Debates of 11 Jul 2019

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:42 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:42 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:42 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday,10th July, 2019.
Page 1, 2, 3…11
Mr Kwame Govers Agbodza 10:42 a.m.
-- rose --
Mr Speaker 10:42 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Kwame Govers Agbodza 10:42 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon James Klutse Avedzi was in the House yesterday, but I can see his name on the absentee list. In fact, this morning, he has just been called to his committee, and a similar thing happened yesterday. So, indeed, he was in the House yesterday.
Mr Speaker 10:42 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Page 11, 12, 13 --
rose
Mr Speaker 10:42 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member for North Tongu?
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 10:42 a.m.
I am most grateful, Mr Speaker.
I tried to catch your eye while you were at page 9. The item numbered 5(i) should read properly as “Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement”.
Then, the last but one line of item numbered 7 should read, “recycling and manufacturing…” and not “manufacture”.
Mr Speaker 10:42 a.m.
Thank you very much; Page 12 -- [Pause] --
Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 10:42 a.m.
-- rose --
Mr Speaker 10:42 a.m.
Yes, Dr Assibey- Yeboah?
Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 10:42 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Kwame Agbodza, in drawing our attention to the omission of Hon Avedzi's name, said that yesterday, he was in the House and as a matter of fact, even this morning, he was here and had left.
Mr Speaker, at the time of Sitting this morning, the Hon Avedzi was not present in the House. So, I would want to find out if his presence at a time when the House is not Sitting could be construed to mean being present in the House.
Mr Speaker 10:42 a.m.
Hon Member, I will leave that to leadership.
Page 13 ... 18.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 10th July, 2019 as corrected, is hereby admitted as the true record of proceedings.
Mr Speaker 10:52 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 10:52 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Speaker 10:52 a.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Ms Sarah A. Safo 10:52 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
I believe that the concern raised by the Hon Minority Chief Whip would be taken onboard such that the C.I ought to be in this House for some time to be able to be well considered.
Mr Speaker, I believe that the Majority Leadership will make sure that such Instrument is properly brought before the House for consideration. Inasmuch as we recognise that the Electoral Commission (EC) is an independent body, we ought to also ensure that the work of Parliament proceeds in the right direction.
I know that the Hon Majority Leader is the Chairman of the Special Budget Committee and so, from our Side, we would liaise with the appropriate body which is the EC to ensure that the time frame within which it will be brought before the House for Consideration -- considering the time we are in now, that is, nearing our rising --
I believe that it is a genuine concern and we will proceed in that direction to ensure that it is properly brought before the House for consideration.
Mr Speaker 10:52 a.m.
Thank you very much. The Leader of Government Business and his team should just make the proper approaches and
ensure that copies are made available as soon as possible for Hon Members.
Ms Safo 10:52 a.m.
Mr Speaker, rightly so.
Mr Speaker 10:52 a.m.
This morning, we spoke about this and I trust that it will not be necessary to let this become an issue anymore.
We have agreed this morning to skip Questions for tomorrow and take Statements, and particularly so, two Statements; one from the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry and the other from the Hon Pelpuo on World Population Day.
The Hon Minister for Trade and Industry to make a Statement on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and Ghana's Selection as the host country for the Secretariat.
STATEMENTS 10:52 a.m.
Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Alan Kyerematen) 10:52 a.m.
Mr Speaker, let me start by first thanking your esteemed Self and Hon Members of this august House for the
opportunity to deliver a Statement on the AfCFTA and Ghana's selection as the Host country for the Secretariat.
I will crave your indulgence that for purposes of this Statement, instead of the full rendition I would use the abbreviation AfCFTA. It is easier to pronounce.
Mr Speaker, the creation of a single continental market for Africa had long been the dream of the founding fathers of most of the major countries in our continent. The Abuja Declaration of 1991 of the Authority of Heads of States of the Organi- sation of African Unity envisioned the establishment of an African Economic Community. One of the building blocks for the establishment of this Community was the creation of a Continental Free Trade Area for Africa.
Mr Speaker, the realisation of the vision of a single market did not materialise until the AU Summit of Heads of States and Governments in January 2012, which formally endorsed the decision to establish an African Continental Free Trade Area. Since that decision was adopted, extensive preparations and negotiations were carried out by Member States, finally culminating in the historic AU Summit decision in Kigali on March 21, 2018, to formally
Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Alan Kyerematen) 11:02 a.m.
conclude the first phase of negotiations for the Continental Free Trade Agreement.

Mr Speaker, I am happy to inform this House that currently, 54 out of 55 countries in Africa have so far signed the AfCFTA, and 27 countries have ratified the Agreement. The requirement for bringing the Agreement into force was for 22 countries to ratify the Agreement. In this regard, on the 30th of May 2019, that is one month after the AfCFTA entered into force 22 countries had deposited their Instruments of Ratification with the AU Commission.

Mr Speaker, the AfCFTA is a Single Market (Duty-free, Quota- free) trading bloc covering the entire African Continent with a total population of 1.2 billion and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of almost US$3 trillion. The AfCFTA is the most significant development in Africa since the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. It is the world's largest Free Trade Area, second only to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in terms of the number of Member States.

Mr Speaker, there are many benefits that Africa will derive from implementing the AfCFTA including the following:

Increase intra-African trade, through better harmonisation and coordination of trade within the African continent. It is estimated that intra-African trade will increase by as much as US$35 billion per annum or 52 per cent by 2022.

Address the challenge of small fragmented markets in Africa by creating a single continental market which will lead to economies of scale.

Add value to Africa's abundant natural resources and promote economic diversification and industrialisation.

Develop regional value chains and facilitate cross-border investments in Africa.

Enhance access to an expanded market for SMEs in Africa on preferential trade terms;

Attract Foreign Direct Invest- ments (FDI) into Africa with strong regional and local content.

Facilitate the integration of African economies into global markets.

Significantly improve the Terms of Trade for African countries.

Enhance benefits to consumers in Africa through lower prices of goods imported from within Africa.

Significantly enhance employ- ment opportunities in Africa particularly for the youth.

Components of the AfCFTA

Mr Speaker, the Agreement has four key components namely, the Framework Agreement incorporating the principles, guidelines and modalities for negotiations; Protocol on Trade in Goods with relevant Annexes; Protocol on Trade in Services with relevant Annexes; and Protocol on Working Rules and Procedures for Disputes Settlement.

There are three additional equally important Protocols which would be concluded in the Second phase of the negotiations. These Protocols would focus first on the provisions for the promotion, facilitation and protection of investments to galvanise the investment needed to restructure Africa's economies; second,

provisions to enable fair competition and market outcomes to stimulate industrialisation, competition and development; and third, intellectual property rights to incentivise increased innovation and ensure a level playing field for entrepreneurs. These Protocols are important instruments in establishing a free trade regime.

Operational phase of the AfCFTA

Mr Speaker, with the coming into force of the AfCFTA, the operational phase of the Agreement was formally launched on 7th July, 2019 at the AU Summit in Niamey, Niger. The critical elements of the operational phase include the following:

i. Adoption of an agreed set of Rules of Origins.

Currently we have covered almost 88 per cent of the rules of origin.

ii. Launching of key AfCFTA Operational Instruments.

These operational instruments are also absolutely critical to give operational effects to the Agreement. They include the following:

The Online platform for Tariff Negotiations.
Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Alan Kyerematen) 11:02 a.m.


The Africa Trade Observatory

(ATO).

The Digital Payment and Settlement Systems (AFREXIM Bank).

The Online mechanism for Reporting and Monitoring for Non-Tariff Barriers.

The Mobile Application for AfCFTA business activities.

The MANSA Repository Platform to serve as a cen- tralised database for customer due diligence.

The US$1 Billion AfCFTA Adjustment Facility to manage the adverse effects of revenue losses for selected countries.
Mr Speaker, other elements of the operational phase are as follows 11:12 a.m.
iii. Setting up of the AfCFTA Secretariat in Ghana. This involves:-
The commencement of work by the interim AfCFTA Secretariat from 10th July, 2019;
The selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and
key Secretariat Executives by 31st December 2019; and
The setting up of a Permanent Secretariat in Accra to be completed by 30th March,
2020.
iv. Submission of final Schedules of Tariff Concessions and completion of outstanding Rules of Origin by January 2020; and
v. Start of actual Trading and Dismantling of Tariffs from 1st July, 2020.
Mr Speaker, the benefits of the AfCFTA will not come automatically. In order to harness the benefits of AfCFTA by AU Member States, a programme of action to Boost Intra- African Trade (BIAT) was also endorsed by the AU Heads of States at their Annual Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2012.
The BIAT addresses Seven (7) priority clusters: Trade Policy, Trade Facilitation, Productive Capacity (Industrialisation), Trade-related infrastructure, for example, (Trans- portation and Communication), Trade Finance, Trade Information, and Factor Market Integration.
Each country is required to identify specific areas of comparative advantage and strategic focus for diversification and develop value chains for both goods and services.
What Is Ghana Already Doing To Harness The Benefits of AfCFTA?
Mr Speaker, Ghana has already started implementing a comprehen- sive agenda for industrial transfor- mation, which is in line with the BIAT Programme of Action, in readiness to take advantage of the AfCFTA. Some of the interventions currently being pursued by Government under the BIAT priority clusters are:
Enhancing Industrial Productive Capacity:
One District, One Factory (1D1F) Initiative.
Strategic Anchor Industries Initiative which will diversify the economy from cocoa and gold.
One Region One Park (Indus- trial Parks & Special Economic Zones).
SME Development.
Promotion of Standards.

Trade Facilitation

Customs Management Reforms including Single Window Platform; and

Implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

The third cluster, which is in respect of Trade-related Infrastructure already has the following Government interventions:

Tema and Takoradi Port Expansion Project.

The construction of roads.

The construction of new airports.

The development of railways in the sector in Ghana.

Mr Speaker, on the access to finance cluster, these intervention are already being implemented:

Stimulus Package for Local Industries.

EXIM Bank Financing, Venture-Capital Trust Fund, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund.
Mr Speaker, other elements of the operational phase are as follows 11:12 a.m.


It also has FINTECH.

Last but not least, all banking reforms that are being imple- mented.
Mr Speaker, on the trade informa- tion cluster, we already have 11:12 a.m.
The Ghana Commodity Ex- change.
The Electronic Trade Infor- mation which is being managed by the GEPA and Trade Fairs and Exhibitions, there is a major development that is going to occur to develop the Trade Fair and exhibition sites as a world class exhibition programme for not only Ghana but the whole of the continent.
Mr Speaker, on the Trade Policy cluster, we already have 11:12 a.m.
National Trade Policy.
Trade Sector Support Pro- gramme.
National Industrial Policy.
Industrial Sector Support Pro- gramme,which is the implemen-
tation framework for the industrial policy.
So Mr Speaker, even without the benefits of knowing whether the AfCFTA was going to be finalised, Government had already introduced a comprehensive set of measures to be able to put Ghana in readiness to take advantage of the CFTA.
National Institutional Support Structure for AfCFTA.
Mr Speaker, the following National Institutional Structures have been set up or will be established to ensure the smooth implementation of the AfCFTA in Ghana:
First, an Inter-Ministerial Facili- tation Committee has been constituted by the President to provide strategic direction and coordinate support for the implementation of the AfCFTA in Ghana.
Second, a National AfCFTA Coordinating Office is being established at the Ministry of Trade and Industry to act as a one-stop shop facilitation center and information hub. This will be staffed and operated in colla- boration with the Ministry of
Mr Speaker, on the Trade Policy cluster, we already have 11:12 a.m.


Agreement and also the first to ratify same under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo.

Ghana was also the first country to offer to host the AfCFTA Secretariat, after the formal signing of the Agreement at the AU Summit in Kigali in March,

2018.

This was in my previous role as the coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. So, Ghana has paid its dues.

Hosting of the AfCFTA Secre- tariat in Ghana

Mr Speaker, there could not have been a better time than now for Ghana to be hosting the Secretariat of AfCFTA, particularly at a time when Africa is rising and Ghana is rising.

Inspite of Ghana's pioneering role in the struggle for independence in Africa and subsequent contributions to the integration of the African continent, Ghana has not had the honour and privilege of hosting any AU Organ until now. So, the decision for Ghana to host the AfCFTA Secretariat is therefore a historic one.

Ghana was selected among Six other countries which submitted bids to host the Secretariat namely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Egypt, E-Swatini and Madagascar. In the final stages Mr Speaker, Senegal, Ethiopia and Egypt withdrew their bids in favour of Ghana.

Benefits to Be Derived By Ghana

Mr Speaker, Ghana can and should leverage the opportunity of hosting the AfCFTA Secretariat to become the new commercial capital of Africa, a regional trade hub and economic epic-center and the new gateway to the continent.

The hosting of the Secretariat will promote Ghana as an attractive investment destination and actively facilitate Foreign Direct Investments into Ghana.

The AfCFTA Headquarters will attract major international financial institutions to locate in Ghana. Other international companies doing business in Africa are likely to consider Ghana as the preferred location for siting their corporate headquarters.

The hosting of the Secretariat will provide opportunities to recruit many Ghanaian profe- ssionals and administrative staff to work in the Secretariat.

Mr Speaker, in addition to the above the AfCFTA will enhance Government's current Industrial Development Agenda and contribute to the diversification of the Ghanaian economy.

The AfCFTA will open up new market opportunities under preferential terms for Ghanaian producers particularly SMEs.

Ghana will have the opportunity of hosting various Regional and Continental meetings and other events associated with the AfCFTA.

Ghana will also enjoy many other collateral benefits which would enhance the income levels of many Ghanaians.

In conclusion, Mr Speaker, the hosting of the AfCFTA Secretariat will be a game-changer and launching pad for the Ghanaian Private Sector to explore and exploit business opportunities in Africa. It is without doubt an important major step in Ghana's march towards economic prosperity and requires the support of all Ghanaians.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 11:22 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister, for this detailed briefing.
Those who contributed to the first part of the debate may as much as possible give the opportunity to others.
Hon Member for North Tongu?
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 11:22 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement so eloquently delivered by the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry.
Mr Speaker, this is an exciting time for Ghana, and this is a matter that should bring enormous joy and pride to all of us as Ghanaians. Indeed, all
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 11:32 a.m.


Mr Speaker, intra-African trade is simply too low. According to the Brookins Institution, the 2018 figures, intra-African export was only 19 per cent -- a paltry 19 per cent. This compares to 59 per cent in Asia for intra-Asian export, and 69 per cent for intra-European exports. Clearly, Africa cannot develop if we do not fix this. This is why I am excited that the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry recognises this, and is committed to ensuring that all the benefits are derived.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, we must bring down the barriers, rededicate ourselves to integration, and commit ourselves to the true and final unity in Africa. We cannot have any chance to develop or fight poverty, diseases and ignorance, if we continue in our disintegrated state. We must ensure that this becomes the steppingstone for that full- comprehensive-united Africa that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah envisaged.

Mr Speaker, on this note, I congratulate the Government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and all those who have supported this noble effort, and have brought us so much pride.
Mr Speaker 11:32 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Ablakwa.
Dr Sagre Bambangi (NPP -- Walewale) 11:32 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry; Hon Alan Kyerematen.
Mr Speaker, it is an opportune time for the African Union to come to this level of development in its economic integration.The Continental Free Trade Area is the first step and the genesis of what the trade theories and practitioners call “economic integration.” I am not surprised that Ghana has played a leading role in these arrangements. This is because some decades ago, we changed the name of our Foreign Affairs Ministry to the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration”.
Mr Speaker, therefore the Continental Free Trade Area is a step towards a customs union, a common market and eventually, an economic union. The benefits that we hope to
accrue from this arrangement are immense according to theory and practice. This is because the European Union (EU) started as a free trade area, and has progressed towards an economic union. It has been a common market for a very long time, and they are progressing steadily towards an economic union.
Mr Speaker, we must not lose sight of the challenges that are ahead of us. West Africa started with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). East Africa and Southern Africa have their own unions as well, but it is sad that we have not progressed enough.
We have met a lot of challenges in these endeavours. Anybody who sets out to travel within Africa could see a manifestation of these challenges in the continent. For instance, as my Hon Colleague from the other Side just indicated, because of the very limited intra-African trade, even the transportation network is very poor.
Mr Speaker, sometimes, when one travels by air from Ghana to Benin, one may have to go through Abidjan to Benin. Sometimes, I wish one could even drive to Benin because the journey may even be shorter that way. In the same way, one may have to pass through Abidjan to be
transported to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. These issues therefore suggest that there are a lot of practical difficulties such that as we congra- tulate ourselves, we would need to take note and ensure that some of these difficulties are removed, so that our Continental Free Trade Area could take off smoothly.
Mr Speaker, most of these serious challenges could come as a result of security, because even with ECO- WAS, we all grapple with farmer- herder relation conflicts. Farmers in the Sahel zones feel that it is right for them to come into the coastal countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Togo for their cattle to graze. They do not use the appropriate way to come into these countries because some of these countries do not also have the appropriate security mechanisms to take care of these confrontations.
I have represented my Hon Minister in some of the meetings between these countries. The people talk with passion because they believe that it is right for them to come with their cattle. We would therefore have to brace ourselves and equip our security agencies to ensure that as we implement the Continental Free Trade Area, these difficulties are addressed for it to take off smoothly.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (NDC -- Ellembelle) 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
I would also want to thank the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry and his Hon Deputy for this important Statement.
Mr Speaker, this is an important day for Africa. I would want to take us back and thus make a quote with your permission :
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who had always emphasised the importance of African unity and its economic emancipation said that it was the key to our survival. I remember in one quote he said:
“It is clear that we must find an African solution to our African problems; this can only be found in African Unity and economic
Mr Speaker 11:32 a.m.
And in conclusion?
Mr Buah 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon Minister. This is a great day for our country and we must support the move for a strong Africa that could face the world and empower our people.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 11:52 a.m.
Thank you very much.
I have got quite a list here. So Hon Members, per my list, you will have five minutes each.
Yes, Hon Duker?
Mr George Mireku Duker (NPP -- Tarkwa-Nsuaem) 11:52 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.
Mr Speaker, it is indeed an exciting moment. As exciting as it is, I would
also use this opportunity to congratulate H. E. the President for his acceptance speech in Miami at the AU Summit. He established the fact that Ghana is ready to host the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA). Ghana becomes the second largest world market in terms of hosting this fragmented African Market, apart from the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Ghana would become the second centre of excellence in the economies of scale.
We would have a situation where attention would be drawn from the International Trade Centre or Centre du Commerce International (CCI) in French WTO; and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Develop- ment. These centres would now have our attention. Previously, focus has not been there, and hosting the CFTA is positive and in the right direction.
Mr Speaker, addressing the challenges that we encounter as a country in terms of a fragmented market, time around, I could move to Burkina Faso, Benin or Niger and trade without any hindrance in terms of duties. It would open doors for Africans to move anywhere in Africa to invest. This would attract investors.
I am excited because of cross- border investments. I am also excited because we would not export in the
Mr Kwame Govers Agbodza (NDC -- Adaklu) 11:52 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to commend the Hon Minister for a very brilliant Statement made.
I consider this as one of the most balanced Statements made in this House by an Hon Minister. The Hon Minister traced the trajectory of this particular Agreement and acknow- ledged all those who played various roles, no matter how infinitesimal it was. If we could continue on this trajectory, we would find many more people interested in contributing their quota to the development of this country.
It is very important that Hon Colleagues who make contributions to this Statement take a cue from the way the Hon Minister made his Statement, by not pretending that it was only an idea of the previous Government or an idea of this Government, but our collective agenda; it would help us all.
Mr Speaker, I want to make a few comments by making reference to one of the important things the Hon Minister said, that this would create a duty-free and quota-free economic
zone. This is where the problem is because it is a double-edged sword. Those who would provide quality goods and services would see investments gravitate to their countries. Those who cannot may see investments diminish, which would lead to countries becoming protec- tionists as is happening in America under the current President. Once America led the way of trade; but all of a sudden, they want to close the door and pretend that everything is about them.
I listened to a Nigerian manufac- turer yesterday on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Radio regarding this, and he was very cross. He was not happy because he felt that this would lead to goods from other countries flooding his country. So let us not take our eyes away from that as someone said Brexit. The European Union was super; but today, countries feel that they must protect themselves from the collective will of the European Union. I believe that it would not be different when it comes to Africa.
Mr Speaker, my view is this, we should look at this in line with this. Would there be rules that determine the quality of goods and services across the board? So that when I want a product from Ghana, it is the
same standard that is in Nigeria or some other country, accepted by the various standard authorities or bodies in those countries?
For some services, maybe, human beings could provide them. However, as regards transportation, when we produce goods, they need to travel across borders. Are we working towards the integration of our transportation networks, especially rail network, so that we would not have a region that produces a lot of goods but cannot move across to another country because the roads and railways are not good enough?
We are alright with aviation to an extent, in terms of airports existing, more or less, everywhere in the major cities in Africa. So I am happy that the Hon Minister for Transport is in the room. What is Africa's aim to address this particular one?
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague already talked about power supply. If I find investment in another country and want to relocate to do business there, just to be told that there is not enough power generation in that country, how does that facilitate this? We need to consider how this would lead to the provision of adequate power supply in all the countries that take part in this.
Mr Speaker 12:02 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Hon Daniel Okyem Aboagye, you have five minutes.
Mr Daniel Okyem Aboagye (NPP -- Bantama) 12:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement.
Mr Speaker, I would want to commend the Hon Minister for making such a great Statement which has attracted a lot of contributions and by extension, to commend the previous Presidents and Hon Ministers who have made so much contributions to this and especially, to His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the support and the efforts that have gone into winning the opportunity to host this big platform for African trade.
Mr Speaker, commerce is trade and it aids trade. For that matter, I
Mr Speaker 12:12 p.m.
Thank you Hon Member; particularly for keeping the time.
Hon Minister for Finance, you could give a quick contribution for five minutes.
Minister for Finance (Mr Ken Ofori-Atta) 12:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is with great joy to have the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry.
Mr Speaker, I remember two nights ago, I was really torn when the Black Stars lost, and I wondered to myself how this had befallen us; the first time to lose to Tunisia. But then, on the Saturday, the decision had been made in Niger for Ghana to host the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). I wondered whether we were losing sight of this great event that was occurring in our country right under our noses and just blithely accepting it.
Mr Speaker, so, now that we have a clarity of where we are and we are out of the African Cup of Nations, we can sit to really internalise the import of what has been gifted to us by the Lord.
Mr Speaker 12:12 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister, and particularly for your brevity.
Hon Humado, the last contribution before the two Leaders.
Mr Clement K. Humado (NDC -- Anlo) 12:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by our Hon Minister for Trade and Industry. Indeed, the Statement is very well developed in content and in presentation.
Mr Speaker, the idea of AfCFTA was conceptualised into an agreement in Kigali as we are all aware and signed on by some countries. When
some major economic countries like Nigeria and South Africa did not sign in Kigali, it sent goose bumps in Africa as to whether this agreement would see the light of day. Fortunately, Nigeria has committed itself to signing the agreement and I believe South Africa would also follow suit.
Mr Speaker, at the level of ECOWAS, of which I was a member, when this was discussed, one issue that came up strongly was that the regional economic blocs like ECOWAS, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and others have not yet attained full implementation and they did not see why we should then come up again with the AfCFTA. But I believe that if we do this side by side with the regional economic communities, it would help catalyse the already existing regional blocs and push them into action in fulfilment of regional objectives. I do not think that it is an impediment in the way of the existing regional economic communities.
Mr Speaker, another issue is that, the AfCFTA would be a game- changer in the sense that, our existing north-south trade relations where Africa trades more with Europe than among itself needs to change gradually towards trade among ourselves in Africa. How that would take place is also a challenge. This is where our Ministries of Trade and Industry and
Mr Speaker 12:22 p.m.
Hon Member, in conclusion?
Mr Humado 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I take a cue.
I would like to end on this by also saying that the role of our missions abroad is very important. Our missions abroad need to be brought into this process; they must aggressively look for markets in our various respective countries and I believe that if they play that role effectively, we will --
Mr Speaker, with these few comments, once again I congratulate the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry.
Mr Speaker 12:22 p.m.
Thank you, Hon Minority Leader?
Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Statement ably made by the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Alan Kyerematen.
This country has never doubted his pedigree when standing on matters of trade and trade policy, given his background as the former Hon Minister for Trade and Industry and currently, the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry.
Mr Speaker, on behalf of His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Hon Minister has well-articulated the position of Ghana to host this important continental landmark trade Agreement. We can only commend him for his personal and official effort in supporting His Excellency the President as his policy advisor on trade and industry on this matter.

Mr Speaker, Ghana has always been a doyen, beacon of hope and leader in promoting, not just African trade but African liberalisation and continental unification. We have been at the fore front since the era of former President Dr Kwame Nkrumah and we will remain so.

However, permit me to just go through page 2 of the Hon Minister's Statement and implore him -- I am particularly glad that the Hon Minister for Finance is seated right behind him and the two of them must work together to let the President succeed in many enterprises. For instance, I quote:

“Add value to Africa's abundant natural resources and promote economic diversification and industriliasation”.

Mr Speaker, undoubtedly, this Trade Agreement is a path to continental trade growth and economic diversification. However, to quote the late Professor Mills, “dzi wo fie asem” to wit, we should be mindful of what we are doing internally; in effect, domestication.

Mr Speaker, what is the Hon Minister doing in his capacity, supported by the Hon Minister for Finance to add value to natural Ghanaian products? Today, there is conflict as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) set up the Ghana EXIM Bank which is under the control of the Hon Minister for Finance. My honest view even under the NDC and today, is that, that is wrong. It should be under the purview of the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry and it is a positon I have shared with the
Dr A. A. Osei 12:22 p.m.
-- rose --
Mr Speaker 12:22 p.m.
The Hon First Deputy Speaker to take the Chair.
Yes, Hon (Dr) Akoto Osei?
Dr Anthony A. Osei 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
I want to remind the esteemed Hon Minority Leader that the Statement by an Hon Minister is not supposed to generate debate and controversial issues. So, I just want to advise him to be careful which way he is going, otherwise, he forces us to get into that area and since he is one of the Leaders of the House, I am sure he will take heed.
Mr Iddrisu 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am guided by our Standing Orders. Pages 2 and 3 significantly improve the terms of trade for African countries. We must work to improve our terms of trade, not for Africa. If Ghana's
terms of trade is not improved, we will not be benefitting enormously from this initiative.
As we stand now, given the Statement that the Hon Minister for Finance presents to this House, we have a worrying terms of trade because --
Mr Speaker 12:22 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, debate.
Mr Iddrisu 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, your import still --
Mr Speaker 12:22 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, controversial debate is not part of this aspect of the Business which you know very well and have been reminded of. [Interruptions]
Hon Minority Leader, you would proceed.
Mr Iddrisu 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, so we must look inward even as we take advantage of continental unification to improve our terms of trade. There is no doubt that it will offer employment opportunities. The adoption of agreed set of rules of origin -- we have had problems with the world and if you recall, one of your remarkable statements, which I believe was in Russia was on terms of trade. I see Mr Yami Baafi, one of the brilliant multi-lateral experts at the Ministry.
Mr Speaker, rules of origin are still not respected by some dominant players in world trade. So, the extent to which we can get respect particularly for agricultural products that we produce -- What is the attitude of Europe and the rest of the world to what we produce as a country? I have been told to avoid provoking debate but there are countries that are benefitting more from cocoa than those of us producing cocoa and there are statistical evidence to support it.
Generally, I commend the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry -- I understand that the Secretariat will be hosted at the Export Trade House or what building is hosting the Ghana EXIM Bank office. It was one of my signature initiatives as Hon Minister for Trade and Industry to house that institution; the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and many other institutions so that they will be able to --
Mr Speaker, as I have said, nobody can question the standing of the Hon Kyerematen when it comes to trade policy and matters of trade facilitation. However, we need to work at the trade infrastructure particularly, at the ports. My view is that the Customs and Excise Preventive Service (CEPS) must be
working 24 hours in order to improve the Ghana revenue. It is also a matter that the two Hon Ministers -- I think that in one of the Legislations, we provided for it and so, how can the CEPS not work on Saturdays or Sundays when we say we are serious about revenue. When we visit other African countries, you will see many of --
Mr Speaker 12:22 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, please, you have two minutes to conclude.
Mr Iddrisu 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I still have --?
Mr Speaker 12:22 p.m.
You have two minutes to conclude your 10 minutes period.
Mr Iddrisu 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will be done in two minutes.
Mr Speaker, on page 5 of the Statement; “One Region, One Park (Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones)”. The Hon Minister for Trade and Industry will affirm that we had initiated many of this, including the acquisition of lands in all the regions. What we need to do is to decide that the State must provide water, electricity and Information Communication Technology (ICT) to dedicated lands that are meant for
Mr Speaker 12:32 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, thank you very much particularly, for keeping to your 10 minutes.
Hon Majority Leadership, 10 minutes, please.
Deputy Majority Leader (Ms Sarah A. Safo): Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
I rise to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry. I add my voice to the many commendations that have gone in his direction as well as that of the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for bringing such an honour to our country.
Once again, I congratulate all of us, especially, His Excellency, the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for bringing such an honour to our country, Ghana.

Mr Speaker, indeed, Ghana is the gateway to Africa and we have always been the pacesetter on the continent and this would add to the many records we have as the pacesetter on the continent.

Mr Speaker, article 40 of our Constitution is the imperative of Ghana's international relations and what we ought to put first when Ghana deals with other nations. Mr Speaker, with your permission I beg to read article 40:

“In its dealings with other nations, the Government shall --

(a) promote and protect the interests of Ghana;”

Again, article 40 (d) (ii) states:

“In its dealings with other nations, the Government shall -- (d) adhere to the principles enshrined in or as the case may be, the aims and ideals of --

(ii) the Charter of the Organisa- tion of African Unity;”.

Mr Speaker, my emphasis is on the (ii).
Mr Speaker, article 73 of the Constitution also states that 12:32 p.m.
“The Government of Ghana shall conduct its international affairs in consonance with the accepted principles of public international law and diplomacy in a manner consistent with the national interest of Ghana.”
Mr Speaker, the emphasis is the “national interest of Ghana”.
Mr Speaker, as we commend the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry as well as the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for such an honour, we ought to advert our minds to the fact that all negotiations and the honour that have been brought to this country were all in the interest of the people of Ghana; the national interest was the cardinal principle that guided them in the negotiations to host the Secretariat of the AfCFTA. Mr Speaker, I would want to focus on pages 5, 6 and 7 of the Statement by the Hon Minister.
On page 5, the Hon Minister highlighted certain benefits that would inure to our country as a result of this honour that has been brought to this country. Mr Speaker, he talked about
initiatives by Government that would actually place us in a better position as a host of the Secretariat for us to be able to take advantage of these benefits.
Mr Speaker, we know that on the continent of Africa there are a lot of issues concerning youth unemploy- ment and the Hon Minister highlighted the employment opportunities that would come as a result of hosting the Secretariat. It would increase intra- Africa trade and also harmonise the coordination on the continent.
Mr Speaker, he stated that the intra-African trade would increase our trade benefits to the tune of US$35 billion per annum or 52 per cent by 2022. As we celebrate, we should advert our minds to the economic benefits that we would derive from such an arrangement.
Mr Speaker, diplomacy has now moved from diplomacy simpliciter to economic diplomacy and as we relate to other international organisations and other international stakeholders including several other countries, what would we derive economically as we deal with these people? Mr Speaker, I think that this honour would actually be a manifestation of this Govern- ment's commitment to pursue economic diplomacy for our benefit and for the national interest of our country.
MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon Minister, do you wish to make any further concluding statements?
Mr Kyerematen 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as we draw the curtain on this Statement, I wish to express my profound gratitude to the Hon Members of this House for their very constructive and bipartisan contribu- tion to the debate.
We hope that we could together implement the Continental Free Trade Agreement to the delight of not only Ghanaians but of the whole of the continent of Africa.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, I hope we would take a cue from the last words of the Hon Minister.
There are two other Statements relating to the same thing; World Population Day. The first one would be read by --
Yes, Hon Leader?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Leader, what is your view?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is no objection. It is a request to which you could exercise your mandate and judgement to vary the order of Business.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Very well. The order of Business is hereby varied.
Mr Kwame Govers Agbodza 12:42 p.m.
- - rose --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Yes, Hon Agbodza?
Mr Agbodza 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Leaders have spoken. I should not make any comment; but earlier, we were told the Hon Minister for Finance was not available to answer Questions. He is in the House now, so why would he lay a Paper?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order.
At the Commencement of Public Business, Presentation of Papers by the Minister for Finance, item numbered 6(a).
PAPERS 12:42 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Item numbered 6(c) by the Chairman of the Committee --
Ms Safo 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, item numbered 6(c) is not ready.
So if we would take item numbered 8; the Hon Minister for Sanitation and
Water Resources has been in the House for a while.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
Mr Iddrisu 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, to be fair to you and the Hon Deputy Majority Leader, I just got in from Tamale. I was not at the pre-Sitting meeting, but Hon Peter Nortsu Kotoe's Question to ask the Hon Minister for Finance why the Ministry had failed to release to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) its appropriated fund for August to November, 2018 and January to May, 2019 was initially a Motion. We accordingly advise that it is important we do not move two Motions without dealing with it as an urgent matter. So while Leadership may want you to vary the order of Business, it is important that particular Question is attended to.
Ms Safo 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am happy that the Hon Minority Leader prefixed his submission by saying he was not at the pre-Sitting meeting. At the meeting, Hon Muntaka represented their Side. It was agreed that considering the nature of the Statement by the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Speaker wanted to give a lot of Hon Members an opportunity to debate.
Mr Speaker, if we bring the Hon Minister for Finance into this House, it is also a major item that ought to be given the needed attention. So, it was agreed at the pre-Sitting meeting that we schedule the Hon Minister for Finance for tomorrow. When the Rt Hon Speaker actually sat in his Chair, he also made that known, but then the Hon Minority Leader was not in the Chamber. It was already agreed at pre-Sitting meeting that the Hon Minister would take the Urgent Question together with the other Questions. It is not only the Urgent Question that goes for the Hon Minister for Finance. There are three other Questions.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Hon Members, the House is managed by the Rt Hon Speaker in collaboration with the Hon Leaders. When the Leaders agree on something, the Rt Hon Speaker would respect it. I am advised that Leadership have agreed that the Hon Minister for Finance answers the Urgent Question and others tomorrow. That is the end of the matter.
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Ms Safo 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if we can take item numbered 8 -- Motions.
Ms Safo 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respect- fully, if you could defer the Statements to tomorrow, we would appreciate it, so that the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources takes her Motion.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Very well. If that is the agreement of the Leaders, I would do that.
Mr Iddrisu 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we should have no difficulty accepting that, except that I am guided by your ruling based on what the Hon Deputy Minority Leader has said, and what was agreed on, that the Hon Minister for Finance appears in person tomorrow because this Question was rescheduled again and again because he himself had given indication that he wanted to respond to it in person. I can only be hopeful that we would have him in person tomorrow.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Very well.
Item numbered 8 -- Motion by the Hon Chairman of the Committee.
MOTIONS 12:52 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Nana Amoakoh) 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Committee on Works and Housing on the supply Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (GoG) (represented by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources) and Aqua Africa Limited for an amount of thirty million euros (€30, 000,000.00) relating to the Rural and Peri-Urban Nano-Filtration Water Projects in Ghana under the Rural Communities and Small Towns Water Supply Project.
In so doing, I present your Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The request for approval of the Supply Contract Agreement between
the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources) and Aqua Africa Limited for an amount of thirty million euros (€30,000,000.00) relating to the Rural and Peri-Urban Nano-Filtration Water Projects in Ghana under the Rural Communities and Small Towns Water Supply Project was presented to the House by the Hon Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, on behalf the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources on Wednesday, 12th June, 2019 in accordance with Article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution.
In accordance with Order 180 of the Standing Orders of the House, the Hon First Deputy Speaker referred the request to the Committee on Works and Housing for consideration and report.
2.0 Deliberations
The Committee was assisted in its deliberations by the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, her two (2) Hon Deputies, Messrs Patrick Yaw Boamah and Michael Yaw Gyato, Board Chairman of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), Mr Paa Kwesi Yankey, the
Chief Executive Officer of CWSA, Ing. Kwadjo Siabi Worlanyo and other officials from the Ministry and from CWSA.
The Committee is grateful to the Hon Minister and her Deputies, the Board Chairman, the CEO and the other officials from the Ministry and CWSA for their cooperation and assistance.
3.0 Reference
The Committee relied on the following documents during its deliberations:
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana;
The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana;
Community Water and Sanita- tion Agency Regulations 2011 (L.I. 2007); and
The Supply Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources) and Aqua Africa Limited for an amount of thirty million euros (€30,000,- 000.00) relating to the Rural and Peri-Urban Nano-Filtration Water Projects in Ghana under the Rural Communities and
Mr Emmanuel K. Bedzrah (NDC -- Ho West) 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion ably moved by the Hon Chairman.
Mr Speaker, in doing so, I have few issues that need to be discussed. The first one has to do with the fact
Mr Speaker, I beg to quote 12:52 p.m.
“The Committee accordingly recommends to the House to direct the Ministry to strictly adhere to the reviewed Agreement and in due course furnish the House with a report on the Ministry's compliance with the House's directive in this regard.”
Mr Speaker, this should sound a warning to all other Ministries that we should not just allow the facilities to go without going according to our contract rules and regulations.
Some other agreements would have just passed through without the Committee's eagle eye looking into the nitty gritty of the agreement. So, I would want to plead with other committees that when issues of this nature come, they should go through it and make sure that the country is always protected.
With these few words, Mr Speaker, I second the Motion.
Question proposed.
Mr Kwaku Asante-Boateng (NPP -- Asante Akim South) 12:52 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity.
Mr Speaker, all things being equal, it is accepted that underground water
is good for human consumption than surface water. As a nation, we have to commend our Hon Minister and the Government for moving one step ahead by adopting a strategy that would ensure that water that our communities in the rural areas consume are safe.
Mr Speaker, we normally adopt drilling of boreholes in our rural communities. At the point of drilling, our institutions and agencies normally test the water before we accept it for consumption. Water is a solvent, and the moment a borehole is dug and is tested, and it is good for human consumption -- Since water percolates and perceives from underground to the surface, we cannot guarantee the quality of the water overtime.
That is why moving one step from where we drill normal borehole to this nano-filtration must be applauded by all in the sense that with this new technology, the nano filtration system takes some unwanted mineral substance from the borehole water so that it would ensure that it is always safe for human consumption.
Looking at our rural communities, they rely heavily on boreholes. At one point in time, because of percolation and water seepage, certain unwanted minerals may trickle in. In no time, our
Mr Kwaku Asante-Boateng (NPP -- Asante Akim South) 1:02 p.m.
rural folks would drink water that may not be good for consumption. This is because we do not even go back and test overtime to know that it is still the same water that was tested for consumption.

Mr Speaker, with this innovation, I would urge all of us to support and, even in future encourage the Hon Minister to bring more of such technology in our bid to look for pure and safe water for our rural communities.

Mr Speaker, having said that, we realised that with most of these underground water, as a result of our drilling, when it hits a rock, the rocks may have some chemicals in them which we could unknowingly consume. With this kind of filtration system, all these unwanted sub- stances would be taken care of.

I am also glad that the Report has taken care of the environmental aspect associated with this new technology. This is in the sense that if the filtration seeps saline and other minerals from the water, we have made provision for the environmental aspect. When it comes up, it would be taken care of, so we do not pollute our environ- ment.

Mr Speaker, we know that a lot of communities would benefit from this project; but one thing I realised is that we would ensure that the communities benefitting from this would pay, and the metering system is such that they pay and use the water.

I am happy that the project would be able to pay for itself. I would advocate that we look at a way to subsidise for the rural folks. Even in Accra, how many people pay for water before use? In Accra, we all use post-paid meters in our various homes; we use the water before we pay. That was the only aspect that some of us from the rural communities were not happy about; but when it is all said and done, it is a very good venture that we must all support.

Mr Speaker, we also note that the essence of this filtered water would go a long way to reduce a lot of water-borne diseases, so that the influx of some diseases like cholera, guinea worm, typhoid, dysentery and other water-related diseases would be minimised.

I would encourage all and sundry to support this Motion, since it also has a solar powered pumping mechanism to take care of rural areas that do not have electricity.

Mr Speaker, on this note, I thank you for giving me the opportunity.
Mr Andrew Dari Chiwitey (NDC -- Sawla/Tuna/Kalba) 1:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
They say water is life, so anything concerning water must be supported by every Member of Parliament. At the Committee level, we were told that this project would bring a lot of benefits to the beneficiary communities.
Initially, some of us came out with the challenges some of the current water systems faced in Ghana. It is very clear that in some of the communities, the managers of the systems are not able to run them well, making a lot of them owe light bills that they are not able to pay.
At the Committee, the officers of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency made it clear that when this facility is secured and the systems are in place, they would be well-managed by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, unlike the previous ones where the systems were handed over to the communities and the community owners were told that the project was theirs to manage, all the resources that were collected from the water systems were either managed by the chiefs or the local managers that the chiefs chose to run the systems.
Mr Speaker, this facility would bring a lot of benefits to the communities in the sense that it would increase access to quality water, thereby eliminating water-borne diseases. We are also aware that once we have quality water and we do not fall sick unnecessarily, we could boost our economic activities. So this system would bring about an increase in economic activities in the beneficiary communities.
We also know that the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources has this plan of sustainable water and basic sanitation for all by the year 2025, and it would also come to improve and push for us to achieve this --
Dr A. A. Osei 1:02 p.m.
On a point of order. I thought we were dealing with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, but he said it differently. He said Sanitation and Water Resources. It is not the same thing on the Order Paper.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:02 p.m.
Well noted.
Hon Member, be guided.
Mr Chiwitey 1:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am happy about 99.9 per cent of Hon Members understood me. I would not be long.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:02 p.m.
Hon Members, do the Leaders want to contribute? Otherwise I would bring the debate to a close.
Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 1:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would have wished that Hon Dr Heloo got an opportunity, but I can understand your urge for time.
Mr Speaker, may I refer you to page 1 of the Committee's Report, and to wholeheartedly express my support for anything that has to do with water and improvement to access to water, and its linkages to improving healthcare.
We need to work as a country to attain Sustainable Development Goal 6. Ghana, under the Millennium Development Goals, did not fare very well, particularly in matters of sanitation; but as you peruse your Committee's Report, pages 1,2,3,4 and 5, let me be guided.
On page 1, the first paragraph, the last two lines say:
“ ... Mr Patrick Boamah on behalf of the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources on Wednesday, 12th June, 2019 in accordance with article 185 of the 1992 Constitution.”

Mr Speaker, article 181, which defines our mandate, talks about the terms and conditions of a loan. I do not see the terms and conditions of this Facility. I have read through the pages of the Report, and I see nowhere in the Report, where there are defined terms and conditions for us to commit to.

Mr Speaker, to drive my point home, I would refer you to the last page of the Report; page 7, which talks about advance payment Bond and Guarantee. The Committee draws the attention to an important matter --
Dr A. A. Osei 1:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Leader referred to article 185, but the terms and conditions relate to the loan that has already come before this House. It does not refer to the Contract Agreement.
I agree with him that the Contract Agreement should have mentioned
Mr Iddrisu 1:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member says the loan has been approved, but what are we approving now?
Mr Speaker, on page 7, under subheading, “Advance Payment Bond and Guarantee”, it reads, and with your permission I quote:
“The Committee noted that though, 28.75 per cent of the contract sum in the amount of €8,625,000 has been ear- marked for advance payment, there is no insurance cover for this payment. Neither is there any provision in respect of advance payment bond to secure the interest of the Employer against non-perfor- mance by the Contractor.)
Mr Speaker, I commend the Committee. In our exercise of oversight, this is our critical obligation. Why should we give €8.625 million to a contractor without any guarantees for the State?
Mr Speaker, as the Question is put on this matter, it is my request and application to you that you insist that
this House demands that the guarantee and insurance is provided for the amount of €8,625,000. That is how we could secure this advance payment. We cannot just take it away. I linked it to article 181 because in this heading, there is some role to play.
Mr Speaker, under paragraph 5, which is on the objectives, it reads, and with your permission I quote:
“ .... the project is ultimately intended to improve the health status of Ghanaians, particularly those in the beneficiary communities.”
Is that what the Project is intended to do? The Committee does not talk about improving the access to water, which would improve the health of the people; but they are definite in the Report when they say that the Project would ultimately improve the health status of Ghanaians, particularly those in the beneficiary communities.
Mr Speaker, this is not good enough. The Report must marry the relationship between access to water and improvement in healthcare. That is how one would have preferred that it be read.
Mr Speaker, on page 4, under beneficiary regions, it reads, and with your permission I quote:
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:12 p.m.
Yes, Majority Leadership?
Dr A. A. Osei 1:12 p.m.
-- rose --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:12 p.m.
Hon Minister, I refuse to recognise you on this matter. I know that the list is with the Ministry, but the Report does not reflect the list here.
Mr Matthew Nyindam (NPP -- Kpandai) 1:22 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Report of the Committee on Works and Housing, which is currently being debated.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Leader made some observations, which I believe the Hon Minister would respond to. However, when it comes to the communities, last two weeks when the Report was debated on this Floor, it had the details of the communities to benefit from this project. It was announced, and it is in our records.
I agree with the Hon Minority Leader that some of the words used do not sound appropriate; but when it comes to the communities, I believe we all know the ones that would benefit from this Facility.
Mr Speaker, one other thing that I am enthused about has to do with the solar panels. Those of us from the rural communities, sometimes, we realise that the mechanised water system that is provided are normally powered by electricity; the national
grid. Within the shortest possible time, most of the communities are not able to service these small water systems. This is because the cost involved is so high. They are, therefore, not able to mobilise funds to pay for the bills.
Most of these small water systems in our rural communities have become white elephants because the people are not able to pay their debts. This system, which comes with the solar, would be cheaper than the national grid. I believe it would have a huge impact, and it would provide a lot of water to our people.
Mr Speaker, what I have also realised, which I would want the Ministry to look into, is that sometimes those who manage -- on page 4 of the Committee's Report, they talk about the training of water system management staff.

This is a very important compo- nent, because sometimes, the water is left in the hands of some people who collect those few moneys that are supposed to be used to pay for the bills or servicing the water system. Mr Speaker, they end up spending this money and auditing becomes a very big problem.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:22 a.m.
Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, do you want to say something before I put the Question?
Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources (Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah) 1:22 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I rise to move item numbered —
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:22 a.m.
Hon Minister, not yet. If you just want to comment. Otherwise, I would put the Question, then we invite you to move the Resolution.
Ms Dapaah 1:22 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think I would like to clear one or two issues that have come up.
The mandate of the PURC is to work on the urban water tariffs. We are only continuing with the normal structure of pricing vis-à-vis what the Community Water and Sanitation Agency does. So, it is not a departure from the norm.
Again, on the guarantees that the Committee recommended, we are meticulously working to make sure that Ghana is never short-changed. And I think under the eagle-eye of the Ministry of Finance, nothing untoward would even happen.
The Minority Leader's comment on the system being managed properly, that is for sure because there is a pilot project going on that is giving a new impetus to the management of our rural water. Mr Speaker, rural
water tariffs are always lower than urban water tariffs because we have realised that cost of living is lower and the people are vulnerable. Within our society also, the Government that cares for the vulnerable; we make sure their interest is not taken for granted and they get value for their money.
Mr Speaker, again, this would be ‘pay as you go'. It is not a pre-paid that people would invest in and then have their money locked up.
Mr Speaker, with these few clarifications, I would like to thank Hon Members for the support.
Mr Speaker, again, the list of beneficiary communities has been supplied to both committees already. I would like to place that on record. And a lot more communities are also going to benefit from this new technology.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:22 a.m.
Now, the Hon Minister may move the Resolution numbered 9 on the Order Paper.
RESOLUTIONS 1:22 a.m.
Minister for Sanitation and Water Resoources (Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah) 1:22 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move that,
WHEREAS by the provisions of article 181(5) of the Constitution the terms and conditions of any international business or economic transaction to which the Government of Ghana is a party shall not come into operation unless the said terms and conditions have been laid before Parliament and approved by Parliament by a Resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all Members of Parliament;
PURSUANT to the provisions of the said article 181(5) of the Constitution, and at the request of the Government of Ghana acting through the Minister responsible for Sanitation and Water Resources, there has been laid before Parliament the terms and conditions of a Supply
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 1:22 a.m.
HEREBY RESOLVES AS 1:22 a.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Nana Amoakoh) 1:22 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:22 a.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Ms Safo 1:22 a.m.
Mr Speaker, items numbered — we have exhausted the programme for today except for the committee meetings. There are Committee on Gender and Children, and Public Accounts Committee meetings. I am sure that even with the time slated, if not done with the meetings, they would just be getting close to those meetings.
Mr Speaker, guided by the clock, I beg to move, that this House be adjourned till tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:22 a.m.
Hon available Minority Leader?
Mr Chireh 1:22 a.m.
Thank you Mr Speaker. -- [Interruption] --
Mr Speaker, I want to thank him for asking this question, but first of all, let me say that I beg to second the Motion for adjournment.
And for those who are asking, I want to inform them that I picked my form yesterday -- [Laughter]--
I thank you Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:22 a.m.
Very well. There are some people who are so sure that they are out- going that they try to gather more people to join them at any point in time.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 1:22 a.m.