Mr Speaker, even though the indicators did not do well, we still achieved some milestones in 2015. For instance, the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) was introduced in 2014 and in 2015; we were able to bring on board many of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and that, for me is important. We all know the role the GIFMIS plays in terms of reducing corruption.
Mr Speaker, in 2015, Government was also able to establish the Collateral Registry. We know the role that the Collateral Registry plays when it comes to our banking sector.
Again, Government was able to license the Credit Reference Bureau which is very important. We all know that some of our banks are suffering because of the non-performing loans and it is because of the lack of some of these institutions. In the year 2015, we were able to establish this and it is very important for me.
Mr Speaker, the implementation of the Local Content and Local Participation Bill (L.I. 224) also saw some improvement in the area of recruitment of local content in the oil industry and that is something worth mentioning.
Mr Speaker, in the midst of all these challenges, Government in 2015
did very well in the area of infrastructure. For instance, out of the 40 indicators that were chosen, 58 per cent of them was achieved. In the home sector, out of 55 indicators set, 52 per cent was also achieved.
In the area of human development, productivity and employment, out of 62 indicators, 53.2 per cent was achieved. That, in my view, is something we should be happy about.
Mr Speaker, it is also important to talk about the issue of capitation payment system. When this system was piloted, it raised eyebrows. So many people were not happy with it.
At the Committee level, we were told that that initiative is very helpful and, as we speak, eight regions are now implementing it. In the opinion of the staff of NHIA, it is something Government must look at and ensure that we are able to implement it fully.
Mr Speaker, the Committee made some recommendations and let me just mention one of them, with your permission.
“The Committee also re- commends that the proposed Science and Technology Endow- ment Fund should be established to address the technology gap that constraints efforts to develop the various sectors of the economy.”
It is important that we take technology seriously; without it, we cannot go anywhere. I think that this
House should impress upon Government to be serious with technology. If we do that, we are very convinced that we would achieve most of these indicators that we always set.
Mr Speaker, finally, I would want to call on the House to adopt the 2015 Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda II,
2014-2017.
Deputy Minister for Aviation (Mr Kwabena O. Darko-Mensah) (MP): Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity to support this Motion.
Mr Speaker, if we take the Report of the 2015 Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda II, 2014-2017, and basically, if we are debating it in 2019, then it is an old Report. But I believe that it gives us some food for thought to do our things right going forward.
Mr Speaker, paragraph 6.2 of the Report talks about enhancing competitiveness of Ghana's private sector. If we look at the statistics that they have provided themselves, out of the 22 indicators, only 36.4 per cent achieved slow progress. Clearly, it shows that, they are virtually not doing anything.
Mr Speaker, if we want to reduce poverty in this country, we need to basically create before we can distribute. It is only the private sector that has that capacity to deliver the resources that we need to distribute.
