Debates of 18 Nov 2019

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:55 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 15th November, 2019.
Page 1, 2, 3, … 10 --
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, please, the last paragraph on page 9, numbered as item 10, the word “Israelites” should be changed to “Israelis”. The Israelites is biblical and in modern times, some of the current generation even take offence when you refer to them as Israelites. So, we should change it to Israelis.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Page 11, 12, --
Mr Ablakwa 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would need advice on this and I am glad that the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee is in the House. Mr Speaker, with item numbered 11 (b) (i), what I am conversant with is “Preferential Buyers Credit Loan Agreement” but what is stated here is “Preferential Buyer Credit Loan Agreement”. Mr Speaker, what I know is internationally accepted is “Preferential Buyers Credit Loan Agreement”, so if Dr Assibey- Yeboah would clarify for the House because I think it is an error.
Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am prepared for the debate and I do not want to be distracted. [Laughter]
Mr Speaker, but on a more serious note, it is “Buyers Credit”.
Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Thank you.
Page 11, 12 …
Mr Muhammed Abdul-Samed Gunu 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on Friday, I was absent with permission, but I have been marked as absent on page 8.
Mr Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Thank you.
Page 12, 13, 14 …
Mr Ablakwa 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we should reflect the earlier correction of “Buyers Credit” on page 14 and other relevant pages.
Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Page 15 - 24
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 15 th November, 2019, as corrected, is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
We have the Official Report of Friday, 1st November, 2019.
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Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Yes, Hon Ablakwa?
Mr Ablakwa 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, at column 749, second paragraph, what I said was “integration efforts” and not “integrational effort”. I am not sure of any word like “integrational” exits.
Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Members, in the absence of any further correction, the Official Report of Friday, 1st November, 2019, as corrected be hereby admitted as the true record of proceedings.
ANNOUNCEMENTS 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Members, at the commencement of Public Business. Item listed 4 -- Presentation of Papers.
Mr Moses Anim 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I humbly seek your leave and that of my Hon Colleagues to allow the Hon Deputy Minister for Local Govern- ment and Rural Development lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Greater Acrra Regional Minister who is equally engaged in another assignment.
PAPERS 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Item numbered 4(b)?
Mr Anim 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, again, I humbly seek your leave to allow the Hon Minister for Finance to lay it on
behalf of the Hon Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation who is currently at a conference. His Hon Deputy is also out of the jurisdiction.
By the Minister for Finance (Mr Ken Ofori-Atta) (on behalf of the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation) --
Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of the Environmental Protection Agency for the year
2018.
Referred to the Committee on Environment, Science and Technology.
Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
I am told that item numbered 4(c) is not ready. Is that correct?
Mr Anim 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, you are correct. Item (c) is not to be laid. It is intended for the information of Hon Members. We can therefore take item numbered 4(d).
By the Chairman of the Committee --
Report of the Committee on Lands and Forestry on the Land Bill, 2019.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, pursuant to our rules, I know this is what is done, but even as the Clerks-at-the-Table read it, “Report of the Committee on Lands and Forestry on the Land Bill, 2019”. Is it “Land Bill” or “Lands Bill”? I am not carrying a copy of the Bill so I have requested for a copy. I just wanted it to be carried along that we are laying what is properly before us.
Mr Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Item numbered 5?
Mr Anim 11:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we would take item numbered 5, the Motion which is for this House to approve the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December, 2020. We have agreed that five Hon Members from both Sides should debate. Based on your direction, we would take the Motion accordingly.
Mr Iddrisu 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, there is the general understanding that we dedicate today and this period to the Motion which was moved by the Hon Minister for Finance, that this Honourable House approves the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December, 2020.
Mr Speaker, I trust that Hon Members would be guided by your
caution to allow the debate to flow, to be factual, based on evidence and supported by our rules.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
The debate must flow. Every contribution must be based on facts, figures and docu- ments.
MOTIONS 11:15 a.m.
Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah (NPP -- New Juaben South) 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion, that this Honourable House approves the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December 2020.
Mr Speaker, in so doing, I begin the debate.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
So now, we all appreciate the essence of “in so doing”. Is that not so? [Laughter]
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, at the Post-Budget Workshop last Saturday, 16th November, 2019, you
admonished Hon Members to be factual in their debate. Mr Speaker, I would want to stay true to the facts and so I begin.
Mr Speaker, it is a fact that in April 2015, our economy had been badly mismanaged for which reason the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government under President John D. Mahama ran to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) [Interruption.] Mr Speaker, that is a fact.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Members, let us always reserve the right to reply. He has 15 minutes, so allow him.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we went to the International Monetary Fund to beg for a bailout, and that is a fact. Four years down the line, we are out of the woods. Mr Speaker, we are now properly so, a sovereign nation. This 2020 Budget

Mr Speaker, in 2016, at a Finance Committee meeting to pass the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) at Akosombo, the IMF country representative was there. In fact, she was in the Committee meeting in Akosombo with a cane in hand -- [Laughter] -- That is how low we sank at the time, -- directing Finance Committee members to do as she wished. Thank God, today, we are a truly sovereign nation.
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Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Mr Avedzi 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member, who is the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee, and who was a member of the Finance Committee at the time that we considered the PFMA at Akosombo should not go the way he is going. [Interruption]
Mr Speaker, this is a House of records, and for that matter, he cannot come here and lie. [Interruption.] He cannot come here and say that the IMF representative came to Akosombo with a cane. That is a big
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Member, it is very unparliamentary to say another Hon Member has come to lie in this House.
Some Hon Members 11:15 a.m.
It is a lie!!
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Shall we go that way? Is that how we should run the debate? Tell me, is that how you would want us to go? You know this is unparliamentary, yet you are making -- What?
Hon Member, you would rise. apologise and withdraw.
Mr Avedzi 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I graciously withdraw.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Withdraw the expression “lie”.
Mr Avedzi 11:15 a.m.
I have withdrawn that statement, but there is no truth in what he said so he should behave well.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Member, if a statement is not correct, you would say so and support it.
Mr Avedzi 11:15 a.m.
The statement is not correct.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Yes, that is parliamentary language.
Mr Avedzi 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the statement is not correct. No representative came with a cane. Mr Speaker, I was the Hon Chairman of that Committee, and I invited them to come. They did not come to control how we conducted our business. He, as the current Hon Chairman should not go on that tangent. It is not correct, and he should not do that. He should withdraw.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Member, you would handle that accordingly.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the former Hon Chairman of the Committee has --
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Is that correct or not?
Some Hon Members 11:15 a.m.
Withdraw. !!
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the IMF country representative came with a red pen. Both canes and pens are used by teachers [Laughter.] Mr Speaker, it was a red pen. [Interruption.]
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Members, I would need no shouting nor any help to manage this debate, so please, let us have silence.
Hon Member, do the honourable thing and let us make progress.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I withdraw “cane” and substitute it with “a red pen”. [Laughter.]
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Thank you. Please proceed.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, that was then; this is now. Things have changed substantially.
Mr Speaker, every single macro- economic indicator has improved if I look at January 2017 versus now. Mr Speaker, we used to have Association of Unemployed Graduates. That Association is defunct and moribund. Now, they have been graduated to Nation Builders Corps (NABCO). The Association of Unemployed Graduates is dead.
An Hon Member 11:15 a.m.
And unem- ployed teachers.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Member, this is unparliamentary. If you have something else to say about unemployment figures, ask your Hon Leader to put your name on the list, or give your name or your point to somebody else. That is how a good debate is conducted.
Hon Member, I add more minutes. Go on.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful. The exchange rate has stabilised. The upswings, downswings and the volatility that we saw under the NDC is no more. As a matter of fact, now, it is unattractive to hold the greenback. People are now moving to cedis. If you hold forex, you do not gain anything because the currency has stabilised.
Mr Speaker, we have halved the inflation rate which the NDC left at 15.4 per cent. As I speak, the rate of inflation is 7.7 per cent. What is 15.4 divided by 2? It is 7.7.

Mr Speaker, we have halved the inflation rate.

Mr Speaker, with the interest rate, I refer you to page 24, paragraph 88 of the Budget Statement and it reads:

“The 91-day Treasury bill rate has remained steady at 14.7 per cent since January 2019. Similarly, the 182-day instru- ment has also stabilised at around 14.1 per cent. Rates on the secondary bond market remained stable for the 7-year,
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Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon Members, take your seats or walk to your Hon Brother or Sister and discuss quietly.
Yes, Hon Member?
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 11:25 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the interventions in the financial sector clean-up has saved 2.7 million depositors. Mr Speaker, if anybody goes round to make noise that banks have been shut down, and licences have been revoked, the truth of the matter is that 2.7 million depositors have been saved and this has averted a full-blown crisis in the banking sector.
Mr Speaker, what the Central Bank has done has provided us with a sounder, better regulated, better capitalised banking sector and there is future for growth.
Mr Speaker, half-year profits that have been published shows that the banking sector is stronger after all the shake-ups that happened. Mr Speaker, it has also led to timely containment of related macroeconomic losses. As I said, the banks are now well-capitalised.
Mr Speaker, some sub-sectorial numbers 11:35 a.m.
the agriculture sector for 2020 is projected to grow at 6.4 per cent; industry is projected at 8.8 per cent and services is projected to grow at 5.4 per cent. This is what the NPP is doing.
Mr Speaker, not only this, we would like to ensure that there is no reversibility. We do not want the NDC to come back some day and take us backward so we have passed the -- [Interruption] --

Mr Speaker, so we do not go backwards, we have passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act. This is a yeoman's job done by the Minister himself; nobody pushed him. He brought legislation to this House that he wants us to cap the fiscal deficit for each year at five per cent. This House

acceded to it and passed the law. If we want to put 2020 in proper perspective, the NPP will go into 2020, knowing very well that the fiscal deficit cannot exceed five per cent.

We are guided by 2004, an elec- tion year, and unlike them --the deficit was 2.2 per cent. So I am comforted that again in an election year, 2020, as per the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the deficit will not exceed five per cent.

Mr Speaker, we have set up the Fiscal Responsibility Advisory Council. We have also set up the Financial Stability Advisory Council, and all of these were not in existence. These are policy directives that we have put in place to ensure that there is no reversibility. In the unlikely event that someday they come back, they would not take us backwards.

Mr Speaker, in 2020, there are election year costs. The NPP is committed to a free and transparent election. It would cost us about GH¢1 billion and we are prepared to go on that path. In 2020, we would have the National Population and Housing Census. We will not run away from it; it would cost us about GH¢500 million. We are committed to it.

There are security challenges, so in 2020, we have to put in more money, so that our households and families would be safe and it would cost us money. We would have the full roll-out of the Free Senior High School (SHS) education policy. And that would cost a lot of money.

Also, all the lingering energy sector challenges such as the take or pay -- these would cost us about US$1 billion in 2020. We would go with full speed ahead and clear the arrears.

Mr Speaker, all that the NPP is doing, if put in perspective -- the energy sector debt, full roll-out of the free SHS education policy, security concerns, election cost and census cost; all would cost about GH¢12 billion. So at the start, we would put aside these GH¢12 million before we start to implement the Budget Statement. We are committed to it.
Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
You have two minutes to conclude.
Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Hon Ato Forson, you have 20 minutes.
Mr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson (NDC -- Ajumako/Enyan/ Essiam) 11:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, permit me to also contribute to the debate on the approval of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government for the 2020 Financial year.
In doing so, let me first of all refer the Chairman of the Finance Committee to page 11, which says Ghana should indeed be compared to our peers. For some strange reason, the Chairman of the Finance Committee decided to ignore La Cote D'Ivoire as part of the comparison. In the very comparison he made -- [Interruptions] -- La Cote D'Ivoire

It is also important and very instructive when the Hon Minister for Finance, in a statement to Parliament during his presentation of the Budget Statement on page 122 said that his administration had put into the pockets of ordinary Ghanaians an amount of GH¢12.2 billion. Unfor- tunately, the despondency shows everywhere, including Parliament House. Today, we are debating the Budget Statement, but look at the number of Members of Parliament (MP) from the ruling party. The hardship is everywhere -- [Interrup- tion] -- Look at the numbers, they are less than 50 and you can see they are not happy. There are more of us than them.

Mr Speaker, the hardship in the system is so much. Permit me to say that the Hon Minister for Finance may have given some money to ordinary Ghanaians, as he listed on free SHS and others. One would also need to subject this to critical analysis and proof. Over the period, it is an undeniable fact that this admini- stration, once again, has taken money from people's pockets through taxes and levies.

Let me give some numbers. The Hon Minister for Finance said that in removing taxes, he has actually put money into people's pockets. Let me tell you the number of taxes and levies he has imposed over the period. Recently, our Hon Minister for Finance decided to introduce the Luxury Vehicle Tax which accumulated an amount of GH¢60.6 million and took money from people's pockets according to their fiscal data.

Mr Speaker, again, the Hon Minister decided to extend the National Fiscal Stabilisation Levy and the Special Import Levy. For the period of 2017, 2018 and 2019, revenue accumulation as a result of all of these taxes that the Hon Minister decided to extend is about GH¢400 million. Recently, the Government decided to introduce the Communi- cation Service Tax by increasing it by 50 per cent. So far, we have seen an increase in revenue by GH¢107 million.

It would surprise you to note that nearly decoupling the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Levy from the Value Added Tax (VAT), has increased the taxes the ordinary Ghanaian pays. The increment is on the ordinary Ghanaian. An amount of GH¢2.6 billion has been accumulated. Apart from that,

fuel prices have increased. Clearly, you could look at this through the volumes of fuel that we consumed as against the volume we used to consume and then the price change.

So far, they have taken GH¢5 billion from the pockets of Ghanaians. Transport fares as a result of the fuel price increases have also accumulated to about GH¢1 billion. If we are to add all these numbers, our Hon Minister for Finance has taken about GH¢19 billion from the pocket of the ordinary Ghanaian -- [Interruption] -- and he tells us that he has given Ghanaians GH¢12.3 billion.

Mr Speaker, this statement must be subjected to strict proof and I could say that inasmuch as they have given to the ordinary Ghanaian, they have even taken more than they have given. The hardships are real.

Mr Speaker, I would like to talk about resource allocation of this Administration. The former Vice President of the United States of America (USA) once said that; “do not tell me what your values are but rather give me your budget and I would tell you what you value''. This is the Budget Statement of this Administration, so I would analyse what Vice President Joe Biden said with regard to our resource allocation.
Mr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson (NDC -- Ajumako/Enyan/ Essiam) 11:55 a.m.
GH¢13.1 billion of which amount, they only used GH¢469.7 million for Capital Expenditure. The Hon Minister for Finance is in the House, so he should tell us where the remainder of the money is.
Over the period, they intend to raise GH¢35 billion from the capital market; Capital Expenditure over the period amounted to GH¢2.9 billion and we all do not know what the Hon Minister would use that huge money for. We should be interested in these numbers.
Mr Speaker, if we look at all the Capital Expenditure from 2017, 2018 to date, so far, their Administration has spent only GH¢15.6 billion only on Capital Expenditure. In spite of that, this Administration inherited a public debt of GH¢120.3 billion and of this amount -- [Interruption] -- on page 43 of the Budget Statement, the Hon Minister for Finance said that as at September 2019, our public debt has risen to GH¢208.6 billion and this means that over the period, 33 months in office, they have added to the public debt an amount of GH¢88.3 billion -- [Interruption] --
Mr Speaker, what would surprise us is that only GH¢15.6 billion of this amount has been used for capital Expenditure. My question is, where is the remaining GH¢72.7 billion? Has it again gone to “chop! chop!''?

Mr Speaker, Former Vice President Joe Biden was right.

From what I have told you, it is clear that our Budget Statement suffers from kwashiorkor disease - - [Uproar] -- It is a known disease where everything goes to one's stomach and the main part of the body suffers.

So, the Hon Minister for Finance is leaving a legacy of kwashiorkor in our economic management. Please, the time has come for him to check all these numbers as they do not look right.

Mr Speaker, let me take you to some recent developments. Our Hon Minister for Finance informed us in the Budget Statement, on page 17 that; the fiscal deficit for the year 2016 was 6.5 per cent.

Strangely, anytime I hear our President speaks, he seems to give us a different fiscal deficit numbers. Let me make reference to one statement that was made by the President of the Republic.

He spoke on Wednesday, 30th October, 2019 and I beg to quote:

“You all know the macro situation that my Government inherited in 2017 was a dire one. GDP growth of 3.6 per cent at the end of 2016 was the lowest in over two decades. The 2016 fiscal deficit was 9.3 per cent of GDP.”

Mr Speaker, this is coming from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana. I will refer to paragraph 37 of page 25 of the Budget Statement presented by the Hon Minister for Finance.

“The fiscal deficit on cash basis has significantly fallen from 6.5 per cent of GDP in 2016 to 4.5 per cent of GDP”

So the President says 9.3 per cent and our Hon Minister for Finance tells us 6.5 per cent. I am grateful to the Hon Minister that finally, he has decided to correct the fiscal deficit numbers. This was after persistent order by press conferences and letters to our Hon Minister for Finance.

Clearly, today, I am a bit relieved that at least, if for nothing at all, our Hon Minister for Finance has corrected those numbers. He needs to correct a bit more.

First, the treatment of amortisation is unconventional and unorthodox. Every country of the world uses the Government Finance Statistics Manual, 2014 and so they cannot pick and choose and treat energy sector payment as amortisation. We cannot accept that, because it is unconventional, unorthodox and if the Hon Minister is not careful, he would leave a legacy of nothing but unconventional accounting. This is disingenuous accounting and that would not help us as a country. I have a lot of questions on the fiscal numbers we report on and I cannot accept them as they stand.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister has decided to exclude amortisation and factoring going on at the Fidelity Bank. They are all Government expenditures and they should be added to fiscal deficit and failure to do so is nothing but misreporting.
Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Oppong- Nkrumah, you have 10 minutes -- you have 15 minutes. I want to be clear about this time business. I am told 15 minutes.
Hon Leaders, is that the under- standing? I want to go expressly by the understanding. I was told 10 minutes but now, I am told 15 minutes.
Mr Avedzi 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, we want 15 minutes.
Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
No. That is not what we agreed. I am being told that, if the person is an Hon Minister, then 15 minutes. Is that so? From the understanding that was sent to me by both Leaders, 10 minutes for each other Hon Member of Parliament.
Hon Member, you have 10 minutes.
Minister for Information (Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah)(MP) 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Recently, I had the opportunity to join H.E. the President in a visit to Sunyani Senior High School. The motto of the school caught my attention and I would like to suggest to this House that we employ its path in our debate on the Budget Statement.
The motto is simple as it goes in Twi: “Me Man Nti Enye Mi Nti” to wit, “it is for the sake of my motherland and not for my parochial interest.”
Mr Speaker, my hope is that as we go through the debate on this 2020 Financial Year Budget Statement, our analysis and submissions would be
Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Members, any more interruptions, I will add minutes. If that is what you desire.
Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that records must be corrected. The Hon Minister for Information in translating -- “me man nti enye mi nti” into English, he says, ‘me maame''.
Mr Speaker, it is “me man” meaning my country. That is, “for the sake of my country and not myself” but he said, for the sake of my mother. I think that is -- [Interruption] --
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just for the benefit of the records, I would like to read exactly what I said. For the sake of my -- [Interruption] --
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just for the sake of the records, I want to go back.
The motto of the Sunyani Senior High School is “Me Man Nti Enye Mi nti” to wit, “for the sake of my motherland, not for my parochial interest”. [Interruption] -- [Uproar]
Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Order!
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to admonish this House that in our debate on the 2020 Budget Statement, we should not focus on our parochial political interests, but on the interest of the motherland.
I would start by dealing with some misconceptions that my very good Friend, the Hon Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan- Essiam and indeed, the Minority Side has been putting out for a while now.
First is the claim that, between the President's mention of a nine per cent deficit in his 2017 State of the Nation Address and a six per cent mentioned by the Hon Minister for Finance, there is discrepancy. The Hon Member and indeed, the Minority Side knows that there is an old GDP series and a new series. He is very clear in his mind that as at the time the President was speaking, it was based on the old series. Indeed, if we do the re- calibration, there is no disconnect.
Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Order! Hon Members, you may compel me to stop proceedings for a while.
Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Member, please go on.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the second issue I would speak to is the claim that is touted by the Hon Member for Ajumako- Enyan-Essiam, and indeed the Minority Side, that the Government is involved in some cooked figures. He suggests that the way amortisation is being treated gives credence to that.
Mr Speaker, if my memory serves me right, the last time the Government of Ghana was involved in cooked figures was somewhere around 2009 when the NDC was in power. Indeed, it was in 2001 that the IMF found out that Ghana was fined about US$35 million for misreporting. I do not want to believe that they know something about cooked figures that we do not know. But to the best of our knowledge, the numbers as have been reported by IMF, international rating agencies like Standards and Poor's, Moody's Investors Service et cetera, are accurate and showcase where Ghana is.
Mr Speaker, what does it benefit a man, if he undermines the gains that his sovereign state has made? The real debate that the people of Ghana want to hear us involve ourselves in this
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah 12:05 p.m.
morning, is not a debate that seeks to undermine the progress we have made as a country; whether or not we have made progress. The real debate that the 30 million Ghanaians would want to hear is how we would translate the macro gains that we have recorded into micro benefits for our people out there. [Hear! Hear!] That is the real debate that the people are interested in. Mr Speaker, this false debate that we are being invited to to take a second look at the figures is one that we reject.

Mr Speaker, I would focus a good chunk of my debate on page 207 of the Budget Statement as presented by the Hon Minister for Finance. In asking Hon Members to pay attention to the columns on 2016 to 2019, I would invoke the flagship pro-

grammes of this Government, and how they have translated to the outturns.

I recalled in 2017, when the Hon Minister for Finance started outlining the flagship programmes and how very easy they were poo pooed and argued that they could not lead to any benefits. Today, one by one and programme by programme, we are beginning to witness the change that we were promised.

For instance with agriculture, when the NDC was leaving power in January 2017, agriculture was only growing at a rate of 2.9 per cent. The Akufo-Addo Administration introduced ‘Planting for Food and Jobs Programme'; investing money and resources to support our farmers, and we also introduced the Rearing for Food and Jobs and the Planting for Export and Rural Development.

Mr Speaker, in 2019, agriculture would record a growth of 6.4 per cent -- and this is the change that we voted for. [Hear! Hear!] Specifically under Agriculture, when we decided to pay attention to cocoa and introduced the Hand Pollination Programme and the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme, there were several press conferences that it cannot work and lead to any benefits. Today, the 2016 cocoa outturn was negative seven per cent

Mr Speaker, with education, when we decided to roll out the Free Senior High School Programme and invest billions of Ghana Cedis to support senior high school education, again there was so much mockery that the Government did not know what it was about. Hon Colleagues, if you check the numbers on education, you would see that it has also seen a significant growth from 2.3 per cent to 4.5 per cent. That is the change that we voted for. Not only has it translated into improved productivity, but 1.2 million Ghanaian children have the opportunity to benefit from education, which hitherto, many would have struggled to get.

Mr Speaker, I would subsequently go into a few specifics on industry but overall industry was recording a growth of 4.3 per cent when the NDC was exiting. Today, we are happy to remind the people of Ghana that industry is reporting 8.8 per cent growth and this growth includes interventions in manufacturing. [Hear! Hear!] When we rolled out the One District One Factory Pro- gramme, again there was a lot of mockery, but that flagship programme, in addition to the stimulus

package that was provided is beginning to bear fruits. I hold in my hand a product known as Eku Juice from the Ekumfi Factory in the Central Region and it would soon be rolled out on the market. This is another project of the Akufo-Addo Administration in the Central Region, which was subjected to so much ridicule, but today, that flagship programme is beginning to bear fruits.

Mr Speaker, on page 207, I would encourage my Hon Colleagues to look at electricity which experienced very low growth during the NDC era, and that was the era of dumsor, when one could not predict whether or not there would be electricity to fire businesses. Today, we can tell that the outturns are picking because we have worked significantly to ensure that the bills are being paid to keep the lights on.

Mr Speaker, flagship programmes like NABCO and restoration of allowances are bearing fruits. About 100,000 Ghanaian young men and women have been put to work and each earn about GH¢700 a month. I hear people poo poo it and say that it is not enough; some young ones are still at home. If they had taken those 100,000 young men and women off the streets, we would have less to encounter currently. These flagship programmes are key in translating the macro gains into micro benefits.
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Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Mr Avedzi 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would just want to know whether the Hon Member is speaking for 15 minutes or 10 minutes. If it is 10 minutes then his time is up, but if it is 15 minutes then he can go ahead.
Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader, I determine the time and you have just interrupted me. I was going to tell him that he has a minute and so please take your seat.
Hon Member, you have a minute remaining.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was coming to the end of my submission. The evidence on the face is very clear. The flagship programmes that were introduced by the Akufo-Addo Administration are leading to benefits and increased productivity across the various sectors as were targeted. The results are out there for those who have benefitted to speak to.
Has everybody benefitted yet? We have not said so, but it is obvious that this has been one good term and we are clear in our minds that if we are given another good term, then more people would begin to benefit.
Mr Speaker, for the critics who know only how to raise criticisms about these programmes, I would want to refer them to the words of the US President, Theodore Roosevelt who said and with your permission I quote:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strongman has stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly
...
Let us support the man in the arena; support Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and let his flagship programmes bear fruits.
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Fifi Kwetey?
Mr Fifi F. F. Kwetey (NDC -- Ketu South) 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
Mr Speaker, I would begin by reiterating what the Hon Ranking Member said, that the very poor numbers on the other Side is symbolic of a group of people who have realised themselves that the lack of credibility on their part has brought about a total loss of inspiration. That is why we have the kind of numbers we see today.
It shows that four years of discredited approach to economic management has sapped the levels of inspiration that reflect what we see on the Majority Side.
Mr Speaker, now, let me go into the details. Credibility is important. One cannot build an economy without credibility. That is why I feel sad that four years on, our Hon Friends
continue to tread on this path, where they take credit for a minuscule achievement in comparison to the grand achievement that had preceded them.
Our friends made it clear yesterday that macroeconomic numbers actually meant nothing. In fact, the then vice- presidential candidate said that single digit inflation did not reflect anything, as far as prices of goods in our markets jumped up; there was really no credibility to single inflation. In fact, he went ahead to question the very credibility of the individuals who worked in the Ghana Statistical Services, and even called into question, the people who worked in Bank of Ghana where he used to work.
Then few years on, he does the gymnastics, accompanied by the Hon Minister for Finance and the whole group to do the summersaulting, as they reached the road of Damascus and had an awakening that somehow, macroeconomic figures have such great relevance to the people of Ghana.
This is a double standard. A nation that is ruled by people who cannot speak with one voice, but continue to say A for yesterday and B for today, is in trouble. That is why the lack of inspiration we see even on their Side reflects to the total lack of credibility.
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Members, those who would want to make contributions from where they sit must know they are disrupting the work of the House. Those seated who still want to speak disrupt the work of the House.
Hon Member, you have one minute added to you.
Mr Kwetey 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are dealing with our friends who took over at the time when the Treasury Bill rate was about 16 per cent. As we speak today, three years towards their fourth year, the Treasury Bill rate has moved from 15 per cent, and it is in the region of 16 per cent; yet, they are boasting.
In 2015, we had Treasury Bill rate of 26 per cent. By the time we left in 2016, we brought it down from 26 per cent to 16 per cent. That is 10 per cent drop within a year. They are getting to almost four years, but cannot cross beyond 15 per cent, and they are boasting. What are they boasting about?
Mr Speaker, I heard my good Hon Friend, the Hon Chairman of the Committee, claimed that working with the IMF is supposed to be some indictment. Really? Yet President Kufuor achieved phenomenal things as far as the growth of this country and the economy was concerned, using the same IMF recommenda- tions.
Some Hon Members 12:15 p.m.
In conclusion --
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
In conclusion?
Mr Kwetey 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have barely --
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Members, I would give him more time if I hear anyone tell me “in conclusion”. I am capable of managing the affairs of the House.
Mr Kwetey 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to ascertain that this country has just seen a complete retrogression. What we have had is a Government that speaks a lot but does very little. All the consumption that goes on is holding back the real transformation of this economy.
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Your last word.
Mr Kwetey 12:15 p.m.
Our Hon Friends on the other Side condemned consump- tion, even at the time we spent 4.5 per cent of the GDP on --
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, thank you very much.
Hon Abena Osei-Asare, you have 10 minutes.
Deputy Minister for Finance(Mrs Abena Osei-Asare):
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the debate.
rose
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, do you have any difficulty?
Mr Avedzi 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we agreed that you would handle everything and check the time. Hon Fifi Kwetey started at 12.15 pm and ended at 12.22pm. So, he spoke for only seven minutes. [Interruption.] The time on the console was 12.15pm when Hon Fifi Kwetey started, and he stopped at --
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, you are taking more time.

If there would be silence, there would be more order.
Mrs Osei-Asare 12:15 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Floor.
We have all seen the remarkable progress that the Akufo-Addo Government has made towards achieving macroeconomic stability and delivering on our promises. It is important to recall where we began from. At the beginning of 2017, when
rose
Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, do you have any difficulty?
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is misleading this House. This is a House of record. The formula for the National Health Insurance Scheme that we approved in this House in 2017 did not show a debt of GH¢1.2 billion. Mr Speaker, if she has anything contrary to the record of this House, she should provide --
Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Member, what did it show?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it showed GH¢470 million.
Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
As what?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:25 p.m.
As against the GH¢1.2 billion that she talked about. She should provide us with the source.
As for the National Health Insurance Scheme formula, it is a record of this House, and it could be pulled anytime. If she insists on GH¢1.2 billion, she should tell us the source because the formula that was approved did not point to that.
Some Hon Members 12:25 p.m.
She should withdraw.
Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Members, do you assume I do not know what to do? When you give such directives, it is out of order. Please, do not let me name any Hon Member of Parliament.
rose
Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
The issue is to the Hon Deputy Minister on her feet.
Mrs Osei-Asare 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the GH¢1.2 billion arrears were transfers that were supposed to have gone to the NHIS, which did not go.
Mr Speaker, apart from the NHIA, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) also had a debt of GH¢838 million. This was validated at the end of December, 2016. Mr Speaker, despite the tight fiscal space created by the huge arrears, the Government paid the GH¢838 million and now, GETFund is used as the

Mr Speaker, last week, we were all here when our Hon Friends on the opposite Side held a press conference to complain about the non-payment of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). What they failed to tell Ghanaians was the fact that when they left power in 2017, they left arrears at the DACF dating back to 2014. As I speak now, the Govern- ment is current with DACF payments, and it would continue to do so. [Hear! Hear!].

Mr Speaker, some of the arrears were wage-related. About 60,000 teachers had been recruited and promoted, yet they had not been paid. As I speak, the Government has paid GH¢328 million in wage-related arrears alone, despite the tight fiscal space that we inherited from my Hon Colleagues on the other Side.

In the energy sector, we also paid GH¢796.8 million on behalf of state- owned enterprises, as contingent liability in 2017. This is aside what was paid from the Energy Sector Levies Act.
Mrs Osei-Asare 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on the Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) arrears too, the Government in 2017 paid GH¢289.2 million to clear the huge arrears that our Hon Friends on the other Side left for us.
In the 2018 Budget Statement, we programmed to pay GH¢858 million of these arrears. In 2019, we programmed to pay GH¢730 million of these arrears; and in 2020, we have programmed to pay GH¢1.44 billion of these arrears. Mr Speaker, while paying all these arrears, we are also current on our present obligations. This is a Government that works, and deserves another term.
Mr Speaker, again, while dealing with all these arrears, the Government absorbed 138,000 new workers into the public sector. Out of this, we gave 64,000 workers to the Ministry of Health (MoH), and through that MoH absorbed the nurses who had stayed at home from 2014, 2015 and 2016. This is a Government that cares about its people; this is a Government that works.
Mr Speaker, in the area of education, the Government also granted financial clearance to the tune of 50,000 teachers. As we speak, 43,000 of them have been enrolled at the basic and secondary schools,

Mr Speaker, in the security services as well, the Government granted a total financial clearance of 14,201 -- out of which 2,002 were given in 2017; 7,527 in 2018; and 4,575 in 2019. With this limited fiscal space, the Government has been able to do this.

Mr Speaker, the rest of the 43,000 out of the 138,000 new workers have been employed in the various MDAs, and I believe we all here have relatives who have been employed as a result of this. Mr Speaker, this is a Government that cares.
Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
In conclusion?
Mrs Osei-Asare 12:25 p.m.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleagues on the other Side are quick to point out that the debt stock has increased from GH¢122 billion to GH¢208 billion. What they have failed to acknowledge is the banking crisis that they bequeathed to us. That banking crisis alone has accounted for GH¢13.3 billion of this debt.
Again, what they have also failed to acknowledge is the various take- or-pay contracts that they signed.
That has also accounted for GH¢5.7 billion of this debt. Mr Speaker, GH¢22.8 billion of this debt is as a result of exchange rate losses.
Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Jinapor, you have 10 minutes.
Mr John Abdulai Jinapor (NDC -- Yapei/Kusawgu) 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, today, at about 12.35 p.m., the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance told us that she measured unemployment figures with an unemployed graduates association that is supposed to have existed, and is no more in existence. Mr Speaker, it completely tells us that this Government has failed big time.
Mr Speaker, if one wants to check unemployment, must one go and check an association that existed or did not exist? The Hon Deputy Minster should give us the figures. I am even happier that today we are talking of the macro indicators translating into micro indicators because these two must work in sync.
Mr Speaker, I refer to page 21 of the Budget Statement. We have to deal with the outturns before we even talk of what we could achieve.
Mr Speaker, if we look at Table 4, in 2016, the manufacturing sector grew by 7.9 per cent. Today, as we speak, despite what my Hon Colleagues on the other Side call ‘‘One District One Factory,'' the growth of the manufacturing sector has declined to 6.5 per cent.
Mr Speaker, if we take the construction sector which employs the bulk of the youth, which builds the foundation of this economy, in 2016, we grew by 8.4 per cent. Despite all that my Hon Colleagues have talked about today, the construction sector is growing at 8.5 per cent.
Mr Speaker, they have told us that they engaged in some financial clean up. We advised them, but they did not listen. When we tell them the truth, they do not listen. Mr Speaker, listen to the Hon Minister's own document.

This is the document from the Hon Minister for Finance. Mr Speaker, I refer to page 22 -- Financial and Insurance activities. In 2016, the economy grew by 8.0. Today, however, we are growing by 1.8 per cent. I dare say that this so-called growth rate was convoluted and contorted; it has absolutely nothing to do with the ordinary Ghanaian.
Mr John Abdulai Jinapor (NDC -- Yapei/Kusawgu) 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for
Finance made a certain claim, and I find that most unfortunate. This is a Government that has increased taxes on diesel and petrol; increased the Communication Services Tax by 50 per cent; and even gone to the extent of increasing taxes on ordinary Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which we use for cooking.
Mr Speaker, this is a Government that has increased petrol from GH¢16 to GH¢24. When we do the arithmetic, we consume 4.6 billion litres of petroleum products every year. When we check these increments and the taxes, the Government takes directly from the taxpayer GH¢10 billion.
Mr Speaker, this is a Government that promised us that on assumption of office, they would reduce corporate tax from 25 per cent to 20 per cent. So far they have failed to do that.
Mr Speaker, there is a popular saying that if one cannot get anything for one's in-law, one does not turn around to take the little that one's in- law has. This is a Government that has increased our income tax from 25 per cent to 30 per cent. Yet the Hon Minister looks into our faces and tells us that having taken all these moneys from our pockets, he has put money into our pockets -- put money in our

Mr Speaker, let us look at the agricultural sector. They have launched what they call ‘‘Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Food'' and all kinds of slogans. This is the outturn year; if we look at the agricultural sector based on the Hon Minister's own assertion, it has dropped from about 4.6 per cent to 2.2 per cent.

Mr Speaker, managing the agricultural sector is not about sloganeering; it is not about launching of programmes and projects. It is about a dedicated and committed attitude to doing that.

This is a Government that told us that they would raise a revenue of about GH¢59 billion. As we speak today, the Hon Minister himself concedes that he has deviated from the revenue target by 13.6 per cent. We told them, but they did not listen.

Mr Speaker, this is a Government that has decided that spending on infrastructure, roads and hospitals is not a priority. Theirs is to spend on consumption. Today, President Mahama could boast of hospitals, an international airport, interchanges and roads. What would President Nana
Mr Jinapor 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what would the President be remembered for when the people of Ghana decide that on 7th December, 2020 they would boot him out? The only thing he would leave us with is a limping Free SHS with double track. That is the legacy of President Akufo-Addo.
Mr Speaker, this is a Government that told us that they were re-profiling our debts, and they would reduce our debt burden. Today, our debt has increased by a nominal figure of 73.3 per cent. Today, every Ghanaian is indebted to the tune of over GH¢7,500. Mr Speaker that is the track record of President Akufo- Addo, Dr M. Bawumia and the Hon Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori- Atta.
Mr Speaker, at this moment, I would like to do something because I have just about four minutes. I would like to educate the other Side on how capacity charges and energy debts are discovered, how they are computed and how they are calculated.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance made the claim that we have
an installed capacity of 5,000, and all he did was to subtract our peak demand and say that that amount represents our capacity charge. That is turning energy economics upside down.
Mr Speaker, in the energy sector -- let me make this abundantly and succinctly clear -- we do not use capacity based on installed capacity. We rather do that based on available capacity because if the power is not available, where does the capacity come?
Mr Speaker, this is an official document from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) laid before this House, and it was laid for and on behalf of Mr Kwame Agyemang Badu. Your Committee sat on this. The ECG did the right thing, and I would like everybody to listen.
Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Order!
Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
And in conclusion?
Mr Jinapor 12:35 p.m.
That is only an attempt to take money from ordinary Ghanaians, and end up paying for fuel.
Mr Speaker, time is not on our side, so in concluding —
Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Kwaku Kwarteng?
Mr Jinapor 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on this note, President Akufo-Addo's Government must leave office immediately because on 7 th December, 2020, we shall vote them out. They would go home, and they would know that the people of Ghana are tired of them.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Kwaku Kwarteng?
Deputy Minister for Finance (Mr Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng) MP: Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, at the close of 2016, that was brought to a miserable 3.4 per cent. Do they have the nerves to point to a growth rate of even 6.3 per cent in 2018? At the very least, we should be honest with the facts.

Mr Speaker, President Nana Akufo-Addo would be remembered for taking us out of the IMF [Hear! Hear!] Again, he would be remembered for supporting nursing trainees and teacher trainees, and for stopping the dubious take-or-pay contracts signed by the previous Administration. We could go on, but we do not have time.

Mr Speaker, the improvements are obvious; the international credit agencies are saying it, and the facts and figures are clear. What I would attempt to do, with your leave, is to explain the strategies that have made this possible. With your leave I would refer to a few things from paragraph 796 of the 2017 Budget Statement. The heading was “Improving the Business Environment”, and I say this in response to suggestions that this Government is taking more taxes from the people.

Under the paragraph, the Nana Addo Administration abolished the one per cent on Special Import Levy,

the 17.5 per cent VAT/NHIL on financial services, the VAT on selected imported medicines that were not produced locally, the 17.5 per cent on domestic airline tickets, excise duty on petroleum and reduced the Special Petroleum Tax from 17.5 per cent to 15 per cent. I could go on and on.

Mr Speaker, what that did was a signal to the private sector and producers that this was an economy they could do business in, going forward. So we saw the improvements in the economy. What we have been seeking to do is to realise money from the improved economy to deal with the dumsor that we met. We are now able to set aside money to procure fuel in order to ensure that our power generators would generate enough power to supply electricity to the people of Ghana. That is why we are not sleeping in darkness.

The improved fundamentals have also made it possible for us to incur debts at lower interest costs, and use that as a way of retiring the expensive debts that we met in the books. That is the real legacy of the Economic Management Team that Ghana has now. It is the combination of these strategies that has made it possible for us to put the kind of resources we have put into social interventions, many of which Hon Abena Osei- Asare has so eloquently explained.
MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, you have one more minute.
Mr Kwarteng 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, as a Government, so far, the strategies have been good, we seek the support of Ghanaians to continue with those strategies, not just in 2020, but as it has been indicated, a good turn such as we have had, deserves another.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Isaac Adongo?
Mr Isaac Adongo (NDC -- Bolgatanga Central) 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to the debate.

I have looked at the numbers in the Budget Statement, and one of the major problems that the people of Ghana, and particularly the businessmen face is the collapsing Ghana cedi. Businessmen have been extremely disappointed in this Budget Statement. I have combed through this Budget Statement to see how we are performing in terms of our external sector. On page 20, the Hon Minister attempted to talk about the external sector.

Mr Speaker, I realised that throughout that section, which he

properly christened “External Sector Development Exchange Rate”, he turned from exchange rate and external sector development to talk about Power Distribution Services (PDS), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and take-or-pay contracts. Since when did exchange rate become take-or-pay contracts, PDS and ECG? This Budget Statement must be amended again because that is not the external sector, and that is not take- or-pay contracts.

When we look at the entire section, in paragraph 92 to paragraph 15, there is nothing about the external sector. I took my time to review data from the Bank of Ghana to understand why there was this major omission. I can now understand why. The Ghana cedi is in a serious coma, and appears not to be in a comfortable area for it to be spoken about in this Budget Statement. The Ghana cedi depreciated by 4.8 per cent at the end of 2017. By 2018, it had depreciated by about 8.8 per cent.

Mr Speaker, as of the end of September, 2019, the Ghana cedi did 9.2 per cent depreciation. I heard the Hon Minister for Finance say that the depreciation of the Ghana cedi has slowed. So if any businessman had any hope of the Ghana cedi being arrested by the Vice President or by the Hon Minister for Finance, they
Mr Isaac Adongo (NDC -- Bolgatanga Central) 12:55 p.m.
would have been on their own because the Ghana cedi, even when it is in coma, we are told it flows.

This is the Government that is on its way out.

Mr Speaker, the budget deficit is one of the areas that I have been very keen on. I have looked at the budget deficit numbers and it is clear that the numbers are not right. The Hon Minister for Finance said that the budget deficit that we recorded this year, was about GH¢15 billion. He indicated that about GH¢6 billion of that money was financed from external sources and about GH¢9 billion from domestic sources.

Mr Speaker, when we go for Eurobond, we use it as domestic finance, so US$2 billion multiplied by just GH¢5.5 would amount to GH¢11 billion, and yet, our domestic financing is GH¢9 billion. Meanwhile, we have also borrowed on the domestic market to add to this GH¢2 billion to fund the Budget. So our deficit is in the region of about GH¢18 billion and not GH¢15 billion, and this is clear that we have exceeded five per cent and we roam around seven per cent of budget deficit.

Mr Speaker, I have said over and over that the Hon Minister for Finance must report our deficit accurately because it is not acceptable that he gives defective numbers that do not reflect the reality on the ground. Our deficit is around seven per cent, and I am sure the Hon Minister for Finance, understands why it is so.

Mr Speaker, the financial sector, is one area that the Hon Minister for Finance reported on. On page 47 of the Budget Statement, he was at pains to describe the financial sector. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote him:

“A well-capitalised, solvent, liquid and profitable, and resilient banking sector has emerged with improved financial soundness indicators in line with expectations''.

Mr Speaker, how do we measure soundness of the banking sector? It is measured with the capital adequacy. After recapitalisation, our capital adequacy at the beginning of January, 2019, stood at 17.4 per cent with Basil II and III. As at June, 2019, this 17.4 per cent had deteriorated to 16.3 per cent and what this means is that our banks sustain very huge losses and as a result of which the quality of their assets deteriorated. So with 16.3 per cent, what it means is that the banks

have only a buffer of 3.3 per cent and the slightest problem in that sector would collapse it and yet, the Hon Minister for Finance said that it is a sound banking sector.

Mr Speaker, liquidity is measured by two key factors and the Bank of Ghana has provided those two key indicators. The first one is that core liquid assets to total assets declined from 26 per cent to 23 per cent.

Again, core liquid assets to total liability or short term liability declined from 34 per cent to 30 per cent as at June, 2019. What this means is that for every cedi that anybody has in the banking sector, only 26 pesewas is available if they need their money now or in the next three months and the Hon Minister for Finance said this is a well-capitalised banking sector.

Mr Speaker, it is even worse when we look at the table under paragraph 207. They said that in 2020, they expect the banking sector to grow by 1.7 per cent and in 2021, they expect about 1.1 per cent growth. Even in 2023, the banking sector would grow by only 3.3 per cent. How could a banking sector that grew by eight per cent take almost four years to record only 3.3 per cent growth? And they tell us that this is the banking sector they are proud of?

Mr Speaker, the collapse of the banking sector is one that would haunt members of this Government forever. It could be said that they have destroyed livelihoods and that our private sector collapsed essentially on account of not being able to access credit and this Government would be remembered for all these collapses.

Mr Speaker, NIB is on its way to death and it is essentially because it is a calculated attempt to bring it to its knees. The Hon Minister for Finance told us that when he was asked to capitalise it, they said there was no more but he decided to take the most important assets on the balance sheet of NIB, which is the share of 24 per cent but instead, gave NIB a loan and collected the 24 per cent. Everybody knows that the problem of NIB is because it has recapitalised and depositors are taking their moneys. They have given them a loan of GH¢500 million so that depositors could take their money and NIB would collapse.

How could they do that to NIB when they know that if they had allowed the shares to be sold and an announcement made that those shares would be sold to recapitalise it, they would have been confident in it, market would have come down and at the end of the day, it would have been saved? They pumped acid into
Mr Isaac Adongo (NDC -- Bolgatanga Central) 12:55 p.m.


the life of NIB and the main objective is to collapse it because after they have withdrawn the money, it would not have the money to give them and collect their shares. Why would they look them in the face and do this to them?

Just like I collapsed the Sovereign Bond, I would collapse this one too because this is a public debt, and it would not be allowed to stand. I want the Hon Minister for Finance to know that he should be a good father to NIB, and not a father who wants to see to the death of it for whatever reason.

Mr Speaker, this Government is on its way out and it is important that we prepare and learn a new dirge song to sing the death of NPP in 2020
Mr Anthony Effah (NPP -- Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion.
Mr Speaker, before I start with my contribution, I would want to remind Hon Jinapor as to when he said that there is no money in anybody's pocket. NABCO has received GH¢840 million, teacher trainees have received GH¢357 million, nursing trainees have received GH¢336 million and there is an investment of GH¢1.8 billion for the free senior high school, and these are all real expenditure that has been made by the Government. So when the Hon Minister for Finance talked about money in people's pockets, it is not abstract.
Mr Speaker, again, Hon Jinapor talked about infrastructure and he mentioned Terminal 3, but the question is, if there had not been a Terminal 2, would there ever be a Terminal 3, and if there was no Terminal 1, would there be a Terminal 2? It means that successive governments worked on the infrastructure of this country and I know that over time, there would
also be some other investments for us to have Terminals 4 and 5.
The truth is that whenever loans are submitted to this House, even Hon Members, to whose constituencies these moneys would be used, decide to second the Motion. I would want to make reference to the Bolgatanga Central Hospital, where Hon Adongo seconded the Motion for that project.

So, to suggest that there is nothing happening, can never be true.

Mr Speaker, Hon Fifi Kwetey talked about policy credibility and the question is, when we had the home- grown policies, was there credibility to that? You needed the guarantee of the IMF to borrow, and at the time in the year 2015, when the Government decided to go to the IMF, the foreign reserves in the country could sustain us for only five days. These are records that we can check with the

IMF.

Hon Adongo talked about 16 per cent capital adequacy that it is not adequate. The standard measure is to make reference to the Basil II and III provisions, which requires that for any strong financial institution, you should

have a minimum of 13 per cent. So we either compare the 13 per cent to the internationally accepted standard by Basil II and III.

Mr Speaker, I would like to quickly go to my own contribution, but I would first of all begin with a quote from the Budget Statement in paragraph 216:

“Mr. Speaker, it is important to state that Government has not under any circumstances inten- tionally collapsed any financial institution. These institutions were insolvent and/or distressed as a result of their own actions, and their respective regulators stepped in to intervene and to save over 4m depositors and investors.”

The state of the banking sector before the intervention was obvious to every Ghanaian; banks were seriously undercapitalised, risk management was very poor, corporate governance was weak, many of the banks were already insolvent, banks faced liquidity challenges, excessive risk taking, use of depositors funds for personal use by some of the directors of these banks.

Mr Speaker, there were creative accounting practices going on in these
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon Member, you have one more minute.
Mr Effah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the fiscal impact adds up to about GH¢16.4 billion. The question, making the rounds is; could we not have alternative uses for this funding?
Mr Speaker, however, I would like to make references to some commendations by the IMF regarding these interventions; that the banking clean-up was timely and necessary, and that it also provides for stability and confidence in the banking sector.
I would like to end by quoting the Director of the African Department of the IMF who says:
“The alternative to not clean-up could be a bigger cost on the budget and the economy, and this could cause a disruption in the entire economy.”
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would like Hon Members to support the Motion on the Floor that we approve the Budget Statement for the year, 2020.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.

(NDC -- Cape Coast South): Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the debate.

I want to focus my debate on the financial sector development, especially the banking sector collapse. I would want to touch on page 50, paragraphs 219, 220 and 224 of the Budget Statement.

Mr Speaker, I am not quite sure what the Hon Minister for Finance is trying to do, but he is asking this House to approve GH¢800 million. On paragraph 224, he is also asking us to approve GH¢2.2 billion which is a --

Now, as my Hon Colleague, Mr Isaac Adongo said, this is actually to replace the sovereign issue that is in court, which I would not want to speak about. However, what has been put in place of is even more diabolic than what was there before.

Mr Speaker, the question I would ask the Hon Minister for Finance is, if he would do a Put-Call Option between Government of Ghana and GAT? That actually is not right because he cannot do a Put Call Option to entities that are not mutually exclusive. The Government of Ghana

and GAT are pretty much the same, and so if there is a Call on the Government side and there is a Put on GAT, then who would make the decision on whether or not to trigger the Call or trigger the Put.

So, basically, this cannot be done; but if he wants to do it by doing GAT versus the investors, then why is he here to seek an approval because this House does not actually recognise GAT. Mr Speaker, basically, this has no business here and this House cannot approve the Gh¢800 million as well as the GH¢2.2 billion he is asking for.

Mr Speaker, as my Hon Friend said, this is still a loan because we still have a contingent liability on it, so it cannot be brought here as completely different.

Mr Speaker, in any case, if he is looking for money for NIB -- they are saying that the banking sector is doing well, but the banking sector is actually still on its knees because it is not well capitalised. The problems we are facing in the economy at the moment is as a result of the liquidity challenges that we have.

So, if the bank is on its knees and he wants to put GH¢2.2 billion in it then, it does not really make sense because in the end, if the idea is to refocus NIB and make it a specialised bank to really deal in industrialisation, then we do not actually need a universal license. Mr Speaker, so, he should down-grade the universal

license of NIB and make it an ordinary bank whether a commercial bank, investment bank, or development bank so that it would not be exposed to the GH¢400 million that the Central Bank is asking as capital requirement. The capital requirement of GH¢400 million applies only to universal banks, so if we would recapitalise the NIB and in the end make it a specialised bank, then there is no point in that bank being how it has been structured.

Mr Speaker, again, I am not quite sure what the Ministry is trying to do with GAT because we are not sure who the shareholder is. The share- holder is the Government of Ghana, and so what exactly are we trying to do because GAT simply has to take money from government and put into these banks that we were told were actually the solvent banks.

Mr Speaker, they have collapsed banks that actually needed help and they have put in place banks that they claim are doing well, yet they are not able to meet the capital requirements. Mr Speaker, in the last two years, nine universal banks have been collapsed, 347 micro-finance institutions, 39 micro credit institutions, 15 savings and loans institutions, eight finance houses, and recently, we have collapsed 53 fund managers. If we put all together, we have actually collapsed

437 financial institutions; small, medium, and large, within a short span of two years, and we are saying that the banking sector is doing well. How can the banking sector be doing well when we have collapsed these many banks? It is not surprising that the economy is facing the difficulties at the moment.

The economy is liquid, yet they are saying that they are putting moneys in the pockets of people, but would we not know if we have moneys in our pockets? Do we need the Government to tell us that we have money in our pockets? They have not paid the depositors that they say they are protecting. So moneys are out of the pockets of depositors and all the people who have been laid off in the banks have lost their jobs, and there are no moneys in their pockets, yet they are saying that they have put GH¢12.2 billion in their pockets.

Mr Speaker, I think that the government ought to do something about this whole banking crises. It would take a while for us to see the full impact of what has been done. Usually, policies like this would take about two or three years for the full impact. Within the next two years, we would see a worse banking system than what we have today because the collapse of the banks by the Ministry and Central Bank has created a systemic risk in the banking sector. For
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, you have one minute remaining.
Mr Ricketts-Hagan 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are here to call the Government out, and that is basically what we are doing. The banking sector is not doing well; this idea is shambolic and banks have been collapsed needlessly. We have spent GH¢16 billion of taxpayers' moneys to collapse banks that could have been saved. This is 36 per cent of tax revenue. If our tax revenue is GH¢45 billion and you have spent almost GH¢17 billion then 36 per cent --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
Minister for Communications (Mrs Ursula G. Owusu-Ekuful) (MP) 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
It is clear that the Digital Ghana Agenda is well on course, thanks to President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo's vision to formalise our economy through technology. Mr Speaker, we are moving to cash-lite society and --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Minister, please hold. I would pause your time.
Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was not here from the very onset, but I am told the decision of the House has been varied.

Mr Speaker, this is in the Hansard; let us not shift the goalpost. This is what I said, and it is in the report that was adopted by the House. That is what we agreed on last Friday.
Alhaji Muntaka 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, unfortunately, I was not here on Friday, I am not here to challenge what the Hon Majority Leader is saying. What I would want to draw his attention to is equity. Each time we speak about Chairpersons and Ranking Members, it is to create equity.
This year, if you introduce the issue of Hon Ministers, you will naturally disadvantage our Side because we do not have Hon Ministers.
This House also works like a coin. Each time you call a Chairperson, you would also call a Ranking Member. So I would want to plead with the Hon Majority Leader for us to keep to our tradition. The simple tradition is that, one is either the Ranking Member, Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Deputy Ranking Member or a Member of the House.
Mr Speaker, if we introduce this, it would be a novelty. However, I would urge that we keep to our tradition where one is either the Chairperson or the Ranking Member or a Member of the House without introducing the Hon Ministers a bit. This is because, if we introduce that, then we are forced to follow it as some Hon Members have started asking if we are going to factor in former Ministers and former Deputy Ministers. Let us just keep to what we have.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, did you say the Business Committee programmed that?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let anybody check the Hansard for the avoidance of doubt. What has been agreed on cannot be changed overnight. [Interruption.]
What is the “no” about this? It was a statement on the Floor. They should go and check the Hansard of Friday, 15th November, 2019. That is what I said, and it was part of the Business Committee's Report. I said it was inadvertent, and I made the point here, which was captured in the Hansard.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Chief Whip is fond of introducing new things in the House. For him to say that --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, I asked you a
question. I would just want to be advised whether that was the decision of the Business Committee.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this was the decision of the House. He was not even here. He is fond of misleading this House. [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Could the Hon Leaders take their seats now, please?
Alhaji Muntaka 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was not here when the Business Statement was read, but when I came and I saw the Report, I asked --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Did you see that in the Report?
Alhaji Muntaka 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what he is saying is not in the Report. I even asked the Hon Minority Leader what they agreed on regarding two Members speaking on a sector. This is because, Mr Speaker, you have been on this Side of the House before, and you know that we do not get two to speak from one Side on a sector. The Hon Minority Leader said he was late to the meeting.
When Hon Kojo Oppong- Nkrumah stood up and the Rt Hon Speaker said he was supposed to speak for 15 minutes, that was when
the challenge came from those who were at the Business Committee that, that was not what was agreed on. The Rt Hon Speaker then ruled and said he would have 10 minutes like any other person. So why is the Hon Majority Leader re-introducing it? That is why Hon Kojo Oppong- Nkrumah who is an Hon Minister had 10 minutes.
The Hon Majority Leader is now saying I am introducing new things. I am challenging him that in 2015, he and I were here; no Hon Minister spoke longer than Hon Members. Mr Speaker, you were in this House, no Minister spoke longer than Hon Members in 2015. Unless it was either a Chairperson or Ranking Member, all of them spoke as Members of the House. If he says I am telling lies, he should bring the Hansard and let us check it.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, I do not think we have to quibble over this. It is an agreement by the House. Is it the case that we agreed on last Friday or not? It is as simple as that. We cannot allow any revisionism when people were not here, and they would want to come and revise what the House decided on.
Some Hon Members 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker ruled on it.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:25 p.m.
The Rt Hon Speaker ruled on it because his attention was not drawn to what was done by the House, and I am now drawing the attention of the Speaker to what agreement we reached in this House. There cannot be any room for revisionism, especially when it does not suit them and they come to revise it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Members, I sought an advice on what happened earlier. I am advised that when the Hon Minister for Information got the opportunity to debate, this issue came up and the Rt Hon Speaker ruled that he should speak for 10 minutes. However, in the case of the Hon Minister for Communications, she is speaking in the place of the Hon Chairperson. There are two Hon Members' names here; Hon Samuel George (15 Minutes and Hon Daniel Ashiamah (10 minutes). And so the Hon Minister would speak for 15 minutes and Hon Andrew Mercer would speak for 10 minutes.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the clock has to be restarted
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:35 p.m.
because it is already indicated that I have spoken and it has eaten into my time.
Mr Speaker, as I indicated, the Digital Ghana Agenda is very well on course, thanks to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's vision of formalising our economy through technology. All the actions that have been taken by this Government since we took power in 2017, have been deliberately taken to advance this Digital Ghana Agenda in the communications sector.
As indicated on page 97 of the Budget Statement, one of the cardinal principles of our economic transfor- mation is to leverage technology wherever possible and to innovate. The Hon Minister for Finance did not introduce any new taxes because we were expanding the tax net through digitisation and protecting our digital infrastructure through provision for cyber security as well.

Mr Speaker, we are determined to utilise technology to improve upon our output, results and transparency and minimise corruption in our body politics.

The triangulate which was introduced by the NPP Administration -- the national identity card, digital address system and mobile money interoperability system form the tripod on which our digital economy will rest. As the Vice President indicated, by promoting this triangular financial inclusion based on mobile money interoperability, mobile wallet and E- zwich accounts, we have put a bank account in the pocket of everyone. Everyone who has a mobile device and a mobile wallet is privy to the digital economy that we are forming.

Mr Speaker, in addition to all that, Ghana has taken deliberate steps to infuse technology in education, health, justice delivery through procurement and all those other steps which have been taken to infuse technology, and make us more digitised than we met it.

Mr Speaker, we are on course to becoming one of the digitised economies on the continent, and have attracted attention from far and near. Just this weekend, Jack Ma was here to launch his African Entrepreneurship Initiative and give a US$1 million prize to Africans around the continent who have experienced and show cased innovative products.

Unfortunately, no Ghanaian company was included in it, but we hope to do better next time. He chose Ghana because of the digital infrastructure we have put in place, the conducive atmosphere for the thriving digital economy and the strides that the Akufo-Addo's Administra- tion has made since we took power.

Mr Speaker, I would like to share a few insights from one of the key initiatives that were taken by this Ministry, which faced strident opposition from across the country, but which has proved its worth in gold. The Government of Ghana commenced the real time monitoring of telecom activities by establishing the common platform to give effect to section 14 of the Communications Service Tax Act.

The establishment of the common platform was announced in March, 2017, and a contract was signed in December, 2017. It faced a year of legal challenges, but became fully operational in 2019. The results achieved so far have been nothing short of impressive, and demonstrates less cost for more value.

Mr Speaker, we have saved GH¢1.1 million monthly over the previous contract, and this would

result in a saving of US$66 million over the five-year contract period. [Hear! Hear!] The fraud management component alone has from inception made a tax saving of over GH¢205.6 million. Over the five-year lifetime of the contract, it would have made a saving of GH¢795.9 million.

Mr Speaker, the common platform itself also offers real time monitoring of GH¢2.5 billion transactions per day within the mobile sector, calls, short message services and mobile money transactions. It monitors mobile money as well as an added component, and it has reported an average monthly usage of GH¢29.1 billion and GH¢195.8 million transactions which results in revenue of GH¢71 million to the companies per month in transaction fees.

Mr Speaker, the facts speak for themselves, and the Exchequer has benefitted from the introduction of the common platform.

Mr Speaker, in other sectors, we have also made tremendous strides, and from the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), we are
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:35 p.m.
poised to reposition it to perform its regulatory function better, and be the technology advisor to Government for the acquisition of all Information Communication Technology (ICT) components that any sector agency would procure.
Mr Speaker, we would want to ensure that once this whole process is finally completed, NITA would be the technology advisor to Government just as the Office of the Attorney- General provides advice to Govern- ment on all legal matters. This would ensure that whatever we procure is interoperable, we get value for money, and we reduce duplication and waste in the sector as well to ensure that at the end of the day, all that is procured inures to the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
It has also set up the Public Key Information Infrastructure to provide over 50 million trusted and reliable cryptographic keys to ensure more secured communications, and this would promote our cyber security initiatives as well.
Through the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), this year alone, the Ministry has set up 103 telephony sites in various communities across the country to provide voice and data

We are utilising the NABCO in the digital module as well. We have deployed 1,487 trainees to ICT centres across the country to re- energise them and provide centres that Ghanaian citizens can go through to be trained in ICT tools, and provide education in ICT for all of them. School leavers, artisans, market women and drivers have benefited from this initiative that is geared towards narrowing the digital divide.

Students living with disability in selected tertiary institutions have also been provided with assistive technology-enabled devices and training to promote digital inclusion as we are determined to leave no one behind.

Mr Speaker, about 80 or 90 per cent of the Questions I get in this House relate to when communities around the country that we represent would be provided with telecommu- nication services. I am happy to announce that we are in the process of rolling out the rural telephony initiative to extend voice and data services to all unserved and under- served communities by the end of 2020. We are currently looking at the financing options to enable that to happen.

1. 45 p. m.

Mr Speaker, GIFEC would also work with Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to utilise aerial fibre to extend connectivity to the country.

As has already been indicated, from January next year, we would, implement the re-registration of Subscriber Indentification Module (SIM) cards to reduce the incidence of criminal usage of mobile devices. We are on course to setting up that infrastructure as well. We have given a six-month window to conclude that process, so by June, 2020, all those whose SIM cards have not been registered, would be deactivated. That would also give impetus to the ECOWAS free roaming initiative to enhance regional integration and economic development which we are also going to implement from January,

2020.

Mr Speaker, the Girls in ICT Initiative has been scaled up from one event per annum to a biannual event. From six hundred girls being trained in rural communities around the country in selected regions, we have expanded it to train a thousand girls per Girls in ICT Initiative. Over five hundred laptops have been given out to the deserving girls, their teachers and Girl-Child Education coordi- nators around the country, in particular, the Western and Central Regions where the scaled-up initiative was held.

Mr Speaker, the interest it has generated has urged us on to seek further funding to institutionalise this training. I received some very interesting letters from the girls who were also part of the mentorship day event - an open day event which brought 60 girls from the Western Region to Accra to spend a day to work and shadow women in technology and to excite them to take up technology related careers in future. They have all indicated that far from choosing the traditional occupations, they are interested in choosing careers in ICT. They would form the human resource that would manage and operate the digital infrastructure that we are busily putting in place.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Minister, you have one more minute.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are well on course to developing our digital economy, and all the deliberate attempts that have been taken since this Government took power is geared towards building a cash-lite society. We would leverage on the existing infrastructure that we have and use it to deliver more services to the Ghanaian people.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member for Ningo-Prampram, Hon Samuel Nartey George?
Mr Samuel N. George (NDC - - Ningo-Prampram) 1:35 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
I rise to comment on the 2020 Budget Statement and make comments on the Government's policy on Communications.
Mr Speaker, it is interesting that the Hon Minister chose to speak about fraud management component of the interoperability platform as the key highlight of her presentation. The Hon Minister may have not gotten her brief correctly when she suggested the figures that she uses for fraud management component and the revenues that she claimed have been saved.
Mr Speaker, for the fraud manage- ment component, if the Hon Minister says that close to GH¢300 million has been saved, who has been prosecuted
for that loss? Mr Speaker, when we talk about fraud management in SIM boxes, what it simply means is that we have stopped SIM box fraud from happening.
In this country, under Former President Mahama, and Dr Edward Omane Boamah as the Minister for Communications, we saw the arrest of the Nigerians and the former CEO the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), who were put before Court and jailed for SIM boxing.
Mr Speaker, shutting down SIM cards does not stop SIM box fraud. What stops SIM box fraud is confiscating the equipment and prosecuting the perpetrators behind them. So, if the Hon Minister says she has stopped SIM box fraud and saved about GH¢300 million, and she does not show us even one person who has been prosecuted, respectfully, the Hon Minister has done nothing.
Mr Speaker, again, when the Hon Minister makes the claim that she is saving GH¢1.1 million per month, that brief is faulty. The contract under the previous Administration was a percentage of incremental revenue on a quarterly basis, not a fixed amount. So when the Hon Minister says that somebody paid somebody GH¢2.5 million -- It is disingenuous to pick
one month's figure and use that as the base rate for the entire duration of that contract.
Mr Speaker, they have gone ahead to sign a contract with a company that was not based on performance. However, the previous contract was based on performance; the contractors brought in more revenue to the Government, and they took a percentage of it. The current contract that the Hon Minister had signed, whether the contractors perform or not, they are paid GH¢8 million every month.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister spoke about infrastructure; thank God today, the NPP Administration sees the value of infrastructure. The infrastructure the Hon Minister referred to saying that there has been a digitisation of our economy -- whether it is e-health; e-procurement; e-immigration or e-education, the current Government did not sign that contract. It was a US$98 million contract from the World Bank, signed by Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the then Minister for Communications under President John Dramani Mahama. The current Administration has inherited it, the project has been completed and they are touting it as their achievement. The Hon Minister should tell us what they have done.
Mr Speaker, now, let me tell the Hon Minister what they have done. In the 2019 Budget Statement, they came before this House and told us in paragraph 749 of the 2019 Budget Statement that GIFEC would deploy 600 additional telephony sites to provide voice signals to 1,800 communities.
Mr Speaker, let me tell you the performance of the Hon Minister for Communications and the NPP Government which she herself mentioned.
In paragraph 890 of the 2020 Budget Statement, they promised to provide 600 additional telephony sites, but they only approved or performed and provided 103.
Mr Speaker, if we do a simple mathematical calculation of that, 17.1 per cent was produced. By any grading scale or whatsoever, the Hon Minister and her Government have scored an ‘F' in providing what they promised. So the Hon Minister is not due praise. In fact, one bad turn, deserves an exit.
Mr Speaker, on page 212 of the 2020 Budget Statement, the Hon Minister for Finance tells us that they would make GH¢524,450,761.00 as revenue from CST based on the increase in CST by 50 per cent. We
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member, you should address me.
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Ministers have failed to report to you and this House in the 2020 Budget Statement, the establishment of the National Cyber Security Authority. So Ghanaians are paying for an Authority that is in the cloud; an Authority that is in the minds of people; an Authority that does not exist; an Authority that exists only in the 2019 Budget Statement, but we are paying. When my grandmother in
the village buys GH¢10 worth of credit to call me, GH¢0.70p is taken from her for an Authority that does not exist. Mr Speaker, this is clearly “chop chop”.
Mr Speaker, what is even more interesting is the claim in the Budget Statement that the NCA has set up four Type Approval Laboratories. Mr Speaker, some of these things, we must have a modicum of shame when we are appropriating somebody's property.

Mr Speaker, let it be put on record, the four Type Approval Laboratories, I challenge the Minister for Commu- nications and the Director-General of the NCA to provide to this House, the contract for the award of those four Type Approval Laboratories. The contract was signed in 2016 and the equipment was delivered in 2016.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
So, where is the shame?
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
The shame is in claiming in the 2020 Budget Statement in paragraph -- Just a minute, I would read exactly what he said, so you would see the shame there. In paragraph 892, they claim that:
“The National Communications Authority (NCA) in collabora- tion with the Ghana Standards Authority and other relevant agencies, launched four Type Approval laboratories. The Type Approval Labs are also being used by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the regional and sub-regional centre of excellence for ICT testing.”
Mr Speaker, this comes under 2019 performance.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Sorry, it said they launched it in 2019, so what is the shame there? It is the choice of words I want to be sure of.
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the shame is in appropriating something that was in place before they came and claiming that it has just come into being in 2019. That is the shame. [Hear! Hear!]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order. If they were in place, did they launch it or not? The word used here is “launched”. Probably, I do not understand “launched”. If they launched it or if it was in existence already, it was not launched, then I would not complain about your choice of words. But if
they indeed launched it, notwith- standing that you procured it, there is nothing to be ashamed of, and that is my complaint.
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I take a cue from you. So I would rephrase. The Hon Minister is taking credit and launching former President John Mahama's product. [Hear! Hear!]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
You should withdraw same from the record.
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
The point I seek to make is that, if someone is medium- sized, like Hon Fuseini Issah, and you claim that you will borrow the apparel of a triple ‘X,' like Hon Henry Quartey, you would be found wanting because the apparel will be bigger than you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Hon Member, withdraw so you can proceed.
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I withdraw and proceed.
Again, it is interesting that the Hon Minister mentions National Informa- tion Technology (NITA) and says that --
rose
Mr Fuseini Issah 1:55 a.m.
on a point of order. Mr Speaker, in Hon Sam George's presentation, he referred to me as medium- sized -- [Laughter]- - I am not too sure what he is referring to. Could he give me further and better particulars as to why he would call me medium-sized.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Hon Member, what size of shirt do you wear? [Laughter]
May we proceed?
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, perusing the 2020 Budget Statement on Communication, it is obvious to us that this Government has engaged in a whole year of deception and no work was done in the 2019 fiscal year.
If you take the 2019 Budget Statement and look at the promises that were made -- I would give you a typical example. Under NITA, they made a promise in paragraph 747 of the 2019 Budget that they had commercialised 50 per cent of NITA's infrastructure.
The Minister is unable to tell us in her report what has come out of that commercialisation, because nothing has happened.
Again, in paragraph 746 of the 2019 Budget Statement, in the debate last year, I spoke about the fact that the Hon Ministers of
Communications and Finance were misleading the House when they said that they had started a project in Dawa for the construction of a Dawa ICT Park. I stated categorically in the debate and the Official Report would bear me out that not even one block had been put on the site. Even the land had not been acquired, but I was told that I was out of order. They are quiet on it in the 2020 Budget Statement because even as we speak, the Minister has not put two blocks down to start the Dawa ICT site, yet they claimed in 2019 that they have completed it. This is another failed promise.
Mr Speaker, when you go to Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), under GMet, at times, we must be credited with our ability to read. It is true that the Vice President has accused us of not reading, but now we read. Let me show the Hon Minister the deception I am speaking of under GMet. In paragraph 760 of the 2019 Budget Statement, this is what the Hon Minister said:
“In addition, the Agency will procure two weather radars and two Automatic Weather Obser- vatory Station (AWOS) equip- ment for the middle and northern belts.”
I do not know whether the Hon Minister thinks that we do not know
what the middle and northern belts are. This is what he said again in paragraph
901.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Hon Member, hold on. Hon Members, having regard to the state of Business of the House, I direct that the House sit outside the regular sitting hours.
Please continue.
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in paragraph 901 of the 2020 Budget Statement after promising us in 2019 that she would acquire two Automatic Weather Observatory Stations for the middle and northern belts, this is what she says in 2020.
“…the Agency will procure and install Automatic Weather Observatory System (AWOS) at Kumasi and Tamale Airports to comply with ICAO, WMO and automate more of its systems around the country.”
Mr Speaker, let the Hon Minister know that when she talks about the middle belt and Automatic Weather Observatory System, GMet's presence is in Kumasi. So she does not deceive us when she says middle belt and northern belt, fails to deliver on it and comes back to tell us that she is doing it in Tamale and Kumasi, it is yet another failed promise.
What is even more interesting is the legacy of President John Dramani Mahama that is evident three years after he has left office. In this Budget Statement one of the highlights of the Ministry of Communications is the Accra Digital Centre. The current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre says it was an abandoned warehouse.
It was an abandoned warehouse, yet former President Mahama took it and pitched it to the World Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation, and got them to transform it into a plug and play state of the art ICT centre for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Today, they are telling us how many young people they have trained, thanks to former President Mahama's taking of an abandoned warehouse and restructuring it. Former President John Dramani Mahama deserves another four years.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Hon Member, hold on; you have three minutes left.
Yes, Hon Minister?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Accra Digital Centre we inherited in January, 2017, was in Akan parlance, “adakato”, to wit, “an empty structure”. They claimed --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Hon Minister, you may respond in your debate.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:55 a.m.
So, he is misleading the House by saying that it was a plug and play centre. That is what they claimed on paper, but there was no internet connectivity, no electricity and nothing on the ground when we inherited it. They built empty structures which we have equipped and not one single person --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:55 a.m.
Hon Minister, you are out of order.
Yes, now you have three more minutes, Hon Member.
Mr George 1:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, this should be a lesson for the Hon Minister that next time she gets the opportunity to contribute to the Budget Statement, she should not read press statements, but contribute to it.
In her statement to this House, the Hon Minister told us that the interoperability platform has exposed und-reporting or undervaluation and increased revenue. Let me give the Hon Minister facts and figures.
In 2013, revenue from Commu- nication Service Tax (CST) was GH¢174 million. In 2014, without Kelni-GVG and without us having to
pay GH¢8 million whether work was done or not, we increased it to GH¢217 million.
Mr Speaker, in the year 2015, we increased it from GH¢217 million in 2014, to GH¢252 million in 2015. In 2016, an election year, without Kelni GVG with all of its issues, we increased it from GH¢252 million to GH¢339 million. [Hear! Hear!] In 2017, when the NPP Administration took over, we had a drop from GH¢339 million to GH¢328 million and they tell us to clap for them.
I would end on the SIM card registration which is again another knee-jerk needless activity undertaken to deplete the public purse. Let us ask the Hon Minister how she would carry out a SIM card registration when she has not put in place the framework?
Today, she tells telecommunication companies to bear the cost for her six- month implementation. How will she fund the unified platform? She does not have it. That is US$30 million worth of infrastructure, and she has asked the telecommunication com- panies to bear it for her. At the end of the day, the Hon Minister says she would start in January, 2020.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister should have told us in her submission, what framework she had put in place.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon Minister, that is why you have another debater, share the information with the other person.
Hon Member, you have a minute.
Mr George 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I speak, the telecommunication companies do not know how they would go ahead to do the verification, who would act as the unitary control of the database.
Mr Speaker, the old lady in the village in Bekwai, your respectable constituency where MTN may not have --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon Member, which village did you talk about?
Mr George 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, a village in Bekwai. [Laughter]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Ask your available Hon Leader. None, apart from Accra, comes close to Bekwai. Please, Bekwai is not a village.
Mr George 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the towns in Bekwai, MTN, Vodafone, AirtelTigo do not have offices. It should concern you as it concerns me, how the old ladies in our towns
and villages would be able to do their registration within the six-month timeline the Hon Minister for Communications has given, bearing in mind that the National Identification Card, over a year, has not been able to do the whole registration. Do they want to abuse the rights of Ghanaians using a system called registration?
Mr Speaker, the score card on the Hon Minister for Communications' performance is 17 per cent. If 17 per cent is the score card, one bad turn deserves an exist.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon Andrew Mercer?
Mr Andrew K. E. Mercer (NPP -- Sekondi) Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
Mr Speaker, before I commence with my submissions, it is important that I respond to some of the misconceptions that Hon Sam George put out.
Mr Speaker, indeed, the need for us to do the SIM re-registration is because the NDC Administration failed to exercise proper judgment in the roll out of the SIM registration during their era such that the tax- payers' money was wasted with nothing to show for it.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote 2:15 p.m.
“We are implementing the National ID Card;
We have implemented the Digital Address System/;
We have implemented the mobile money interoperability;
We have made it possible for anyone with the mobile money account to have basic banking services;
We are digitising the lands registry;
We have introduced digital drivers' licences;
We have introduced online application for passports;
We have introduced online renewal of NHIS registration through the mobile phone;
We have launched an online platform (iTAPs) for filing of taxes;
Our hospital processes are also being automated for efficiency;
We have implemented online business registration at the Registrar General's Department;
We have implemented the e- justice programme at the courts;
We have implemented e- procurement at the Public Procurement Authority;
We have implemented paper- less ports…”.

Mr Speaker, these are all interventions in the ICT space that clearly distinguish us from our Friends on the other Side of the aisle in the management of the ICT sector.

Mr Speaker, indeed, the Hon Minister for Finance made references to the work that NITA and the Accra Digital Centre have done and also the investment that has been deployed in the Meteorological Services Agency to ensure that we have reliable weather data for navigation, for the sea and other services that depend on it.

There is also the ICT infrastructure development programme that this Government has rolled out, spearheaded by NITA, GIFEC, which has deployed 103 telephony sites in various communities across the country to provide communication data to 400 communities which serve in excess of 200,000 people.

Also in the area of Accra Digital Centre, in excess of 3,000 youth have been trained in different digital programmes and 1,800 digital and 260 jobs have been treated.

The work that the Data Protection Commission has done to train data protection supervisors across the country to facilitate compliance with data protection at what it is that they would do in the year, 2020, to

accredit five institutions to offer training to more personnel as data protection supervisors.

This clearly shows that the Government is on track and that indeed, not only does one good turn deserves another, but one good turn deserves a continuous sustained retention in power to ensure that this country is transformed for its entire population.

Mr Speaker, thank you so much for the opportunity.
Mr Daniel K. Ashiamah (NDC --Buem) 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion. On that, I would like to tease some of the things that I feel are so worrying, especially in the communication sector.
Mr Speaker, around the years 1996 to 1997, we had the Ghana Telecommunication Company Limited in the country, which had as its slogan; “communication for the nation”. I have listened to the Hon Minister and Colleague, and they say that Ghana has been so digitised and everything is going on well.
When we, however, look at the Government's allocation to the Ministry of Communications, it is not
good enough. As we speak, during the period of former President Mahama -- the Hon Minister said that last year the fiber optic project that would send communication to the people in the villages was made by former President Mahama, and it was 808 kilometers (km); from Bawku through Tamale to Ho.
Mr Speaker, now when it comes to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, they have been able to do only 193 km from Ho to Accra. We sit today and talk about e-agriculture, Planting for Food and Jobs and registering farmers, but we are not investing into the technology that we would have to send to these people to be able to do correct business.
There is another thing that is luring in this House. This is a House of records, but it is so surprising that in the year, 2018, the National Identification Authority (NIA) was under the Ministry of Communi- cations. Today, it has been pulled out. So, this House does not have any records as to whatever is being done. It is now under the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation. Do we have any Committee that monitors the project that the NIA does? What records do we have, as a nation, about the NIA project?
So, if an Hon Member comes here to mention such a figure, coverage and so on, I would want to know where the facts are, so that tomorrow if the NPP is not in power, another Government could come and take the records. That is what we must ask ourselves.
Mr Speaker, the other one is the issue of making the ports system a paperless one. It has been pulled out from the Ministry of Communications, and it is handled by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Is the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for digitisation? As far as this House is concerned we do not have any records. So, if they churn out any figures, they would be doing so from their own pockets (excuse my language).
I appeal to the President to put a stop to that. As the late Mugabe would say, “Mr Speaker, this should be the last time for President Nana Addo to do that thing again”. It should not happen again. We must have the records of this House to be plain. Now, we talk about mobile money interoperability and so on. Where do they get the figures from, and which Committee in this House monitors it?
During the period of Subah Infosolutions, the Hon Minister and I were Committee members. We
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon Member, under the National Service
Act, are all persons who have degrees and diplomas not liable to do national service?
Mr Ashiamah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as a teacher myself, we did not do that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon Member, you were not a graduate then.
Mr Ashiamah 2:15 p.m.
So, the teachers who have completed now, one year has been taken --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon Member, I just want us to respect the law. So let your argument be in relation to the law, please.
Mr Ashiamah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, going back to the issue of the communication sector, we expect that -- I appeal to the Hon Minister for Communications and His Excellency the President as well as the Rt Hon Speaker that for this country to develop in a very integrated way, we need to share information for posterity. A particular problem emanated somewhere last week Friday, where the Ministry of National Security is trying to build another data centre while a data centre has already been built, and the Hon Minister and
the Hon Colleague have alluded to that. Why should it be so? When we share ideas, there would be no duplication of efforts and waste of the resources of this country.
I appeal to the Rt Hon Speaker that the money to be used by the Ministry of National Security to build another data centre must be called back to the House to prevent it from being used again.
Mr Speaker, going forward, we have also seen what the Hon Minister has done under cyber security and other things. Now, the money has started coming, and we want to know where those moneys would go. The Committee must be privy to this information, so that when somebody gives out information in terms of figures, we would be able to defend it. We would not defend ourselves, but Ghana, so that Authority must quickly be set up so that we move forward.
Mr Speaker, in talking about the business processes that have been established, I remember very well that during the tenure of former President Mahama, we did a test run of e-health information on fiber optic. So these are ongoing projects that we must all
agree that someone has started and another person would continue. That is well accepted.
The National Communications Authority has its responsibility, and for them to come to us -- I would appeal to the Hon Minister that we need to dialogue about things going on. Hon Members of the Committee on Communications cannot report appropriately to the Rt Hon Speaker of the House so that the records would be kept.
Mr Speaker, going forward, the Ministry of Communications together with the Government must make that provision, so that we know what is actually going on in those sectors.
If I should discuss the Budget Statement either on Information Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture and even the business sectors -- I remember that former President Mahama built Kejetia Market, but the distribution of the stalls became a problem for the NPP Government; but they are asking me to discuss the Budget Statement.
Mr Speaker, the people at Kejetia Market want their stalls and the
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Member, you had a choice not to discuss the Budget Statement, but please speak to the Budget Statement once you have been given the option. You have another opportunity, and you can --
You have one minute remaining.
Mr Ashiamah 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, to sum it all, as I said, the job lies on His Excellency the President and the Hon Minister for Communications to make sure that the project on the western fibre optic enclave project goes on, so that we can protect our natural resources on the western line. All these projects must connect to other parts of the country, and I have said in this House that Ghana does not belong to only Kumasi, Takoradi and Accra. Other resources must be spread to the north, including the Oti Region, so that all of us would enjoy those resources. All the projects and provisions are in the south; how can the farmers in the north gather the information to --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Majority Leadership.
Mr Moses Anim 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we could take item numbered 13.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
I can take the Motion on the Bekwai Hospital.
Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, Motion 13 is not the Motion on the Bekwai Hospital; rather, it is on a request for tax waiver.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Then let us finish with the Bekwai Hospital before any other Motion. That is my privilege, and I intend to take it.
So, we would take Motion numbered 16, and then I can assure you we would do the rest.
MOTIONS 2:25 p.m.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
We would take Motion numbered 17.
MOTION 2:25 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for Waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL/GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy (including domestic taxes) amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of four million, five hundred and twenty-eight thousand, and thirty- one euros fifty cents (€4,528,031.50) made up of €799,312.50 on local purchases and €3,728,719 on equipment and materials to be imported in respect of the Completion and Equipping of the Bekwai District Hospital.
In so doing, I would present the Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL/ GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy (including domestic taxes) amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of €4,528,031 made up of €799,312.50 on local purchases and €3,728,719 on equipment and materials to be imported in respect of the Completion and Equipping of the
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:25 p.m.


SPACE FOR APPENDIX -- PAGE 17, 2.25 PM SPACE FOR APPENDIX -- PAGE 18, 2.25 PM
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ashanti Region is the most populaced region in Ghana. Apart from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, we hardly see any hospital of such stature. Mr Speaker, even though Bekwai is not too far, there is a large population in Bekwai, Obuasi, Mampong and so on. If we consider the population in Ghana and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Ashanti Region -- apart from approving this Motion, I think that Ashanti Region deserves more.
Mr Speaker, I was part of the delegation that went to the Upper West Region during the last election campaign. Oftentimes, the electorates are not aware of the kind of work we do here. Some electorates questioned me that I was canvassing for the candidate because I have said that he was one of the most experienced legislators, but they do not have any district hospital.
Mr Speaker, so I would call on Hon Members that this is a hospital in the constituency of the Hon First Deputy Speaker. [Hear! Hear!] Hon Leaders hardly have time to go to their constituencies to carry out house to house engagements. It is unfortunate that the Hon Minister for Finance is

I say this because when the Rt Hon Speaker travels, we would say that the Hon First Deputy Speaker would be available, but apart from plenary duties, the Speakership have administrative duties to carry out. Even during recess, the Speakership would hardly find time to visit the constituencies where they would be elected. So how would they get the opportunity to carry out the face to face engagements for purposes of elections?

Mr Speaker, so I would say to the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance that apart from Bekwai, the Ministry would still have to do more. I have been there before and I know the work of the Hon First Deputy Speaker. The seat of the Hon First Deputy Speaker is like 20 seats. I remember a certain occasion when we were approving a Motion on the Floor of the House and Hon Doe Adjaho was the then Hon First Deputy Speaker in the Chair. I counted the Minority side and they were more than us, so we could put the question on the Motion. Mr

Speaker, the late former Judicial Secretary from the Ashanti Region, Hon Owusu Ansah looked at me and said that “Doe Adjaho sitting there is like 20 Hon Members”. [Laughter.] So even though they had the numbers, the ruling would still come from the Chair.

Mr Speaker, with these few comments, I beg to second the Motion. I would entreat every Hon Member here that the Question should be put without a debate. This is a token the House could give and even more.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity given.
Mr Moses Anim (NPP -- Trobu) 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I support the Motion, and I know all of us would support it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Leader, you are out of order. [Laughter.]
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Available Hon Leader, you know why you cannot contribute to this debate, so stay away from it. [Laughter.]
Hon Members, we would take Motion numbered 8 -- Resolution.
Mr Anim 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your leave, we would ask the Hon Deputy Minister to move the Resolution on behalf of the Hon Minister for Finance.
RESOLUTIONS 2:35 p.m.
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 2:35 p.m.
IS RESPECTFULLY RE- 2:35 p.m.
REQUESTED TO ADOPT THE 2:35 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr Anim 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we would take the Motion captured in item numbered 13.
MOTIONS 2:35 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:35 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80(1), which require that no Motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the Motion is given and the date on which the Motion is moved, the Motion for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL/GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy (including domestic VAT, domestic NHIL and domestic GETFund) amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of forty-nine million, nine hundred and sixty-six thousand, five hundred and three United States dollars eighty-six cents (US$49,966, 503.86) on project materials and equipment to be procured under the Agreement to implement the Integrated National Security Communications Enhance-ment Network (ALPHA) Project -- Phase 2 may be moved today.
Hon Ranking Member (Mr Cassiel A. B. Forson): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL/GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy (including domestic VAT, domestic NHIL and domestic GETFund) amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of forty-nine million, nine hundred and sixty-six thousand, five hundred and three United States dollars and eighty-six cents (US$49,966,503.86) on project materials and equipment to be procured under the Agreement to implement the Integrated National Security Communications Enhance- ment Network (ALPHA) Project -- Phase 2.
Mr Speaker, you would recall that the Financing Agreement was taken last Friday, and we were to proceed
with the tax waiver, when the Prime Minister of Barbados came to deliver her speech.
Mr Speaker, I therefore present your committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL/ GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy, and Special Import Levy (including domestic VAT, domestic NHIL and domestic GETFund Levy) amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of US$49,966,503.86 on project materials and equipment to be procured under the Agreement to implement the Integrated National Security Communications Enhance- ment Network (ALPHA) Project - Phase 2 was laid in the House on Thursday 7th November, 2019 by the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance, Mrs Abena Osei-Asare, on behalf of the Minister responsible for Finance.
Pursuant to Order 169 of the Standing Orders of the House, the Request was referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report.
The Committee met and con- sidered the request with the Hon
Minister of State responsible for National Security, Hon Bryan Acheampong, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon Abena Osei-Asare, and a team of officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ministries of Finance and National Security.
The Committee hereby presents this Report to the House pursuant to Order 161(1) of the Standing Orders of the House.
2.0 Background
The Government of Ghana, in its efforts to improve the security of the state intends to enter into an Agreement to leverage emerging technologies to facilitate the determent and detection of nefarious activities in the country, safeguard critical national infrastructure, and also to improve security and emergency response coordination with the use of state of the art security and public safety systems.
To this end, the Government of Ghana and Huawei Technologies of China signed a US$176,000,00. contract in 2012, to deliver such mentioned systems, to complement other security systems already in place nationwide. Funding was provided by
the China Development Bank (CDB) and all necessary Parliamentary approvals were secured through the Ministry of Communications.
The National Security Council (NSC), as part of its mandate was the owner of the project and provided the key personnel on behalf of the Government of Ghana to support the project implementation and subsequent takeover for operations and maintenance.
The First Phase of the project as currently deployed, provides the underlying infrastructure for national security and emerging response priority communications for both voice and data, as well as the backbone for our nationwide video surveillance (CCTV) deployment efforts.
The project also delivers a national Emergency Command Center (ECC) for coordinated incident response, and from which the various security services are able to draw intelligence feeds.
The First Phase installed the communications network upon which network elements such as the CCTV, handsets and other systems would ride. It also introduced a few of the CCTV cameras (around 800 cameras) for priority deployment to critical areas such as key national installations and hot spots.
Mr Fifi F. F. Kwetey (NDC -- Ketu South) 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion moved by the Hon Chairman of the Committee, and to add that we had very important discussions at the Committee level and we unanimously supported it.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Motion was approved last week. We were even supposed to conclude with this. So this is just a work in progress from last week. With that, I do not see any controversy on this. Based on that, we support the Motion.
Mr Moses Anim (NPP -- Trobu) 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the implementation should be taken good care of, so that waivers would only be on these items and not any other. This is because the information trickling in indicates that at times there is demand for certain waivers outside what was approved. We would want the Ghana Revenue Authority and its agencies to look at what we have approved in this House and go accordingly to them.
With these few words, I support the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
RESOLUTIONS 2:35 p.m.
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 2:35 p.m.
RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED 2:35 p.m.
TO ADOPT THE FOLLOWING 2:35 p.m.
RESOLUTION 2:35 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr Moses Anim 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have gone beyond 2.00 p.m., we are in your hands.
I would like to commend Hon Members for the good work done today especially after the Post-Budget Workshop and to continue Sitting today. We commend Hon Members for their spirit for work demonstrated today.
I also encourage Hon Members that the debate continues tomorrow. We should come in our numbers to continue.
Mr Speaker, we are in your hands.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I join my Hon colleague to commend Hon Members for staying in over the weekend throughout the Post-Budget Workshop, even though we have not completed everything. This morning, we were here in our numbers as early as possible, and the debate has been very fruitful. Tomorrow's debate would be on employment, energy, trade and industry.
I would want to appeal to Hon Members who would debate tomorrow to come as early as possible. It would not be nice for Mr Speaker to call a name and the Hon Member is not here. It is our constitutional mandate. We would go ahead to do it.
Today, the three Hon Deputy Ministers for Finance were here with the Hon Minister for Finance, and they could see the challenges we faced when the Hon Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance spoke. As a Deputy Whip, I was not comfortable when he pointed that the chairs were empty. The Hon Deputy Ministers for Finance are part of the whips. After this, I and my Hon Colleagues would meet them and strategise to start calling Hon colleagues because it would not be nice for any Hon Member to speak and draw attention to the chairs. We would work together with them, and make sure that we have the numbers in the House to continue with the debate tomorrow.
Mr Speaker, the House is in your hands.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, before I adjourn the House, on behalf of the people of Bekwai, I thank you very much for supporting the application that would
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.


Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee, I thank you very much.
ADJOURNMENT 2:35 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 2.44 p.m. till Tuesday, 19th November, 2019 at 10.00 a.m.