Debates of 24 Jul 2019

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:27 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 23rd July, 2019.
Page 1…21
rose
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 21, item numbered Ivii, at the meeting of the Finance Committee, it has been reported that Ms Edith E. Adjei, Clerk to the Committee on Defence and the Interior was present.
Mr Speaker, at no point did I notice Ms Edith E. Adjei at the meeting. I am glad that she is here. Could she tell the House whether she attended that meeting? Her name should be expunged.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Thank you very much. Corrected accordingly.
Page 21…24
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of 23rd July, 2019 as corrected is hereby admitted as true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, correction of Official Report of Thursday, 27th June, 2019.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 3, Questions.
Yes, Hon Minister for Health?
rose
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Nyindam 10:27 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Hon Ministers for Health and Food and Agriculture
wrote to the House to ask that with your leave, their Questions be rescheduled for next week.
Mr Speaker, with regard to Question --
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Did the Hon Ministers write without reasons?
Mr Nyindam 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, they wrote to you; the letters are with the Clerk and they gave reasons.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Hon Member, you do not have to refer to the Clerk because you are presenting and so you must tell us. If you do not know the contents, then please, get those letters --
Mr Nyindam 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, they are out of the jurisdiction.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Yes, go on. What about -- ?
Mr Nyindam 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Communica- tions is here to answer the Question asked of the Hon Minister.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minister, if there is no objection you
may please approach the appropriate seat -- [Pause] --
Hon Member for Nkwanta South?
Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I seek your permission to ask the Question on behalf of the Hon Member.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Please do.
ORAL ANSWERS TO 10:37 a.m.
QUESTIONS 10:37 a.m.
MINISTRY OF 10:37 a.m.
COMMUNICATIONS 10:37 a.m.
Mr Ablakwa 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I have only one supplementary Question. In the last paragraph of the Answer, the Hon Deputy Minister assured us, that
GIFEC is in the process of procuring appropriate and cost-effective technologies. Could the Hon Minister give us a timeline as to when to expect the completion of these procurement processes?
Mr Odotei 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I wish to assure this Honourable House that the Ministry of Communication, working in collaboration with GIFEC, has elaborate plans to ensure that by the end of next year, 95 per cent of the whole country would be connected.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Question numbered 626 is in the name of Hon Dafeamekpor, Hon Member for South Dayi.
Mr Agbodza 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is on an official duty --
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
The Hon Member to ask the Question is not here, and I am also told that the Hon Minister has travelled and for that matter, the Question should be rearranged.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministers who are not presently here have communicated to the House that they are not available and would be ready for next week.
We stressed last week Friday, that those Questions that you have
admitted would, as many as possible, have to be answered before Hon Members go on recess. This is because we are representatives and our constituents want to hear the status of their enquiries and what is being done about their concerns through their representatives in Parliament,.
As many as possible of those Questions would be reloaded to next week, so that Hon Members would have their enquiries satisfied before they go on recess.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
I am advised that the Hon Deputy Minister for Agriculture is here and if he is in a position to answer the Question -- I saw the Hon Member for Adaklu on his feet. If he would ask the Question on behalf of Hon Dafeamekpor, then we could perhaps take that out of our way.
Mr Nyindam 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, sorry to say that there is no Deputy Minister for Health to answer any Question. As I said earlier, there has been a communication to the effect that he would want to come and answer the Question himself as the Hon Minister for Health. He has not mandated us to let his Deputy answer --
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Is he in the position to do so or not? He is not.
Mr Nyindam 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not sure because even the Answer has not been published. [Interruption] Yes, the Hon Minister for Food and Agriculture also wrote, telling us that he wants to answer the Question himself. So, that is the communication we have and that is what has been communicated to your good self.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Hon First Deputy Majority Whip, could you simply tell us whether the Hon Deputy Minister is in the position to proceed? If he is not, that is the end of the matter.
Mr Kennedy Nyarko Osei 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister has indicated that he would be here himself to answer this particular Question.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Are you in the position to proceed?
Mr K. N. Osei 10:37 a.m.
No, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Thank you very much. That is the end of the matter. We would reschedule the Question.
Hon Members, item numbered 4, Statements. The Hon Minister for Youth and Sports would make a Statement.
STATEMENTS 10:37 a.m.
Minister for Youth and Sports (Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah) 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make a Statement on Ghana's preparation and participation in the just ended 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
Mr Speaker, Ghana entered the competition in very high spirits, determined to break the 37-year-old trophy drought. Unfortunately, the Black Stars exited in the one sixteenth stage of the tournament and 1 feel obliged to make a Statement in this august House.
Mr Speaker, to say that Ghanaians love football and it is the passion of the nation is an understatement. Indeed, many Ghanaians live football, eat football and sleep football. Over the years, nothing has united the nation and projected her image among the comity of nations more than football. This fact has encouraged successive Governments sincc Ghana attained independence to give special attention to football; first, to harness its potential to unite the people of Ghana,
and secondly, to project the good image of the country.
Mr Speaker, the preparation and the determination to win AFCON 2019 started two years ago with the appointment of Mr James Kwesi Appiah in April 2017. He was given a clear task to win the AFCON 2019 in Egypt as per the contract we signed with him. Coach Kwesi Appiah was shortlisted, interviewed and appointed as the head coach of the Black Stars among over one hundred applicants from all over the world. The Ministry accepted the recommendation from the search party comprising technical officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Football Association.
Mr Speaker, under the guidance of Coach Kwesi Appiah, Ghana qualified for the 2019 AFCON, having emerged as the Group F winner, comprising Ethiopia, Kenya and Sierra Leone. After the qualification, the Black Stars engaged in local camping and a three-week final camping in Dubai.
Ghana had two final pre-AFCON warm-up matches in Dubai, drawing with South Africa (0-0) and losing 0- 1 to Namibia.
Mr Speaker, just before the team's departure to Dubai for their final preparation for AFCON 2019, the
President of the Republic of Ghana. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hosted them at the Jubilee House. He assured them of the total support of Government and the people of Ghana.
Mr Speaker, the captain of the team, Andre Dede Ayew assured the President and the whole nation of their determination to annex the trophy to end the 37 years of trophy hunger.
The head coach and the captain of the Black Stars intimated severally that they have had the best preparations ever in recent times as national players. Indeed, all their demands were met and the onus lied on them to deliver.
Mr Speaker, as part of the measures to boost the morale of the team, the Ministry sponsored Ghanaian supporters to Egypt to support them. The supporters were in Ismailia where the Black Stars were based. CAF and FIFA organised excursions for all the supporters of the participating nations in Egypt, including Ghana.
Mr Speaker, despite all the support for the Black Stars, the team performed below expectation. The Ministry has called for a comprehensive report from the Normalisation Committee after which a study and determination of
what went wrong would be made and recommendations made for the way forward for Ghana football in particular, and sports as a whole.
It is the candid opinion of the Ministry that after the study of the various reports, the issue of reorganisation of football in Ghana will be addressed comprehensively.
Mr Speaker, a budget of six million, three hundred and sixty-five thousand, thirty-three dollars and eighty-four cents (US$6,365,033.84) was approved for the tournament, comprising training tour, main tournament and their related activities.
Mr Speaker, now the actual expenditure, an amount of four million, five hundred and sixty four thousand, three hundred and fifty-two dollars (US$4,564,352.00) was expended from the training tour to the time Ghana exited from the main tournament. This expenditure covered the following:
1) The Playing Body;
2) Technical Team;
3) Members of Parliament (Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture);
4) Representatives of Ghana League Clubs Association;
Mr Kofi Okyere-Agyekum (NPP -- Fanteakwa South) 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am unhappy about this procedure that we have adopted, because our duty to oversight the Executive is guided by procedure and law. When we approve budgets for Hon Ministers, we expect them to use the budgets to do various activities and those activities must be verified and certified by the Auditor-General and report given to this House. The report would be referred to the Public Accounts Committee and then the Hon Minister would be called before the Committee to further scrutinise and justify the expenditures.
Mr Speaker, we are being bombarded with expenditures, which in my view, have not yet been certified
by the Auditor-General. Would we contribute and run with these figures which have not been certified by the Auditor-General and the Public Accounts Committee? If the figures turn out not to be correct, what would we do? Mr Speaker, there are procedures in this House for oversighting the Executive. I do not know why it is only the --
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Hon Member, except that many of these procedures are not mutually exclusive. When we get to that leg, we shall deal with it. But at the same time, we are entitled, as a House, to comment within the parameters of the relative Standing Order, Order 70 (2), which Parliament could do at any given time when a Statement is made.
Hon Member, if you have any other contribution, you could do so, but that area is out of order. The opportunities are not exclusive. Hon Members may after this ask Questions, so we cannot say that we would wait for the Auditor-General's report before the Questions are answered -- there is nothing to injunct Parliament in that regard. We are grateful the Hon Minister has found it necessary to brief us and so we shall move within the parameters of the briefing for the moment.
Hon Member, do you have any other contribution?
Mr Speaker 10:57 a.m.
Hon Member, we have crossed that bridge; we are not going back to what your concern in that regard is.
You may make any other contribution. If not, please, allow other Hon Members to contribute.
Mr Okyere-Agyekum 10:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I wanted to say that --
Mr Speaker 10:57 a.m.
Hon Member, it is not what you wanted to say; if you want to say something outside what you wanted to, you may do so; otherwise, please, give the Floor to other Hon Members who are willing to comment on what has been done within the parameters of Order 70 (2).
Mr Okyere-Agyekum 10:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for your direction.
Mr Speaker 10:57 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Ayariga?
Mr Mahama Ayariga (NDC -- Bawku Central) 10:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the
opportunity to comment on the Statement made by the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports regarding our campaign in Egypt at the AFCON tournament.
Mr Speaker, I believe we would all have been happier if the Hon Minister were coming to report to us a very successful campaign and the lifting of the Cup in Egypt. Unfor- tunately, Mr Speaker, our national team was not able to get to the final and we could not lift the Cup. I know that Ghanaians will not accept anything less than that.
Mr Speaker, nevertheless, it is good that, as part of the process of accounting to our people, the Hon Minister comes to give us some report on what transpired in Egypt and to give us some indication of how much of the public purse was used in the unsuccessful pursuit of lifting the Cup in Egypt.
Mr Speaker, very often, what the Black Stars get when they go to play football tend to become issues of public discourse after the tournaments. I fortunately happen to have experienced being an Hon Minister and travelling with the team to participate in a tournament and I saw first-hand the sacrifices, efforts and the commitment that our team put into representing us at such international tournaments.
Mr Speaker, I know that sometimes the poverty levels and the general challenges in our economy would drive us to raise questions about how much we give to our team when they go out to play these tournaments. But I can assure you that if we are there, go through the process with them and see what they do to try to win glory for our country, even if unsuccessful, we might revise our notes regarding whether or not they are adequately remunerated.
Mr Speaker, for many of the footballers, it is not a permanent job; it is not a salaried job. They do not get paid 12 months in a year for being part of the Black Stars. They only get remunerated when they go to participate in a tournament. It is the only time that they get some form of remuneration. [Interruption] --
Mr Speaker, that is true; unless they go for a tournament, they are not paid. The Hon Minister for Youth and Sports is here and I was at the Ministry. So the question of how we remunerate the national team is a matter that should engage us. Would we engage a permanent national team that at all times should be remunerated; whether they play or do not play?
Mr Speaker, the issue of how we remunerate our national team should be discussed. I was there and I saw the challenges. I am not holding brief for poor performance but we must have proper standards in dealing with these footballers. I have worked with them and these footballers are very committed and passionate about their country. They are ready to do anything for their country, but anytime they return from representing us in international tournaments, we subject their remuneration to a kind of debate that I think sometimes does not augur well for the morale and spirit of the footballers.
Mr Speaker, we all get remu- nerated for the work that we do. It is not as if we do the best that the public expects of us; yet, we get remu- nerated day in day out no matter the standard. So, that issue must be revisited by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
Mr Speaker, we should chart some more proper approach so that each time they go out to participate in a tournament, when they come back, the question of how much they were paid does not become the subject of political football in this country.
Mr Speaker, having said that, there are some critical issues that must be

raised. Apart from what the footballers get, we need to be careful about other expenses that we incur. We need to be careful about coming to the Floor of the House and saying that we spent moneys to send MPs or certain categories of people to go and support the national team. On what basis is an MP selected to go and support the national team and not the man at Agbogbloshie? On what basis did we pay for an MP to go and support the national team and not any other citizen?
Mr Speaker 10:57 a.m.
Hon Member, we have a Select Committee on Youth and Sports. So you should be able to rather provide the answers to the public who may not know. They have responsibility for sports matters in Ghana. When things like that happen, some of them should have the opportunity to be there.
Mr Ayariga 10:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I do agree but the principle that going into the future --
Mr Speaker 10:57 a.m.
Information matters and, particularly coming from us, we should be able to throw appropriate information into the system, lest others pick them and we see ourselves in all manner of unnecessary squabbles.
Hon Member, please, take a cue and proceed.
Mr Ayariga 10:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I must say that perhaps I am also guilty of this, but as a policy, going into the future, we should be mindful of these matters.
I have done that before.
Mr Speaker 10:57 a.m.
The policy is well grounded. Proceed.
Mr Ayariga 10:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the third issue is, given the account, the budget for the entire campaign was US$6.3 million. We did not go up to 70 per cent of the stage in the campaign, yet, we spent 70 per cent of the resources. We exited at the one-sixteenth stage but in terms of the finances, we exited at the 70 per cent -- [Laughter] -- The Hon Minister should explain to us how come that we expended 70 per cent of the finances when we exited at one- sixteenth stage of the tournament.
Mr Speaker, in future, we should be looking at the private sector for financial support for the Black Stars. We should try and push as much as possible, the burden of supporting these kinds of activities to the private sector so that the expenditure do not show in the public books.
I urge that my Hon Colleague who is now the Hon Minister, going into the future --
I do not believe that he will have an opportunity to lead the Black Stars to another AFCON as the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports, because in the year 2021, there will be a change in Government.
Mr Speaker, on that note, let me say that in spite of the performance of the Black Stars, we owe them congratulations considering how far they went and for the efforts -- sometimes you measure the efforts and I think that they made some gallant efforts. Tournaments are tournaments; sometimes defending cham-pions get eliminated very early in the tournament.
So if our national team also gets eliminated during any stage of the tournament, it is painful but we have to accept it and wish the nation better luck next time in the AFCON tournament.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker 11:07 a.m.
Hon Member, thank you very much.
Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah (NPP -- Akwapim South) 11:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much. I rise to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports.
Mr Speaker, we thank the Hon Minister for this Statement simply because, until he came here, there were several figures being bandied around on social media, in the newspapers and on other networks. Indeed, what he has brought here, being the House of records, is what we will work with until the Auditor- General brings any other figures to prove him wrong.
We are happy that he is showing so much transparency; without anybody asking him to bring figures here, he has come here to tell us what it is. So we should commend the Hon Minister. Indeed, if you listened to him, it means that the team was very well catered for; incentives to the players, the technical team and preparations before the tournament. They would have earned more if they had gone further to the medal zone and even to bring the trophy home.
Mr Speaker, I am glad that the Hon Minister has said that they are looking at what went wrong and how to achieve success in subsequent tournaments. Indeed, when it comes
Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah (NPP -- Akwapim South) 11:07 a.m.


to the national team, it is the team of the nation and therefore, it is not for any individual or company. As far as I am concerned, we should do everything possible to make it a symbol of success, encourage corporate bodies and other institutions to sponsor our national team and endeavour to have the best technical team for the Black Stars and other national teams.

Indeed, we should create the support and the goodwill for our team, because when they are successful the nation progresses. Through the success of the Black Stars, the economy grows, people get to enjoy sports and invest in it. I remember very well at the World Cup in the year 2006, people were flocking to be associated with and investing in the Black Stars because we had become a very successful and positive symbol for the nation; those who were not even Ghanaians wanted to be associated with the national team.

Mr Speaker, in the year 2010, at the quarter final stage in South Africa, South Africans came to love Ghana and called our team “Baghana Baghana” because they thought we had done so well and made Africa very proud. So this is a team that we should always strive and endeavour to make sure that it is successful.

That brings me to other issues about the national team.

Indeed, as we speak, we have what we call the Normalisation Committee. Thankfully, we have been informed that by September, they should wind up for others to take over. We hope that between now and September, everything right would be done so that we have a smooth and organised transition team to take over as the Ghana Football Association so that football will go on very well in this country.

Mr Speaker, people are complaining that when it comes to football, we appear to be stagnating because of what has happened to us in the past year or so. We believe that it is just a small blip and that, from October everything will be well organised to get our football kicking again and to get our national teams ready for major tournaments ahead of us such as the All-Africa Games, another AFCON, the World Cup, Olympic Games; and we should be ready and prepared to qualify for these tournaments and do very well.

So I commend the Hon Minister for this initiative and for the fact that he wants us to discuss this by coming here with the facts and figures and what really went on. We wish our national teams and the Ministry the best, assuring them of our support in

every way to make our national team what indeed it is in Africa and the world.

Mr Speaker, thank you so much. Hear! Hear!
Mr Speaker 11:07 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member, for your contribution.
Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome (NDC-South Tongu) 11:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I add my voice to the Statement that was delivered by the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports and to congratulate him for the Statement.
Mr Speaker, having gone through the Statement, clearly, may I refer you to page 3 of the Statement which reads;
“An amount of four million, five hundred and sixty-Four thousand, three hundred and fifty-two dollars (US$4,564,- 352.00) was expended on the training tour to the time Ghana exited from the main tourna- ment. Expenditure covered the following…”
Mr Speaker, in line 3, the Hon Minister sought to suggest that the Hon Members on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth and Sports --
without mentioning particularly the number. Also, the way it was couched, it appeared as if all of what was indicated in terms of the total amount that was spent, we actually got --
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister should have given us the breakdown of the total amount that was spent, so that at least, we would know -- Hon Members of Parliament actually went to undertake their constitutionally mandated exercise of oversight, and having done so, they have come and requested -- [Interruption] --
The Hon Members of Parliament on this particular Committee went there to perform their constitutionally mandated oversight responsibility and have come back to indicate and express on the Floor why the Hon Minister should come and tell the entire public exactly what really took place over there.
Mr Speaker, it would be very good to ask the Hon Minister, for instance, the amount spent on spectators that were flown there. How much was actually spent on them in terms of the per diems and all that. It would be better for us to then appreciate the quantum that was actually allocated for such personalities or items that have been well listed out here.
Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome (NDC-South Tongu) 11:17 a.m.


We would want to make some good, to appreciate what has been put out here, by asking for further and better particulars as to exactly how much was spent on all of these persons who have been well mentioned here.

Mr Speaker, on the last page, the Hon Minister actually mentioned some per diem for technical staff, additional technical staff and all that without actually mentioning what was spent on Hon Members of Parliament. I urge him to put that out so that we could be clear on it. Why am I saying this? He has put it in such a way that, it looks as if we have been given such a quantum per what was spent on the entire event. It is very important that we get to know the details.

I would also want to add my voice to the fact that national teams are the assets of a country. We would say that there is the need for us to have that window of opportunity to engage the private sector so that we can have some private participation in funding the work of the national teams going forward.

Mr Speaker, it would be very important for us to be interested in looking at the Dzamefe Commission's

Report, because a lot of submissions have been made to guide the Ministry and the Hon Minister on how Hon Members who would be flown to cheer our team on, would be done transparently. It would be good to appreciate how transparent the process of selection was. This is because we are aware that a number of supporters who have been left behind have indicated their dissatisfaction on the way the selection process went and the way it was skewed. These are some of the things that are engaging the minds of the people. We would want to know all the details as to what actually went on.

Mr Speaker, with regard to the playing body, I add my voice in congratulating them even though they could have done better to win the trophy as we all expected. However, it was hard luck. Maybe, in the preparation, if they had been given enough opportunities to have trial matches with other countries, it would have really gotten them prepared. This is because, looking at the time of preparation, I believe they were not well organised.

Probably, we thought many more of such international matches would have been organised than those organised at Dubai, so that at least, from that the coach and technical team

would have had a number of possible players from which we would have had a formidable team to represent us there.

But I believe that all those who played did their best. The last match could have gone our way, but for the few technical challenges on the field, which is usual of such games. So I wish them better luck next time. We believe that when our soccer finally gets normalised through the work of the Normalisation Committee, by the end of September, per their time table, they would get a roadmap which would lead to having a body in place so that we can have the administration of soccer in the country right in place.

On this note, I would say there are a lot of issues that have not been answered in terms of the issues that are agitating the minds of the people out there, those who are interested in knowing. I believe that, if the Hon Minister is listening, he could also pay more attention to what the people are saying and provide answers. I am aware that some of the spectators are even stranded in Egypt; we do not know whether they are back.

These are issues that must be mentioned, and we would want to know how and when they would be

flown back. Some of these issues are worrying, and we would want to know from him what he is really doing while awaiting the breakdown of the detailed expenditure so that we get to know what went to whom. It would also be interesting for him to provide explanation on the way those other people who were stranded would be coming.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.
Mr Daniel N. K. Titus-Glover (NPP -- Tema East) 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports. I would also thank the Hon Minister for his Statement and to make sure that he brings a Report to the House for us to be part of the good work they went to do in representing our country.
Mr Speaker, I would also agree with my senior, Hon O. B. Amoah on the figures that the Hon Minister stated in his report. In this country — today, we have so many sports journalists. We do not even know the sources of some of their figures. The conjecture and the figures they sometimes quote makes it so scary. I am happy that today, as Hon O. B. Amoah said, he has set the record straight and the fact that he has been able to account for
Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 11:17 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I come under Standing Order 70(2). It provides:
“(2) A Minister of State may make an announcement or a statement of government policy. Any such announcement or statement should be limited to facts which it is deemed necessary to make known to the House and should not be designed to provoke debate at this stage. Any member may comment briefly, subject to the same limitation.”
Mr Speaker, nowhere in the Hon Minister's Statement did he comment on the performance of the coach. I do not know why the Hon Member is getting into matters that are outside the domain of the Statement made by the Hon Minister. So if he will confine himself to the Statement --
Mr Speaker, I do not like doing this because he mentioned Presbyterian Boys Senior High School, which all the three of us attended.
Mr Titus-Glover 11:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in as much as he wants me to stay focused, this is a way to truncate my thoughts, but I believe that there is the need to make sure that -- Mr Speaker, I have played football before. I played Great Afienya United. I left in 1993, so it is important that we talk on behalf of our coach.

Mr Speaker, we cannot talk about officiating. We all saw what happened. Our boys did their best. They played their hearts out, but sometimes there is the need for us to look at how Ghanaian teams are treated.

Mr Speaker, two examples; when you look at the red card issued to John Boye, the referee could have applied a verbal warning, and that cost us. Our first goal against Tunisia was a clean goal. Who was there to speak for Ghana? Until some of these things are looked into, it would continue.

I would like to appeal to our Hon Minister. By November or December of this year they would be playing the 2021 qualifying series; some of those referees who handled our matches

would come back and so we must begin to speak and have fairness in officiating.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of our normalisation, I would like to appeal to the Hon Minister to quicken his steps and ask the normalisation team to make sure they hand the issues about football to football managers. They should fast track it. Football is handled by footballers; I hear they want people with master's degrees.

Mr Speaker, I am not so sure, but if that is the angle they want to take, I want them to look at it very critically, because there are people who have managed football, with all due respect, who have never been to the classroom; Alhaji Grusah is one example. My own team manager, Alhaji of Great Afienya United has never been to the classroom, but he has produced great players to serve the national team.

In winding up, we hear there are still some spectators and Ghanaians --
Mr Speaker 11:27 a.m.
And in conclusion?
Mr Titus-Glover 11:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am winding up.
I believe that the Ministry is in full contact with them, with their welfare and all that, and we pray that they would all come home safely to join their families.
Mr Speaker 11:27 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Members, for our guidance, the Hon Minister or any Hon Minister of State may make a report to us on facts which he deems necessary with regard to a particular matter. Hon Members may comment briefly, but Hon Members may have their own views also as to what should be deemed necessary, and no Member of Parliament can be deprived from saying that the Hon Minister should have told us this and that.
That is the duty of Parliament, so let us get that very straight, because we would not limit ourselves as a House on any matter whatsoever. In fact, if a Minister appears to be going round or begging a question, Hon
Members are allowed to tell him or her, “No, Hon Minister, I have a view”, and then go on and give the view, provided it is also limited to certain facts, it is not vituperative and it does not provoke debate.
It falls within our rules. Let us be guided and proceed.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 11:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful. May you live long for the very wise guidance which is very timely. [Laughter]

Mr Speaker, this matter before us -- and I must commend the Hon Minister for the Statement -- is a very important one. This is a football nation. We are passionate about our soccer. We love our soccer. We eat and sleep and dream and drink football. Other sporting disciplines are jealous of the dedication and commitment which we give to football, but I dare say that is normal.

Countries all over the world have one particular sport that they really specialise in and develop and hone

their skills. It becomes their forte and everybody knows in the world and in the comity of nations that when it comes to that particular country that is the sport they are noted for.

So I am not one of those who think that it is necessarily a problem that we dedicate so much attention, passion and focus to football. It is just like the way the Brazilians do it when it comes to football, and the English, which is the home of football. I think that we are not even paying much attention especially to our local league and to developing talents.

We were hoping — and this House admitted a Statement kindly — and we all extended our goodwill messages to the Black Stars. We were hoping that the 37-year drought would end this year, but unfortunately, the Black Stars were eliminated in the one-sixteenth stage. They could not bring home the trophy, and it appears that the drought continues until such a time that we would get our acts together again.

Mr Speaker, as we mourn the unfortunate early exit of our team, we must be open to new ideas. The point about the coach should not necessarily be about a local coach or a foreign coach. Those who criticise our coach -- and by the way, we are

all not above criticism, because we are all fallible. We are all humans.

It is not because the coach is a Ghanaian that is why he is being criticised. I think that in Ghana, there can be many other Ghanaian coaches. I would like to see many more Ghanaian coaches. If there can be a better Ghanaian coach to bring competition to help us achieve our dreams, why not?

I do not think that in the whole of Ghana, it is only Coach Kwesi Appiah - I admire him; I have nothing against him, but I do not think he is the only one who can take us to the Promised Land.

Sometimes it is good to hold people accountable.

The Hon Minister has said that the contract that they signed in April 2017 was for the coach to bring us the trophy. If the coach has not been able to abide by the terms of the Agreement, then this country must decide; we must be honest because that is what happens elsewhere. When we do that, it brings a spirit of excellence.

Coaches push themselves and their teams to deliver and succeed. This is
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 11:37 a.m.
because they know the conse- quences. If they do not, as he has rightly ruled, we should confront some of these discussions dispassionately, based on excellence and profe- ssionalism, so that we could move forward.
Mr Speaker, we must also be bold to discuss the issue of talent development. All of us, as Hon Members of Parliament, know that Colts Football is in total disarray. In the secondary schools, during inter- sports competitions, talents were developed and groomed; these days, we do not see that any longer. We only wait for finished products. We wait for other countries and other leagues to develop our players, then we go and gather them.
We only gather finished products; we do not do talent discovery and development. We must be bold to confront this matter; we cannot continue this way. This is the reason our local leagues struggle. Colts football has totally collapsed and no country that does not develop its young talents, makes it at the national team level; so we must confront that.
Mr Speaker, there are a number of financial issues that we must also confront. During the last tournament, the 2017 AFCON, this House was
presented a budget of US$3.37 million by the then Minister for Sports. How is it that the Hon Minister budgeted for about a 100 per cent increase of US$6.2 million, even though the Hon Minister has told us that US$4.56 million was what was utilised?

Mr Speaker, therefore, as many Ghanaians think, we would need to probe these figures further. I agree with the Hon Ranking Member that it would be useful to have the breakdown.

Mr Speaker, I hope the Hon Minister is listening. There is a growing controversy now about the company that took the supporters to Egypt; the White Oak Limited. We hear all kinds of things; whether the right procurement processes were followed and whether we really needed to give out a contract for supporters to be sent out. We wonder if the Sports Ministry could not have handled that on its own to save some money for Ghana.

These are all matters that we would need to discuss. In the breakdown

which would be provided, I hope that we would have clarity on some of these matters; how the White Oak Limited was selected, and whether it was a competitive tender process. We would also want to know the terms of the supporters; whether it is true that some of them are still in Egypt, while some are stranded over there.

Mr Speaker, in a video that went viral, we saw the Hon Minister himself encouraging supporters to go on an excursion, more or less, and have a nice tour of Egypt, when we thought they should have been focusing more on supporting our team. All of these matters require clarity in the interest of football.

Mr Speaker, finally, we must all accept that we cannot continue to rely on past glory. We believe that because we have won it four times, as of right, we must always win. I heard some of the comments of people when we met Benin. People asked why Ghana should have an equal score with Benin and all of that. We must however accept that now there is no minnow in football. Countries have developed, they have learnt the script and they are taking talent development and discovery seriously. We must totally overhaul football administration in our country.

Mr Speaker, I do hope that later on the Hon Minister would present this House with a programme of action on how to rescue Ghana football. We are not doing well in all departments; talent development, marketing the local league and colts. Virtually, every department is in disarray.

We need a marshal plan to rescue football in our country; we cannot continue to rely on past glory. I therefore hope that very soon, such a programme would be presented to this House, so that we could get back to our glorious days of wining.

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity granted.
Mr Speaker 11:37 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Hon Members, we have an announcement.
ANNOUNCEMENTS 11:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:37 a.m.
Hon Members, I have the pleasure to introduce to you a two member-delegation from the
STATEMENTS 11:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:37 a.m.
Hon Members, the Hon Alex Agyekum would make the last contribution on the Floor, and then we would move on to the Leaders.
Mr Alex Kofi Agyekum (NPP -- Mpohor) 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Statement ably made by the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports.
Mr Speaker, I must also thank the Hon Minister for coming to Parliament to brief us on these critical issues.
Mr Speaker, I would like the House to turn with me to page 3 of the Hon Minister's Statement, and with your permission, I read:
“Despite all the support for the Black Stars, the team per- formed below expectation. The Ministry has called for a comprehensive report from the Normalisation Committee after which a study and determination of what went wrong would be made and recommendations made for the way forward for Ghana football, in particular, and sports as a whole. It is the candid opinion of the Ministry that after the study of the various reports, the issue or reorganisation of football in Ghana will be addressed comprehensively.”
Mr Speaker, this is the Statement from the Hon Minister, who superintends over the Ministry. He implies that this Statement is by no means the finality of the whole issue. He says that he is in the process of securing technical and comprehensive report from all the stakeholders, after which possibly, he would appear before this August House to give another report.
Mr Speaker, the post-mortem of any situation must lead to better things
ahead. One cannot get to his destination without first of all, locating where he is. It is an open secret, what this country has gone through in terms of our football situation.
After the Anas Exposé, this Government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, had to navigate through a very challenging situation. What was it? We were at the verge of being isolated internationally, but through the intervention of the Government, the Ministry and His Excellency himself, we were able to negotiate with FIFA and that culminated in the formation of the Normalisation Committee to take charge.
They were given three mandates; to re-organise our football, ensure that they carry out the day to day activities of the Football Association (FA) because it is no longer there.

After they had the status changed and those grey areas that have led our football to where we are now -- they must now depend on it to organise a congress to elect new leaders to take charge of our football situation. So, that is exactly what is going on.

Mr Speaker, now the Normalisa- tion Committee has been given a second mandate that would end in September this year. We all hope that by that time, whatever they were supposed to do, would have been done.

Mr Speaker, with respect to domestic football, we see that at least for now, through the instrumentation and intervention of the Government providing the needed funds, we now have representation of this country for the Confederation Cup and Champions League next year. Those are Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Ashanti Goldfields.

Mr Speaker, so, all is not lost; what we need to do currently per the Statement — as we speak, we have written a letter to the Hon Minister and the Ministry to appear before your Committee. The Committee would further interrogate some of these things that we see in the Statement. It has never been the convention of this House for Hon Ministers to come and give detailed accounts contrary to what is being asked by some Hon Members who spoke earlier that they should give appendices of “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D”. Mr Speaker, you are aware that it is difficult to do that but your Committee, per your direction, could do that and when necessary, even bring a Report to this House.
Mr Alex Kofi Agyekum (NPP -- Mpohor) 11:47 a.m.


Mr Speaker, again, we know that there are so many rumours that have gone viral in this country and that is why I am so happy that the air has been cleared. The rumours circulated that about US$15 million had been spent on the tournament, calling names and saying all sorts of things. Today, the Hon Minister has come to the House of records to make it clear. Even where there was a difference, that different amount, which has been quoted here, would be returned to Government chest.

This is an example of what this House expects from the Ministry, as it appropriates some funds for use. We also commend the Ministry for coming out to say that this is not the end; they would come out finally after receiving the whole report.

Mr Speaker, when we come to the issue of whether the coach, the playing team —
Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
And in conclusion?
Mr Agyekum 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, let us leave those technicalities to the people who handle the various national teams. The Government, in conjunction with all the stakeholders, would sit down; this is not our direction. Once we get the Report and we see the need for
certain changes, we would be told. For now, let this august House remain calm, wait for the final Report to be brought, and when there is need for us to see changes, we would see it.
Mr Speaker, finally, let me thank the playing body; they did well.The technical team, whatever went wrong —
Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
Hon Chairman, enough.
The Hon Minority Leader would speak, then the Hon Majority Leader, and then the Hon Minister may want to make a couple of comments.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 11:47 a.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to make a few comments on the Statement ably made by the former Hon Ranking Member of the Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture and now the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports.
Mr Speaker, I would begin my comments by saying that, talk is cheap. I say this because after 37 years of not getting this trophy, I was one of the over-zealous supporters of the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports when he was here. I thought when he was given the mandate, we would just get the Cup. -- [Laughter.]--
Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
Was he here or he was there? You pointed there, so I want to know. Where was he?
Mr A. Ibrahim 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, that time, he was here; but he did very well and the tables turned, and he has been given the mandate. Mr Speaker, I was one of the people who said that, as for my good Hon Friend, Hon Asiamah, I knew after thirty and more years, he would bring this Cup.
Mr Speaker, I was also very happy with his knowledge in the area. So, when it came to issues of sports, sometimes I decided that I had to be very careful commenting on them. Mr Speaker, I say this because it may not be issues of personalities. If it were so, he is one of those who have followed the area after a number of years. He therefore knows the weaknesses of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and could have closed these loopholes for us to win this cup. Once that had not been done, only to realise that his best was the one- sixteenth level, it raised issues of concern.
Mr Speaker, I do not want to totally blame him because I would like us as a country — he wrote in the Statement that it was about time that we took a decision as a nation —
Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
The Hon First Deputy Speaker would take the Chair.
MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Yes, Hon Ahmed, please continue.
Mr A. Ibrahim 11:55 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
In the Statement, the Hon Minister said as a nation it was about time we did re-organisation of our football. Mr Speaker, I think it is a worthy call. We should not just look at the figures and that is why I would like to take a different dimension in my commentary on this Statement.
Mr Speaker, no country could buy the trophy. If it is about the budget alone — to draw a budget just to go and get the trophy. That is not the case. It is about the glory and prestige attached; that is why we compete. The kind of friendliness —
We often say that we have won the cup four times and count the old days. So we must make a concerted effort to make sure that we add the fifth time. What was it that we did right to get the trophy these four times? And what have we done wrongly in not being able to get the trophy after 37 years? Mr Speaker, these are the questions we should answer.
Mr Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah 11:57 a.m.
On a point of order. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
This is a House of records, and the Hon First Deputy Minority Whip has said that the goal that was scored by one of the Ghana Black Stars players was a clean goal. Unfortunately, I do not know him as a referee or a match official. He does not have any record to prove that the goal was clean.

So if he could withdraw that and continue his comments.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Hon Member, the official record was the result that was announced, but he is entitled to his opinion on that decision.
Yes, Hon Member, you may continue.
Mr A. Ibrahim 11:57 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
You are right. From my pers- pective, it was a clear goal. I do not have the capacity to declare it as a goal. They played well and if that goal had been allowed, we could have gone further. Sometimes, certain things happen.
The point the Hon Minister made was to revisit the issues of the colts teams. We all travel outside and less than half a kilometre, there is a football pitch and we see children playing football. That was what we did when we were children. That system is disappearing. In those days, interschools competition was a serious national competition. Most players who were recruited from those areas did very well. For instance, the soccer maestro, Mr Abedi Ayew Pele, Mr Asamoah Gyan and Mr Michael
Essien -- I think we have erred in that direction. If we truly want to win the cup -- it is not just a matter of go to the field and play. How they behave and submit themselves to the rules of the coach are all part of the system which makes sure that they perform on the pitch.
Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that after Mr Asamoah Gyan had gone through Accra Academy and was coached by his physical education masters, it contributed to his success as a football player. There is no doubt that the training that Mr Michael Essien received during his school days contributed to his soccer success. There is no doubt that Abedi Pele's comportment in school in Tamale contributed to his success as a soccer player. So we have to reorganise the sport; we revisit the Milo Games, and ensure that the colts football teams come to play. We must make serious investments in soccer if we really want the Cup.
Mr Speaker, that was why I said that sometimes, talk is cheap.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make these few comments.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Majority Leader(Mr Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, let me also lend my voice to congratulate the Ghana Black Stars on participating in AFCON 2019. This time around, unlike what happened in Brazil, we did not see any signs of implosion. The team was together, and so we must commend them for the effort.
Mr Speaker, it has been suggested by an Hon Colleague who spoke ahead of me that the expenditure of the team is not commensurate with their achievement; about 70 per cent of the allocated amount was expended, but they did not achieve 70 per cent of the task that they set for themselves. I believe that is very simplistic. The reason is that when they went to South Africa and performed, we did not win the Cup yet we all realised the performance that went into it and we commended them.
Mr Speaker, when Nigeria participated in the World Cup under the captainship of Stephen Keshi and did so well, they did not win the cup; they did not get to the quarter finals. Yet, all of us commended Nigeria for their gamesmanship and technical and tactical disposition, which took them to that level. All of us were proud of a team from Africa.
Mr Speaker, when Cameroon also featured in the World Cup under
Mr Ayariga 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business knows that this is not the first time in contemporary history that the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports has presented a Statement regarding participation of the Ghana Black Stars at AFCON and the financial expenditure.
Mr Speaker, fortunately in 2015, when I led the team to Equatorial Guinea and successfully led them to the finals but lost through penalties, I came to this House and presented a Report. So I would want the Hon Majority Leader to recognise that a comprehensive financial Report was presented to this House, and it reflected in the Hansard. He could go back to the Hansards and check. A few Questions were asked, but the Rt Hon Speaker insisted that some of them should come through specific Questions to the Hon Minister. This is not the first time that after AFCON, a Statement has been made by an Minister.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:57 a.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
My Hon Colleague related to a financial report. The report that has
come from the Hon Minister is not merely a financial report.
Second, Mr Speaker, I said an Hon Minister coming to this House unsolicited -- [Interruption.] I know what went into their own coming to this House.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:07 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, what you know in the boardroom is not reflected in any Hansard.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was the Hon Minority Leader at the time, and I filed two Questions. He and I know what went on. So let him not come and talk about it. [Interruption.] --
Mr Speaker, I would go on. The issue that my Hon Colleague, the Minister, raised that an allocation of US$6,365,033.84 was made and they spent in total US$4,564,352.00 — that means, as the Hon Minister has assured, about US$1.8 million would be returned to chest.
Again, if my memory is right, I guess we are witnessing something that we have not ever witnessed; US$1.8 million unexpended being returned to chest?
Mr Speaker, when the Black Stars perform, it does not only boost the national pride; it boosts national unity, and indeed, the --
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:07 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Bawku Central?
Mr Ayariga 12:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, just for the record, each time the Ministry of Youth and Sports has budgeted for a tournament, if the team goes and does not reach the finals, the outstanding funds are returned to chest. This is not the first time.
The Hon Member could go and check the records. So I do not want the records here to indicate that at all times, in the past, they budgeted for a tournament and the team did not advance to the finals or expend the funds, and the funds are not returned to chest. The records could be checked.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want the former Hon Minister for Youth and Sports to listen to me. I talked about the quantum that has been returned; that is the emphasis.
Mr Speaker, I have spoken to the performance of the Black Stars and what inures to the country, which are
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:17 p.m.
So if anything goes on in any Ministry, a Committee could interrogate the matters there. Indeed, Hon Members of Parliament (MP), in the performance of our oversight responsibilities, ask Questions that form part of the performance of oversight. Motions that are filed and Statements that are made by individual Hon MPs, sometimes to elicit responses from Hon Ministers are part of the oversight responsi- bilities of Hon MPs. So, if the Hon Member says that as far as he is concerned it is inappropriate for the Hon Minister to make this Statement, I disagree with him. I believe that what the Hon Minister has done is most appropriate.
Another Hon Member also related to remunerating Ghana Black Stars players on a monthly basis. I do not know where this system obtains. Apart from the erstwhile communist countries who remunerated their national teams, that system does not obtain anywhere in the world. This is because the national team is not a standing team. They are called as and when it becomes necessary.
So if we have a former Hon Minister for Youth and Sports talk this way, it makes me very uncomfortable. Unless, maybe, he wants to send us back to the communist regime; but I
do not think that is what he intends to do. In Olympic sports, that is done, but not for football and for the professional units.
Mr Speaker, having said so, once again, let me commend the Hon Minister for being proactive and coming out with this Statement. He assured us that details may follow subsequently. When the details come and there are any lapses, we would interrogate them.

Mr Speaker, before I sit down, the Normalisation Committee would have to wind up soon, and the local league has to commence as soon as possible. If it is not reinstated, we would short change ourselves. So it is important that we come to some determination as to when they would end and how they would be revived; that then would feed into our qualification preparations for the World Cup.

We do not have to sit and live to regret because the people of this country would not forgive the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports if it happens that we are not able to qualify for the next World Cup. So every measure should be taken to ensure that adequate preparations are made towards the qualification series.

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the space granted.
Mr I.K. Asiamah 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to thank Hon Members for the contributions and suggestions that they have made.
Mr Speaker, there are a few issues I would want to clarify because this is a House of records. It is not true that I led a group for an excursion in Egypt; that is neither here nor there. It was a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the International Federation of Associa- tion Football (FIFA) to organise supporters in all the countries that participated for an excursion. So, as the Hon Minister, I was briefed by the Football Association (FA) of Ghana, and I communicated same to the supporters. That was all that happened.
Mr Speaker, I have been in Egypt for more than seven times -- my last visit was four months ago, when I attended the Arab Africa Youth Conference in Aswan. So it is not true; I am above that. Again, I would want to put it on record that in 2009, Hon Agalga and I were in Egypt, so it is not the first time I have experienced an Egyptian visit.
Mr Speaker, the AFCON budget for 2017 did not come to this House before the tournament. I was the Hon Ranking Member of the Committee
by then -- that record should be straightened. [Interruption.] This happened in January, 2017 before the transition, when I had not become the Hon Minister.
Mr Speaker, also, supporters are not stranded anywhere in Egypt. The fact should be told. Visas were issued on individual basis, so we could not have all the visas in a group to organise them. They went in batches, and their return tickets are determined by the flights. Mr Speaker, as I speak, supporters who are in Egypt now are well-catered for, and they would testify to that. These are the best well- organised supporters ever for any tournament. [Hear! Hear!] The record is available.
Mr Speaker, the Commission's Report and the provisions have all been respected. I have a copy with me -- “Report of the Commission of Enquiry into matters relating to the participation of the Black Stars Team in the World Cup Tournament in Brazil, 2014''. We have respected everything that is contained in this document. It called for the setting up of a project committee for such an organisation, which we did. A five- member committee was set up, which was headed by the Chief Accountant with representatives from the Attorney-General's Department.

Also, it is never true that we violated any procurement law. We went through due process in procuring that company. After being an Hon Member of the Public Accounts Committee, I cannot come to this House and mess up my life. I am guided by three critical ingredients; efficiency, economy and value for money.

Mr Speaker, the Normalisation Committee's work is scrutinised by all of us. Yesterday, I had a meeting with the members of the Committee in my office. There is a road map for getting a new leadership for the FA, which we are following. We are yet to have clearance from FIFA on the roadmap. Everything is on course to ensure that they do their work and exit well. We would ensure that they stick to their mandate to hand over when it is due.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Hon Members, is there anything to give a direction on?
Hon Minority Chief Whip?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Statement, he said that a comprehensive report was being prepared. So I would be grateful
if he could forward it to the House for consideration when it is ready.
Mr I. K. Asiamah 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the way forward for Ghana's football would still be debated in this House in due course when I am given the opportunity to do that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Very well.
If and when the report gets to the House, the appropriate Committee would be requested to work with the Ministry to review it and advise the House.
That brings us to the end of Statements time.
At the Commencement of Public Business -- Presentation of Papers.
Mr Moses Anim 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we may take item numbered 5 (a).
I would want to ask leave of you to allow the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon Adu Boahen, to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister who is busily attending to the Mid- Year Budget Review.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Item numbered 5 (a) (i), by the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance.
PAPERS 12:17 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Hon Second Deputy Majority Whip, should I continue with item numbered 5 (b)?
Mr Anim 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, if we could allow the Hon Minister for Works and Housing to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources who is also engaged.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Are you sure the Report is ready?
Mr Anim 12:17 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Very well.
Item numbered 5 (b), by the Hon Minister for Works and Housing.
By the Minister for Works and Housing (Mr Samuel Atta Akyea) (on behalf of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources) --
Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for the year 2018.
Referred to the Committee on Lands and Forestry.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Item numbered 5 (c), by the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee.

By the Chairman of the Committee --

Report of the Finance Commi- ttee on the Annual Report of the Public Interest and Account- ability Committee (PIAC) on the Management and Use of Petroleum Revenue for the Year

2018.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Hon Members, I will return to Private Business. There was a Statement admitted earlier by the Rt Hon Speaker which I overlooked.
Mr Anim 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, could we all take item numbered 8, Motion and then come back to Statements?
The Report is ready.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Yes, Minority Leadership, that is the request.
Mr A. Ibrahim 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have just seen a copy of the Report, so, if we could take the Statement, as you wanted to do, so that we take our time and go through it. By the time we finish with the Statement, we might have gone through it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Well, mine was given to me about one and a half hours ago. At the same time mine was given to me, yours was also given to you. If you are just seeing it, it is because you were probably too busy listening to the Hon Minister's --
Mr A. Ibrahim 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if Hon Members have copies; as I have just seen, then the ball is in your court. Please decide what you would do.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Very well, let us do the Motion and come back to Statements.
The item numbered 8, Motion by the Hon Chairman of the Committee. [Interruption] -- Very well, we would do the procedural Motion, the item numbered 7 first.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as a matter of fact, the procedural Motion is an error. This Paper was laid on Monday.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Very well; so, it is already matured. In that case, the procedural Motion is not necessary. So, move item numbered
8.
MOTIONS 12:27 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab
Economic Development for an amount of seven million Kuwaiti dinar (KD7,000,000.00) [equivalent to US$24,000,000.00] to finance the rehabilitation of the Dome - Kitase Road Project (20.1Km) and ancillary works.
In so doing, I present your Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development for an amount of seven million Kuwaiti Dinar (KD7,000,000.00) [equivalent to US$24,000,000.00] to finance the rehabilitation of the Dome-Kitase Road Project (20.1km) and ancillary works was presented to the House on Thursday, 11th July, 2019 by the Minister responsible for Finance, Hon Ken Ofori-Atta.
Pursuant to article 103 of the 1992 Constitution and Orders 169 and 171 of the Standing Orders of the House, the Agreement was referred to the Committee on Finance for considera- tion and report.
The Committee subsequently met and discussed the Agreement with the Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon
Charles Adu-Boahen; Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon Anthony Karbo as well as officials from the Ministries of Finance and Roads and Highways. The Committee hereby submits its Report to the House pursuant to the Standing Orders of the House.
The Committee is grateful to the above-mentioned Hon Deputy Ministers and the officials for attending upon the Committee.
2.0 References
The Committee referred to and/or was guided by the following documents, inter alia during its deliberations on the Agreement:
The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana;
The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana; and
The Public Financial Manage- ment Act, 2016 (Act 921).
3.0 Background
The Ministry of Roads and Highways is vigorously pursuing Government's agenda for the provision of road infrastructure and development of critical road sections across the country to accelerate the

socio-economic development of the nation. In this direction, the Ministries of Finance and Roads and Highways are continuously holding talks with various project funding agencies with a view to exploring the availability of funds on very competitive terms for the implementation of road projects.

The Government of Ghana has identified the Dome-Kwabenya- Brekusu- Kitase (19.1km) and Ashesi (1.0km) roads as part of its priority road development and maintenance programme. These roads connect the Accra-Kumasi road (N6) to the Accra-Aburi-Koforidua road (N4) and offers road users an alternative route to connect the two national roads thus avoiding the usual urban traffic jam associated with these two national roads.

The roads to be constructed under this facility are located in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions and provide a vital connection between them. Major settlements along the route include Dome, Kwabenya, Ayim, Brekusu, Agyamenti and Kitase.

It is envisaged that the recon- struction of the roads would, among others, directly benefit the inhabitants within the catchment area and specifically enhance integration of
Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC-Bia East) 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and to make a few comments on your Committee's Report.
Mr Speaker, the House is called upon to approve a facility of an equivalent of US$24 million to construct a 20.1 kilometre road which would ease the transport situation of Dome and adjoining communities. This would improve the lives of the people living along that stretch.
Mr Speaker, if we look at the terms of the Facility, interest is one per cent per annum. On the face of it, we would see that the Facility is quite cheap and has a grant element of 36.53 per cent. But payment of interest and other charges is something we would have to take a critical look at because, if we look at the terms, it is payable semi-annually on May 1 and November 1 of each year.
As a country, we have a very bad record when it comes to the repayment of loans and interest. The money would be sitting in the Sinking Fund or the Debt Service Account but when the time is due, they would delay in effecting payment and this attracts charges to the State. We do not know what is happening at the Ministry.
Mr Speaker, we would call on the Ministry to as a matter of urgency --
Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC-Bia East) 12:37 p.m.
compensation to pave way for the contractor to execute the project.

Mr Speaker, Government should make sure that it can raise the needed revenue in the form of counterpart funding to support the Project. There is a timeline for the project but if Government is not able to raise the counterpart funding --[Interruption] -- we have several projects around and some have taken five to six years and due to lack of counterpart funding, the projects have stalled.

Mr Speaker, so, I plead with the Ministry to take steps to, at least, raise revenue to also meet their own obligations so that the timelines given to the contractor -- [Interruption] -- We can get the road as explained by the Report of your Committee so that, at the end of the day, people living on that stretch will benefit from this Facility so that we will know that we have approved a good Facility and put the money to good use.

There was an issue about the legal opinion by the Hon Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and at the Committee level, that information was given to the Committee, and I do not think that there is any issue about any legal opinion and the Agreement duly

authorised. This is what we are dealing with.

Having approved of the Facility, it will pave way for the drop-down to trigger in so that at the end of the day, we will make sure that the people of Dome and Hon O. B. Amoah's constituency will also know that at least, they are benefiting from the national cake.

Mr Speaker, so, I urge the Government to also look back at other constituencies and districts in, especially, the Western North Region where we have several roads on which they say they are undertaking audits and the reports are ready -- especially, the cocoa roads. We have not heard anything about the Report and no contractor is on the road trying to do anything for us.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
Hon Member, speak to the Motion. For the Western North Region, you have your opportunity to make your Statement or ask your Question. Now, let us discuss --
Mr R. Acheampong 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am guided. But before I end, at least, I have to make a good case for the good people of the Western North Region so that we will also be considered in benefitting from the national cake in subsequent Agreements.
Mr Speaker, with these few observations, I think that the condition is very good and I support the Motion. Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee on Roads and Transport?
Mr Ayeh-Paye (NPP -- Ayen- suano) 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank your Committee for a well presented Report. The road from Dome/Kwabenya to Brekusu to Aburi which links to the other 17 states of Akwapim is very important. This road through Dome can lead to the Accra-Kumasi road and connect the road from Mamfe to Koforidua, which is also very important.
The road is not only going to serve the people of Kitase and Akwapim but also some communities just before we get to Brekusu. The Ashesi University, as we all know, is one of the popular private universities we have in this country and the road from Dome to the University, as we see today, is very bad and this loan facility is going to help reshape the road.
Mr Speaker, may I also take the opportunity to thank His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's Government for considering this Facility to construct a very good road from Dome through Kwabenya to the other 17 states of Akwapim through Brekusu?
This same New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government under the leadership of former President Kufuor, broke through the rocks of Akwapim to construct a road from Accra through Ayi Mensah to Kitase and Mampong for the good people of Akwapim. So I would want to take this opportunity to thank the two NPP Governments ,which were first led by former President Kufuor and the current President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for the good work they are doing for the people of Akwapim.
Mr Speaker, I also want to take this opportunity to appeal to the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways and the Ministry to fast track getting a contractor for the project. [Interruption] -- There is no contractor yet and this is just a loan Agreement and the Report indicates that they are going to go through the international bidding process to get a contractor for this Project.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
Yes, Hon Ranking Member?
Mr Agbodza Governs (NDC -- Adaklu) 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to support the Motion for the approval of US$ 24,000,000.00 for the rehabilitation of 20.1km of road project and ancillary works within the areas defined by this Report.
Mr Speaker, this is a financing agreement which appears to be very reasonable. It is not the first time we have drawn on the Kuwaiti Fund to do projects; normally, their terms are slightly better.
I also took note of the fact that we are told that the procurement of the contractor will be through international competitive bidding, which means that it will be much fairer, hence the issue of value-for-money does not come in here.
Mr Speaker, you will notice that we are talking about rehabilitation of a 20.1km of road at a cost of US$24,000,000.00. Increasingly, it appears that the cost of road projects
under this particular Government is becoming very expensive. It works out that a kilometre of road -- because they state a 20.1km stretch will be about US$1.2million. If you break this down by GH¢5.5 it is a huge amount of money.
However, I will not begin to sound a bell of anybody taking money --
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member, hold on. Yes, Hon Chairman?
Mr Ayeh-Paye 12:37 p.m.
On a point of order.
Mr Speaker, I just want to provide additional information to the Hon Ranking Member of the Committee on Roads and Transport.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
Hon Member, you have finished. If you have any objection to anything he is saying, I will allow you.
Mr Ayeh-Paye 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, he is misleading the House by saying that the road is just being rehabilitated and the cost is too much. He should know that technically, in using the term ‘rehabilitation', the road engineer
means reconstruction. It is different from periodic maintenance and so, to rehabilitate a road, the cost is just like constructing a new road.
Mr Speaker, so, he should take that on board and proceed. Thank you.
Mr Agbodza 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the word ‘reconstruction' was available to the drafters of the Agreement but they chose to use, ‘rehabilitation'.
Mr Speaker, I am just quoting what is in the Report; I am not saying anything different. Indeed, the Hon Chairman should not be over worried about this; I am just saying that as a House, we need to -- [Interruption] -- No, it is not ‘chop- chop'. I want to avoid the temptation.
I have always said that we cannot get up and look at the cost of a project and assume that what we see on paper is all. Today, if 20.1km stretch of road costs US$ 24,000,000.00 and we agree that it is reasonable. In the year 2021/2022, when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) brings similar projects to this House, I hope that people who will be in Opposition will not assume that it is due to somebody doing something wrong.
Mr Speaker, indeed, the different segments of work that are contained in this Agreement are all critical. The Ashesi Univetristy has become quite an important place of learning --
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
Hon Member, hold on. Yes, Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation?
Dr A. A. Osei 12:37 p.m.
On a point of order. The Hon Member of Parliament has made a very profound statement. He said that; ‘when the NDC' and not ‘if the NDC' -- I want to remind him that before we came to power, they spent 1.7 million per kilometre on the Eastern Corridor Road.
So the Hon Member does not have to wait till they come to power; they have already done it and he should say so. [Laughter] --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
When engineers decide to do politics that is the response you get. So, be the engineer I have known you to be.
Mr Agbodza 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, unfortunately, for him, he has no evidence. [Uproar] -- He should show us the documents that show that. He has no evidence.
Mr Agbodza 12:47 p.m.


I have in my hand a document which suggests that a kilometre of rehabilitation of road under this Government is US$1.2 milllion. Multiply that by GH¢5.5 and you would see that it is quite a significant amount of money.

But, Mr Speaker, I would go back to the point I was making, that the different components of the road works are all necessary. Trying to construct 1 kilometre to Ashesi University is very critical. We are told that, when they were constructing the road from Accra through the mountains, that was the main major road that everybody was using to the Akwapim area. It is a very good alternative road to be built.

Mr Speaker, it is important for Hon Colleagues to always criticise or look into the figures. Sadly, the details that come to us as a Committee hardly get to a point where we see detailed designs and specifications with quantities. Most of the time, we are left to believe whatever is put before us. It is upon the House to decide whether we should continue to do it like this forever or we should insist that before one comes to the House, since not all of us are civil engineers, we should have a fair level of details

that Hon Members can appreciate. In emergencies, we can understand, but with projects that we know have been sitting there for some time, when we find funding, we should be able to get the details.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I urge Hon Colleagues to approve this Agreement. As I said, because this would go through international competitive bidding, there is the issue about value for money because that would be addressed in the competitive bidding. I am happy about this one because we would get value for money just based on the process of procurement. I urge all Hon Colleagues to support this Agreement so that Hon O. B. Amoah can have a better campaign in 2010 when he contests again.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:47 p.m.
Hon O. B. Amoah, you have the opportunity to tell him that you are winning already.
Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah (NPP -- Akwapin South) 12:47 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the oppor- tunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor. Today is a very happy day for the people of the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions. My sister, the
Hon Deputy Majority Leader would have loved to be here to contribute to this Motion. The two of us, as Hon Members of Parliament for Dome/ Kwabenya and Akwapim South constituencies have endured a lot of curses due to the state of those roads. [Laughter.] Thankfully, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government and H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are showing that indeed, when they promise, they deliver. [Hear! Hear!] This is a very major promise being delivered by H.E. the President and the NPP Government.
Mr Speaker, our Hon Colleague was talking about the road and the fact that it appears quite expensive. Unfortunately, it appears he was not sticking to the Report because if we look at paragraph 5.0 where the project components and description are provided, it talks about two-lane, three-lane and a single-carriage-way links et cetera. This is not just a simple one-way road for him to calculate the cost of the road in mileage and conclude that it is too expensive simply because the calculation is entirely wrong if you look at the components. Coming from him, it is quite unfortunate. If you look at the project component, it spells out everything. So for him to make these comments is a bit unfortunate.
If you look at the terms and conditions of this loan, it is concessional in the sense that it is very flexible for us. I would commend the Ministry of Finance and even the Ministry of Roads and Highways for coming up with such a facility to ease the burden of the people of the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions.
Mr Speaker, we have heard about the benefits of such projects. My good friend, who is the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee, somehow mentioned rural parks of the road. There is no rural area in that section of the road. It is probably the poor road which makes it look rural. If you look at Dome where I stay, Comet Estates at Kwabenya, they are exploring facilities. Indeed, the former Minister for Roads and Highways has an abode there. I hope I am permitted to say that he stays there and it is not a security risk.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:47 p.m.
Hon Agbodza, what do you want to complain about?
Mr Agbodza 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just want to draw the attention of my senior Hon Colleague to the fact that the 20.1 kilometres took account of the fact that some of them were three lanes and others were two lanes. Even
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:47 p.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order.
Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee, what do you want to say?
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Akwapim South said in presenting my Report, I had indicated that there are rural sections from Dome to Kitase.
Mr Speaker, the document presented to the Committee made this clear, and the entire stretch is divided up. We have Dome-Kwabenya, where he lives, as the urban section of the road; then from Kwabenya through Brekusu to Kitase as the rural section of the road. I do not think I have defined rural areas and urban areas on the stretch. This is what came to us. I know Brekusu very well, and I also know Kitase very well; they are rural areas.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:47 p.m.
And you can tell rural from urban areas?
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am an urban Member of Parliament. [Laughter.]
Mr O. B. Amoah 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Peduase Lodge is situated at Peduase which is part of Kitase. We all know Kitase; it is not a rural area.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:47 p.m.
So because Peduase Lodge is situated there, it changed the --
Mr O. B. Amoah 12:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we know the environs and how Kitase is. Nobody can ever describe Kitase as a rural area. But it was part of the document which he referred to. He did not describe it as rural, but as the Member of Parliament, I need to draw the attention of the whole world that nobody can ever describe Kitase as a rural place or even Brekusu where the Hon Majority Leader has a link. The chief of Brekusu is his in- law, and he has been going there. He knows the place is not a rural area.

One famous university, the Ashesi University is located in Brekusu. If you look at paragraph 6.2., we expected benefits of the project -- Indeed, it speaks for itself. It shows that this is a very strategic area that if you are able to construct, it would be a first- class road which would inure to the benefit of the whole country. Indeed, there are a lot of investments on that stretch. Some are even waiting to

invest more, provided the road is constructed.

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for this opportunity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:57 p.m.
Leadership?
Alhaji Inusah Abdulai B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 12:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to this very important Report that is before the House, and to commend your Committee for doing a diligent work on an otherwise very important project that would benefit not only the people of Dome-Kitase, but the people of Ghana.
Mr Speaker, that road is obviously a very important road. It connects the Greater Accra Region and the Eastern Region. It actually serves as a by- pass. The road is so terrible that while travelling there, you would spend not less than an hour to traverse a 20 kilometre road.
Indeed, the Hon Majority Leader has an interest in that road, because in travelling to his --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:57 p.m.
Hon Members, let us keep one other and their interest out of the debate, please.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 12:57 p.m.
Some Hon Members in travelling to visit their in- laws would have to endure hardship on the road.
Mr Speaker, it is indeed true that I live on that corridor, so it is important that that road be done. The history of that road goes beyond the NPP Government. It actually goes beyond the NDC Government.
Attempts have been made consistently to construct the road. The road was initially awarded to a gentleman who has an estate in that area called Comet Estate, but because the road was put on the Government Consolidated Fund, it became difficult to do it. The NDC Government scouted for money to go
Mr Moses Anim (NPP -- Trobu) 12:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to support the Motion, and also to say that Hon Alhaji Inusah Fuseini is about to leave Parliament, but he has really spoken the truth, that this road, if well done according to specifications, it would be cheaper than all roads done as was said rather erroneously by Hon Agbodza.
Mr Speaker, it is to also quote you, that when engineers play politics, these are the responses and consequences that result, and that the moment we talk about road and any infrastructural development of this country, we should be factual, we should be truthful, and we should speak as people who really want development for Ghana.
Mr Speaker, when you look at the terms as already stated, my issue is
Mr Moses Anim (NPP -- Trobu) 1:07 p.m.
that by 31st December, 2023, we should have exhausted the usage of the amount. I implore all of us including the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Committee --

I know that the contract Agreement would come to the Committee on Roads and Transport, so that we deal expeditiously with all these and make sure that the procurement system would also be done on time so that we could begin with this construction and get it done before 2023.

Mr Speaker, that road is one of the strategic roads. In fact, if we really want to talk about inner-city roads, it qualifies. Also, if we want to talk about a road that could connect to one of the West African international roads, it qualifies.

This road is also a beautiful link to the N6 and N2 which link the West African international road to the huge interchange that is being done at Pokuase for instance.

For now, the Pokuase Interchange has moved from a tier-three interchange to a tier-four interchange because of savings that has been done. Therefore, the scope of design

and variation in works increment, did not also bring in additional increment to the project fund.

Mr Speaker, this road is a good link to the Dome-Kwabenya- Brekuso-Kitase Road. It links it at a place called the “Aboum Junction”. It links that West African line and it would be a line that would divert the entire traffic from Pokuase through to Awoshie unto the N1. So, it is a very critical and important road. I believe that with this facility we would be able to do those works and it would beautify the entire area.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Suhum has given me the reasons for the deterioration of that road. I believe we must advert our minds to designing roads, looking at the entire enclave and bringing in the integration that would help any enclave that we would want to construct our roads with.

Mr Speaker, I am told that the road hitherto had a bituminous surface. When the Akuapim road was being constructed, that road was the diversion that helped to ease the traffic. The axle load on that road was not really meant for the durability of the road. Therefore, the traffic and the axle loads quickly deteriorated the road.

I am also told that even when the Suhum road that links the Pokuase- Achimota road was being constructed, the long vehicles that passed there tilted — so this road also served as a diversion for vehicles. What it means is that anytime at all that we would want to do a particular road within an enclave, and would want a road diversion, we must take a critical look and make sure that we strengthen the roads that would serve as diversions by constructing them first, to help ease the traffic on the major project roads.

For instance, a similar one has been constructed at the Pokuase Interchange. All the local roads that are supposed to ease the traffic at the ACP Junction are being constructed with bituminous surface; a primer seal and two strong coat seals.

Mr Speaker, we asked for 25 kilometres of these diversion roads to be constructed, but we have been allowed to construct only 10 kilometres. As I speak to you, the Government of Ghana has given permission for the construction of a 17-kilometre road to link those local roads, so that at the end of the day, it becomes relevant and a justification for the integration approach that I am

talking about. I propose that anytime at all that we would want to do a particular enclave road, because there would always be the need for a road diversion, we must pay heed to the diverted roads and strengthen them as well.

Mr Speaker, to conclude, I would say that we need to give this Project the necessary support and make sure that we follow it up.

Mr Speaker, the Committee's oversight responsibilities must be there and the Ministry must also make sure that the right thing for these roads are done. I know that at the end of the day, we would be able to succeed and reduce the traffic. This is because it would offload a lot of the traffic on the Pokuase-Achimota Road.

This road would be a simple link to Madina, the Akuapim Ridge, and Presec. It would be a simple link to a lot of the enclaves. It would also serve as a diversion for people coming from the Eastern Region. Again, all those who would come from Pokuase, Fise and Amasaman could easily divert to that road and it would help us.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.

Question put and Motion agreed to.
RESOLUTION 1:07 p.m.
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 1:07 p.m.
HEREBY RESOLVES AS 1:07 p.m.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
Hon Members, I would return to private Business, and call on the Hon Member for Pru East to read his Statement.
STATEMENTS 1:07 p.m.
Dr Kwabena Donkor (NDC -- Pru East) 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the last couple of years, this House has approved various Plans of Work of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) in accordance with appli-cable statutes. This has included preparatory work on the Voltaian Basin.
The Voltaian basin is a foreland basin formed by sediments filling a flexural depression at the margin of the West African Craton. The flexure
is due to a northwest obduction on the craton of the younger Pan African crust. The Basin covers about forty per cent of Ghana's continental landmass and stretches across six countries viz Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Togo and Ghana even though the Volta River flows primarily through Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Mr Speaker, the Voltaian Basin has a good potential to hold significant petroleum resources. Geologists from the Soviet Union in the early 1960s observed viscous black oily bitumen in core samples of sandstones, shales and siltstones of the Oti Group in the Middle Voltaian, suggesting the presence of a working petroleum system. The current exploratory work of the National Oil Company should therefore throw further light on the existence of a petroleum system and hopefully, actualise the system and move the Voltaian basin from probable to prospect.
Mr Speaker, the possibility of finding oil and/or gas in commercial quantities would provide the country with a double edged sword. One side of the sword would be a low-cost production resource that can be solely exploited by indigenous oil companies in partnership with the National Oil Company. A land rig is only a fraction of die cost of a deep offshore rig and
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
Mr Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi (NPP -- Odotobiri) 1:27 a.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker for the opportunity to make very few comments on the Statement that has been made by my Hon Colleague.
Mr Speaker, it is a fact that the Voltaian Basin holds some prospects for Ghana to exploit oil in commercial quantities. The work that has been done by the GNPC till today, supports this important belief, that with the right technology and skill that we need to employ on the Voltaian Basin,
we could find oil in commercial quantities.
Mr Speaker, GNPC, through its subsidiary, Explorco has done a lot of work in terms of gathering of data to ascertain the prospects of oil in the Voltaian Basin.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who made the Statement should be commended for bringing the attention of this august House and the whole nation to the work that we need to do as a nation before we go into the actual drilling of oil in the Voltaian Basin.

Mr Speaker, the onshore exploration activities are different from the offshore one and we need to tread cautiously when bringing everybody on board as we undertake this important assignment. GNPC understanding these issues is also working feverishly to bring all communities along the Voltaian Basin on board. Most of the corporate social work that is being done by GNPC is channelled through this work that is being done in the Voltaian Basin.

The Hon Member recommended, that there is the need for us as a nation

and as a Parliament, to also look at the existing laws that regulate the activities of oil exploration in the country. What we have now, if we do not undertake a serious amendment and apply same to the onshore exploration, we might be heading towards problems.

I therefore wholeheartedly support the recommendations that have been proffered by the Hon Member, that we need to start thinking through how best we would deal with the issue of compensation. This is because this is on-land exploration activities and farmlands would be affected. Other livelihoods would be affected and when this happens, what would we do to the people who would be affected?

Mr Speaker, there is also the need for local content. From the Statement that was made by the Hon Member, the onshore exploration is not as expensive as offshore exploration and in this particular field, we need to build the capacity of more Ghanaians to own oil blocks. This is because it is not too expensive to acquire the necessary technology and equipment for local people to engage positively in this particular venture. For me, if as a nation, we work towards that we would bring more benefits to more Ghanaians in terms of employment,
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza (NDC -- Adaklu) 1:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement, well researched and presented by Hon Dr Kwabena Donkor. In fact, he has given good details of what we ordinary people would not have understood in terms of what is going on in the Voltaian Basin and so I thank him very much.
I just have a few comments to make about some of the recommen- dations and observations in the Statement. Hydrocarbons are not renewable, so irrespective of how
much is discovered, we draw on it, eventually, it would run out. So, whatever is done with it while it lasts, matters. Indeed, we are already producing oil in Ghana and we must all think about how we would answer this question one day, as some people believe that since we have oil, petrol prices should not go up and their roads should not remain as they are.
Mr Speaker, Hon Donkor told us that since we turned on the tap, we have drawn US$4.9 billion so far. That is not much money to a country. This House approves about US$1.2 billion syndicated loan for Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) every year. For me, cocoa is renewable, so it tells me that perhaps, if we invested a fraction of amounts of money we invest in chasing hydrocarbons in things that are renewable and the ordinary person could do, we might not need to go and disturb the environment sometimes. So, I think that it is something that we should all think about.
As far as I am concerned, oil is not the solution to our development problems. To make it worse, we would all notice that where we are, in a few years' time, the world would turn away from the excessive consumption of hydrocarbons. In fact, very soon, some car manufacturers
would cease to produce vehicles that run on petroleum products. They would use electric vehicles (EV) and other vehicles, though obviously, even the electricity has to be produced in one way before we use it.
So, while we think that we need to continue exploring for oil, we should know that one day, it is possible that if the hydrocarbons do not run out, maybe, we may not be in the position to use it simply because we have turned away from that and we are using renewable energy.
Mr Speaker, sadly, it appears that our country is not ready for this. We have not seen any concrete policies to address what will happen in 10 years' time in terms of our fuel consumption. As I said, today, nobody in Ghana can drive an EV. Even if you have money to buy a Tesla, you just cannot because you cannot power it. Meanwhile, we all know that it is cheaper to run those vehicles. So, while we do all these things, we need to situate this in the national concept of what we want to do in terms of energy production.
Hon Donkor also talked about the benefits of oil exploration and its challenges. We have all been in this House and spoken about what
pertains to mining areas. We have been mining in this country for centuries -- I am happy that the Hon Member for Obuasi just stepped in. I am told that when you go to Obuasi, there is nothing to write home about. Meanwhile, this country has drawn on gold among others for many years and the people of --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:27 a.m.
Hon Deputy Minister for Finance, the Hon Minister says that Obuasi is nothing to write home about.
Mr Agbodza 1:27 a.m.
Yes, infrastructure in Obuasi is nothing to write home about, compared to the quantity of gold and others that we have drawn over the years. [Interruption.] I did not know that they had enough, so he should tell us.
Mr Kwaku Kwarteng 1:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, there is a sense in which the infrastructure in Obuasi, as the present Administration met it, was terrible. In that sense, I think that he is right. What we have been looking to do in the last two years is to revive AngloGold Ashanti, to bring jobs to the people of Obuasi but also to fix the Obuasi - - Anhwia Nkwanta road that has been deteriorated for so long. I am happy that today we can see the improve- ment and remember that it was in a bad state.
Mr Agbodza 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank my Hon Colleague. Indeed, the people of Obuasi and all other mining areas would say that for the amount of wealth that this country has derived from their areas, they would prefer that we should at least do more for them. That is why I am happy that one of the recommendations of Hon Donkor is that we should revise the laws governing production, so that we make a conscious effort to put back some of the investments in those areas whenever we are going to do these.

It is also frightening to know that, as a matter of fact, the number of young people who require opportunities in this country keeps increasing, but sadly, it appears that we are not providing enough opportunities for them.

Last weekend, I attended a graduation ceremony at the University of Ghana, Legon, and we were told that about 11,000 people would have graduated over a period -- that is one university -- and all these people have acquired some skills and knowledge. Interestingly, one of the guest speakers said that there is no job waiting for them, so they have to create their own jobs. Even for an economy to give opportunity for people to create their own jobs, it has to be a national agenda.

So, if we discover and start drilling oil in certain areas without giving the young people in that community the understanding of what would be in for them, it is possible they might take up certain characters that might not be helpful. Security is a serious issue; issues the Hon Member raised, which include kidnapping and other things are still threats in our country.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who made the Statement said that because this is cheaper to do and it is onshore, we should ensure that Ghanaians play more roles in it, so that we create wealth for our own people.

This should not be another instance where we give 80 per cent to some people and fight over 20 per cent. If as a country, we could craft the laws in such a way that GNPC plays a bigger role and if opportunities could go to Ghanaians, and we all accept that they are Ghanaians and reduce the tendency of putting political coloration on it, and the Ghanaians would create wealth and keep it in the country, I believe we would all be better.

Mr Speaker, I thank Dr Donkor for this intelligent work done because I have learnt something very good from the Statement.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
I want to return to public business, unless, Leadership would want to comment on the Statement.
Yes, available Hon Leader on the Minority side?
Alhaji Inusah Abdullai. B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement and to commend the Hon Member who made it on what to do with the oil prospects that go on in the Voltaian Basin.
Mr Speaker, the challenges that would be posed by the discovery of oil in that Basin could be quite enormous. The Hon Member who made the Statement has drawn our attention to the possible challenges that would confront this country when oil is discovered. Everybody and most geologists suspects that by the nature of the creation of the Voltaian Basin, there is the likelihood of the discovery of hydrocarbons in that area. That area has been an accretion, so the depression that occurred so many years ago could have simply buried vegetation in that area, which would have gone through the process of turning into carbon and then hydrocarbon which could have some significant deposits of oil in that area.
Mr Speaker, because of the pervading poverty within that area and the closeness in proximity to Togo, it could pose insecurity challenges and the Hon Member who made the Statement drew our minds to that.
Mr Speaker, managing environ- mental problems of offshore exploration of oil is different from onshore and the legal regime presently in place does not deal with onshore discoveries of oil. The Hon Member who made the Statement drew our attention to the fact that, with the prospect discovery of oil, government and this House must avert our minds to the possibility of amending our legal regime in the exploration sector of hydrocarbons, especially, as it concerns onshore production.
Mr Speaker, clearly, this Statement also draws our attention to comparisons. If we invest a lot of money in offshore production of oil and as used in petroleum sharing regime on offshore production of oil, probably, in onshore production because of the cost differentiation and the lower cost that would accompany such activity, Ghana must stand to gain more. Again, the Hon Member who made the Statement told us as negotiators that in doing these things, we should know that the cost imperatives are different.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Majority Leadership?
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (NPP -- Suame) 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make a few remarks on the Statement made by Hon Dr Kwabena Donkor.
It is a very important Statement, except that I was wondering the timing of a Statement such as this that, maybe, we should have located it to a more propitious time, so that we could further engage on the content of it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Very well, it is just an interesting development and information that was shared by the Professor who addressed the Breakfast Meeting a couple of weeks ago. He said that if we take the entire oil discovery in Ghana as of now, the per capita revenue to every Ghanaian is just about 50 cents a day.
Hon Members, so, when we are talking about oil resources we should manage the expectations because we tend to believe that it is probably the panacea to all our challenges. We would still need our farming, cocoa and those things which assure us
money individually as our main sources of revenue. I think we should have that in mind.
Hon Members, we are returning to Public Business but it is 2.00 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, it is three minutes to two o'clock.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, we may have to deal with the Statistics Bill, 2018. We got to clause 45 yesterday. I believe whatever it takes, with respect to my Hon Colleagues and indeed my profound respect to the Chair, I would appeal that we finish today.
Mr Speaker, if we have to suspend now, because it is just about 2.00 p.m. and come back in about 30 minutes, we are ready, so that we would be able to finish with it.
I would suggest that we suspend Sitting.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
We have about 12 clauses outstanding and if we are going to do it, let us do it. If we should suspend for an hour, we will come back in three hours and even that one will be forced.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 1:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, you have pre-empted what I was going to say. Actually, I looked around and I did not see the Hon Second Deputy Speaker and I thought that you have settled in the Chair for a long time and I was minded to agree with the Hon Majority Leader to give you some respite for you to take some rest for one hour so that we can come back and finish. That will offer us Hon Members of Parliament, too, an opportunity to take care of urgent business somewhere else.
Mr Speaker, however, since you are drinking water, it means that your energy is replenished. If you are minded to continue after drinking water, I have no objection.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
I intend to do one more hour. So, in one hour, I believe we can finish with the clauses that are outstanding; so, I will extend Sitting.
Having regard to the state of Business of the House, I direct that the House Sits outside the regular Sitting hours.
Now, the Statistics Bill, 2018 at the Consideration Stage
BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 1:57 p.m.
STAGE 1:57 p.m.
  • [Continuation of debates from 23.07.19]
    • Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Adaklu?
    Mr Agbodza 1:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to crave your indulgence to take you back. I believe that there are some clauses that I consider to be part of this which are not here. Issues with a bank account of the Service, budget estimates, expenses of the Service which are not seen in the Bill at all and I thought -- but they are supposed to come before we proceed.
    So I want to find out whether it will be flexible enough for us to do this. I have already discussed that with the Hon Majority Leader; if you will give
    us the opportunity to consider those -- Does the Hon Chairman say he does not want it?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, those provisions; bank account of the Fund and expenses of the Fund normally arise when we create a Fund and we do not want the administrative expenses of the Fund to be a burden on the Fund itself.
    So we have the GETFund and then we create expenses of the Fund and say that it be limited to five per cent of the -- but this is the Statistical Service and their expenses are charged on the Consolidated Fund. So I do not think it is necessary here. The fact that these have been in other enactments does not mean it should be repeated everywhere.
    Mr Speaker, so, it is not necessary.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that this has to do with standards and if you look at how we have captured the laws in the Constitution, the Electoral Commi- ssion --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
    Yesterday we did that. Look at clause 42; Funds of the Service.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, no, that is different.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
    So, what are you talking about?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, usually, we create provisions to deal with the bank account where the Fund should be lodged.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
    You recall that I directed at the Question that the draftpersons should re-draft clause 42 to reflect our newly crafted way of capturing --
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, that had to do with clauses 43 and 44. There is a new structure that you have given that, to reflect the language contained in the Constitution, we should replicate that and that was what brought it.
    However, with this one which has to do with the creation of bank accounts and the expenses of the Service and so on, we usually create some additional provisions for that. I think that just in line with the general directive that you gave, we can look at it, and if we deem it appropriate, have that insertion done instead of haranguing and indeed arguing on this.

    Mr Speaker, we can leave it; once we have the general agreement of the principle, if we have to situate that within the context of clauses 42 or 43, we can do that. If we have to make separate provisions for that I believe that, partingly, the draftpersons will know how to situate it and then we can move on.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee, I am not sure I am ad idem with the argument being made.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have seen these provisions, for instance, the State Interest and Governance Authority Act which I have here.
    Mr Speaker, the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) makes it clear that no entity can open a bank account without the approval of the Controller and Accountant- General Department. So, if we leave it out here, it does not mean that they can open any bank account without authorisation. That is the first one.
    The expenses of the Service; clearly, for the Statistical Service, compensation is paid from the Controller and Accountant-General's Department and their goods and services, capex expense is approved
    by Parliament; they come to the Finance Committee for approval --
    Mr Speaker, we have repeated these in recent enactments but if we left it out, I do not think that there will be any harm. Then again, your directive, as the Hon Majority Leader indicated, applied to clauses 43 and 44 but even in the Votes and Proceedings, there is an omission of that directive. In today's Votes and Proceedings, clause 43 captured it but the draftsperson should ensure appropriate rendition of the clause. In clause 44, it was left out and so, if the Table Office will take note of that.
    However, we can go ahead and if same directive would be given to the draftpersons, that will be fine.
    Mr Agbodza 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that the Hon Majority Leader's position is helpful. The Hon Chairman says that it is only done when we are creating funds. I hold in my hand the National Road Safety Authority Bill which we completed recently; it is not a fund but all these were provisions we made.
    I think it should become part, just for the sake of consistency, that we do these in a particular way. So if you may direct that the draftsperson takes
    note of this and use the wording we used which were acceptable in the past. That would be very helpful so that we do not have to go through them one after the other. There are about three or four clauses that deal with that.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
    In that case, can I have somebody to move it so that I give the directive?
    Mr Agbodza 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move that three new clauses be considered which make reference to a bank of the Service, Budget Estimates of the Service and Expenses of the Service.
    I hope the draftsperson can find the appropriate wording. If you take the National Road Safety Authority Bill, 2019 we have them written down. We discussed them thoroughly and so the wording and everything are there.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am saying again that we do not need to have this in the law. They would operate a bank account. They cannot open the account without authorisation from the Controller and Accountant- General. The Budget estimates would come to Parliament for approval and their expenses would be charged on the Consolidated Fund. Do we have to repeat everything because it is in
    the National Road Safety Authority Act?
    I also have in my hands here, the State Interests and Governance Authority Act. In that one, we do not have the Budget Estimates and the rest. If we leave it out, it would not be harmful.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member for Bia East?
    Mr Richard Acheampong 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the position of the Hon Chairman because if you read clause 43 of the Bill, you would see “accounts and audit”. Clause 43(1) states:
    “(1) The Board shall keep the books of accounts and records in the form approved by the Auditor-General.
    (2) The Board shall submit the accounts of the Service to the Auditor-General for audit at the end of the financial year.”
    So it is implied. Without the account, they cannot have a detailed account for the Auditor-General to audit the activities of the Service. Clause 43 provides that there should be an account. It is implied in there. For consistency sake, I can go with Hon Agbodza but there are other laws
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, I think your direction on this is required. If you make the ruling that we recline and have some consultation with the draftpersons so that what is found relevant is done, that was the application I made to you. Other than that, we would be going forward and backwards. Just give us that direction. If it is found appropriate and deemed fit, it would be so done so that nothing is left behind.
    To my colleague, Hon Acheampong, we do not make laws by reclining to inferences. I do not know where that is coming from. But Mr Speaker, we are awaiting your direction, then we can move on.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
    Very well. In that case, I direct that the draftpersons include in the Bill any
    provisions in the Public Financial Management Act that would enable the Service to account appropriately. Is that sufficient?
    Clause 47 -- Incorporated contractors
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 47, headnote, before “Incorporated” insert “Oath by”.
    Mr Speaker, this is actually what the clause deals with, and the headnote did not bring clarity to it. It should read “Oath by incorporated contractors.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 47 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 48 -- Affirmation
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 48, headnote, at end, add “in place of Oath”.
    Mr Speaker, the headnote would read “Affirmation in place of Oath”. Clauses 48 reads:
    “Where a person objects to taking an oath and wishes to make an affirmation”.
    So we would want the headnote to reflect that.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
    Affirmation as it stands is understandable. It is actually in place of the oath. It is either you swear with the Bible, Quran or you affirm.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would advise the Hon Chairman that the amendment is not necessary. Indeed, the second Schedule to the Constitution which has the forms of oaths has Oath of Allegiance. For the Presidential Oath, even though we have oaths, we have places for swearing an oath or affirmation. So I do not really see the relevance of this segmentation. The Hon Chairman should drop the amendment.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, is the Hon Majority Leader saying that clause 48 in its entirety is not needed?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thought the amendment that he has even proffered for clause 47 was unnecessary. That one was on oaths by incorporated contractors. But for clause 48, which is “Affirmation in place of oath,” it is not necessary.
    Mr Speaker, “affirmation” is alright. Indeed, if we had even looked at it well, we could have found a place to incorporate it under clauses 46 and 47 so that it would not even have required a new provision. But having done so, “affirmation” is alright. Let us leave it like that.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that amendment is withdrawn.
    Amendment is withdrawn by leave of the House.
    Clause 48 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
    There is no advertised amendment to clause 49.
    Mr Banda 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the head note reads “failure to take an oath or make an affirmation”.
    I thought the understanding was that an oath includes an affirmation, so there is no need to say take an oath or make an affirmation. The Constitution interprets or defines it to include an affirmation, so I would propose that we delete or make an affirmation, if the Hon Chairman would agree.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the headnote in clause 49 is capturing only what happens under clause 47 and clause 48. You take an oath and you make an affirmation.
    So we need those two. And I am affirming.
    Dr A. A.Osei 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if I understood what Hon Banda said, we should leave clause 46 as it is, because it includes affirmation, and delete clause 48. He said oath includes affirmation, so we do not need the clause 48 at all. That is what he said.
    Mr Banda 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me clarify. I did not say that we should delete clause 48. What I said was that under clause 49, there is no need to add “or make an affirmation”, because on page 185 of the Constitution, oath includes an affirmation. So it would be repetitive to say “to take an oath or make an affirmation”, because oath includes an affirmation, but I did not say that clause 48 should be deleted.
    Mr Speaker, clause 48 should retain the heading “affirmation” because it speaks solely to affirmation. So the fact that the heading of clause 48 is retained as affirmation would not create any doubt or confusion when you juxtapose same with clause 49.
    That was what I said, but given the explanation given by the Hon Chairman of the Committee, we may leave it.
    Clause 49 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 50 -- Non-disclosure
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, clause 50, “where a person has taken an oath”. It is not good drafting. It should be “where a person takes an oath or makes an affirmation” -- “A person who takes an oath or makes an affirmation shall not be directed by the court of competent jurisdiction to give…” That is what the drafting should be.
    So clause 50, I beg to move, “a person who takes an oath or makes an affirmation”.
    I so move.
    Mr Banda 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the Hon Ranking Member,
    because we prefer to legislate in the present and not in the past participle or present continuous.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am only an economist, so let me stay in my space.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
    So the proposed amendment is to delete “has taken” in line 1 and insert “takes”, and then delete “made” and insert “makes”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 50 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there appears to be a minor gap in clause 49. I do not know how we are going to cure it.
    Clause 49 (1) provides: “A person who refuses to take the oath or make the affirmation before taking office shall be deemed to have vacated that office from the date of the refusal…”, and (b) says: “ shall if that person has not already entered that office be disqualified from doing so”.
    Now if that person has already taken that office, what happens? It appears --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
    He is deemed to have vacated the office if he has. If he has not, then he should be prevented. It is the “shall” and the “if” that we must place.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if that person has not already entered that office, he shall be disqualified. If that person has already entered that office, what happens?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
    In that case, then (a): “be deemed to have vacated the office from the date of the refusal”.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, (a) provides: “A person who refuses to take the oath or make the affirmation before taking office shall be deemed to have vacated that office from the date of the refusal”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
    If you fail to take the oath before taking the office, then you would be deemed to have vacated the office from the date you refused.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the issue is that discovery that the person did not take the oath or make the affirmation may occur at a later date. So what paragraph “a” is saying is that when it is so discovered, then
    he would be deemed to have vacated the office from the date that he did not take the oath or make the affirmation legally.
    Clause 51 -- Annual Report; Public Corporations
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 51, headnote, delete and insert “Request for Annual Report of Public Corporations”.
    Mr Speaker, this headnote is misleading. We cannot leave it at “annual report of public corporation.” This is because what the clause actually requires is for the Govern- ment statistician to request for Annual Reports from public corporations.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 51 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 52 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 53 -- Giving assurances to data providers
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 53, headnote, delete and insert “Assurance to data providers”.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Committee is of the view that “giving assurances to data providers” is not tidy. Therefore “assurance to data providers” is preferred.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is just a minor observation.
    Mr Speaker, just as the Hon Chairman of the Committee spoke to singularising “giving assurance to data providers,” I believe we should also singularise the construction.
    We should put it as “An individual or entity…”, not “individuals or entities…” So, it should be captured as “An individual or entity interviewed during statistical surveys shall be informed of the objective…”
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
    I would direct that the draftpersons make those minor corrections.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, again, if we go to clause 52, the same correction should be effected. Clause 52 (1) should be captured as “An individual data collected by the Service and a public corporation or partner institutions…” The Hon Chairman or the draftpersons may look at it.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, on line 2, before “measures,” I would want to propose that we insert “of”.
    Mr Speaker, the headnote talks about assurances to data providers. We realised that we want to inform the individual or entity of the objective of the interview, and of measures put in place to protect the data provided by the individual.
    It is not just to inform the individual of the objective of the interview and the measures put in place. The current construction sounds as if they are informed before measures are put in place. We would, however, want to inform them of the objective of the interview, and also inform them of the measures put in place to protect the data provided by that individual, which is where the assurance comes from.
    Mr Speaker, I therefore propose that before “measures,” we insert “of”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
    Hon Member, I do not get it. Do you want
    us to capture it as “objective of the measures”? It cannot be put that way. The objective relates to the interview, and that is why “of” is there. However, the word “measures” do not need an “of”.
    Clause 53 reads:
    “Individuals or entities interviewed during statistical surveys shall be informed of the objective of the interview and measures put in place to protect the data provided by the individual or entity.”
    Hon Member, where do you propose we insert the word “of”?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that we would want to inform the individuals and the entities of measures that have been put in place to protect the data.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, “of” is already in the construction.
    It says a person shall be “informed of…” The word “of” are two in the construction. I believe the Hon Member is looking at “of” after “objective”, but that applies only to “interview”. It, however, says that a

    person shall be informed “of”, first, the objective of the interview and also be informed “of” the measures.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
    So it corresponds from Suame pressure to Suhumic English. [Laughter.] I believe it is right.
    Hon Members, the first “of” corresponds to the “objective”, and the second “of” corresponds to the interview and the measures. So it covers the two.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in the first “of”, a person or entity is informed “of”, the objective or the object of the interview, and he is again informed “of” the measures put in place. So, the first “of” qualifies the two. The word “of” cannot be three in the construction. It is not queenly.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
    I believe what is already captured in there is right.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 53 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clauses 54 and 55 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 56 -- Regulations
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 56, subclause (1), paragraph (f), delete.
    Mr Speaker, paragraph (“f”) says 2:37 p.m.
    “The Minister may, in consultation with the Board, by legislative instrument, make Regulations for the terms and conditions of service and the disciplinary procedure for members of the Service.”
    Mr Speaker, I do not believe that the Hon Minister should be sent into this arena. The Board alone would handle this.

    Question put and amendment agreed to

    Clause 56 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 57 -- Interpretation
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have a number of interpretations, so we would take them one after the other.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 57, interpretation of “dissemination”, line 2, delete “whatever” and insert “an appropriate”.
    So that dissemination means giving statistical data to users in an appropriate form without the disclosure of the confidential information.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 57 interpreta- tion of “Public corporation”, delete and insert the following:
    “public corporation” means a corporation or any other body of persons established by an Act of Parliament or set up out of funds provided by Parliament or other public funds;”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are adding a few new interpreta- tions.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 57, add the following new interpreta- tions 2:37 p.m.
    “administrative data” means official records collected for purposes of registration, tran- saction and record keeping which are originally not meant to provide statistics for develop- ment reasons but can be enhanced to inform planning and guide developmental processes and is a variety of big data;
    “big data” includes an unusual volume of data, a variety of data comprising a range of data formats available in the nature of text, pictures, video, financial or social transactions and velocity of data comprising speed of generation and its availability in real time;
    “code of ethics and practice” means professional principles and guidelines to be observed by statisticians and statistical authorities in the production of official statistics and may be in the nature of the definitions, norms, standards, nomen- clatures, methodologies and concepts for statistical produc- tion and dissemination by Ministries, Departments, Agencies, District Assemblies
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    Yes, available Hon Leader?
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the definition of “administrative data” could be made simpler if it ends at “reasons” in line 4, on page 15. Mr Speaker, but “reasons” should further be amended to read “purposes”.
    Mr Speaker, I say so because we have used, in line 3, “originally”. So we are setting it as a countered distinction to the purpose because we originally set it out; it was not originally intended for statistics. So when we use “originally”, it would mean it was subsequently used. It says:
    “Administrative data means official records collected for purposes of registration, tran- saction and record keeping
    which are originally not meant to provide statistics for develop- ment purposes”.
    The “reason” should change to “purpose” and it ends there because what follows is an explanation of “originally”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have no objection.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    Very well.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I told you we were adding a few new definitions.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    But they have been moved together; one of them has been further amended, unless you want to move them one by one.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, actually, that is how it should have been captured because these are stand-alone definitions. So all of it was captured as clause 57, but it should have been another one.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    Well, but we are considering them individually. So if there are any proposed amendments to the interpretations offered, we would consider them individually.
    Yes, Hon Member for Suhum?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, when the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee rose earlier, he proposed that we adopt the amendment as contained on pages 14 and 15. He did not read out any portion. For all intents and purposes, it is in line with the provisions of our Standing Orders, and it covers administrative data, big data, code of ethics and unofficial statistics. That is what is contained in item 14 (ix). [Interruption.]
    He chose to mention administrative data, but he was clear as to the item contained in pages 14 and 15.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, what the Hon Member is saying would have applied if the definition for “administrative data” did not overlap to page 15. “Administrative data” is defined on pages 14 and 15. So my reference to pages 14 and 15 was in relation to “administrative data”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, but the Motion is one --
    clause 57, item 14 (ix), add the following new interpretations.
    So, the set of interpretations that you have presented in item 14 (ix) as part of clause 57 is what we are considering. If you want to propose an amendment to any of them, we would consider that.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, “big data”— I propose that we delete “a variety of data”. Data is data; it is either big or normal data, small data or medium data, or data. So it should not be a “variety of data”.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman calls it “big data” because it is an unusual volume of data. That is why it is big. So we do not need a variety of data. It should read:
    “big data” includes an unusual volume of data comprising a range of data formats available in the nature of text, pictures, videos, financial or social transactions and velocity of data comprising speed of generation and its availability in real time”.
    That is big data.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    Is that really what we want here? I think big data includes an unusual volume. That is sufficient.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman, explain further.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it has been explained further to even include videos, so how could we say that videos fall under unusual volume of data? They are defining “big data”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    So, “big data” means video data?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:47 a.m.
    No, “a data includes…”, that is the definition here. It “includes an unusual volume of data, a variety of data comprising…” and it lists them. It even talks about velocity of data, and these are technical.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    If I have a thirty-second video, is it big data?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is not only the length of the video but the size also counts.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    The size is determined by how long it would run. If it is a thirty-second video, it means that it is very small in size and would not be up to one gigabyte.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, to have a better understanding, I am trying to find where it occurs in the body of the Bill. That would give us a clearer understanding of what is meant by that. I am looking for it, but I have not found it. Could the Hon Chairman draw our attention to it?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    Hon Chairman, where in the body of the Bill do we have “big data”?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is found on page 27, the First Schedule, number 3.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    So why are we defining it? It is only a schedule, a list. [Interruption.] I agree, but just said “big data” and they have defined it. In what context?
    Mr Agbodza 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have tried to find out what the dictionary says about “big data”. It is much simpler; it says:
    “extremely large data set that may be analysed computa-
    tionally to reveal patterns, trends, associations, especially relating to human behaviour and interactions.”
    I am sure that it is not different from what we are trying to do with the Statistics Bill. So, I am not sure why we are beginning to pick [Interruption] -- I am not sure this is different from what the statistics would reveal.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I could go to a physics or engineering book and check the definition of “velocity”, and how it has been used here would not make sense. I walked back there and asked the people who proposed it, and they indicated that all these things we are talking about are terms of art as far as statistics is concerned. So I think that we should allow these to stand. If we want to end the sentence before “a variety” so that it is captured as “an unusual volume of data”, that is fine.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    So is everything there all right? Is that the proposal, that everything there is all right because it is a term of art?
    Ms Heloo 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to be schooled on “usual data” and “unusual data”. Who determines what is usual?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    We would move to “code of ethics and practice”. [Pause.] If “code of ethics and practice” is all right, what about “unofficial statistics”? [Pause.] So, I would put the Question.
    Ms Heloo 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I asked a question but it was not attended to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    They cannot come into the Chamber to answer the question; that was why it was not attended to, unfortunately. Once it becomes part of the law, then you would probably have to see them to guide you in the interpretation.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 57 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, new clause , add the following new clause:
    “Administrative data
    #. The Government Statistician shall prescribe the form and manner in which administrative data is collected and submitted to the Service by Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.”
    Mr Banda 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, just a minor observation. Instead of repeating “Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies”, we could simply say “District Assemblies”. In fact, “District Assemblies” is defined to include “Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies”. So, to that extent, I do not think that there is the need to say “Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies”. We can simply say “District Assemblies”, and it would cater for both “Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    That is not what is there; rather, it is “by Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies” and other statutory bodies, unless - Which one are you referring to?
    Mr Banda 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am referring to item numbered 14 (xxiv), the addition of a new clause; specifically, the penultimate line, which makes reference to “Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    Very well.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is fine.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 a.m.
    So, we would delete “Metropolitan, Municipal and. . .”.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, clause 17 (1) talks not only about the “Ministries, Departments and Agencies” -- and Local Government Service. It looks like we would want to delete some from what is contained in clause 17(1)(a). [Interruption.] What has been provided for in the new clause?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, clause 17 is for the Government Statistician to advise. It says, and with your permission, I quote.
    “The Government Statistician is responsible for the day to day administration of the Service and shall
    (a)Advise the Government on matters pertaining to the statistical programme of Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the Office of the Head of Local Government and shall confer with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the Local Government Service. . .''
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader wants this to relate to clause 17, so that in place of “administrative data'', it would be “Office of the Head of Local Government''.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:57 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, is the Head of the Local Service not an agency? It is; so it probably should not have been isolated and inserted.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the amendment is right, except that they have not properly defined where it should be put. It should be one of the functions of the Government Statistician. So, it should rather be put at clause 17 as functions and not “administrative data'' because it has been defined. By the Constitution, it is the Board that prescribes the manner in which sanctions would be done; but for the collection of administrative date, this law should give the power to the Government Statistician to prescribe the manner that administrative data would be collected. So, it is now his function under clause 17. If we do it that way, it would cure —
    Dr Marfo 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I wonder whether the words after “service'', which are Ministries, Departments and Agencies and so on and so forth, are needed. For example, what about Parliament as an institution? Does it mean that the Government Statistician would not prescribe the form and manner in which administrative data from Parliament would be collected? If we want to list, then we should be exhaustive; otherwise, it would suffice if we end at ‘‘service''.
    Mr Kwarteng 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, under the ‘'functions of the Government Statistician'' in clause 17 (c), it reads:
    “determine the manner in which data may be compiled by a person in authority as well as data that may be published in a manner considered appro- priate;''
    Mr Speaker, this new clause, as has been proposed, could be taken care of by this function and, therefore, we could do away with the amendment that has been proposed.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:57 p.m.
    So, what is the proposed amendment to clause 17?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the proposal by the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance is that the provision in clause 17(1)(c) takes care of what is carried in the proposed amendment. So for that matter, we could --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:57 p.m.
    So, can we drop the entire ‘'administrative data''?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the proposers of the Bill say that there is a distinction between “data'' and “administrative data'' and that is why
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:57 p.m.
    So, where is “administrative data''. provided for in the Bill?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is where the problem arises, and that was why it was defined earlier in the interpretation section.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:57 p.m.
    So, where would we insert “administra- tive data''?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, because it is a new clause, the drafters would --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:57 p.m.
    So, it is not part of the interpretation section.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is a new clause.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:57 p.m.
    There is a proposed amendment to it now, which says that instead of saying “Municipal” and “Metropolitan”, we should just say “district assemblies''.
    Let us take a decision on that one before I move on. That is approved.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Dr A. A. Osei 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Suhum referred to the amendment proffered by the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance in clause 17(c), that it takes care of what we are trying to do; but I would want to suggest that we add “administrative data'' to that clause rather than to offer a new clause.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 2:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the definition of ‘‘data'' covers “administrative data''. I believe the “administrative data'' was defined to make a certain distinction. So in that sense, what is in clause 17 still covers it because “administrative data'' is “data''.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    What is the way forward? My time is up; it is six minutes past 3'oclock.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, I want to be guided.
    Hon Members, I would go back and do clauses 58 to 61, which have no proposed amendment, while we sort out this one.

    Clauses 58 to 61 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    We still have not formed an opinion on administrative data, so -- [Interruption] -- If the Hon Chairman says so, otherwise --
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation is refusing to acknowledge the Hon Chairman of the Committee. I am the Hon Chairman of the Committee on Finance.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    And the proponent of the amendment.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, yes. [Interruption] -- We would take the schedules before we go to the Long Title.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    Very well, Hon Members --
    First, Second, Third and Fourth Schedules are ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Long Title -- AN ACT to establish the Statistical Service as the central statistics production and co-ordinating institution for the National Statistical
    System and to strengthen the production of quality statistics in accordance with the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, the African Charter on Statistics, international best practice and for related matters.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, delete and insert the following:
    “AN ACT to establish the Statistical Service as the central statistics producing and co- ordinating institution for the National Statistical System and to strengthen the production of quality statistics and to provide for related matters.”
    Mr Speaker, the Long Title references the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, the African Charter on Statistics -- We do not think they are necessary, so, all of those have been taken out. Now, the Long Title reads and with your permission, I quote:
    “AN ACT to establish the Statistical Service as the central statistics producing and co- ordinating institution for the National Statistical System and to strengthen the production of quality statistics and to provide for related matters.”
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you did not put the Question on the proposed amendment to the Long Title.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    That was what I was putting.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you were putting the Question on the Long Title forming part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    The Long Title as amended. —
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:07 p.m.
    But Mr Speaker, you have not put the Question on the amendment of the Long Title.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    All right. He is right.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Long Title as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    Now, Hon Chairman of the Committee, you have to make up your mind whether you are abandoning the new clause or --
    Mr Kwarteng 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the objective of the introduction of the new clause is actually to create a
    requirement on MDAs to submit administrative data. As it is drafted here, it gives the impression that the objective is in the form and manner which we still believe has been addressed by clause 17(1)(c).
    So, to achieve the objective of the introduction of this new clause, with your permission, the insertion of the new clause must read as follows:
    “A Ministry, Department, Agency or District Assembly shall submit to the Government Statistician administrative data in accordance with this Act.”
    That addresses the objective that we are looking to achieve.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, we are masters of our own procedure, so, when we decide to suspend parts of our procedure, we should say so. We just put the Question on the Long Title and for purposes of looking at other clauses, the window of opportunity was closed. If we therefore wish to go back and look at, clauses, we would have to take a Motion of rescission on the Long Title.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    Hon Member, kindly refer me to the appropriate Order. [Laughter]
    Mr Opare-Ansah 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would come back momentarily -- [Laughter]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    All right. So, Hon Chairman of the Committee, kindly read your proposed amendment.
    Mr Kwarteng 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with your permission, it reads:
    “A Ministry, Department, Agency or District Assembly shall submit to the Government Statistician administrative data in accordance with this Act.”
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if I am an agency and I do not have an administrative data, am I required to submit it? It says, “shall submit…administrative data”. So, as an agency even if I do not have it, what do I submit?
    Mr Kwarteng 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at the way administrative data has been defined, every MDA and District Assembly will have administrative data.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    I cannot see how they would not have administrative data. If one does not have it, it means one may not have staff. I think every MDA shall have administrative data.
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister has not answered my question. If I do not have an administrative data, you are compelling me to submit one --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:07 p.m.
    I asked, how is it that you would not have administrative data? If you are a public agency, at the very least, you would have staff, furniture even if your members of staff are two like your Ministry -- you and your Deputy, plus your secretary.
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have defined ‘‘administrative data'' in a certain way and it does not include everything.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    Which way would -- ?
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is on page 14 of the Order Paper.
    The Statistical Service really needs to tell us what is it they want and it is not for us to give them a blanket Act for the MDAs to comply with. It may not be necessary and that is why they have changed their minds two or three times and I am not sure the intent is clear.
    This was brought to us and now it has been changed. They say that is
    Mr Kwaku A. Kwarteng 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, “administrative data” has been explained on page 14 of today's Order Paper; it reads:
    “administrative data” means official records collected for purposes of registration, transaction and record keeping which are originally not meant to provide statistics for develop- ment reasons but can be enhanced to inform planning.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    That part was deleted.
    Mr Kwarteng 3:17 p.m.
    So, the wisdom of having such a provision in the law is to aid the Statistical Service's ability to collect administrative data generated by MDAs and that will definitely be needed for the work of the Government Statistician as stated in the Constitution.
    So, there is no motive, it is just to enhance data collection by the Government Statistician in this respect.
    Dr A. A. Osei 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that does not convince me because in
    clause 17(c), the ‘data' there includes administrative data and “authority”. They are all in authority and so, what authority again do you want?
    Every MDA is an Authority and that is covered under clause 17(c). So, who is left out? Persons in authority? The head of the Local Government Service is a person in authority, likewise an Hon Minister. So, who is left out under “authority”? I just want to know.
    Mr Kwarteng 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, clause 17 (c) which reads; “determine the manner…” is on the manner in which data must be collected and presented to the Government Statistician. That is what it seeks to do.
    What we are seeking to do by this new amendment is to create the requirement on MDAs for the purposes of policy planning and information about the MDAs that use the public purse. That they should present this data to the Government Statistician.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    [Pause] --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    All right. I think that I will adjourn so you
    go into winnowing and conclude on this. It is 3:30 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just wanted him to repeat the amendment, then you could conclude it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    There appears to be no consensus and we cannot keep going back and forth on this new rendition.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not pleading for any amendment. I just wanted us to be exactly sure what amendment he is proffering. When we have finished, if there is a need to further smith it, it could be done under a Second Consideration. But for now, if you will listen to him and close the chapter on it, then we would have concluded the Consideration Stage.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    Well, the point I am making is that this new clause that is to be included is what is outstanding now. So, because we have not concluded on that we have to defer it for you to conclude whether that is being included, or you want us to bring the Consideration Stage to a close so that we can come for Second Consideration?
    Either way, what it means is that we are not satisfied with the arrangements as it is. So, I will bring proceedings to a close so that --
    Yes, Hon available Leader?
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thought that the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance had brought this matter to a conclusion. This is because we were really thinking that it was a function of the Government Statistician but he says that it is now a requirement and not a function, that wherever we have indicated the collection of administrative data, we put the requirement of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to submit this data to the Government Statistician.
    So I thought that you would just direct that the draftperson finds a place for that . My substantive amendment has actually been on the Short Title which says, Statistics Bill; and the memorandum says that we are establishing a Statistical Service. So, this Bill is a Statistical Service Bill and that is what we are establishing.
    Mr Speaker, so, I thought that we should just do the Long Title by amending it to capture the essence of this Bill and not the Statistics Bill but a Service Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader, the proposal is that the Short Title should be amended to read; Statistical Service Bill.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it goes to the grain of the issue that I raised when we were discussing it and I related to the Constitutional provision. With the Statistical Service and the position of the Government -- Statistician which we are regulating by the constructs of this Bill, I think that it should rather read, “The Statistical Service Bill”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    Very well. So who is moving the amendment? Yes, Hon Deputy Minister for Finance?
    Mr Kwaku A. Kwarteng 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I suggest that we keep the Statistics Bill, not only is it almost a universal nomenclature, it also connotes the idea that this Bill is generally about statistics and not the Statistical Service. There are many countries in which you have this Statistics Bill and I suggest that --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    Read the Long Title --
    Mr Kwarteng 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, MDAs have responsibility under this Bill --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, read the Long Title;
    “An Act to establish the Statistical Service as the central statistics production and co- ordinating institution for the National Statistical System”.
    So the National Statistical System is only subsidiary to the Statistical Service. If you go to the memo- randum, it is the same thing:
    “The purpose of this Bill is to establish the Statistical Service as the central statistics production and co-ordinating institution for the National Statistical System”.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Constitutional imperative is articles 185 and 186; that is article 184 and article 186 is on the Statistical Service Board and we are crafting this Bill for the tool within which arena the Government Statistician operates and that is the issue that I raised way back.
    So I do not know why the Hon Deputy Minister -- [Interruption.] Like Mallam Issah, you must consult
    your Hon Minister -- [Laughter.] I believe that “the Statistical Service” is better.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    So, who moves the amendment?
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that the Short Title of the Bill be amended to read “Statistical Service Bill, 2018”, to be consistent with the Constitution and even the memorandum of the Short Title.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the entire House is with us in this?
    rose
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:17 p.m.
    The Hon Kpodo will not object to it. [Laughter.]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:17 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member, let me hear your counter argument.
    Mr Kpodo 3:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think our amendment is apt; the one we put on the Order Paper.
    The Act is to generate -- in all, we want to generate statistics and it is not only the Statistical Service that is going to do this. When you read through, you would realise that there are
    several Government Agencies that are going to contribute towards the production of the valid statistics.

    That is why we are saying that we should leave it like that. The Act is to establish a Service. [Laughter]-- So we cannot say “Statistical Service Act”. We want a Statistics Act which establishes the Statistical Service as the one to produce the statistics.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:27 p.m.
    Hon Member, the Constitution itself gives Parliament the power to enact laws to regulate the Statistical Service and not the Statistics Service. I think articles 185 and 186 provide:
    “(1)There shall be a Statistical Service which shall form part of the public service of Ghana.
    (2) The head of the Statistical Service shall be the Government Statistician.”
    So the Act is only establishing the Statistical Service.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the first paragraph of the Explanatory Memorandum pre- dicates this on articles 185 and 186 of the Constitution. That is the first
    Mr Speaker, indeed, as you said, clause1 provides 3:27 p.m.
    “There is established by this Act the Statistical Service in accordance with article 185 of the Constitution”.
    Did Hon Kpodo move any amendment for those ones?
    Question put and amendment to short title agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:27 p.m.
    Now, let me conclude this new proposed clause of Hon Kwaku Kwarteng. Otherwise, I would adjourn for you to confer further.
    Yes, Hon Deputy Minister for Finance?
    Mr Kwarteng 3:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the new clause that seeks to create the discussed requirement is this:
    “The Ministry, Department, Agency or District Assembly shall submit to the Government Statistician, administrative data in accordance with this Act.”
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:27 p.m.
    I think we discussed that the Local Government Service is an agency. So the Statistical Service comes under Agency.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if we so accept, then maybe, we would have to go back to clause 17 because it is captured appropriately at clause 17(1).
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:27 p.m.
    We have discussed that earlier. So I would give the appropriate direction on that.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    New clause ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:27 p.m.
    Now, I hereby direct that all clauses referring to Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the Local Government Service shall exclude the Local Government Service since the Local Government Service is also an agency. The draftpersons are directed to make all those corrections in the Bill.
    This brings us to the end of the Consideration Stage of the Statistical Service Bill, 2018.
    ADJOURNMENT 3:27 p.m.