Debates of 29 May 2020

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:07 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 11:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:07 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday 28th May,
2020.
Mr Speaker 11:07 a.m.
Hon Members, item listed 3, Business Statement. Hon Majority Leader?
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 11:07 a.m.
Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 11:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker, your Committee met yesterday, Thursday, 28th May, 2020 and arranged Business of the House for the Third Week ending Friday, 5th June, 2020. Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows:
Arrangement of Business
Formal Communications by the Speaker
Mr Speaker, you may read any available communication to the House.
Question(s)
Mr Speaker, the Business Committee has scheduled the following Ministers to respond to Questions asked of them during the week:
No. of Question(s)
i. Minister for Local Government and Rural Development 1
ii. Minister for the Interior 1
iii. Minister for Trade and Industry 1
iv. Minister for Railways Development 1
v. Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection 1
vi. Minister for Works and Housing 3
vii. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration 1
viii. Minister for Health 2
ix. Minister for Education 1
Total Number of Questions 12
Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 11:17 a.m.
for laying. Committee reports may also be presented to the House for consideration.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions if any, taken during the week.
Visitors to Parliament
Mr Speaker, it has come to the notice of Leadership, a worrying phenomenon of the increasing number of visitors to Parliament in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, contrary to a directive issued by Mr Speaker in line with the COVID-19 protocols.

Further to this, the House Leadership has also observed that some Hon Members of Parliament's Research Assistants and National Service Personnel are still reporting for duty contrary to the directive issued by Mr Speaker pursuant to the COVID-19 imperatives.

Mr Speaker, the Business Committee passionately appeals to Hon Members and the Staff of Parliamentary Service as well as staff of other institutions working within the

precincts of Parliament to desist from inviting visitors to Parliament, unless it is very compelling to do so. In such cases, Hon Members or Staff or others concerned must seek clearance from Leadership of their respective caucuses or from the Clerk to Parliament.

Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160 (2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committee submits to this honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be transacted during the week under consideration.

Questions --

*706. Ms Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo (Shai- Osudoku): To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development when cons- truction works on market centres for the following communities in the Shai- Osudoku Constituency will be undertaken:

(a) Dodowa

(b) Asutsuare; and

(c) Doryumu.

Statements

Motions --

Second Reading of Bills

Ghana Communication Tech- nology University Bill, 2020.

Consideration Stage of Bills --

Land Bill, 2019 (Commencement of debate).

Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management Bill,

2020.

Chartered Institute of Marketing Bill, 2020.

Committee sittings.

Urgent Question --
Mr Isaac Adongo (Bolgatanga Central) 11:17 a.m.
To ask the Minister for the Interior what measures are being implemented to prevent and manage potential risk of importation of Coronavirus from Burkina Faso and Togo through our borders.
Questions --
*708. Mr Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite (Chereponi): To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry the current status of the Komenda Sugar Factory and efforts being made to operationalise the factory.
*707. Mr Frank Annoh- D o m p r e h ( N s a w a m - Adoagyiri): To ask the Minister for Railways Development when works on the Achimota -- Nsawam railway line will be completed.
Statements
Motion --
Third Reading of Bills
Education Regulatory Bodies Bill, 2019.
Consideration Stage of Bills --
Land Bill, 2019 (Continuation of debate).
Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management Bill,
2020.
Chartered Institute of Marketing Bill, 2020.
Committee sittings.
Mr Isaac Adongo (Bolgatanga Central) 11:17 a.m.


Urgent Question --
Mrs Mavis Nkansah-Boadu (Afigya Sekyere East) 11:17 a.m.
To ask the Minister responsible for Gender, Children and Social Protection the measures the Ministry has put in place to protect street children amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Questions --
*717. Mr Frank Annoh- Dompreh (Nsawam- Adoagyiri): To ask the Minister for Works and Housing when the awarded drainage works in the Djankrom area and its environs would be completed.
*718.Mr Frank Annoh- Dompreh (Nsawam- Adoagyiri): To ask the Minister for Works and Housing the state of the Saglemi Housing Project and when Ghanaians may have the benefit of it.
*719 Mr Frank Annoh- D o m p r e h ( N s a w a m - Adoagyiri): To ask the Minister for Works and
Housing the preparedness of the Ministry in permanently fixing the drainage and sewage challenges faced by the country.
Statements
Consideration Stage of Bills --
Land Bill, 2019. (Continuation of debate.
Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management Bill,
2020.
Chartered Institute of Marketing Bill, 2020.
Committee sittings.

Urgent Question --
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (North Tongu) 11:17 a.m.
To ask the Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration plans for evacuating Ghanaians currently stranded abroad due to the closure of our international borders as a result of measures to prevent the importation of COVID-19.
Questions --
*697. Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwame Dafea- mekpor (South Dayi): To ask the Minister for Health what concrete steps the Ministry has taken to build an accident centre at the Peki Government Hospital in South Dayi.
*698.Mr Kwasi Etu-Bonde (Kintampo North): To ask the Minister for Health what is stalling the accreditation of Kintampo College of Health degree programmes.
*701.Dr Clement A. Apaak (Builsa South): To ask the Minister for Education what the Ministry is doing to promote and enhance the teaching and learning of ICT at the Junior High School level in Ghana.
Statements
Presentation of Papers --
(a)Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of the Federa- tion of Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis on the Waiver of Visa Requirements
for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports.
(b)Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of the Republic of Suriname on the Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports.
(c)Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of the Republic of Malta on the Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic and Service/Official Passports.
(d)Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports.
(e)Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of the Republic of Guyana on the Waiver of
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (North Tongu) 11:17 a.m.


Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic, Service/Official and Ordinary Passports.

(f) Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of Saint Vincent and Grenadines on the Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic, Service/Official and Ordinary Passports.

(g)Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic and Service/Official Ordinary Passports.

(h)Bilateral Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Government of the State of Qatar on the Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Ghanaian Diplomatic Passports and Holders of Qatar Diplomatic and Special.
Alhaji Muntaka 11:17 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The issue of getting the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (E.C.) to come and brief the House keeps coming up and the Hon Majority Leader keeps giving us the assurance that it would happen. Looking at the Business Statement for next week, he has still not made provision for Chairperson of the E.C. to come to the House.
Mr Speaker, when does he think it may be possible for the Chairperson to appear before the House to brief the House on the activities of the E.C?
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Chief Whip is a member of the Business Committee. When we met yesterday, this matter came up for discussion at the Business Committee Meeting, Unfortunately, he was not there. If he had been there, certainly I believe he would not have raised this matter because it was thoroughly examined at the Business Committee Meeting.
Mr Speaker, however, for the further elucidation of other Hon Members, the E. C. has programmes to fan out to various regions in the country to undertake some assignment. They have indicated to us that they would be back in Accra on the 15th June, 2020 and accordingly, they would avail themselves on the 16th June, 2020.
I thought that would be too distant a date from now, given what issues that are coming up for consideration. So I am strongly urging them to avail themselves on the 9th June, 2020; that is a week before their own declared date to be available in the House. We have not been able to sort it out yet, even though I am strongly pressing that they should be here on that day.
Mr Speaker, I believe latest by Tuesday, I should be able to tell Hon Colleagues whether I have attained some success or not. This is the status of affairs.
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Hon Members, the Business Statement as presented is hereby adopted accordingly.
Hon Members, item numbered 4 -- Questions. If the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways could please take the relevant seat?
Yes, Hon Samuel Nartey George would ask Question listed 714.
ORAL ANSWERS TO 11:17 a.m.
QUESTIONS 11:17 a.m.
MINISTRY OF ROADS AND 11:17 a.m.
HIGHWAYS 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minister,
your Question.
Minister for Roads and
Highways (Mr Kwasi Amoako-
Attah): Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I have realised that
the arrangement in the Order Paper
Addendum did not come out well.
There is a lot of confusion in the
arrangement, so the answers do not
follow chronologically. So with
respect to the House and with
permission from you, could I read
from the original script?
Otherwise Mr Speaker, I could
also read from the Order Paper
Addendum, but I would have to
correct them as I go along and that
would be a bit confusing. Mr Speaker,
with your permission, could I read
from the original script?
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
Hon Minister, the way forward would be to let you read from the original script and then also to tender it based on the record. If you lay it, Hansard will capture it.
Mr Amoako-Attah 11:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, then with the highest respect, I would want to lay the original script for Hansard to capture it.

i. Afienya - Dawhenya

Background

The Afienya - Dawhenya road is a Regional Route (R13). The road length is 7.2kms. It is in the Ningo - Prampram and Shai Osudoku districts of the Greater Accra Region. The road connects the Tema - Aflao
Mr Speaker 11:27 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister for your very detailed Answer.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr S. N. George 11:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways for his detailed response. However, on the Afienya-Dawhenya Road, I remember that the Hon Minister was gracious enough to invite me to visit that Road with him in October 2017, after barely six months of his being in office, where he looked at the state of that Road.
The response says that the contractor has returned to site. I just want to let the Hon Minister know that the contractor has not returned to site even as we speak today. I would therefore want to know if the Ministry has any plans to get the contractor to take remedial actions at the Afienya station on the Aflao-Tema Highway?
Anybody who uses that road bears the kind of traffic that we go through. There is depression on that road because people spend two hours to cross that road. I would want to know if the Hon Minister has any immediate remedial plans for that stretch of the road? I know that the Hon Deputy Minister, Anthony Karbo, uses that road very often.
Mr Amoako Attah 11:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is true, and I can confirm to my Hon Colleague that I had the priviledge of visiting the road with him as he said.
Mr S. N. George 11:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on the Afienya-Dodowa stretch, which is the fifth road that I inquired about, our understanding is that in 2017, the contractor was asked to pause work on the road pending an audit of the contract award.
The response says that work has been suspended for over forty months which is true and the contractor has been served with a warning letter. When did the audit that caused the contractor to stop work end, and when was he asked to return to site? In fact, the contractor has not come to site on the Afienya-Dodowa road which straddles the Ningo-Prampram and the Shai-Osudoku Constituencies?
Mr Amoako-Attah 11:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, nobody stops any contractor from working. Once a legally binding contract is executed between the contractor and the employer, the contractor is supposed to commence work and complete work. But anybody who understands contracts would know that it is not all the time that a contractor may be performing, and if a contractor does not perform, there are legal processes to go through.
It has taken a while because we have been working with the contractor hoping that he would return to work. We had to serve the Contractor letters at various intervals, and that is why my Answer indicated that we are serving the contractor the last warning letter and if we do that and within fourteen days, the
contractor does not go back to work, we would not hesitate at all to terminate the contract, repackage it and re-award it.
Mr George 11:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the last follow-up question is very important because it is on the Old Ningo—
Mr Speaker 11:37 a.m.
Hon Member, ask a question; do not comment on what it is going to be.
Mr George 11:37 a.m.
Alright, Mr Speaker. It is on the Old Ningo to Tsopoli Feeder Road. That is the road numbered (iii) in the main Question. He said work has stalled for over fifty- four months and engineering studies are going on to end by June, 2020. What assurance is the Minister giving me that this road which is an ancestral road to Old Ningo , would be fixed and captured in so that when Her Excellency, the First Lady is coming home for Homowo, she could have a good road to drive into Old Ningo? Thank you.
Mr Amoako-Attah 11:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, engineering works would always necessarily have to precede the construction of any road. And I have indicated in my Answer that that is being done and it would be factored into the Budget of 2021. Yet my Hon Colleague wants an assurance that this
would be done.We are consistent in the Ministry; the Government is consistent and we follow through our plans and programmes. So if he wants me to give him assurance, I would tell him that assurance is hereby given.
Mr Speaker 11:37 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister.Hon Member for Shai-Osudoku?
Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor 11:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, may I seek your leave to ask the Question on behalf of the Hon Member?
Mr Speaker 11:37 a.m.
Hon Member, leave granted.
Commencement of some Roads in the Shai-Osudoku
Constituency
Mr Dafeamekpor on behalf of Ms Linda O. A. Ocloo (Shai- Osudoku) 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the construction works on the following roads in the Shai-Osudoku Constituency would commence:
(i) Osuwem -- Agortor
(ii) Asutsuare -- Aveyime ; and
(iii) Agormeda -- Kordiabe.

MR AMOAKO-ATTAH]Mr Amoako-Attah: Mr Speaker, I thank you. I begin with Osuwem - Agortor Feeder Road.

715: i. Osuwem -- Agortor Feeder Road

Background

The Osuwem -- Agortor feeder road is identified by the Department of Feeder Roads as Nyigbenya - Osuwem --Agortor (26.0kms) feeder road. It is a gravel road with poor surface condition and located in the Ningo-Prampram district of the Greater Accra Region.

Current programme

Contracts for the Bituminous Surfacing of Osuwem -- Nyigbenya Feeder Road was awarded in four (4) phases for the entire 26 kms as follows:

Phase 1: Bitumen Surfacing of Osuwem -- Nyigbenya Feeder Road kms (0.00 -- 6.00)

Contract was awarded on 12th September, 2016 with commencement on 1st November, 2016 and expected completion on 1st November, 2017.

Works executed to date include;

i. 6.6 kms clearing of roadside vegetation;

ii. 6.6 kms road formation; and

iii. Concrete U-drain at some sections.

The contractor has abandoned site after submitting IPC no.1 in an amount of GH¢553,936.12 of which payment is outstanding. The Progress of work is 15.31 per cent physical completion.

Phase 2: Bitumen Surfacing of Osuwem-- Nyigbenya Feeder Road kms (6.00 --12.00)

Contract was awarded on 4th October, 2016 with commencement on 19th October, 2016 and expected completion on 18th October, 2017.

Works executed to date include:

i. 6.0kms clearing of roadside vegetation.

Progress of work is 5 per cent physical completion and the Contractor has abandoned site. No Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) has been prepared on the Project.

Phase 3: Bitumen Surfacing of Osuwem -- Nyigbenya Feeder Road kms (12.00 -- 19.00)

Contract was awarded on 12th July, 2016 with commencement on 7th September, 2016. Works were

expected for completion on 6th September, 2017.

Works executed to date include:

i. 7.0kms each of vegetation clearing and formation;

ii. 1no. 2/1800mms pipe culvert;

iii. 1no. 1/1200mms pipe culvert;

iv. 4nos. 1/900mms pipe culverts.

Progress of work is 24.08 per cent physical completion. The contractor has submitted an IPC in the sum of GH¢2,404,203.44 of which payment is outstanding. Work progress has come to a standstill for some months.

Phase 4: Bitumen Surfacing of Osuwem -- Nyigbenya Feeder Road kms (19.00 -- 26.00)

Contract was awarded on 4th October, 2016 with commencement on 19th October, 2016 and expected completion on 18th October, 2017.

Work executed to date include:

i. 7.0kms clearing of roadside vegetation

Progress of work is 5 per cent physical completion and the Contractor has abandoned site. No IPC has been prepared on the contract.

Future programme

The Department of Feeder Roads has commenced the necessary contractual procedure to terminate the phases 2 and 4 contracts for none performance. However, the reactivation of the sites for phases 1 and 3 depends on the Employer's honouring payments of the outstanding IPC.

ii. Asutsuare - Aveyime

Background

The Asutsuare - Aveyime feeder road is an engineered road located in the Shai-Osudoku District. It is in a poor surface condition.

Current programme

There is no rehabilitation or upgrading programme on the road.

Future programme

Engineering design studies for the rehabilitation of the road will be conducted during the 3rd quarter of

MR AMOAKO-ATTAH]MR AMOAKO-ATTAH]

this year 2020. The execution of the works will be considered under the 2021 budget of the DFR.

iii. The Agomeda ---Kodiabe Feeder Road (11.0kms)

Background

The Agomeda -- Kodiabe feeder road (11.0kms) is bituminous surfaced in poor condition. It is located in the Shai- Osudoku district of the Greater Accra Region.

Current programme

There is no rehabilitation or upgrading programme on the road.

Future programme

Engineering design studies for the rehabilitation of the road will be conducted during the 3rd quarter of this year 2020. The execution of the works will be considered under the 2021 Budget of the DFR.
Mr Dafeamekpor 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is gratifying to hear that the Asutsuare-Aveyime road, as well as the Agomeda-Kodiabe road, both of which are in poor condition, will feature prominently in the 2021 Budget. That is assuring enough.
In respect of the Osuwem- Nyigbenya road, the Hon Minister indicated clearly, that the entire section had been phased into four sections and awarded to four different contractors. However, clearly the contractors are not up and doing. The first contractor has only done about 15 per cent; the second one about five per cent; the third, 24 per cent; and the fourth, five per cent.
He indicated clearly that they intend to take away the contracts and re-award just two of them. Could the Hon Minister assure the House that given the work done so far by the other two, it would be imperative to take the entire work from all of them and re-award them, so that those whose IPCs are outstanding could just be paid off so that a new contractor can focus and complete the work?
Mr Amoako-Atta 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I could not have agreed more with my Hon Colleague on his observation. That was why I said earlier that our expectation is that anybody who is given any project should be in the position to execute it. We take a lot of things into consideration before entering into a contractual arrangement with any contractor. However, be it as it may, you would not get every contractor living up to expectation for various reasons.
As you can see from my Answer, on the Osuwem -- Nyigbenya stretch of the road measuring a distance of six kilometres, the contractor had only completed five per cent. This five per cent could barely represent clearing after mobilising. I also indicated in the Answer, that the contractor has not even raised any IPC on the work done because the work done cannot even warrant an IPC. Clearly, this is not a serious contractor, but we still have to go through the processes of terminating the contract.
Once more, I would want to assure the Hon Member, that we keep a close eye on all these projects and will satisfy the contractual legal requirements and make sure that the job is terminated, repackaged and re- awarded.
Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
Question numbered 716, Hon Member for Upper West Akim?
Rehabilitation of Road from Mepom Junction to Mankrong Junction
Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask permission to ask this Question on behalf of the Hon Member for Upper West Akim. I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways what plans are underway
to rehabilitate the road from Mepom Junction in the Upper West Akim District to Mankrong Junction in the Agona East District.
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr Amoako-Attah) 11:47 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Background
The Mepom Junction - Mankrong Junction road is a Regional Route (R 64). The road lies in the Upper West Akim and Agona East districts of the Eastern and Central regions. The road therefore, connects the Eastern and Central regions. The road is bituminous - surfaced and the surface condition is poor.
Current programme
There is currently no contract on- going on the road. Routine maintenance work such as pothole patching is undertaken at critical sections.
Future programme
Engineering Design Studies and cost estimates have been submitted to Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) Head Office for review and procurement under the 2020/2021 trunk road rehabilitation programme.
Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
Thank you very much Hon Minister. Hon Member, any follow up?
Ms Ntoso 11:47 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Answer, he said that there is currently no ongoing contract on the road. In the last paragraph of his Answer, he also said that Engineering Design Studies and cost estimates have been submitted to the Ghana Highway Authority for review and procurement. May I know from the Hon Minister; if there is no contract ongoing, why is there a review of the project?
Mr Amoako-Attah 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, there is no ambiguity in my Answer. I indicated that there is no contract on that road currently. Due to the absence of the contract, that is why we are going through engineering studies to prepare new estimates that would give way to the beginning of a new procurement process and it is the procurement process that would end in the execution of the contract. So there is no ambiguity at all.
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Hon Member, any further questions?
Mrs Ntoso 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if he says that they want to go through the process for the contract to be
awarded, my concern is that he stated that there would be a review of the project which means that some contract has been awarded and probably terminated and therefore, they are reviewing it for re-awarding. That is the clarification I want -- my concern is about the review. This is because if there was no contract, there would not be review. What would be reviewed?
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Hon Member, at the moment there is no contract and we have been told in clear terms. Preparatory works are going on, which might lead to a contract in due course.
Any further questions?

Hon Member, your question has been clearly answered; as I said that as at today there is no contract. Preparatory works are going on and those works might lead to some contracts some day or the other.

Any more questions please?
Mrs Ntoso 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, since the Hon Minister said that the surface condition is poor, could he give an assurance that after the review --
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Hon Minister, could you give an assurance?
Mr Amoako-Attah 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, an assurance is hereby given.
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Hon Minister, thank you very much for the assurance and on that assured note, we thank you for coming to the House as usual to answer our Questions. You are respectfully discharged.
We have two Statements for today, by way of the item listed 4 but we shall do Presentation of Papers, so that the relevant persons may deal with them in the interim. So I would make a small variation and go to the item listed 5 -- Presentation of Papers.
Item numbered 5(a), by the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, this very document was presented in the House, last Tuesday, 26th May, 2020. I think there is a mix up.
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Very well. Shall we go to item numbered 5(b)?
Item numbered 5(b), by the Hon Minister for Justice and Attorney- General?
PAPERS 11:57 a.m.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I may want to present the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, in respect of item numbered 5(b).
By the Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) (on behalf of the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development) --
Budget Performance Report in respect of the Office of the Special Prosecutor for the period of January to December,
2019.
Referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
By the Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr Kwesi Amoako- Attah) (on behalf of the Minister for Works and Housing) --
Budget Performance Report in respect of the Ministry of Works and Housing for the period of January to December, 2019.
Referred to the Committee on Works and Housing.
rose
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka?
Alhaji Muntaka 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we need to respect our rules. The Hon Minister for Roads and Highways is not the Hon Minister for Works and Housing, so permission is needed to be sought before he laid the Paper.
Mr Speaker, the sad thing is that almost all the Hon Ministers who are supposed to present the Papers are not in the House and this brings to fore the questions that I keep asking the Majority bench. There is Business to do, so the Hon Ministers are supposed to be in the House.
The Hon Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and the Majority Leader just laid the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister for Justice and Attorney- General. However, with regard to item numbered 5(c), permission was not even sought for and the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways got up to bow. Let us respect our rules.
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Item listed 5(d), by the Hon Minister for Employment?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with the indulgence of the
House and by your kind permission, I may want to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister.
By the Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) (on behalf of the Minister for Employment) --
Budget Performance Report in Respect of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations for the period January to December, 2019.
Referred to the Committee on Employment and Social Welfare.
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Item listed 5(e), by the Hon Minister for Transport?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Transport would do so on behalf of the Hon Minister.
By the Deputy Minister for Transport (Mr Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover) (on behalf of the Minister for Transport) --
Budget Performance Report in Respect of the Ministry of Transport for the period January to December, 2019.
Referred to the Committee on Roads and Transport.
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Item listed 5(f), by the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:57 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would do so for the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources.
By the Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) (on behalf of the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources) --
Budget Performance Report in Respect of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources for the period January to December, 2019.
Referred to the Committee on Works and Housing.
Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
Hon Members, we move back to Statements -- item listed 4.
There is a Statement by the Hon Deputy Minister for Defence, an Hon Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, on the occasion of the commemoration of the International Day for the United Nations Peace Keepers on Friday, 29th May 2020. For which matter we see a number of our military personnel in the public gallery and for which matter we extend our regards to them.
STATEMENTS 12:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
I thank you very much, Hon Deputy Minister, and particularly for your very kind brevity.
We had Statements from the Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa and also from the Hon Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. We decided that the two of them should make some short
contributions and then the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration who desires to make a comment may do so.
So, Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa?
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa 12:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful. I would like to give the opportunity to the Hon Ranking Member on the Committee on Defence and the Interior since my Statement was not admitted.
Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
Hon Member, you may.
Mr James Agalga (NDC -- Builsa North) 12:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity given me to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Hon Deputy Minister for Defence to mark the day for UN peacekeepers.
Mr Speaker, the theme for the occasion is very apt and I would be commenting on that in a moment. But let me state that after six decades of Ghana's involvement in international peacekeeping which is borne out of our foreign policy starting from the era of our first President, Kwame Nkrumah, the role our peacekeepers have played has in recent times
expanded to meet the doctrinal shift from the traditional peacekeeping role assigned to our peacekeepers to the multi-dimensional peace operations.
Mr Speaker, I wish to indicate that the UNSC Resolution 1325 is actually underpinned by the contemporary multi-dimensional peace operations and it is no wonder that that Resolution itself makes it imperative for more women to be involved in peace support operations in view of the changing dynamics of peacekeeping in the world.
Mr Speaker, the traditional conception of peacekeeping was the maintenance of ceasefires, but like I said, in recent times, the doctrinal shift has actually made it imperative for us to begin to include other important functions such as the construction of liberal democratic states as part of our post-conflict reconstruction and this dovetails into the principle of gender mainstreaming.
Mr Speaker, we must observe that our country has done very well by deploying more women on international peacekeeping duties. We need to pat ourselves on the shoulder and to ask that in furtherance of that, we should recruit more women into our security services -- the Armed
Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
I thank you very much, Hon Ranking Member.
Hon Annoh-Dompreh?
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP--Nsawam/Adoagyiri) 12:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for your kindness. In order not to be repetitive, let me limit myself to a few statements.
Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
And it should be within five minutes.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, rightly so. Let me begin by commending our own Major Derek Oduro (Retd).
Mr Speaker, I am reliably informed that he has participated in over 10 peacekeeping operations over the years and so he is one person who is so experienced.
I wish to commend all women across the globe, particularly Ghanaian women and permit me to single out a few who, by my assessment, have distinguished themselves; Brigadier-General Edjeani Akorfa who I am reliably informed is the first female UN peace commander and she is a Ghanaian whom we need to celebrate and be very proud of.
Mr Speaker, we also have Major Georgina Mensah who is also a Ghanaian, the first female who participated in UN peacekeeping in
the year 1984. This is something worthy of celebration and we need to recognise it as such.
As other Hon Members have intimated, Ghana as a country, has shown wonderful contributions when it comes to peacekeeping, but suffice it to say that the quota given by the UN where it says that 15 per cent have to be females, Ghana has met this requirement and this is something that we need to be proud of.
Mr Speaker, again, all peacekeeping troops sent by our country have all been trained in the three arms of service; that is, the Army, Navy and Air Force. This is important and something that we need to be proud of.
The very basis for this day's celebration is rightly captured in the UN Resolution 57/129 which sets this day as a very important day for the world to recognise and celebrate.
Mr Speaker, I could not have agreed more with the Hon Ranking Member who had touched on the Resolution 1325 which our country has adopted for the past two decades and inherent there is the new approach to peacekeeping which lays emphasis and focus on women participation. I am also told that Brigadier-General Emmanuel Kotia is the commander of
Mr Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member. This matter traverses both the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and we cannot leave out the distinguished Hon Minister for Defence. Therefore, I will give Hon Member for North Tongu, Mr Ablakwa the chance to tackle the
foreign angle from the other perspective and we shall proceed accordingly.
Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa, you have five minutes.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement to the foreign affairs dimension of this very auspicious occasion -- The UN Day for Peacekeepers.
Mr Speaker, I commend the Hon Deputy Minister for Defence for making the Statement. He is a former peacekeeper who has shared very remarkable stories particularly from his days in Liberia and which continues to be etched in my memory.
As has been noted, the theme for this year's celebration chosen by the UN is -- ‘Women in Peacekeeping, A Key to Peace'. It is significant to observe that the UN has admitted that women play a very important role when it comes to peace operations. However, the number of females in peace operations across the world is rather low.
Mr Speaker, between the years of 1957 and 1989, only 20 uniformed women served as UN peacekeepers. In the year 1993, women made up only one per cent of the deployed uniformed personnel, in the year 2019, the number increased to 4.7 per cent.
This led the UN to adopt the Declaration -- ‘Action for Peacekeeping', A4P for short and it has quite some ambitious targets that by the year 2028, for women serving in military contingents, there should be 15 per cent of them, 25 per cent for military observers and staff officers and 20 per cent for women serving in uniformed police unit and 30 per cent for individual police officers.
That is quite an ambitious target and we have only eight years to go and I am glad that the Hon Minister for Defence is here as we will need to adapt our domestic policies to increase recruitment of women into our uniformed services.
The other very significant dimension which must be observed today is that this year marks exactly 60 years since Ghana deployed its first peacekeeping troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo. So, it is a double barrel celebration for our women and for Ghana for the role it has played in peace operations across the world.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as you well know, since the 1960 deployment to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana in the year 1973 was in Egypt for United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF). In the year 1979, we went to Lebanon for United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL), in the year 1990, we were in Liberia for Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), in the year 1992, we were in Cambodia for United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
(UNTAC).
Again, in the year 1993, Ghana deployed troops to Rwanda in United Nations Assistance Missions for Rwanda (UNAMIR), in the year 1998, we were in Sierra Leone for United Nations Missions in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), in the year 2001, we were in the Democratic Republic of Congo for United Nations Organisation Stabilisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), in the year 2002, we were in La Cote d'Ivoire for two missions; United Nations Operations in La Cote d'Ivoire (UNOIC) and
ECOMIC.
Mr Speaker, in the year 2003, we were in Liberia for ECOWAS Mission in Liberia (ECOMIL) and United Nations Mission in Liberia
(UNMIL). In 2008, we were in CHAD for the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINUCRAT). In 2010 we were in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation in DRC (MONISCO), in 2013 we were in Mali for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MUNISMA) and in 2014, we were in South Sudan for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Mr Speaker, so we have been all over the world and you would recall that when the distinguished Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, addressed this House, she conveyed the appreciation of the United States Government and the high regard that they have for Ghana because of our role in maintaining global peace and security. So we must also celebrate 6o years of Ghana's contributions and we salute our troops.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Hon Member, thank you very much.
Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, your brief comments please.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (Ms Shirley A. Botchwey) 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much and I rise to support the Statement ably made by the Hon Deputy Minister for Defence on this very important day.
Mr Speaker, we are commemorating this Day within the era of COVID-19 pandemic, and we take note of the effects that this pandemic has on peacekeepers all over the world in undertaking the daunting task of maintaining, enforcing and building peace.
As a country, we started the UN Peacekeeping Operations in the 1960s and we have served in over 65 UN Peacekeeping Missions. We have an enviable record and we are amongst the first 10 countries who contribute troops to the UN Missions. Mr Speaker, it is gratifying to note that our military and police personnel have held very top positions with UN peacekeeping missions. This is a testament of the quality of our men and women in uniform.
Mr Speaker, the theme “Women in Peacekeeping; A Key to Peace” is very appropriate and significant. We
should recognise and applaud the important role that women play in peacekeeping. In spite of the barriers in deploying women to peacekeeping operations, when they are on the field they make great success in the operations that they are assigned to because they are able to appeal to the vulnerable in society and actually interact and engage with women and children. They are very good at protecting citizens, peace and human rights.
Mr Speaker, we welcomed an initiative by the Canadian Government which is the Elsie Initiative. This initiative was basically to increase the participation of women in peacekeeping. From the very beginning in 1960 when Ghana contributed zero, however, today, we contribute over 14 per cent of peacekeepers in terms of women. We are happy that Canada chose Ghana as one of the countries to pilot the initiative.
Mr Speaker, I have represented Ghana in several meetings of the Elsie initiative and our collaboration with Canada has deepened in terms of our bilateral and multilateral collaboration. We have launched this peace initiative and subsequently the Ministry of
Mr Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Hon Minister, thank you very much.
Finally, we would listen to the Hon Minister for Defence.
Minister for Defence (Mr Dominic B. A. Nitiwul) 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. I rise to support the Statement made by the Hon Deputy Minister for Defence and to sincerely thank him for bringing to light the sacrifices and efforts made by our peacekeepers across the globe.
Mr Speaker, it is right that today we need to celebrate peacekeepers across the world. Many peacekeepers including our cherished women have paid the ultimate price. Mr Speaker, many of them have dependents in their home countries but in the pursuit of serving humanity they lost their lives.
This includes a Ghanaian peacekeeper we lost this year. It is for this reason that I join hands with all around the world to celebrate them and to also thank them, especially we applaud those of them in Ghana with all our hearts because they make us proud.
Mr Speaker, as I visit the world, one of the legacies of Ghana is our peacekeeping ability and prowess. Mr Speaker, I celebrate my Hon Deputy Minister because he is also one of the few officers who sacrificed their time and energy to save Liberia.
In fact, he nearly got himself in a big trouble and if not for the intervention of God he would not be sitting here. His story is so pathetic.
Mr Speaker, peacekeeping has evolved especially for women just as stated by the Hon Ranking Member for the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In 1983, they were just one per cent, but today the numbers have been increasing although slowly.
However, I am proud to say that while the UN is setting a target of 15 per cent for 2028, Ghana has already achieved that with our women in particular. Mr Speaker, we think that it is even not enough because we should hit the 40 per cent and 50 per cent mark, especially for staff officers and officers working directly with the
UN.
Mr Speaker, we cannot say anything but praise our women. If we send more women to the peacekeeping missions, we improve the performance of the operation because when there is diversity the performance would improve.
Mr Speaker, who is better placed to be able to access and attend to a vulnerable woman and better placed to understand a child during peacekeeping? It cannot be a man; it
must definitely be a woman because women are mothers. When motherhood is translated into peacekeeping then we can understand that the real people who can have a better impact of peacekeeping are women.
Unless it has to do with peace enforcing, but for peacekeeping and peacebuilding, the officers we have to send are women. So we would encourage and continue to send the women to peacekeeping operations and make sure that the numbers go higher than we have currently.
Mr Speaker, it is also important to reflect the communities that we serve because a peacekeeper serves the community. We cannot have 50 per cent of the people being served but only 15 per cent or less of the people who make up the 50 per cent.
Mr Speaker 12:27 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister for your rich contribution as well as those of all the other previous contributors.

Hon Members, we have a Statement, from Hon Yaw Frimpong Addo on the Continuous State of Insecurity in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region. It is a district contiguous with that of the Hon First Deputy Speaker and as it is, we

shall let him speak on this and for the Hon First Deputy Speaker to make a brief contribution since he is a next door neighbour.

Yes, Hon Member, please proceed. You shall not make your Statement so long.

Continuous State of Insecurity in the Amansie South District of

the Ashanti Region
Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo (NPP -- Manso-Adubia) 12:27 p.m.
Thank you Mr Speaker for the opportunity to make this Statement.
Mr Speaker, to say that the people of the Manso Adubia Constituency in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region are living in constant fear is an understatement. In fact, no week passes without one reported case of armed robbery or the other. In certain instances, these robberies take place three times at the same spot with impunity.
Mr Speaker, just last week Monday, 18th May, 2020, a bloody armed robbery took place in a community called Manso Dadiase in the district in which three innocent souls were gunned down including the hardworking driver of the District Chief Executive, who was on official duty. The entire community was
Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo (NPP -- Manso-Adubia) 12:47 p.m.


Mr Speaker, it is my considered opinion that the district really needs a marshal plan in its security arrangements and therefore I call on the Hon Ministers of the Interior, National Security, Defence and the IGP to pull all resources to contain the situation before it gets out of hand.

Mr Speaker, again, one factor that facilitates the constant robberies is the bad nature of roads in the constituency. One can hardly do 20 kms/hr on our roads which makes it so difficult for the few police personnel to proceed to robbery spots when called to duty. Although some of the roads have been awarded on contract, the pace of road construction is too slow.

Another grave situation is the lack of telephone penetration in most parts of the district. Victims of such robberies find it so difficult to reach the police for assistance.
Mr Speaker 12:47 p.m.
Thank you, Hon Member.
This is exactly what we call constituency specific Statement. The Hon First Deputy Speaker is a contiguous Hon Member; so we would give him the opportunity to make a few remarks after which he would take the Chair.
Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu (NPP --Bekwai) 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity to add my voice to the call for an intensified security presence in the entire enclave of the Old Amansie District, now broken into four different districts.
Mr Speaker, the details as recounted by the Hon Member makes it appear as if it is only his constituency that is in trouble, but the trouble starts all the way from Anwia- Nkwanta, which is the hub of the Bekwai Municipality; the two Manso Districts, Amansie District and the Odotobiri District. All the residents in these areas are victims of robberies at different locations. The latest one is what was recounted, which resulted in the death of the driver of the District Chief Executive.
Mr Speaker, as recounted, another real challenge is that the telephony penetration is very low. On the link
between my constituency and the Hon Member's constituency, there is a place where, as it stands now, we do not have access to any of the networks. From the reports that I have heard, that is where often the robbers block the road.
The Bekwai Municipal Police Directorate; the divisional command has put a post there, but often, they do not have sufficient men to man the place 24 hours. They do shifts, and sometimes in between some of the shifts those places are not manned and therefore the robbers appear to monitor them and are able to intercept vehicles.
Largely, they are targeting gold traders. There is a lot of gold mining in that part of the country. There is a huge major mine on that part of the country, and there are a lot of small scale miners around that area. These are often the targets.
A lot of the miners have lost huge sums of moneys and then also a considerable number of people.
Mr Speaker, as my Hon Colleague suggested, I think that it is time to zoom in on that part of the area for security purposes. I suggest that the National Security focuses on
providing sufficient personnel and sufficient armoury for the security people in that area.
Indeed, I have had occasion to make a representation on behalf of the divisional headquarters that the number of men that they have within the division -- indeed, all those places fall within the Bekwai division and it is quite a large area. The number of personnel that they have is not sufficient so as we are recruiting more police personnel, I request that the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of National Security pay more attention to that area and increase the security and the police patrol there.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 12:47 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Members, the Hon First Deputy Speaker may take the Chair at this stage.
Hon Members, we have an Order Paper Addendum for consideration, and we have a Motion by the Hon Minister for Education.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we would do the Consideration of the Education
Mr Speaker 12:47 p.m.
For that matter, do we pick from the Order Paper Addendum or from the original Order Paper?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we can take from the Order Paper Addendum one.
Mr Speaker 12:47 p.m.
Hon Members, the Education Regulatory Bodies Bill, 2019 at the Consideration Stage, the item numbered two on the Order Paper Addendum.
BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 12:47 p.m.
STAGE 12:47 p.m.
Mr Quaittoo 12:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 43 subclause (1), paragraph (h), subparagraph (iii), delete “Recongnition” and insert “Recognition.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.

Clause 43 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr Speaker 12:57 p.m.
Clause 44, is there any listed amendment? -- [Pause]-- I am told we have finished with clause 44.
Clause 44 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 45 -- Committees of the Commission
Mr Quaittoo 12:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, subclause (4), paragraph (e), delete “assessment” and insert “enforcement”.
Mr Speaker, the reason is clause 45 talks about the Committees of the Commission, and there is supposed to be a Committee on enforcement but erroneously, it was written as “assessment committee”. The “assessment” is rather found in paragraph (a), which is the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training Qualifications Committee. So, in paragraph (e), the Committee there is supposed to be an enforcement Committee and it is found in clause 51 - the “Divisions of
the Commission”. There is an Enforcement Division -- [Interruption] -- Yes, the Assessment Division is there and there is an Enforcement Division as well.
So when it comes to the Committees, the Enforcement Committee is missing, so paragraph (e) is supposed to be the Enforcement Committee and it is found in clause 51, Divisions of the Commission, and there is an Enforcement Division, therefore, it should have its related Committee.
MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr Avedzi 12:59 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if the Hon Chairman of the Committee could come clearer, if he said the Enforcement Committee is the paragraph (e), is that Committee going to enforce all the assessments or the work of other Committees?
If we take paragraph (a), the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training Qualifications Committee, whatever they would be doing would be assessment and we are saying that the paragraph (e) would be enforcing that. If we come to paragraph (b), the Sector Skills
Committee, what happens to the work that they would be doing? Would their work also be enforced by the Enforcement Committee? Then, if we come to paragraph (c), the Quality Assurance Committee, whatever they do, is it the Enforcement Committee that would be doing the enforcement or what? Let us know exactly what that Committee would be doing.
Mr Quaittoo 12:59 p.m.
Hon Member, I am adverting your mind to clause 51 -- Divisions of the Commission.
“The Board shall establish the following divisions:
(a)Accreditation, Assessment and Certification Divisions;
(b)Standards, Curriculum Development and Enforcement Divisions;”
So there is supposed to be an Enforcement Division, and the Enforcement Division should have its Committee to execute it. And if we come to the Committees in clause 45, Enforcement Committee is missing. For the assessment, the assessment is within the paragraph (a), which is the “Qualifications Committee”.
Mr Avedzi 12:59 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we should know; it is not the fact of it being omitted and that is all; it was
Mr Dafeamekpor 12:59 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. I am inclined to support the position of the Hon Deputy Minority Leader regarding the fact of use of the term, “Enforcement Committee”. The Quality Assurance Committee would be enforcing the standards, so for me, it is more of a duplicitous situation rather than to create another committee just to satisfy the requirements under clause 51.
Mr Speaker, clearly, for me, it is not needed at all because the Quality Assurance Committee would be enforcing all the standards that we
require. Otherwise, then we create the Enforcement Committee and take out the Quality Assurance Committee because the Enforcement Committee would be enforcing standards and the standards would relate to quality. And we would still satisfy the requirements under clause 51. That is my humble opinion.
Mr Quaittoo 12:59 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am saying that the Hon Members should advert their minds to clause 51 -- The Divisions of the Commission:
“The Board shall establish the following divisions:
(a) Accreditation, Assessment and Certification Divisions;
(b)Standards, Curriculum Development and Enforcement Divisions;
(c) Policy, Planning, Projects, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Division; and
(d) Any other division that may be established …”
Mr Speaker, but if it comes to Committees, the Committees are the ones that would, of course, supervise the implementation of the functions of this Commission. And I am saying that in paragraph (a), if we all look at
“assessment”, assessment of the courses that the Commission would be regulating are within the first Committee. That is the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training Qualifications Committee. So “assessment” is within there. So assessment again in paragraph (e) would be a duplication. And according to the TVET Head, the Assessment Committee there should read: “Enforcement Committee”. And that is why we have its Division in clause 51 (b). Mr Speaker, clause 45 (e) and (a) in terms of assessment is a duplication.
Mr Chireh 12:59 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman wants us to change paragraph (e) to “Enforcement Committee” to enforce what? We have paragraphs: (a) Qualification Committee; (b) Skills Committee; (c) Quality Assurance Committee; (d) Skills Development Fund Committee; then we have Enforcement Committee to enforce what?
Mr Speaker, these are regulatory bodies and if we are establishing Committees and we want one Committee to take over the whole function of the regulatory body, we must specify that they must ensure that these things are done. If we set up the Committee as Enforcement Committee, is it going to enforce what
the Quality Assurance Committee has found out not to be valid and they should do something about it?
I do not know the explanation, but it is dangerous sometimes to take a main body like this Committee and then give all the same powers to one sub-committee. They can only recommend in some cases. If it is also a standing committee, that is fine, but in this particular case, we are saying that --
In fact, assessment is the basis and if we say they should assess and enforce, that is fine; but if we say we do not have assessment, then if they do not assess, how can they enforce it? You assess the person and if he falls below, then you say no, make sure you use this method. So I think that we need to look at this more carefully.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
What have you agreed or should I put the Question? Hon Minister, what is your decision? Do you want an Assessment Committee or Enforcement Committee?
Dr Prempeh 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would first have to apologise. My mind was with the Hon Minister for
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
We appear to be in a stalemate and I think that it is a policy decision. Do you want an Enforcement Committee or an Assessment Committee?
Dr Prempeh 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in order to move forward, what the Hon Chairman is saying is probably what should have existed. Conferring with the Agency, that was the intendment, that an Assessment Committee can do the same enforcement if in the setting up of the Committee, they are given that specific function as well. So I would plead with the Hon Chairman to make way so we move on with what is in existence and finish with the others.
Mr Speaker, this is because the Board shall also have powers to establish other committees to perform the functions and we would encourage them that if they are so minded, they should form the Enforcement Committee under their power listed under clause 45 (1) on the establishment of committees. This would enable them to establish the Enforcement Committee as one of the committees responsible to the Board.
Mr Quaitoo 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yesterday, listening to the head of the Agency who was directed by the Hon Minister to talk to me, he wants the Assessment Committee to be changed to the Enforcement Committee. This is because it has its division and should therefore have a committee to be in consonance with the division that would be created.
The functions of the Assessment Committee here is within the first committee, which is the Qualifications Committee. That is where the assessment is, but within the operations, they always have a team that enforces certain norms and standards established. That is the explanation he gave me.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
So what do you want?
Mr Quaittoo 1:07 p.m.
I prefer that we delete “Assessment” and insert “Enforcement”.
Mr Avedzi 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, is the Hon Chairman saying that after the Qualification Committee finishes their work, they have to transfer it to the Enforcement Committee to enforce? After the Quality Assurance Committee has finished its work, they
would transfer it to the Enforcement Committee to enforce? I want that to be clear, then I can know what I am voting for.
Mr Quaittoo 1:07 p.m.
What is the difference between those who make the law and those who enforce it? Someone makes the law and another enforces it. Is it different from this one?
Mr Chireh 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want us to get a middle ground. We should retain the words “assessment” and “enforcement” because when you assess, that would be the basis for enforcement. However, if we are saying they should enforce, then the conflict is this.
If we are saying it is the work of the four previous committees that this Committee is going to do, would they agree that one committee would go and find out that the skills and qualifications are not good, then come and report to the Enforcement Committee?
They are to report to the Board as the Board is the mother institution which would have a method of enforcing it. The Committee itself cannot decide how to enforce it. If you breach any of the rules, the Board is the one that would write to say, do this or do that and not a committee.
One committee is saying the qualifications are not good then another committee comes to enforce it. So, I think that either we remove the whole thing or combine the two.
Dr Prempeh 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I said, I asked the head of the Agency to explain very well to the Hon Chairman as he has well elucidated. There are two sides; the first attempt is to delete the “Assessment Committee” and I think that we have to agree to delete it. Whether to replace it with the Enforcement Committee is what we are talking about because the explanation is that the assessment is already subsumed in another's work, so we should see the two parts.
If we are deleting the “Assessment Committee” which I agree with, let us delete it.
The understanding of the promoters of the Bill must also be taken care of. Our lack of understanding is being shown here, but it is clear in the Chairman's mind what he intends to do, which we may have to support.
There are two parts and one is to delete the “Assessment Committee” because we are assured that the work that it is intended to do is being done

by the Qualification Committee. So let us delete that and see where we would insert the enforcement.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the question that we need to answer is this, between a committee and a division in the structure, which one is higher? Is it the division or the Committee? Now, there is a division that is dedicated to assessment. When we come to the formation of the committees, we are saying that no, let us do away with that one. I am not too persuaded by that.
Mr Speaker, I keep saying that these things should reflect in the functions. When we go to the functions as established under clause 43 (1)(c), we have clearly:
“developed and implement a national assessment and certification system in the technical, vocational education and training sector”.
Mr Speaker, when we look throughout, we do not even see enforcement there in the functions. I think that clause 45 in any event, provides that apart from these committees that are listed, additional committees could be created by the
Board. Even with the divisions, additional ones could be created. So, to say we should delete some really, I am not convinced at all.
Today is Friday and we do not have enough time, so I would plead that we stand this down and if we are convinced and persuaded, we can take it during the Second Consideration Stage and move on.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
Hon Chairman, are we standing clause 46 down? So we would go to clause 121.
Mr Quaittoo 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, clause 45 and not clause 46 down right? So we would go to --
Mr Quaittoo 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is clause 45 and not 46.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
Very well. So we would go to clause 121.
Clause 121 -- Funds of the regulatory bodies
Mr Quaittoo 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 121, subclause (3), line 2, delete “also'' and on the same line 2, delete “one per cent and insert “one-half per cent'' and on the same
line 2, insert “public'' after “a'' and further in line 3, insert “education'' after “tertiary''.
So the new rendition would read:
“The funds of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission shall include a levy of one-half per cent of the internally generated funds of a public tertiary education institution”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, at the Winnowing Committee yesterday, we agreed to change the headnote to “Funds of regulatory bodies” but it did not reflect on the Order Paper. So I want to propose a new amendment.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, headnote, delete “the” before “regulatory” and also delete “bodies” after “regulatory” and insert “body”.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to make a further amendment for it to read:
“Funds of regulatory bodies”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
Hon Member, but if you delete the “the”, which regulatory bodies are we talking about? This Bill has set up regulatory bodies, which have clearly been defined one after the other. So if we say “Funds of the regulatory bodies”, it refers to the regulatory bodies in the Bill. So, why do you want to delete it?
Mr Chireh 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is because of what we did yesterday. This part covers all the regulatory bodies and therefore with this particular one if we want to maintain the singular for each of them rather than as a group -- that is why I would have supported his earlier move, which is “Funds of a regulatory body”, which was what was resisted against what we did yesterday.
This is because yesterday, anywhere we found “the”, we changed it to “a” and that was because we want each of them to be governed by this part. So, if we change to the plural, it is still understood because it covers everybody.
Dr Prempeh 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if we call it “Funds of a regulatory body”, or “Funds of the regulatory bodies”, it is the same meaning so it should stay. This is because in the opening line, it reads:
Mr Quaittoo 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 122, line 1 delete “each'' and insert “a''.
The new rendition would read:
“The moneys for a regulatory body shall be paid into a bank account…”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 122 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 123 -- Annual estimates
Mr Quaittoo 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 123, subclause (1), line 1, delete “The'' and insert “A” and line 3, insert “financial” before “year”.
The new rendition would read:
Mr Ahiafor 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we agreed that instead of the “at least three months”; it should be “not later than three months”. So, I beg to propose a new amendment.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 123, subclause (1), line 1, after “shall” delete “at least'' and insert “not later than”.
So the new rendition would read:
“A Board shall, not later than three months before the commencement of each financial year, cause to be prepared estimates of the revenue and expenditure for that financial year”.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with regard to clause 123, there was a slight mixed up in what the Hon Chairman proposed, in respect of “the”. The first part is all right - that is deleting “The” and inserting “A” and then in line 3, he said we should insert “financial” before “year” but already, there is “financial
year”. What he said to do was to delete in line 2, “each” and insert “a”. So that it would read:
“A Board shall, not later than three months before the commencement of a financial year, cause to be prepared estimates of the revenue and expenditure for that financial year”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Quaittoo 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 123, subclause (2), paragraph (e), line 1, delete “such” and in line 3, delete “in respect of” and in line 4, delete “think of” and insert “consider necessary”.
So the new rendition would read:
“the creation of reserves to meet future or contingent liabilities in respect of benefits, insurance or replacement of buildings or installations, equipment and such other matters as the Board may consider necessary.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the advertised amendment suggests that we are deleting “in respect of” from the amendment that we just carried under clause 123(2)(e) but I heard the Chairman repeat “in respect of”. [Interruption] Alright.
Mr Quaittoo 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 123, subclause (3), line 3, delete “and” and on the same line 3, delete “the Minister has given” and in line 4, delete “approval” and insert “which”.
Mr Speaker, the new rendition would be 1:27 p.m.
“The annual estimates shall be approved by the Board before the commencement of the financial year to which they relate and shall be submitted to the Minister for approval after which the Board shall not increase any sum provided in the estimates without the consent of the Minister.”
Mr Banda 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not really have a problem with the proposed amendment except to proffer an amendment in respect of line 2. I believe that it would be clearer if we substitute the pronoun “they” with the noun which I believe is “estimates”. We have a number of subjects preceding the pronoun; so,

instead of using the pronoun, I believe it would bring clarity to bear on the provision if we substitute it with a noun.
Mr Quaittoo 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think it is alright because “they” could refer to anything.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Quaittoo 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 123, subclause (4), line 2, delete “express approval” and insert “written consent”.
So the new rendition would be:
“An expenditure shall not be incurred except in accordance with the annual estimates or with the written consent of the Minister.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think one word has been left out. The full complement should read:
“An expenditure shall not be incurred except in accordance with the approved annual estimates or with the written consent of the Minister.”
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:27 p.m.
Hon Chairman of the Committee, are you receptive to that proposed amendment?
Mr Quaittoo 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 123 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 124 -- Accounts and audit
Mr Quaittoo 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 124 subclause (1), delete and insert the following:
“A Board shall keep books, records, returns and other documents relevant to the accounts in the form approved by the Auditor-General.”
Mr Ahiafor 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree to the amendment of the Chairman of the Committee but to further improve upon it using the constitutional language in article 187(3). So after “keep” insert “all” and after “documents” insert “relating or”. It would read:
“A Board shall keep all books, records, returns and other documents relating or relevant to
the accounts in the form approved by the Auditor- General.”
Mr Speaker, that is the language in article 187(3).
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is indeed the template that we have adopted, so that should be it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:27 p.m.
Yes, there is a confusion as to what you want inserted. You inserted “all” and then you also introduced “relating or”.
Mr Ahiafor 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is exactly what the Constitution says, so, I am just borrowing the words from the Constitution, and one cannot be wrong when he is using constitutional language.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:27 p.m.
Even if the Constitution has become outmoded?
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I said, we have developed a template for this and it is what we have here as advertised by the Hon Chairman. Sometimes instead of the ‘or', we rather use the definite article. That is; ‘the Board
shall keep the books, records, returns and other documents relevant to the accounts in the form approved by the Auditor-General'.
In the circumstance, ‘relevant' is in reference to ‘the books' Mr Speaker, as I said, we have a common template for this and so in order not to be moving forward and backward, we can leave it to the draftspersons because we have a common template.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
So what is the position? Are we allowing the insertions or we are taking the decision on what is there?
Mr Ahiafor 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will not litigate ‘relating'.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
Very well. So, you will add; ‘a Board shall keep all books'.
Mr Quaittoo 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am in for any of them; either of the two are all correct; ‘or' or ‘the'. What we have adopted should be used.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
Pardon me?
Mr Quaittoo 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was saying that the rendition for this phrase
Mr Quaittoo 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (4), delete “the” and insert “A” and insert the following:
Mr Speaker, the second “the” that is; “The financial year of a regulatory body …” So we are deleting the second “the”.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not see any advertised amendment for clause 124(2) but flowing from how we amended clause 123 (1), line 1, I think that instead of using ‘within three months', we should replace it with ‘not later than', for purposes of internal consistency.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
Hon Chairman, is that agreeable to you? The Hon Member suggests that instead of ‘within three months' as we did earlier it should be replaced with ‘not later than three months'.
Mr Quaittoo 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not sure which clause he is referring to you. I am talking about subclause (4) and he is looking at --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
We are looking at subclause (4) so let us finish with it. I thought that you are amending his proposed amendment.
Mr Banda 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I find it a bit difficult in understanding why this amendment is being affected because if we want clause 124 (4) to be a general provision, then we should as well amend clause 124 (2), especially with respect to “regulatory body”. So clause 124 (2) should read; ‘a regulatory body'.
Mr Speaker, so the Hon Majority Leader says that in the first line of clause 124 (2), the definite article should be an indefinite article to synchronise with the amendment in clause 124 (4). This will then read; ‘a regulatory body'.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is so but ‘within three months'. The ‘within' in this context is good.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
With respect to the proposed amendment to clause 124 (4), there are two “the” and so which one are we -- ‘the financial year of the regulatory body
-- Is that what we are seeking to amend? Alright. Very well.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 124 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 125 -- Annual report and other reports
Mr Quaittoo 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), line 1, delete “The” and insert “a”, and in line 3, delete “the” and insert “a”.
Mr Speaker, it will then read 1:37 p.m.
“A Board shall, within thirty days after the receipt of the audit report, submit an annual report to the Minister covering the operations of a regulatory body for the year to which the annual report relates”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
So, which second “the” did we delete?
Mr Quaittoo 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the first “the” should read; “A Board”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
Very well.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Quaittoo 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move subclause (4), line 1, delete “The” and insert “A”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 125 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 126 -- Collaboration with statutory bodies
Mr Quaittoo 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, delete and insert the following: “A Board shall collaborate with other relevant statutory bodies in the performance of the functions of the regulatory body.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
There is no advertised amendment to clause 127.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, a careful look at the last amendment as advertised on Addendum 1 in

respect of the Third Schedule clearly shows that --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Hon Member, if it is not in respect of clause 127, then kindly wait.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am using it to build a base for an amendment that I want to propose. Mr Speaker, it clearly shows that we would use one umbrella term “Health Training Institutions” to refer to Nurses Training Colleges, Community Health -- [Interruption] Mr Speaker, the Hon Leader is sensitive to the phrase “one umbrella”. [Laughter]
Mr Speaker, my position is that we should define the “Health Training Institution” in the Interpretation Section because some of the schools are for nurses only, others are for community health nurses only and some are combined for the nurses and midwives. So that once we use Health Training Institutions, all these training institutions could properly be defined under the Interpretation Section.
Mr Speaker, the last amendment we are about to effect would Move away from the use of “nursing and
midwifery”, “community health nursing” and so on and would just use “Health Training Institutions”. So in Kintampo , the school of --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Hon Member, where in the Bill have we mentioned “Health Training Institutions”?
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you look at the Third Schedule in the Addendum.
Mr Quaittoo 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he is jumping the gun; I have not moved the proposed amendment on the Third Schedule, yet he is debating it.
Mr Chireh 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the amendment he is proposing, “health training institutions” is not a term of art. We all understand what it means in this Bill. We defined the “education institution” because that is the bulk of the whole Bill, and we wanted it to be simplified to mean whatever level of education institution.
So the health training institution that he is introducing is not something that we do not understand, for which reason it must be defined in this Bill. So even if we get to that, we have to be careful, otherwise we would define for agriculture, maritime and so on, but it would be just ridiculous.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Hon Members, we are considering clause 127, and if there is any addition or correction, I would consider it. Otherwise, I would put the Question.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I appreciate the principle in what Hon Member for South Dayi, Mr Dafeamekpor has espoused, but as you said, we are not there yet. In any event, I do not really understand “Health Training Institution”.
Perhaps we are talking about health delivery because health is not trained. However, we are not there yet and so let us finish with clause 127 and if we have to consider that at a Second Consideration Stage, then we could do that.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am guided and so I would withdraw my proposed amendment.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Very well.
Clause 127 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
First Schedule ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Second Schedule -- Accreditation Certificate
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Hon Ranking Member?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, currently, we have the National Accreditation Board and the National Council for Tertiary Education. By the passage of this Bill, the two would become one; the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.
Mr Speaker, the programme accreditation is different from

institutional accreditation. The Programme must be accredited separately and the institution would also be accredited to carry out --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
In fact, the “CERTIFICATE OF PROGRAMME ACCREDITATION” is a copy of the “CERTIFICATE FOR
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION”.
Hon Chairman?
Mr Quaittoo 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, they are two separate accreditations under Section 21. The samples of the certificates for the award of both accreditations have been shown under Section 21.
Mr Bernard Ahiafor 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, to further elucidate the point, the forms are two under Accreditation Certificate based on Section 21. Form 1 refers to Certificate of Programme Accreditation and Form 2 refers to Certificate of Institutional Certificate. Therefore under Accreditation Certificate, there is a certificate for programme accreditation and there is another certificate for institutional accreditation. So it is proper.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Hon Second Deputy Speaker?
Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are now in 2020 , but I just realised that the certificate is referring to 2019.
Both certificates on pages 61 and 62 which refer to section 21 of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2019, (Act…). This Bill was supposed to have been passed in 2019. So we would have to amend it to read, “2020” -- That is the content of Forms 1 and 2.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
Hon Chairman, do you agree that we amend the content of the Second Schedule? Shall we finish with that? I will direct the draftsperson to make the appropriate amendments.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, just for the avoidance of doubt, the section 21 refers to the authority of the Commission to issue accreditation certificate.
Just to avoid the confusion that the Hon Member for South Dayi, Mr Dafeamekpor raised, is it not better to refer to section 8 which provides that the Commission is responsible for the accreditation of public and private tertiary educational institutions? The
second one, programmes of the institutions. Is it section 8 or section 21 that is more relevant in this circumstance?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
Hon Member, section 21 refers to accreditation certificate. Yes, please I am dealing with the Schedules. They are correct here. So if there is any need to change the content, it shall be done after.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
I direct that the draftsperson inserts the appropriate year in the Act itself.
Third Schedule -- Tertiary Technical and Vocational Training Institutions and their Ministries.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
Hon Members, there are a number of proposed amendments to the Third Schedule. I think that all those proposed amendments are clerical; they all relate to the proper spelling of the names of the communities in which the colleges are, or the spelling of the names of the colleges.
The names are known, and so if somebody makes a mistake while typing, you can direct that it should
be corrected. I do not think that we need to legislate, unless there are specific ones which require legislation. I think that we should direct the draftspersons to make the appropriate corrections.
Mr Peter Nortsu - Kotoe 1:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have some proposed amendment listed as (x), (xii) and (xiii) on the Order Paper.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
Very well, so we will isolate those ones.
Do you want items listed as (x), (xii) and (xiii) entirely deleted, or two of them? Yes, Hon Chairman, did you want to say something else?
Hon Members, the Hon Ranking Member said that he has proposed amendments other than corrections of names and they are three; items numbered (x) on the Order Paper. He says we should delete the entire communication. We will consider that. He said we also delete “relating to Roads and Highways”.
I am suggesting that the rest are corrections to names and proper spellings of the names of the institutions. None of them is legislative; they are clerical. So if we adopt the Third Schedule, then I would direct the draftsperson to make the appropriate corrections.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, indeed, if we are looking at the more appropriate nomenclature, perhaps what my Hon Colleague said is true.
For instance, in the schedule, we do not say, like 100 in the Schedule, “Ghana School of Survey and Mapping”. The better rendition should be “Ghana School of Surveying and Mapping”. However, what obtains now is the name that they are using; it is their registered name. It could be wrong or right and that is what is intended to be captured.
I agree with the Hon Member that there are many of them that they have gotten, but to the extent that they are names that they are using now; registered names that we want to capture, we cannot correct same in the act. Otherwise, we would have directed them that this is their proper name. They should use that name and register it as such. So let us limit ourselves to this, save to correct the few spellings and so on here. Mr Speaker, I think that is the way to go as directed.
Mr Chireh 1:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, even what the Hon Member said, they are not motions that should be moved on the Floor -- [Interruption] -- No! I mean they are things that can be verified from the appropriate authority
outside Parliament, as to what should be the terminology. So the direction that Mr Speaker has given will take care of that. It is not only the spelling of the names of villages or towns, but the whole idea.
Mr Speaker, what the Hon Member talked about is “Nursing and Midwifery Council”. That was what we passed the law to say. But at this stage, we cannot know that. That is why the directions will still hold as far as those corrections are concerned.
The correct name and the way it reflects in the Bill and whether it is registered, that should be the work of the draftsperson.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Hon Members, I said that those are clerical. There are two matters though, that the Hon Ranking Member raises, which we should consider; the item numbered (x): “delete the entire role relating to communication.”
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if we look at the item numbered 97, concerning the Ghana Technology University College, in the first place, the institution is not a public university currently. We have a Bill here which seeks to establish it as a public
university. So putting it here as part of the institutions that would be taken over by this Act is not correct. This is not the right place for it.
Otherwise, other public universities should have also appeared on this list. So this Ghana Technology University College should rather be under the Public Universities Bill, which is before this House. That is why I move for it to be deleted.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Currently, how do they issue their certificates?
Mr Quaittoo 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, today, we are even to move a Motion for the Second Reading of that particular university; converting it from a private university to a public university. So it cannot belong here.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Yes, I understand, but I am just asking. They have been running programmes for now. Are they a college under any one of the universities already?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, currently, as it stands, it is a private institution. They charge their own fees and pay their staff, but Government is seeking to absorb them into the public system, and that is why we have the Bill before the House.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Very well, you may move your motion so that the record reflects that.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that on the item numbered (x), under the Third Schedule, the “Ghana Technology University College” is deleted.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Hon Members, we would move on to the item numbered (xii).
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, item 102, delete entire row relating to “ROADS AND
HIGHWAYS”.
Mr Speaker, I do so because this is a repetition. If we go to page 63 of the Bill, the item numbered 6, it shows that it is the same institution that is being repeated. It is on the item numbered 6 -- Roads and Highways Training Centre in Koforidua.
Again, if we go to page 67, the item numbered 102 on Roads and Highways, we have the same institution being stated there. Therefore, the item numbered 102 should be deleted.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is a third proposed amendment which is the item numbered (xiii) that stands in my name.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Very well, you may go ahead.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, item 104, delete entire row relating to “TRANSPORT”.
Mr Speaker, the Regional Maritime University is not owned by the Ghana Government. It is an institution which is jointly - owned by the Ghana Government and the Governments of Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Therefore as a country or a Parliament, we cannot make this university a part of our public system Until it is fully taken over by the Ghana Government and a law passed to grant its take-over by the Ghana Government. It is a sub-regional institution, which cannot be brought under this law, and that is why I moved for its deletion from the Third Schedule.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Does it currently require accreditation, either accreditation of the institution
or the accreditation of a programme under our system?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, it can, but administratively, it is not owned by the Ghana Government. It is a collaborative institution of about five countries. So we cannot put it in our law as one to be taken over by the Ghana Government.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
But let us be careful. Are we listing institutions owned by the country or institutions regulated by this body? We should be careful.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what we have done so far is on State - owned institutions, but this institution is owned by five countries. If we look carefully, we would realise that as a regional body, this institution is owned by five countries. So why should we regulate it?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
It operates in Ghana. So it has to be operated under the laws of Ghana.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my question is on whether it should be regulated at all. If they are asking
for programme accreditation, then we can do so, but we do not need to put it in the list here as a school that is being taken over under this law.
Mr Quaittoo 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this law does not necessarily mean that we have taken over these institutions. What it means is that we are regulating the institutions and so if the school is owned by a number of countries and the argument is that we should re- regulate it in accordance with our laws here, so be it.
I think that we would need to do a further study on its regulation; I think that they are being regulated by the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) as well as the National Accreditation Board.
Mr Ahiafor 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if we look at the Schedule carefully, it deals with public institutions. If we look at clause 8 -- “accreditation functions of the Commission,” subclause (1) reads: “The Commission is responsible for the accreditation of public and private tertiary education institutions…” However, to the extent that this Schedule deals purely with public institutions, any other body which is private ought not to have been included.
Mr Ahiafor 2:07 p.m.


Other than that, we should be talking about the Catholic and the Methodist Universities in this Schedule, but we have restricted ourselves to public institutions in the Schedule. Therefore any institution that is not a public institution cannot find its way into this Schedule.
Mr Chireh 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first of all, there are two issues involved. If we have a regional body such as we used to have the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) -- [Interruption] -- who accredits the programmes? In this particular case, it is the accreditation of their programmes done by the current National Accreditation Board or there is a body that accredits the Regional Maritime University considering the various regulations in the -- ?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Hon Members, I thought that I would not need to extend the time, but I would have to. Therefore having regards to the state of the Business of the House, I direct that the House sits beyond the regular Sitting hours.
Hon Member, you may continue.
Mr Chireh 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in my view, we would have to look for how their programmes are run and see
who accredits them. On the other hand, these are separate institutions under various Ministries. However, this law now intends to bring them under the Ministry of Education; so it is for the purposes of reservation. That is why in the reservation we have the problem of including private or joint ownership universities..
That is why in the reservation, we have the problem of including private or joint-ownership universities which are not solely backed by the document or our Republic, Ghana. So, if we have any institution that is internationally run or jointly owned by other people, there must be an administration; there must be a system of accreditation. If the accreditation is from outside, we cannot have it regulated by our own regulatory bodies.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is indeed a regulatory bodies Bill; it just has to do with regulation and accreditation. So that is how it is. The accreditation and the regulation, in any event, is done by Ghanaian institutions. Secondly, this is not a typical private institution; it is funded by the State so it is not a typical private institution to the extent that as provided by the Constitution in article 25 (2) which I quote with permission:
“Every person shall have the right at his own expense to establish and maintain a private school”.
This is not at the expense of any private person; it is Government funding. And indeed, as we speak today, about 85 per cent of their funding is provided by the Government of Ghana. So if we are talking about regulation, I think we are right to say that they should be regulated by the -- [Interruption] -- that is even what is happening now in any event.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have just gone to the website of the Regional Maritime University and this is what is written:
“We are a tertiary institution with diplomatic status located in Accra, Ghana and a branch of the World Maritime University founded by the Republics of Ghana, Cameroun, the Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The university attained full university status in 2007 and was transitioned from the Regional Maritime Academy, which was established to promote regional cooperation in
the maritime industry focussing on the training to ensure the sustained growth and development of the industry. The RMU also maintains the same overall objective”.
Mr Speaker, so with this, the Regional Maritime University cannot be part of the universities listed over here because it has a diplomatic status and it is not only owned by the Government.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
What is the meaning of ‘diplomatic status and it became a full university'? Who granted it the full university status?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if we look at it, it says “with World Maritime University”. Mr Speaker, if that is the case, why do we not have even the list of all other universities in the country here?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
Hon Member, you are done; you can stop your argument. Yes, Hon Chairman?
Mr Quaittoo 2:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Third Schedule says “section 38“, and “section“ simply means that we should look at the definition of what a public university is and a private university is. So if we look at section 38,it says that a public university is defined as one that is established by an Act of this Parliament.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
Hon Member, address me and ignore the asides.
Mr Quaittoo 2:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have in the Interpretation, private tertiary education institution and we have public tertiary education - in fact, we had “public university“ but we later amended it to “public tertiary education institution”. And also, “private university” was amended to -- [Interruption] -- “private tertiary education institution”. The “private tertiary education institution” as defined means a tertiary education institution established and maintained by an individual or a private body and sponsored from funds other than public funds.
The “public tertiary education institution” as defined, means a tertiary education institution which is established by an Act of Parliament. So, the question here is, is the Regional Maritime University established by an Act of Parliament?
--[Interruption] -- If it was not established by an Act of Parliament, then it cannot be here.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
Hon Members, look at the last definition. It is: “‘tertiary education institution' means university, university college; technical university; polytechnics; post-secondary; diploma awarding institutions; a tertiary technical and vocational training institution specified in the Third Schedule and a post- secondary professional training institution”.
So anyone of them, no matter where it is in this country, is covered. We are talking about a body that is regulating those providing institutions in this country. Can we have a maritime university because it is owned by other institutions or it is jointly owned, not regulated in this country? If it is not there, who would regulate it?
Mr Chireh 2:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the issue you have raised is bigger. From what the Hon Ranking Member read, it is a branch of the World Maritime University, which means that they have a central body that accredits their programmes. So if we do not have an Act of this Parliament establishing
the Regional Maritime University, it means it gets its accreditation from the main World Maritime University -- [Interruption] --
The point I am making is that if there is evidence that we passed a law or we elevated it to the status of a university either through the National Accreditation Board or whatever, that would mean that we are already regulating it.
But what I would further say is that the purpose of the Third Schedule is that all the other agencies have bodies there and we wanted all of them to be regulated here. And that is why Colleges of Agriculture and all those are here. With the Regional Maritime University, can we say so? The Hon Minister for Transport ought to help us in this because we have now been able to negotiate and take over and run our own programmes. It is the World Maritime University that is still prescribing what they do.
Mr Quaittoo 2:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, section 31, page 22 -- Accreditation and registration of foreign tertiary education institutions and recognition of foreign qualification. If any foreign institution wishes to establish a campus here, the institution must be accredited
and the programme must be accredited. So that institution cannot exist in Ghana without regulation from our NCT.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:17 p.m.
I have served on the Roads and Transport Committee for a long time and that university always appears before the Roads and Transport Committee to defend their budget all the time. When I was working at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), I realised that it was one of the agencies that met with the Ministry every time. So we cannot. It is funded from public funds.
Each country makes its contribution so -- anyway.
Whether it is a private or public university, it is required to be regulated under our law, period. Now, I would put the Question on the Third Schedule as amended.
Mr Quaittoo 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Third Schedule on the Order Paper Addendum 1, there is an amendment to be moved by me. I beg to move, Third Schedule, column 1, the row on health, second column, delete
“NURSING AND MIDWIFERY” --
Mr Quaittoo 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is a major correction and not a name change. The heading there is
“NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
TRAINING COLLEGES” and we are changing the whole thing to
“HEALTH TRAINING INSTI-
TUTIONS”. This is on page 63, after item numbered 6, before you come to item numbered 7. It should be changed because the institutions there are all not nursing training colleges, so we call them health training institutions.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
Very well. Let us deal with this one before we deal with any other matter.
So what is the proposed amendment? To change them to “HEALTH TRAINING INSTITUTIONS” or
“HEALTH DELIVERY TRAINING
INSTITUTIONS”?
Mr Quaittoo 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is not it. At the moment, they are called health training institutions.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, even though I thought that was a better rendition, I have been
advised that within the Ministry, that is how they are described; “health training institutions”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Third Schedule derives its legal basis to exist from clause 38 which says:
“‘tertiary education institution' means a university, university college, technical university, polytechnic, post-secondary diploma awarding institution, a tertiary technical and vocational training institution specified in the Third Schedule and a post- secondary professional training institution.”
That is what constitutes a tertiary education institution. Now, the schedule seeks to define only tertiary technical and vocational training institutions. I do not see how that can be because that is not the subject matter of the definition. The subject matter of the definition in clause 38 is “tertiary education institution” and the constituent parts of tertiary education institutions are what have been listed.
How can the Schedule then take part of the constituent parts, and that is even assuming that you are reading as specified in the Third Schedule to
regulate only tertiary, technical and vocational training institutions. Assuming that you are reading it to only regulate that one, because that concluding part also applies to a university, university college, technical university, polytechnic, post- secondary diploma awarding institution --
So I find it difficult to see how we derived the Third Schedule which excludes the schedule for a university, university college, technical university, polytechnic --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
Hon Member, let us read it again. You see that it has given different categories:
“‘tertiary education institution' means a university, university college, technical university, polytechnic, post-secondary diploma awarding institution, a tertiary technical and vocational training institution specified in the Third Schedule and a post- secondary professional training institution.”
So it is one of the categories that are listed in the Third Schedule as in addition to the others that have been mentioned, so it does not exclude them.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:27 p.m.
I agree that it does not exclude them. If it does not exclude them, then where is the list for a university?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
A “university” is already mentioned and it is assumed that it is known. They are saying that “a tertiary technical and vocational training institution specified”, so in addition to a university, university college, a technical university and polytechnic which are known, the list provided here are also considered tertiary institutions. That is my understanding of it.
Mr Chireh 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not know if his objection was a technical issue or that the Third Schedule is referred to in the Interpretation. The interpretation as he read out is very comprehensive and they are just saying that you should look at the list attached to it. So I do not see why it cannot be under interpretation. This is because that interpretation derives from a number of things that we have categorised before. So where it is, is the most appropriate place.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, I thought we intended to close early today?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we will close soon.
First of all, I think in the system now, we do not even have polytechnics.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
There are a few that have not been converted to universities yet.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
Which ones? The rest of them have been converted.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
Recently, a Bill has been brought before us but --
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have done so.
Mr Speaker 2:27 p.m.
Have we?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
Yes, we have.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
So all of them have been converted now?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
All of them? [Interruption] The new regions are not going to establish polytechnics, they would establish technical universities. So polytechnics do not exist any longer.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
But they may still come on board. I intend to establish one.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the intendment of that Act is to discourage the establishment of what used to be called polytechnics. Now, it is technical university. If you read the memorandum, that is what we did. So we do not have polytechnics.
I think that to cure the issue raised by Hon Fuseini, as we said, we know what “technical education institution” means, so perhaps, all that we need to do is to delete in line 4 “specified in the Third Schedule”.
This is because we have not specified the universities in the third schedule.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
No, Hon Majority Leader.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please, if you would hear me out --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we could say “technical education institution means, a university, a university college, technical university, post-secondary diploma awarding institution, a tertiary
technical and vocational training institution and a post-secondary professional training institution''.
In the normal sense, this is tertiary education institution. In the third schedule, what we have defined is the technical and vocational training institutions. So then we have to define that one as specified in the third schedule. We should split it into two and that is what would provide the cure. That is why I said you may hear me out.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
I think there is nothing wrong with what is here. I beg to differ.
Mr Dafeamekpor 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I withdrew an amendment a while ago in respect of -- [Interruption] -- we are done? Very well.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, what is your preposition?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what we have in the Interpretation clause 38 as “tertiary education institution'' in line 2, we should delete “polytechnics'' because they do not exist any longer and in line 3, we should delete “specified in the third schedule because we know what a “tertiary education institution''
is, and really, this definition minus “polytechnic'' and “specified in the third schedule'', would cover what is meant by “tertiary education institution''.
Mr Speaker, with that understanding, we would now define what we mean by “a tertiary technical and vocational training institution'' and then we would say that it means “the tertiary technical and vocational training institution specified in the third schedule''. That is it!
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
In that case the definition for “tertiary education'', would end at “post- secondary diploma awarding institution''.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it would end at “vocational institution''. We would only delete “specified in the third schedule'' and continue to the end. So in line 2, we would delete “polytechnic'' and in line 4, we would delete “specified in the third schedule'' and the rest would follow.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
Then you would provide another --
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:37 p.m.
Then we provide another definition for “tertiary technical and vocational training institution''.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:37 p.m.


Majority Leader, and that is?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it means that “the tertiary technical and vocational institution specified in the third schedule....''
Mr Bagbin 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree to the earlier proposal by the Hon Majority Leader but with regard to the placement of the “tertiary technical and vocational training institution'', it should come under part two because the part two, which starts from clause 41, deals with the “commission for technical and vocational education and training''.
The earlier part of his rendition is correct because it is the part that deals with “tertiary education institution'' but the “tertiary technical and vocational training institutions'' are dealt with under part two. So it should be moved to part two. [Interruption] -- No. They are all tertiary but they have been divided into part one and part two.
So this one deals with part two. [Interruption] -- no, it does not deal with the umbrella -- [Interruption] -- yes, you are allergic to “umbrella'', you are only friendly to “elephants''. We should not leave it under clause 38.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
Hon Members, let us look at the object of the Commission of the technical vocational education training. The object of the Commission is to regulate, promote and administer technical and vocational education and training for transformation and innovation. The word “tertiary'', is very emotional. If we move “colleges of education'' out of the tertiary, it would generate problem.
If we move the “health training institutions'' out of the tertiary group, we would have to deal with a huge problem. So they should be where they are. This is for technical education -- the NATVET is largely for informal training to formalise the informal sector.
Mr Chireh 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the matter is becoming a little complex and the problem we would run into is that the definition should not start with the “universities'' and end up at “specified in the third schedule''. This is because the third schedule deals with your concern that this professional bodies are now of tertiary level and therefore, they are the ones we have listed.
Otherwise, we should bring all the universities in Ghana into this schedule. So his amendment and what the Hon Second Deputy Speaker
said is that we should refocus and limit -- “universities'', should not appear in this definition. We could say, “as specified''. If we say the ones listed here -- a way to capture it should be “these institutions, like the Health Training Institutions, Colleges of Education and all that which are listed. So that is specified but once we start with universities and they are not specified in this one, there would be a problem.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Hon Member, you are right. We should just delete the “Maritime University'' and others because they have already been mentioned as a university and the rest would remain as technical tertiary institutions. That is all.
I think what we should do is to remove the Regional Maritime University and the other two.
So Hon Member, move your amendment. The rest of the two should not be there.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the other ones we have already agreed. First of all, we are dealing with the definition raised by the Hon Inusah Fuseini in clause 38.
We have used “tertiary education institution” in the Bill so we cannot delete it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
You are not deleting that. We have already mentioned that, it means “a university, a university college, technical university, a post-secondary diploma awarding institution, a tertiary and vocational training institution as specified”.
So, we have covered universities already; Regional Maritime University and Technology University should not come back there because they are universities. However, all the others which are not called universities but engage in tertiary training as listed in the last category and I think we should leave it as it is.
Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think the Hon Majority Leader has got the issue that I have raised. The interpretation column is seeking to set out the constituent organisations or institutions that make up tertiary education institution. If we find any of these institutions, then they fall under the general name of tertiary education institution.
Mr Speaker, so a university is a tertiary education institution; a university college, a technical
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Yes, there are some which are secondary schools. They are at the secondary level but they are engaged in technical and vocational training like Amoaful Women's Training College at Bekwai. It was set up as post middle school but it engages in technical and vocational training.
Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, Hon Majority Leader says like “sec-tech” so I do not have a problem. Then, we come to “specified in the Third Schedule”. The problem with that construction is that
because “specified in the Third Schedule” is of general application, it regulates university, University College, technical university, post- secondary diploma awarding institution as well as a tertiary technical and vocational training institution.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
No, the comma -- a tertiary technical and vocational training institution specified in the Third Schedule. So if in addition to the universities, university colleges, technical universities, post-secondary diploma awarding institutions, the last group are those that are listed in the Third Schedule. That is all it means.
So some which are already universities have also been brought here and that is why I agree that we should delete them. What are institutions like Kwadaso Agric College; the Roads and Transport Training School, Koforidua?
Now, we have listed all of them and said these are also part of tertiary institutions. That is all. I think we should proceed with the amendment and do with it.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, Third Schedule, item 104, delete entire row relating to
“TRANSPORT”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
The Third Schedule as amended is ordered to stand part of the Bill.
The Long Title is ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Hon Members, before I proceed further, let me direct that all the clerical errors of names of towns and institutions contained in the Third Schedule shall be effected by the draftspersons.
Hon Chairman of the Committee, do you have anything else?
Mr Quaittoo 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that there was something else that we needed to bring in; the Fisheries College at Anomabu?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Did you include it?
Mr Quaittoo 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not in here; I am told it should be here, and in the first column, all the words “Agric” should read “Agriculture”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Well, we are not ending consideration for today. We have outstanding matters and the next consideration, we would conclude all of them.

Hon Majority Leader, I think I can adjourn the House unless there is any announcement.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:47 p.m.
Rightly so, Mr Speaker.
ADJOURNMENT 2:47 p.m.