come on and it is not intended to be winnowed, so unless there is anybody who wants to contribute further, I would put the Question.
    Any contribution on clause 23 for the consideration of the House? [Pause] -- Very well, I would put the Question.
    Question put and amendment negatived
    Clause 23 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 24 -- Licensing of dedicated electronic money issuer
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    The amendment proposed stands in the name of the Hon Ursula Owusu-Ekuful. [Pause.]
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have an amendment in the name of the Committee, so I would beg to move, clause 24 (iii), if I could --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, but I would have to deal with the first proposed amendment to clause 24(2) before I go to clause 24(4).
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not have permission of the Hon Minister and Member of the House to move this one. I do not know if anybody does.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Very well. Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the proposed amendment which stands in the name of the Hon Mrs Ursula Gifty Owusu-Ekuful must fall conse- quential to what we just aborted because, really, the intendment is to try to relocate the ownership of the transaction.
    Whereas the platform may be created by an entity, the operation of the transaction lies, indeed, with the Bank of Ghana as obtained elsewhere. So I believe, just as we did with clause 23, the amendment proposed in clause 24 (2) must also fall consequential to the decision that we have taken.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    So what do you propose? Do we put a Question or I should just dismiss it?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, for the avoidance of doubt, you may put the Question on the proposed amend- ment.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Very well --
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, if the amendment has not been moved -- [Interruption] -- Very well.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    The Hon Majority Leader has spoken to the amendment. So it is the same thing as being moved.
    Question put and amendment negatived.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 24subclause (4), paragraph (a), sub-paragraph (ii), delete and insert the following:
    “The applicant or any of its significant shareholders has been convicted of a crime involving a financial transaction in any juris- diction within the past ten years;”

    Mr Speaker, this is to exclude minor felonies from the -- If we look at clause 24(4), the Bank of Ghana in rejecting an application listed felonies and we would want to exclude minor felonies, as it were, from being a condition for being refused a licence.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, is there a felony that is minor?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I delete “minor”. We would want to exclude, “felonies”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    Very well, the proposed amendment is for the consideration of the House.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 24, subclause (4), paragraph (c), line 2, delete “ten” and insert “thirty”.
    Mr Speaker, this is consequential. Earlier in the Bill, we met same provision and we deleted “ten”. This is the length of time one needs to submit information required by the Bank and we felt 10 days is too short a period for the submission of the information.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
    This is a straightforward amendment.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 24, subclause (4), paragraph (e), delete and insert the following:
    “The Bank of Ghana on reasonable grounds is convinced that the applicant is incapable of performing the functions under this Act”
    Mr Speaker, this is a better rendition to what we have here. What is in the Bill reads and with your permission, I quote:
    “If the Bank of Ghana has reason to believe...”.
    This rendition is better: “If the Bank of Ghana on reasonable grounds is convinced that the applicant is incapable of performing the function…” then, the refusal --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    Very well.
    Question put and amendment agreed to

    Clause 24 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill

    Clause 25 -- Engaging in electronic money business without a licence
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    The proposed amendment is by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I seek your leave to withdraw this amendment.
    We have these amendments in the Bill, and we said that we would have an omnibus clause at the end which would capture all of these different ones scattered throughout the Bill. I would withdraw this amendment with your leave.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    Very well, the proposed amendment is withdrawn.
    So I would put the Question on clause 25 unless further amendments are proposed.
    Clause 25 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 26 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    My copy of the Bill does not have clauses 26 and 27. Is there a revised standard version?
    Mr Chireh 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there are clauses 26 and 27.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    I said mine does not have -- from clause 25, it goes to clause 28. [Interruption.]
    Clause 27 -- Validity and renewal of licence or authorisation granted under this Act
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there is no advertised amendment on clause 27, but I have seen that clause 27(1) provides:
    “A licence issued or authorisation granted under this Act is valid for a period of five years subject to renewal until the licence or authorisation is suspended or revoked”.
    Mr Speaker, when we have such a provision, renewal should not exceed the initial period granted; renewal cannot be eternal. I think that there should be a way to terminate the renewal, so that we shall have continuous renewal. We cannot have initial grants last for five years and then we say that when they are to renew, it should be eternal. I think that principle is wrong.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, what do you want to say? What is in your mind, so we couch it in a language that is clearer?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, could we please stand --
    rose
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let us hear the Hon Member for Wa West first.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    The competent Hon Chairman is ceding to the Hon Member for Wa West.
    Mr Chireh 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in many of the legislations, we always have a validity period of the licence. It is because they are operating businesses that we require them to annually renew, but they would not go through the rigorous application where there is inspection and all that.
    There has been confusion, as the Hon Majority Leader raised, that something is valid for five years, and yet it is to be renewed every year. I do not know how it could be captured, but the intention is that they would inspect the premises and all that the first time.
    This one is to ensure that they have a renewal process, which shows that they are still in business. I do not know how that could be captured, but that is the intention of this particular clause, and that was why nobody touched it. We have provided for it in many cases.
    When we passed the Insurance Commission Act about five or six years ago, this was the issue. If we also look at the professional licences for practice like the Ghana Bar Association and the rest, one needs to get a licence; but every year, they need to -- I do not know how we could clarify that, but that is the purpose of this clause.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    Usually, the annual renewal is a revenue issue; it is just to raise revenue.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we were confronted with a similar thing when we did the Electronic Point of Sale Act -- we had a solution there. This escaped all of us, so I would suggest, if the Hon Chairman would agree, that we hold on with this and consult that Act to see the solution we had there.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    Very well; clause 27 is stood down.
    Clause 28 -- Review and appeal procedure for refusal of licence or authorisation
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 28, subclause (8), line 2, delete “Court of Appeal” and insert “High Court”.
    Mr Speaker, in clause 28, there is an adjudicative panel. An appeal of a decision of the adjudicative panel shall lie to the High Court and not to the Court of Appeal.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just looked at subclause 8:
    “An appeal against the decision of the adjudicative panel shall lie to the Court of Appeal”
    Should it be “with” or “to”?
    Mr Ben A. Banda 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that “appeal shall lie to” is a term of art, and that is how it is crafted. The Hon Majority Leader may find it grammatically wrong, but that is how it is crafted in legal terms -- “an appeal shall lie to a court”. So, there is nothing wrong with the language.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    Hon Member for Suhum, you are out of order.
    Hon Member for Wa West?
    Mr Chireh 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not know why the Hon Majority Leader has confused his Hon Deputy who is a lawyer. Every appeal lies ‘to' and not any other way --
    An Hon Member 2:34 p.m.
    I have convinced him.
    Mr Chireh 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, no but he was down agitated and so I believe that it is a better thing for us to allow what it is there.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 28 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 29 -- Issuance and redeemability
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (2), paragraph (c), line 1, delete “eighty” and insert “ninety”.
    Mr Speaker, in clause 29(2)(c) 2:34 p.m.
    “An electronic money issuer shall
    (c) pay not less than eighty per cent, or as determined by the
    Bank of Ghana, of the interest accrued, net of any fees or charges or charges to electronic money holders.”
    We are saying that we have to give more of the interest to the owner on whose funds the interest accrues. As it is now, 80 per cent would go to the owner and we are changing this to 90 per cent of the interest to accrue to the owner on whose funds the interest accrues.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this would be the interest that they would send a text message that one has earned some interest on his/her mobile money wallet. What one earns now is set at 80 per cent and the Finance Committee thinks that this should be 90 per cent.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    Ninety per cent of the money in one's wallet?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, presently, as arranged, the interest that one gets is not 100 per cent but 80 per cent and we want this moved to 90 per cent.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    Do you get any interest? Sometimes, you are told that you have earned GH¢2 but if you look at the amount of money that has gone through your card --
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are all in this mobile money business and we all receive interest --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    You see my messages? Are you tracking -- I think that the last I recall was GH¢2 and if I track the amount of money that I transfer daily, I should be earning a lot more than GH¢2.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the interest is on the money in your wallet and not on the transaction but what --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    The amount that stays in the wallet for two to three days before --
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, once money is in your wallet, you are disbursing it is on the balance in your wallet.
    I will put the Question. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu -- rose --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, you have devised a way of arresting the vote without being on your feet. Now, if you are not on your feet, I will not recognise you. Or he would lift his head in a way that would make you see that he has something --
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was just looking at clause 29(1):
    “Electronic money accounts and transactions shall be denominated only in Ghana Cedis”
    ‘Electronic money accounts and transactions shall be denominated in Ghana Cedis only'.
    Mr Speaker, there is a world of difference between the two constructions.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    First of all, let me put the Question on clause 29(2) and then I would come to subclause (1).
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    Now, the Hon Majority Leader is proposing that the “only” should change places in subclause (1); at the end of the sentence.
    Yes, Hon Member for Wa West?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are crafting a law so if the law says that if we take off the “only”, it says: “Electronic money accounts and transactions shall be denominated in Ghana Cedis. That is emphatic and precise enough and we do not need “only” or “some” or any other qualification.
    So I support the further amendment.
    Mr Ahiafor 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support Hon Opare-Ansah. By the express mention of Ghana cedi, all other currencies are excluded and they are rules of inter- pretation that is the expressio unius rule.
    So we can delete “only”.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am content with that but I disagree with those of them who do not see the difference between where we place “only” and either where it is now or at the end; there is a world of difference. I thought that those of them who studied Practical English Course by Ogundipe would know this.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    Practical English Course (PEC); I am one of them but I --
    Mr Chireh 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as I said early on, it appears that the Hon Majority Leader is tired and so, sometimes, he reads things like this and like that. So he should advise the whole House.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 29 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    The Second Deputy Speaker would take the Chair.
    MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:43 p.m.
    Hon Members, I have just been informed that you agreed on clause 29 standing part of the Bill.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:43 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just want to welcome you back, for the records.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:43 p.m.
    Are you welcoming yourself back from Nigeria or? -- [Laughter] -- I have been in Ghana and not gone anywhere. I was told you went to Nigeria to --
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, from the field.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Which field?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the recent field trip.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    You know that I am not farming.
    Clauses 30 and 31 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 32 -- Account types and transaction limits
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 32, subclause (2), line 2, after “stipulated”, insert “by the Bank of Ghana”.
    Mr Speaker, this is to authorise the Bank of Ghana to set the limits.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    So the proposed amendment would now render the subclause to read:
    “The account balance and aggregate transaction of an electronic money account holder shall not exceed the limits stipulated by the Bank of Ghana for the account type.”
    Is that the case?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, rightly so.
    Mr Kpodo 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the amendment by the Hon Chairman because earlier it was left ajar but with the proposed amendment, the regulator who would stipulate what should be done has been specified in the Bill. Mr Speaker, so I support the proposed amendment by the Hon Chairman.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Ahiafor 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, before you put the Question on the entire clause 32, we usually draft in singular so I want to know if there is a special reason that in this particular Bill, we are using plural -- “Account types and transaction limits.” It is also in the rendition of the clause as well.
    I just want to understand.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    So what
    is the issue you want to raise?
    Mr Ahiafor 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the headnote should be ‘Account type and transaction limit', but over here, it is “Account types and transaction limits”. Mr Speaker, by the rules, we draft in singular. Mr Speaker, the rendition should also be in singular because singular could mean plural, but plural could definitely not mean singular.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, what do you say to that?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have seen headnotes such as clause 18 and 20 and others in the Bill that have been drafted in plural. Mr Speaker, with this specific instance, we are referring to the plural.
    We said account types rather than account type because there are a number of accounts -- so, we are referring to the different account types and there are different limits that are set for each account type. So, it reads: “Account types and transaction limits.”
    Mr Speaker, as to whether we draft headnotes in singular or plural, I do not know but I have informed the Hon Majority Leader that we would also need to attend the drafting course this year. So, when I return, I would know whether we draft in singular or plural.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Hon Member for Suhum.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, when you read the clause and the subclauses, it says that “electronic money accounts shall be categorised.” So, indeed, there is the need to pluralise it otherwise we cannot talk about the categorisation.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Even with the clause 30 -- I do not know whether it was amended -- it reads “Permissible transaction.” So it looks like the issue of headnotes being singular has not been taken into consideration if the point he raised is the right legal position.
    In the meantime, let us go on and if the draftspersons think that it is right, then at the end of the day we could give a directive for them to do so.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Parliamentary and Legal Affairs.
    Mr Banda 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the Hon Member that we use singular in drafting in place of the singular and the plural but in this particular case, when the provision is read as a whole, the singular cannot be used because it says that “electronic money accounts shall be categorised”. We cannot categorise a single account but we categorise items which are in the plural form. To the best of my knowledge, the word “categorise” explains the reason the plural is being used instead of singular.
    Mr Ahiafor 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he rightly stated that singular means plural, so if that is the guiding principle, then it does not matter whether the word “categorisation” is used or not because the singular means plural.
    So I would go by the suggestion made by Mr Speaker that it should be referred to the draftspersons and if it must be in singular, we would be guided accordingly.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    I therefore direct that the draftspersons should take this into consideration when finalising the draft Bill for consideration by the Rt Hon Speaker before submission to His Excellency the President for his assent.
    Clause 32 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 33 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 34 -- Compliance requirements
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 34, subclause 1, line 1, delete “where applicable”.
    So clause 34(1) would now read:
    “A payment service provider shall put in place a system that has built- in control mechanisms for a complete audit trail.”
    Mr Speaker, this clause must apply to all service providers. That is why we are taking off “where applicable”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Hon Members, the amendment is moved, and it is for the consideration of the House. [Pause.]
    It means it is straightforward. So I would put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, we have three more proposed amendments so you could move them.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 34, subclause 2, paragraph (g), line 2, delete “irregular” and insert “suspicious”.
    Mr Speaker, “suspicious transaction” is a well-known term in the financial sector. As a matter of fact, it is more suitable in this context rather than the use of the word “irregular”.
    So as much as a transaction might look irregular, one would flag it as being suspicious. So we would rather have “suspicious” instead of “irregular”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, this is subclause 2, paragraph (g), line 1 and not line 2. Is that the case?
    I have it as line 1, but you are saying line 2.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the line does not even arise. There is only one line, and so line 2 should not have been said. I said line 2, but there is no line 2.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader drew my attention to paragraph (f), which says “automatic alerts and flags of suspicious transactions”.
    These are automatic alerts. And the paragraph (g) says --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    So it is all right.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have “irregular”. We debated what irregular pattern of transaction was at the Committee. What is irregular to one man could be regular to another man. But if it is suspicious, which has been used in
    paragraph (f), and also for consistency, we would rather have:
    “detection of suspicious patterns of transactions”. We should not just limit it to “irregular”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Yes, let me listen to the Hon Member for Tamale Central.
    Alhaji Inusah A. B. Fuseini 2:54 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    They are taking the inspiration from the Financial Administration Task Force. It deals with suspicious transactions. For instance, if you are a Member of Parliament and you are not known to have any transaction anywhere and then money more than your salary comes into your account at any given time, it becomes a suspicious transaction.
    Irregular transaction is a different transaction. It is not a suspicious transaction. So we need the two. It is a Financial Administration Task Force rule. It includes “irregular” but not all irregular transactions are suspicious.
    Thus we need “irregular” as well.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Let us listen to the technical people.
    Yes, Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation?
    Dr Anthony A. Osei 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I disagree with my Hon Colleague. First of all, we have to be consistent, and more importantly, there could be a regular transaction which is still suspicious because the word “suspicious” is broader. The word “suspicious” captures “irregular”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Hon Members, I would put the Question.
    Mr Benjamin K. Kpodo 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the two words need to be there, just as my Hon Colleague, the Hon Member for Tamale Central said.
    Suspicion is very subjective. Because one could suspect somebody on something, but when we say it is irregular, it is rather definite. So, let us put the two words there; both “irregular” and “suspicious”.
    Let us rather frame it as “irregular or suspicious” in which case where you suspect, you could still fall within the clause there, and when it is irregular, it could still be there. It would be difficult for us to just say that it is suspicious without proving the element of irregularity.
    So I think that both should be incorporated in the Bill. It is either suspicious or irregular. Then we can bring both of them into the net. If we just pick one, the other one escapes. So, I agree with my colleague, Hon Fuseini.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Hon Member for Ho Central, at page 71 of the Bill, when you go to the interpretation, the definition of “suspicious transaction” is there. There is no definition of “irregular transaction”.
    Suspicious transition is defined to mean a transaction that appears to involve or to be connected to an unlawful activity.
    That definitely is looking at law. It is not just irregular. I am just reading that.
    Hon Kpodo, what do you have to say?
    Mr Kpodo 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, suspicion has to do with trust. It has to do with somebody thinking that something has gone wrong. That does not necessary mean that, actually, it has gone wrong. So it is subjective. [Interruption.]
    Why are they not allowing me to air my views?
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, let me listen to you.
    Mr Alexander K. K. Abban 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I actually did my Master's degree in Banking and Financial Law in Boston University. Suspicious transaction is a term of art that is used. So that captures it. I do not think that we should look at this issue of whether it has to do with trust and all that.
    The term used in banking is “suspicious transactions”. So, I agree with the Hon Chairman that we should just maintain “suspicious transaction”. It encapsulates what we call irregular and all those kind of things.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    You are just supporting the Hon Chairman's position.
    Mr Banda 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are talking about a term of art coming from the Financial Administration rules, which is commonly used in the banking system.
    Suspicious transaction is what is commonly referred to as an unlawful activity in the banking system, with particular reference to anti-money
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Well, I am going to put the Question. You can show your disagreement by voting against it.
    You have made your point, so I would put the Question, and since you disagree, you vote against it. If you could convince others to support you, I think you would have done that.
    Mr Kpodo 3:04 p.m.
    I only want to emphasise that “suspicion” according to Wikipedia is a cognition of mistrust. It is mistrust, in which a person doubts. So you are only doubting, but you can do things which are irregular.
    So if we put the two together, it could catch both sides, irregularity and doubt.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my little worry is what we mean in clause 34(2)(f), automatic alerts and flags on suspicious transactions.
    We are talking about the detection of suspicious transactions, so if we put the two together, I am not too sure whether we can maintain both paragraphs (f) and (h).
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, I thought the first one was to alert the system that there is something wrong, and then the system would now be able to go through it and detect that it is a suspicious transaction.
    Anyway, Hon Member for Suhum?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, just to draw your attention to the fact that when you just change “irregular” to “sus- picious”, it would now become “detection of suspicious patterns of transactions”, but I think we want to detect suspicious transactions, so it might be better if we took out the entire “irregular patterns” and substituted that with “suspicious”, so it becomes; “detection of suspicious transactions”, if the Chairman would accept it.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Very well, but let us get the differences between automatic alerts and flags.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, for that one, the first part is to say that when the system -- we should back-track to the top and say that clause 1 is saying the payment system shall have control mechanisms, and then when you come to subclause (2), it says those control mechanisms must be able to do the under- listed.
    So it should be able to send out automatic alerts and flag suspicious transactions, and it must, in paragraph (g), be able to detect the transactions. So they are different. If the Hon Chairman would agree to my further amendment of taking out “irregular patterns of” and substi- tuting that with “suspicious”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, what do you say to that?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have
    no objection.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    All right, so we delete “irregular patterns of” from paragraph (g), so it becomes “detection of suspicious transactions”.
    They just explained the automatic alerts, the flagging, and now detection. When you flag, you have not yet detected. It is now for the system to go through to detect and confirm that it is suspicious, but the fact that you flag it does not mean that it is suspicious. It is a process.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 34, subclause (9), delete and insert the following:
    “A network service provider shall notify the Bank of Ghana and electronic money issuers on the network of that service provider, seven days before the network service provider engages in an activity that may result in the unavailability of electronic money service delivery by the network service provider.”
    Mr Speaker, what we had in the Bill was that a network service provider shall obtain prior approval of the Bank of Ghana before that network service provider engages in an activity that may result in unavailability of electronic money service delivery by the network provider.
    Mr Speaker, there are laws that govern these already. The Bank of Ghana cannot be imposing such restrictions on network service providers.
    There has to be some flexibility also, so we re-drafted this, and that is what we have now on page 6 of the Order Paper, that a network service provider shall notify the Bank of Ghana and electronic money issuers on the network of that service provider, seven days before the network service provider engages in that activity.
    I think this gives them some flexibility.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 34 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 35 -- Customer due diligence requirements
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 35, subclause (6), line 1, delete “in all instances” and in line 2, delete “where necessary”.
    Mr Speaker, this is to compel all electronic money issuers to verify information on every customer so as to minimise fraud. So, this bit, in all instances and where necessary, should go off.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    I believe this is clear and straightforward so I will put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Hon Members, I will put the Question on the whole of clause 35.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to call for some clarification on clause 35(1) between paragraphs (f) and (g) whether we need a conjunct or a disjunct -- whether we need “and” or “or”. [Pause.]
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
    Clause 35(1) reads:
    “The following types of identifi- cation are acceptable for the purposes of customer due diligence under this Act:
    (a) National Identification Card;
    (b) Voter Identification Card;
    (c) Driver's Licence
    (d) National Health Insurance Scheme Identification Card;
    (e) Passport;
    (f) Biometrics; and
    (g) Any other type of identifi- cation determined by Bank of Ghana”
    Why do you want to say “or any other type of identification determined by Bank of Ghana”? Why “or”? I think it should be “and”.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is because “and” is conjunctive. It would sound like one would need this and that, but one would need this or that. Anyone of the list is acceptable.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
    Look at the punctuation.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you are right with the punctuation so “and” or “or” -- Anyone would sit because of the semi-colon.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
    There is a semicolon there and if we want to put
    “or” there, then we would remove the semicolon.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I guess it should be “or” because any of these ones, from paragraph (a) to (e), is a stand-alone request.
    Then when you come to paragraph (g) and say if one is not able to satisfy them with any of the identification in paragraph (a) to (f), then the Bank may ask for any other type of identification they determine.
    It cannot be that it should be anyone of paragraph (a) to (f) plus (g). So I guess it should be “or”. The semicolon brings paragraph (f) to a closure and then it says that apart from that, one is required -- [Interruption.] That is what I am saying.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if we left it at “and”, it would not make any difference. The “and” in this instance is not conjunctive. It is disjunctive and so
    -- 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
    The “and” here is disjunctive.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would not put it that way but the “and” here should be construed as disjunctive. Mr Speaker, if we just put “or” and you read it, you would be infringing the ejusdem generis rule. If you read it carefully, it means that any other type of identification determined by BoG.
    If we put “or” there, it would mean that the type of identifications accepted by BoG can be different from the types stated up there, but I think that “and” there says that type of identification that can be accepted by BoG must be in the nature of those provided up there. That is why there is “and” there.
    Mr Speaker, let us read it and see.
    “The following types of identifica- tion are acceptable for the purposes of customer due diligence under this Act:
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
    Well, your submission is persuasive. That is why I read the whole clause for us to see that there is some intention, and particularly the reference to the ejusdem generis rule in interpretation.
    I am persuaded but you take the decision and I would want the Hon Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to have a word.
    Mr Banda 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we can maintain either of the two and still achieve the same effect. If we maintain “and”, we
    would achieve the same effect, but it would be clearer if we insert “or”. The effect of the ejusdem generis rule would still be achieved because paragraph(g) says “any other type”.
    So any other type of identification determined by the Bank of Ghana cannot be any other identification other than what is listed other than that any other identification that is in the nature of the ones listed, from paragraph (a) to (f).
    Mr Speaker, it appears to me that “and” even among us now seems to create confusion but “or” can be interpreted to mean only or -- either paragraph (a) to (f) or (g) which is “any other identification determined by the Bank of Ghana.”
    So, Mr Speaker, I would rather go for “or” instead of “and” and we can still achieve the same effect.
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the bank rather must apply its rules like all other institutions. Those identification documents are required to be produced by everybody.
    BoG cannot substitute National Identification, NHIS or Voter's Iden- tification Card for its own identification. So this is to mean that one must have one of those four in addition to what BoG may require.
    That is what it is.
    Bank of Ghana cannot just say I want, let us say, my visa card. No, it would not work. National Identification Card, Voter's Identification Card, Drivers' Licence or Passport must be there. That is the intent of this. Bank of Ghana —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Hon Members, I thought the intention is to lay down clear instruments of identification
    and then, ‘and' any other of the nature that has been stated.
    That is why the ‘and' is used and not ‘or' because if we leave the ‘or' it means that we do not need to have any of these and you bring another type and the Bank should accept it.
    But the intention is to have additional documents to the National Identification Card and Voter's Identification card if one provides that. I think that is the purpose.
    Mr Ahiafor — rose —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Hon Member, I saw you on your feet.
    Mr Ahiafor 3:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the confusion is whether we want that apart from the items listed here, maybe, Bank of Ghana asking that two people should come and identify the person in the absence of an identifiable identification card, or Bank of Ghana can only determine any type of the cards that is not listed here but is a means of showing one's identity.
    The issue has to do with the use of ejusdem generis rule. Depending upon whether we should use ‘and' or ‘or', it would clearly come into effect if it is the case that we do not want the Bank of Ghana to use any other means apart from a card identity, then the ejusdem generis rule would apply and we would then have to use the word, ‘and'.
    But if it is the case that Bank of Ghana could say that in the absence of any identity card, bring two people to come and identify you and that would also be a means of identity, then, we have to use the word, ‘or'. We need to look at the rendition again.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Hon Members, let me give you a typical example from my experience. I represented a client who was about to purchase a house and the supposed owner brought the title deed.
    Actually, it was an indenture in his name so I asked for identification and he produced a passport with that name with his picture.
    I then had to go beyond that because I was suspicious. So, I asked, “Where have you worked before?” And he told me the Ghana Police Service.
    So I asked him to produce any recommendation from the Ghana Police Service that he had worked there before, and he said it was easy for him to get that so he went to the Ghana Police Service or wherever.
    In less than three days, he brought a letter of recommendation allegedly from the Ghana Police Service.
    Then I saw that the letterhead was not that of the Ghana Police Service. So I suspected that he was not genuine and I asked him to come back the next day that I was going to talk to my client.
    I invited the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and when they came, I handed him over.
    When the case was investigated, he was not the owner of the house. But he had done a search and got all the documents and he decided to adopt the name that is on the document.
    I think this is what is being followed, that when you ask and get the National Identification Card, you can go further to ask for additional form of identification if you are suspicious and think that there is the need for further clarification. I think this is what this is meant to correct.
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if the Hon Chairman of the Committee would permit, I think paragraph (f) is sufficient because the biometrics could be done on the spot on the physical traits of the person. That in itself would guide you, so that the Bank of Ghana does not have to go and look for any other document.
    That is very dangerous because somebody in the Bank of Ghana could say, bring your visa card. Here, finger prints would be determined by the Bank of Ghana and that is sufficient. But this ‘any other thing' is very dangerous so I ask the Hon Chairman of the committee to—
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Hon Minister, I think you got a bit mixed up, but let us listen to the Hon Chairman of the Committee. I can explain for you to see why I said so.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are talking about customer due diligence. Now, the story that Mr Second Deputy Speaker told is saying that, sometimes, showing one's identity card would not be sufficient so the Bank of Ghana could go behind one and ask for some other identifications — [Interruption.]
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Not necessarily.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:24 a.m.
    We should maintain this provision in the law. The Bank of Ghana is going further by asking for some other identification cards — [Interruption.]
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would address my question to you and I would not listen to him.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Hon Minister, let us say, you are at the bank and at the time, the biometric machines are not working.
    You cannot be called upon to do biometrics, so you have one of these; it could be Voters' Identification card you have shown and the machine is not working for you to be identified but the bank could go ahead to say, bring additional information in the nature of any of those things; something to identify you in addition to the Voters' Identification Card. That is what all this is about.
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:24 a.m.
    Mr Speakedr, that is precisely my point. What are we talking about anyway? It is because we leave too much room for Bank of Ghana.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is why he said you were not listening to me.
    Dr A.A. Osei 3:24 a.m.
    No, I was listening to you but I am saying that —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    What was the “any” that I requested for as a counsel to that client?
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:24 a.m.
    You talked about the person coming back and he is not the owner of the property and all of that. Mr Speaker, I am giving you a counter example.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 a.m.
    Well, Hon Member for Tamale Central?
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 3:24 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation is over simplifying the matter. First of all, biometrics do not establish one's identity until it is matched. That is the first issue.
    The second issue is that all those documents —— [Interruption.] Mr Speaker, I heard him well; he says they are going to be matched. But I am asking if they have not matched.
    I agree that we could have one unified platform, but we are talking about a law that is not anticipatory. The law says that one brings some documents. And they can say it is customer due diligence.
    If one says he is an importer and belongs to an association and there are payment systems going to be effected on their behalf, the Bank of Ghana would not be wrong if they ask you to bring a letter or identification that shows that you are actually an importer and you are registered with that association. Would they be wrong? It is payment systems. [Interruption.] Even if they ask for tax identification ID, has it been listed?
    Even tax identification ID, if they ask for it, has it been listed? Tax Identification ID has not been listed here.
    So, any other document that would establish your identity is what we are talking about. I do not think that we need to quarrel over this.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:34 a.m.
    Hon Members, I think that the Hon Chairman of the Committee is right; let us proceed. I would put the Question on clause 35(6). That is where we were when the Hon Majority Leader arrested -- [Interruption.] The answer did not come from the --

    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:34 a.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, I have never heard of this in my entire parliamentary life.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, nothing has been spoken into the microphone, so you did not hear anything.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:34 a.m.
    I did not hear you just because it was not spoken through the microphone? If you say that it is not official because it was not recorded, yes, but I heard you loud and clear.
    Clause 36 ordered stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 37 -- Fund isolation requirement
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 37, subclause (4), lines 2 and 3, delete “ninety-one day Government Treasury Bills” and insert “short term Government Instruments determined by the Bank of Ghana”.
    Mr Speaker, “comingled” is an industry term. So, clause 37(1)(a) would now read 3:34 a.m.
    “The electronic money account of every electronic money issuer shall
    (a) not be comingled at any time with the funds of any…”
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 3:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree that “comingled” is the same as “mixed”, but “mixed” is the ordinary man's language. Who would understand this law?
    We have been advised time and again to draft laws in simple language. I am even convinced that we should not put “comingled” here. This particular provision is not directed at the industry practitioners but at the electronic money account users.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:34 a.m.
    Is “co- mingled” the same as “mixed”? There is a difference.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 3:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, there is a little difference. When you add funds already in an account to funds coming from elsewhere which ought not to be added to that account, you have comingled them.
    Why we should not use “comingled” here is that when we comingle, it is difficult to separate. For instance, if we bring fuel from Shell and offload it -- [Interruption] Anything that is hard and physical is not comingled but mixed because it can be separated. When we comingle things, they cannot be separated, but we can separate here.
    Mr Speaker, “comingling” as I understand it in the industry and from the industry practice of fuel dealers -- [Interruption.] It is the same word, and even in equity, it means the same, that when you mix things that cannot be separated and traced, the essence is that when you mix and tracing is lost or when you comingle and tracing is lost --
    If we bring the two together, which would not allow us to trace, we have comingled them. But we cannot comingle money because we can always trace the money. That is why it should be “mixed”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:34 a.m.
    I think that his explanation has even fortified why we should use “comingled”.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is interesting to listen to my Hon Colleague from Tamale Central. A moment ago, we were talking about how appeals lie to the Appeal Court and the Hon Majority Leader wanted us to change it to suit the grammar of everyday English.
    He was quick to say that it is a term of art and that was law. Now the finance people are telling us that “comingled” and “mixed” in this instance are financial terms of art, so we should use “comingled”.
    Mr Speaker, I do not know whether you were following when the Hon First Deputy Speaker was in the Chair and the Hon Finance Committee Chairman moved an amendment which sought to change the interest that account holders earned from 80 per cent to 90 per cent.
    We want to be sure that the account held by the issuers, those to whom electronic money has been issued, is not comingled, so that it is easy to do any kind of audit trail on them.
    We want to be sure that if one's electronic wallet had GH¢1,000 in it for three days, the service provider would not say that they put that person's money and that of the Hon Second Deputy Speaker in one account, so they are not sure which one got a certain amount of interest on it.
    What this provision says is that these funds should not be comingled but kept as separately as possible to allow for any third party to have a clear audit trail of these accounts at any time and be able to identify what has happened to these accounts.
    For his further elucidation, if you mix hydrocarbons, there is a process called fractional distillation by which you can re-separate them. So, he should not think that when you add kerosene to petrol, that is the end of the world.
    Mr Ahiafor 3:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the proposed amendment, except to say that the spelling of “comingled” should double “m”. — [Pause..]
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Yes, it is double “m”. It is actually pronounced as “com-mingled” and not “co-mingled”.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, should we move on or you want to be heard.
    Mr Banda 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are moving on, except to say that one can either use what is on the Order Paper, with one “m” — “comingled” or double “m” — “commingled”. Either of the two words is correct.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Which type of English?
    Mr Banda 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not know which type of English it is but when you look for it in the dictionary, it either uses single “m” or double “m” and either of the two is correct.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    But when you read it in the dictionary, you would know the type of English and where you can uses the double “m” and which type you can use the single “m”.
    Mr Banda 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the double “m” is used in UK English and the single “m” is US English.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Exactly, and that is why we are using the British English. Anyway, I was told that the Budget is always written in the US English and not the British English and so we are using both. But let us use the double “m”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Kpodo 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you did make some corrections to the word. But I did not hear from you adding that, that is a further amendment to the clause —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    The spelling?
    Mr Kpodo 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, did you incorporate that in the putting of your Question?
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    I did not incorporate the further spelling.
    I could not have done that. It is the same word. If it had been some different word, I would have said, “as further amended”. But it is the same word that is being corrected to say, it should be spelled, “commingled”.
    So I could not have put that in the Question. In any case, you were completely out of order because I had put the Question and it was taken.
    Mr Kpodo 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I stood up but you did not see me.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Well, it is not just a matter of standing up. It is a matter of catching my eyes.
    Hon Chairman, you may go on now.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 37, subclause (4), lines 2 and 3, delete “ninety-one day Government Treasury Bills” and insert “short term Government Instruments determined by the Bank of Ghana”.
    Mr Speaker, in clause 37, subclause (4), the electronic money account balances in excess of the limits stipulated in subsections (2) and (3) is being mandated that they be invested in ninety-one (91) day Government Treasury Bills.
    This amendment is to say that there should not be a restriction to ninety-one day Government Treasury Bills.
    Mr Ahiafor 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move for further amendments. That is, clause 37, subclause (4) to read, “…limit stipulated in subsections (2) and (3)” and not “limits”. So I am proposing that we delete the “s” at the end of “limits”, in line 3. [Pause.]
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are referring to two different limits; there is a limit stipulated in subsection (2) and a different limit in subsection (3) and that is why it refers to —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Yes, I thought so myself. They would not be the same limit. I think it is right.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I appreciate the amendment proffered by the Hon Chairman of the Committee to delete the ninety-one day Government Treasury Bills and insert “short term Government Instrument determined by the Bank of Ghana”.
    What we left out is the ten days of the occurrence of the excess. We are giving a period in which to do that transaction within ten days of the occurrence of the excess, and that one is left out. How do we capture that?
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Well, are you saying we should have deleted that?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he thought that has been deleted.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    No, it is not. Because it is delete and insert and they were very specific; delete “ninety- one day Government Treasury Bills” and insert “short term Government Instrument determined by the Bank of Ghana.”
    And so it would read:
    “The electronic money account balances in excess of the limits stipulated in subsections (2) and (3) shall be invested in short term Government Instruments determined by the Bank of Ghana within ten days of the occurrence of the excesses.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Richard Acheampong 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, clause 37, subclause (5), I remember during the debate, I raised a very critical
    —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Hon Member, let me put the Question on the clause 37, subclause (4) or have we done that already?
    Mr R. Acheampong 3:54 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker, and you are about to put the Question on the entire clause 37 and that is why I want to raise the issue under clause 37 subclause (5).
    I raised a very critical issue which states that, assuming one has an amount in his or her wallet and has travelled for, let us say, 10 years, the amount of money in his or her wallet would be transferred into a dedicated account and then this amount would be invested.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, but you specifically mentioned subclause 5. What is wrong with that subclause?
    Mr R. Acheampong 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if subclause (4) is taken through, it means subclause (5) would trigger in. Subclause 5 reads:
    “The discount earned under subsection (4) shall be credited to the interest account which shall be distributed as determined by the Bank of Ghana.”
    So if one forfeits his money in the wallet, then the investment discount would trigger in. So, let us deal with it before we come to subclause 5. I would therefore want to propose an amendment.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Members, maybe, it is a technical area
    that I do not understand. But the bank determining it does not mean it is being forfeited by the bank.
    Mr R. Acheampong 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the money has already been transferred from their wallet, so it is in the possession of Bank of Ghana and they have invested that money.
    It does not belong to you any longer so you do not have any control whatsoever; that is what clause 37 is seeking to address.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Members, truly, I cannot see what is missing with subclauses (2), (3), (4) and (5). The sequence is alright. If you are talking about adding, then we can go for a Second Consideration Stage.
    So, you read it and you can file an addition which would be taken at the Second Consideration Stage.
    I would put the Question on the whole of clause 37.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 37 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Members, subject to your convenience, I would have preferred we end at clause 37 and continue with clause 38 some other day.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    respectfully, there is just one proposed amendment for clause 38 and the order of it is like the one that we have considered and dismissed.
    So, we could deal with that one. There is no advertised amendment to clause 39, so we then could end at clause 39 since clause 40 begins with a new headnote.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    I see that the proposer of the amendment to clause 38 is not available. I recall the other time I presided, the lapse being the Hon Minister for Communications, she came to raise issues about it that she has some -- I am not at the Ministry.
    But it is good that we just do not ignore them. It is for us to listen.
    I know they are to be here but for good reasons we would want to make good laws. Unless the technical people can convince us that this would not add any value to the laws we are passing --
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, at another time when we considered this Bill, you were not in the Chair. The Hon Minister for Communications indicated to the House that she had filed this amendment in her capacity as a Member of Parliament and not as a Minister for Communications.
    We had argued that for a Minister of Communications who sits in Cabinet to come and move amendments contrary to what the principles of the Bill projects, then that would be extreme.
    Mr Speaker, but she said she was moving the amendment in her capacity as a Member of Parliament. And as a Member of Parliament, if she files an amendment, she would have to come to the House and move same. So, if she is not here, let us just move on.
    Mr Speaker, as you know, this Bill has been in the House for some time now and the Bank of Ghana needs this critical Bill so that they can do a lot of things with financial technology and the like.
    As a matter of fact, when we considered the Right to Information Bill, 2018, a senior Member of the House, Hon Opare-Ansah, was not here and all his amendments were thrown away.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Well, so far as I am concerned, he has also never complained. But a Colleague Minister cannot file amendments; you must be a Member of Parliament.
    So that one is obvious that she filed it as a Member of Parliament and not because she is a Minister for Communi- cations.
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, furthermore, if you just look at the amendment proposed to clause 38 --
    Mr Speaker, if you look at this Bill very carefully, this Bill does not talk about technology. It is not licensing people with technology. So, that amendment is not needed.
    We are talking about issuing electronic money which has nothing to do with issuing of licence for technology. So this amendment cannot be considered.
    The Ministry of Communications will give licences for technology but we should not be getting the Bank of Ghana to collaborate with National Communications Authority (NCA) to deal with matters of technology. That is not the --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    I see the House is bent on going on so I am guided by the sense of the House. We would proceed.
    Clauses 38, 39 and 40 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe we can bring the Consideration Stage to a halt now. Considering what we have done now, maybe, tomorrow we can finish it up.
    Mr Speaker, let me thank you and thank all Hon Colleagues for their endurance.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:04 p.m.
    Hon Members, that brings us to the end of Consideration of the Payments Systems
    and Services Bill, 2018, for today. We will continue tomorrow.
    Hon Members, I will proceed to adjourn the House.
    ADJOURNMENT 4:04 p.m.