Debates of 6 Aug 2020

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:08 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 11:08 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:08 a.m.
Hon Members, we have the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 5th August, 2020 for correction.
Page 1…1 4
Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:08 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 13, concerning the Hon Majority Leader's amendment which he further corrected yesterday, we indicated to the Table Office to be guided by clause 8 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, 2020.
Wherever we have births, we also have deaths before foetal deaths. So, the three must go together; it cannot just be births and foetal deaths, and it
should be consistent throughout. Mr Speaker, I stand to be corrected but for consistency, it cannot just be births --
Mr Speaker 11:08 a.m.
Thank you very much. Table Office will take note accordingly.
Page 14…41.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of 5th August, 2020 as corrected, is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we have the Friday, 1st May, 2020 and Thursday, 23rd July, 2020 editions of the Official Report for correction.
  • [No correction was made to the Official Report of Friday, 1st May, 2020]
    • ORAL ANSWERS TO 11:18 a.m.
    QUESTIONS 11:18 a.m.
    MINISTRY OF ENERGY 11:18 a.m.
    Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP -- Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 11:18 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Energy what the Ministry has done by way of investment in renewable energy for the past one year.
    Minister for Energy (Mr John Peter Amewu) 11:18 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, since 2017, the Government has taken steps to address the challenges it inherited in the Renewable energy Sector. Key among these were the signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) on Renewable Energy, to the tune of 2,265MW at an average rate of $Cent19/ Kwh. This is far above what our electricity network could contain. Indeed, PPAs were signed for tariffs as high as 31 cents/KWh, more than twice the average end user tariff.
    Mr Speaker, surprisingly, between 2015 and 2016, over 2600MWs of renewable energy were signed. In
    October, 2016, 20MWs was signed; in July 2014, 100MWsS was signed; in September 2013, 100MWs was signed; in June 2013, 400MWs was signed; in October 2014, 200MWs was signed; in July 2012, 50MWs was signed; in July 2014, 20MWs was signed; in July 2015, 60MWs was signed; in July 2015, again, 120MWs was signed; in May, 2016, 50MWs was signed; in August 2016, 20MWs was signed; in December 2015, 20MWs was signed; in July 2015, 20MWs was again signed and December 2015, another 60MWs was signed.
    Mr Speaker, the following actions were undertaken to correct the imbalance in investment by renewable Energy IPPs:
    Review of all the PPAs and reduced their capacities for 2,265MWs to 515 MWs which could be accommodated within the network. Price/KWhs were also re-negotiated and reduced from an average of $Cent 19/ KWhs to $Cent 12/KWhs.
    Further engagement with scheduled PPAs is ongoing to achieve tariffs below $cent10 which is the Ministries ultimate goal.
    Development of a Renewable Energy Master Plan which clearly provided the capacity
    Mr Speaker 11:18 a.m.
    Hon Minister, I am sorry to interrupt you, but if you may just keep standing. The Hon Deputy Minority Leader is on his feet.
    Mr James K. Avedzi 11:18 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister seems to be reading a different Answer because since he started, I have been trying to follow him read the Answer provided in the Order Paper but he is not reading what is captured in the Order Paper. I do not know where he got that Answer he is reading from. I just wanted to draw your attention to this.
    Mr Speaker 11:18 a.m.
    Thank you very much.
    Hon Minister, I thought as much. If you could restrict yourself to your Answer as published in the Order Paper, it would be appreciated. I would ask the Table Office to give the Hon Minister a copy of our publication so that we shall all be singing from the same hymn sheet.
    Mr Amewu 11:18 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, some additional information came later.
    Mr Speaker 11:28 p.m.
    Which unfortunately is not before this honourable House. Unless of course you may want to seek permission after you have read what is on the Order Paper to add information which is not before us. This is our procedure, please. Read what is in the Order Paper and ask permission to add the other information so that everybody would know that you are speaking outside the Paper. Hon Minister, please continue.
    Mr Amewu 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would continue.
    Mr Speaker, the following actions were undertaken to correct the imbalance in investment by renewable Energy IPPs:
    Reviewed all the PPAs and reduced their capacities for 2,265MWs to 515 MWs which could be accommodated within the network. Price/KWhs were also re-negotiated and reduced from an average of $Cent 19/ KWhs to $Cent 12/KWhs. Further engagement with scheduled PPAs is ongoing to achieve tariffs below $cent10 which is the Ministry's ultimate goal.
    Developed a Renewable Energy Master Plan which clearly provided the capacity and investment required on yearly basis.
    Put a moratorium on new PPAs until the 515MWs signed PPAs have been executed.
    Provided for competitive bidding of Renewable Energy projects with focus on Utility Scale Solar power plants.
    Besides investment by IPPs in the Renewable Energy Sector, the Ministry of Energy also facilitated investment by Government in the following:
    Construction of the first phase of 17MW Solar Park by VRA
    at Lawra and Kaleo in the Upper West Region at the cost of US$25.3m. Work is currently at about 40 per cent complete. Discussions are ongoing between Government, VRA and KfW of Germany for additional financing for another 17MWs which will bring the total capacity to 34MWs.
    Parliament approved the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose hybrid (50MWs Solar-60MWs Hydro) Project. Sod was cut in December 2019 and preliminary construction activities are currently ongoing.
    Construction of the first phase of 50MWs solar PV plant to be hybridized with the 400MW BPA hydro Power Plant has commenced. The total cost of this project is US$48m with 10MWs expected to be connected to the national grid by end of this quarter. The remaining 40MWs is expected to be completed in November
    2020.
    Government intends to have public institutions such as Ministries, Departments, and Agencies integrate solar in their buildings to reduce their high electricity bills. To this end, the
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with your kindness, let me make a quotation from the Minister's Answer --
    Mr Speaker 11:28 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, go ahead and ask a question.
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, paragraph (b) of the Hon Minister's Answer mentioned imbalance in investment by renewable energy IPPs. My question is simple: can the Hon Minister apprise this House of what he inherited from his predecessor that he describe as an imbalance in investment by renewable energy IPPs?
    Mr Amewu 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the imbalances in the renewable energy IPPs simply means the overcapacities of renewables that we have inherited. Mr Speaker, the imbalances have to do both with the capacity charges and also with the capacity itself.
    As I stated earlier, Mr Speaker, if you permit me, I would just take you through some of the renewables that were signed just between 2013, 2015 and 2016 , totalling up to 2665MWs. These 2665 MWs create the imbalances within the system. For example, in October 2016, 20MWs was signed. In July 2014, another 1000MWs again was signed. In March 2016, 20MWs of renewable was signed. In September 2013, 150MWs was signed. These
    renewables were signed with prices ranging from 19 cent/kWhs to 31 cent/kWhs. These create the imbalances within the system.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 11:28 p.m.
    Question 762 in the name of the Hon Member for Bole/ Bamboe.
    Connection to National Electricity Grid
    Dr Robert B. Kuganab-Lem (on behalf of Mr Yusif Sulemana) 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Energy when the following communities would be connected to the National Electricity Grid:
    (i) Babato
    (ii) Chibriyoa
    (iii) Bampewa
    (iv) Dugli
    (v) Agbadago
    (vi) Tanban.
    Mr Amewu 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the communities namely; Babato, Chibriyao, Bampewa, Dugli, Agbadago and Tanban do not form part of any of the on-going projects
    Dr Kuganab-Lem 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, would the Hon Minister be kind enough to tell us timelines for what he terms, “subsequent phase”.
    Mr Amewu 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are currently receiving new bids from prospective investors for the ongoing electrification projects. Those bids would be evaluated in terms of their term sheet, which would be submitted to Cabinet for approval and would be brought to this very House for continuation. The timeline cannot exactly be stated but I would come back to the same House when Cabinet approves such term sheets for subsequent submission to the House. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 11:28 p.m.
    Thank you very much. Question *763 in the name of Hon Woyome.
    Steps being Taken to Remove Aquatic Weeds In Lower Volta Basin
    Mrs Della Sowah (on behalf of Mr Kobena M. Woyome) (NDC -- South Tongu) 11:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg
    to ask the Minister for Energy what steps were being taken by the Volta River Authority to remove aquatic weeds from the Lower Volta Basin and to dredge some parts to prevent the breeding of small snails that are causing river blindness in the area.
    Mr Amewu 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Volta River Authority (VRA) currently has adopted various strategies to deal with the menace of aquatic weeds and its socio-economic challenges as well as the related health implications regarding bilharzia infestations in the Lower Volta Area, which is the disease affecting the area and not “river blindness”, The Lower Volta area stretches from Akuse to the estuary at Ada. Mr Speaker, the strategies being adopted are as follows:
    1. Community Level Shoreline and Offshore Aquatic Weeds Clearing;
    2. Private Public Partnership Programme for Aquatic Weed & Sand Dredging;
    3. Schistosomiasis Control Program;
    4. Provision of water and toilet related infrastructure;
    5. Utilisation of Drones Technology Services to Monitor Aquatic Weeds Invasion; and
    6. Collaborative Research into Aquatic Weeds management.
    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mrs Sowah 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the strategies listed by the Hon Minister appear not to be working. Would he consider reviewing them to workable ones since the menace is still on the increase?
    Mr Amewu 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the VRA has put in evaluation and monitoring mechanisms each time to evaluate these strategies. I am quite surprised to hear for the first time, that these strategies are not working.
    Mr Speaker, we will go back and re-evaluate, and at the appropriate time, get back to the House to give justifications for the use of those strategies.
    Mr Speaker 11:38 p.m.
    Hon Members, Question *764. Yes, Hon Member for Adaklu?
    Amount collected for Street Lights for 2018 / 2019 and how
    it was utilised
    Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza (NDC - Adaklu) 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Energy how much was collected in relation to street lights as shown on customer bills in 2018 and 2019, and how this amount was utilised.
    Mr Amewu 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in line with the First Schedule of the Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Act, 2017, (Act 946), which relates to Public Lighting Levy, three (3) per cent the price of kWh of electricity shall be charged on all categories of consumers. The purpose is to support payment of energy consumed by traffic lights, street lights, public lights on highways, to support investment in and maintenance of traffic lights, street lights, public lights on highways by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). Such levies shall be collected by the Electricity Company of Ghana, NEDCO, VRA and other suppliers of electricity, and shall be paid to the Ministry responsible for Power and Electricity Distribution Companies.
    Mr Speaker, in 2018, an amount of GH¢134,266,115.81 was collected by Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), VRA and NEDCO.
    Mr Agbodza 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank the Hon Minister for his Answer. May I know from him what accounted for the Ministry's inability to utilise all the moneys collected and allocated to it, knowing the deficit in street lights in the country? There is about GH¢18 million of the allocations not utilised.
    Mr Amewu 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the inability for the utilisation was as a result of the timing.
    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr Speaker 11:38 p.m.
    Hon Members, Question 765 -- Hon Member for Ahafo-Ano North.
    Mr Suleman Adamu Sanid 11:38 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, with your kind permission, I would like to withdraw the Question. This is on the basis that, events on the ground have overtaken the Question. Also, through the instrumentality of the Hon Minister, about 22 communities in my constituency have been listed for rural electrification.
    Some construction works have started -- [Interruption] -- I would want to take this opportunity to thank the Hon Minister and the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for his sterling leadership and for extending development to my constituency.
    Mr Speaker 11:38 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are making a statement -- [Laughter] -- Hon Member, order!
    Mr Sanid 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am very grateful. [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Speaker 11:38 p.m.
    Hon Minister, your Answer? -- Hon Minister, is there no answer?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:38 p.m.
    None

    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there are no more Questions for the Hon Minister to answer.
    Mr Speaker 11:38 p.m.
    Hon Member, yes we are aware. The Answer to Question 766 is being waited for.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who got up on account of Question 765 has declined to ask the Question. He said, already, progress is being made on the Question that he intended to ask. So now, we have Questions 766 and 767 to be asked by Hon Members.
    Mr Speaker 11:38 p.m.
    Hon Members, Question 766. If the owner of a Question chooses to abandon his pathway, we will proceed.
    Yes, Hon Member for Wassa East?
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:48 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Member?

    Connection to the National Grid: Awiadaso 1, 2 and 3, Akrofi,

    Amankesease et al
    Mr Richard Acheampong on behalf of (Mr Isaac Adjei Mensah)(NDC -- Wassa East) 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Energy when the following communities in the Wassa East Constituency would be connected to the National Electricity Grid: (a) Awiadaso [1, 2, 3], (b) Akrofi, (c) Amankesease, (d) Bethlehem, (e) Badago 1 and 2 [Afag 1 and 2], (f) Patatwumso, (g) Asratoase [1 and 2], (h) Musumkwa, (i) Nyamebekyere, (j) Kwafokrom, (k) Ahomakwamoah.
    Mr Amewu 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, Awiadaso 1, 2 and 3, Akrofi, Amankesease, Bethlehem, Badago 1 and 2 [Afag 1 and 2], Patatwumso, Asratoase [1 and 2], Musumkwa, Nyamebekyere, Kwafokrom, and Ahomakwamoah communities form part of turnkey rural electrification project for selected communities in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Volta and Western Regions (Phase 2) , under the US$97 million ICBC Credit Facility being executed by China International Water & Electric Corporation (CWE). The project has
    Mr Richard Acheampong 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, today is the 6th of August, 2020. Can the Hon Minister assure the House that works would commence by the end of this year, now that the world has accepted to live with the COVID-19 pandemic?
    Mr Amewu 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the execution of this Project is a major concern to Government, and I can assure the Hon Member that we are still in communication with the contractor, and as stated earlier on, work would commence by the close of this month.
    Mr Speaker 11:48 a.m.
    Hon Members, we would move on to Question 767.
    Resumption of the Stalled Plato Area Rural Electrification Project in the Wassa East
    Constituency.
    Mr Richard Acheampong (on behalf of Mr Isaac Adjei Mensah (NPP -- Wassa East)) 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon
    Minister for Energy when the stalled Plato area rural electrification project in the Wassa East Constituency would resume.
    Mr Amewu 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, The Plato #1 and Plato #2 areas form part of turnkey rural electrification project for selected communities under the US$350 million US-Exim Bank Credit Facility being executed by M/ S Weldy Lamont & Associate Inc., USA. Installation covering High Voltage (HV), Low Voltage (LV) and Transformer Substation (S/S) works in these communities have been completed leaving only Customer Services Connection (Meters Installation), outstanding.
    The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is presently carrying out registration of potential customers in the communities following which the list will be forwarded to the contractor to install meters. We envisage that the registration exercise will be completed before the end of August 2020 to allow the project contractor install the meters by September 2020.
    Mr Richard Acheampong 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this Question was filed somewhere last year, so, from the Answer provided, it is true that the
    Mr Amewu 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the current Government agenda is electricity coverage by 90 per cent by our second term in office. So, yes, eventually, those communities would be covered. Four more years for Nana Akufo-Addo.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 11:48 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister. We appreciate your coming to the House this morning to answer our questions. You are respectfully discharged.
    Hon Members, we would now move on to the item numbered 4 -- Statements. The Hon Deputy Minister for Health would make a Statement on the current situation of COVID- 19 in the country. One Hon Member from each Side of the House would be allowed to make comments. After the briefing, there is not going to be a long debate, so, the Hon Leaders must decide who would speak on each Side so that we proceed.
    Hon Deputy Minister, you may proceed. After that, one person from each Side would contribute, as the Hon Leaders may decide, and this includes Leadership.
    STATEMENTS 11:48 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:58 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister. Now, the comments; one from each Side. Leaders, kindly assist.
    Dr Robert Baba Kuganab-Lem (NDC -- Binduri) 11:58 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I also thank the Hon Deputy Minister, Hon Dr Okoe Boye for making this Statement.
    Mr Speaker, the issue that we are confronted with as far as COVID-19 is concerned cannot be belaboured.
    We need to constantly talk about COVID-19; we need to constantly remind ourselves of the protocols so that we prevent its spread.
    As we hear from international media, there is a second wave and this second wave seems to be more violent than what we see in the first wave. Mr Speaker, it is very important that we continue to enforce confinement and protection so that we reduce the impact of the current situation we find ourselves in.
    Mr Speaker, some of the vulnerable groups we have not been able to properly support in the fight against COVID-19 -- we have a lot of active people living with disability and as we saw during the registration, most of these people cannot afford to come with a mask, yet most of these people are active in our various communities.
    Mr Speaker, it is important that we highlight these persons and ensure that we provide them with the masks that they require. We know that the economy has become so difficult and that for some people, GH¢2.00 is huge money. It is important that we take note of such vulnerable groups.
    Mr Speaker, what we also have to note is to reduce congregating. Even
    Mr Speaker 11:58 p.m.
    Thank you, Hon Member.
    Now, Majority Side?
    Dr Kwaku Afriyie (NPP -- Sefwi-Wiauso) 11:58 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity. And let me also use this opportunity to thank the Hon Minister for Health for his hard work, especially, in this COVID-19 pandemic. Also, let me thank my President for taking these steps to stem this pandemic.
    Mr Speaker, when the President speaks, it is like an adjunct professor of public health; when he speaks, he speaks like somebody who is knowledgeable in this area, and of course, we know his area of
    expertise, but I see that because he has imbibed all these things, it is very easy for him to grasp the concepts, especially with regard to contact tracing and testing, because that has been the firewall, so to speak, that we have used to stem this pandemic.
    Mr Speaker, let me also thank all frontline workers; they have done a very marvellous job. At the very beginning of the epidemic, some people said Ghana had a weak system; I always say that we have a strong public health system and that is what has helped us all this far. We have used this very robust public health system to fight measles and to fight pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough; we use it to fight HIV-AIDS; we use it to fight tuberculosis but Ghanaians, by and large, do not know that we have a very robust public health system and that is what has saved us in these difficult times.
    Mr Speaker, we have to be steady; the figures that the Hon Deputy Minister quoted means that at the very least, the most important parameters are not the cumulative figures but the number of active cases, and of course, perhaps, by the new cases and also, the deaths. The number of active cases is derivative which means that the number of cumulative cases minus
    the deaths and plus those who have been treated and discharged. The new cases are primary data, so we should focus on them; we should focus on the number of active cases and then, the mortality. So, we should get the interpretation correct; we should educate our public so that they focus on these three parameters. That is what would give a true picture of what is happening as far as the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to say that we are wholly on our own and I would urge, especially, my colleague doctors and scientists, to publish, because I notice that we have a lot of experience in this arena that we can publish and even do operational research even as we live with the pandemic so that we can demonstrate to the whole world that we can also contribute to the body of knowledge that is out there, which would help us.
    Mr Speaker, before I take my seat, let me also say that we should not make the mistake of getting into the idea that we have the handle on COVID-19 and that we are going to let down our guard. The populace should be educated that the best place is to keep oneself from one's friends; colleagues; family. In other words,
    keep your distance; social and physical. And if inevitably, you have to be in crowded situations, for Heaven's sake, put on your nose masks or your cover-up masks so that you would not spread fomites or droplets because that is the main way of transmission.
    M r Speaker, f inally, I believe that this too shall pass. In my old language, L atin, we can say hoc quoque transibit, which means, this too shall pass.
    Thank you very much for the opportunity.
    Mr Speaker 11:58 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Member. I do not know whether the Hon Deputy Minister would want to make a couple of concluding remarks. You may, if you so choose.
    Dr Boye 12:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me just add that we are still committed to contact tracing, testing and treating and we believe that if we continue on this path, our mortalities would reduce to the barest minimum and our active cases would always get closer to zero. Lastly, the level of sick people would be down. We still encourage citizens to observe the protocols. That is what we have now and evidence has shown
    Mr Speaker 12:08 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister, for attending to the House and briefing us on this important matter.
    Statement by Hon James Agalga on the demise of Hon Azantilow, former Member of Parliament (MP) of the Builsa North Constituency. After that, one contribution from each Side, including Leadership.
    Demise of Hon Sylvester Ateteng Azantilow
    Mr James Agalga (NDC -- Builsa North) 12:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have the unpleasant duty to inform you and this honourable House about the demise of Hon Sylvester Ateteng Azantilow, which sad event occurred on 20th July, 2020 at the Police Hospital here in Accra.
    Hon Azantilow was born on 30th December, 1950 in Sandema to the legendary Nab Dr Ayieta Azantilow, the Sandem Nab of blessed memory and Madam Achampok Azantilow. Hon Sylvester Azantilow attended the
    Ayieta Primary and Middle Schools in Sandema where he obtained the Middle School Leaving Certificate in 1963. He later attended the Notre Dame Seminary and Secondary School in Navrongo, obtaining the “O” level and “A” level in 1968 and 1970 respectively. In 1995, he obtained a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management (GIMPA).
    After completing his “A” level, Sylvester joined the then Meat Marketing Board in 1973 and was stationed in Paga in the Upper East Region where he worked until 1989. Sylvester was an astute politician. He joined the Consultative Assembly in 1990 and contributed to the drafting of the 1992 Constitution.
    When the country was returned to multi-party democracy in 1992, Sylvester was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent the good people of the Builsa North Constituency, a position he held until 1996. While in Parliament Hon Azantilow served on the Youth, Sports and Culture Committee, the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation, Committee of Selection, Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Defence and the Interior of which he was the Vice-Chairman.
    Mr Speaker, the late Hon Sylvester Azantilow was very eloquent on the Floor of Parliament as he made very useful contributions to several Statements read on the Floor of this House. He also actively participated in several debates on Government financial policy, the President's Message on the State of the Nation et cetera. One important contribution he made in the House was in respect of a Statement read by Hon John Tia, the MP for Talensi at the time on Drought in the Upper East Region. At column 1444 of the 22nd July, 1994 of the Official Report of Parliament, Hon Azantilow argued as follows:
    “Mr Speaker, another issue we have to look into is the issue of afforestation. Whilst the Western Region has to grapple with excessive rains each year because of favourable climatic conditions, we continue to suffer because of the southward drift of the Sahara. Yet, we continue to cut our trees for firewood and charcoal burning without replacing them. I would like to reiterate my call to the Department of Forestry not to release any of our forest reserves henceforth to anybody for the cultivation of new farms. I will also like to call on all District Assemblies in the north
    to pass a bye-law which should make it mandatory for every electoral area to develop woodlots.”
    Hon Azantilow again made a very interesting argument in support of the Public Holiday (Amendment) Bill, 2018 (Act 986) which birthed the Eid-ul-Adha and the Eid-ul-Fitr public holidays now observed in our country. At column 1464 of the 26th July, 1994 edition of the Official Report of Parliament, Hon Azantilow submitted as follows:
    “Mr Speaker, the fact that we have established English/Arabic Schools thereby fusing the teachings of Islam into the normal curriculum in these schools underscores the importance we have given to the Islamic religion. I am a Roman Catholic, having attended a minor Seminary for five years. But as is contained in article 26 clause (1) of the Constitution under the chapter on Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms, we are all enjoined as Ghanaians to give recognition to the religious rights and freedoms of our brothers who are Muslims and who, as has been pointed out in the Committee's report, form a good percentage of our population.”
    Mr Speaker 12:08 p.m.
    Thank you very much. Minority contribution?
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC -- Asawase) 12:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, once again, one of our own has gone home to rest. Hon Azantilow was a member of this House in the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic. It is not surprising that after the Statement was read, very few MPs were on their feet to contribute because I believe as we sit in the Chamber now, nobody in this Chamber met him in this Chamber. Hon Bagbin or Hon Collins Dauda who are not here now are the only current sitting MPs who had had the opportunity to work with him.
    Mr Speaker, as a House, we need to keep the traditions of other places that have served them well. I believe we need to have a place where every Member who has passed through this Chamber probably, since Indepen- dence, have their names such that you can make references. Whether we like it or not, one day, equally, we would not be here and it would have to take history to remember us.
    My Hon Colleague the First Deputy Speaker is whispering that this was not a Chamber at independence but it was the Parliament of Ghana. I know it was at the old Parliament House where the Commission on
    Human Rights (CHRAJ) office is today. I have seen an initiative that is very commendable, where we have pasted the pictures of the leaders of this House in the Forth Republic at the corridors. Also, when you go to the Speaker's Block, there are pictures of Speakers. Mr Speaker, let me take the opportunity to commend you for that initiative.
    When the Hon Whips went to Malaysia, it was surprising and gratifying to notice on the walls of their corridors the list of Hon Members of Parliament (MPs) that had served in each Parliament with the periods within which they served also indicated. Almost all the names of the MPs, since they got independent were listed. This is something we also need to do.
    The late Hon Member was 70 years old and one would have thought that with the advancement of medicine, a 70-year-old person is still young; but be it as it may, he is gone. We could only take this opportunity to console and empathise with the family and pray that they remain strong even at this critical period of the loss of their loved one.
    He served one term in this House, and as the Hon Member who made the Statement said, he was a huge
    voice for his people and represented them fully. Subsequent to that he played other roles in government and the last I remember was that he was the Deputy Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) until January, 2017. He has paid his dues to our dear country.
    Mr Speaker, what would we be reminded for when such a day, which would definitely come one day, befalls any of us? This should remind us to work very hard to represent our people fully, to do the very best that we could, so that when we are gone we would be remembered positively.
    Mr Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to commend you for taking steps to ensure that the Parliament Clinic is opened to former Hon MPs, even though if the prescribed drugs are not available, they have to purchase it themselves. This is a good step to start with.
    When we met members of the emolument committee, we raised it and they agreed with us that, at least, former Hon MPs and their spouses, should be able to get treatment from the Parliament Clinic so that those who served as Hon MPs, who represented
    Mr Speaker 12:18 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minority Chief Whip.
    Majority Leadership?
    Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 12:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the space to make a few remarks about our former Hon Colleague, who has transitioned.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Azantilow, worked as one of the members of the Consultative Assembly that wrote our 1992 Constitution. In the lead up to that period, he served as the District Chief Executive (DCE) in the Provisional National Defence Council
    (PNDC) regime and then into the First Parliament, he became an Hon Member of Parliament in January, 1993 to January, 1997.
    He was replaced by a member from his own political party but because he registered strongly in the Committees that he served on, that is Committee on Youth and Sports, in particular, and also Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and The Interior, the President at the time, recognised his effort and between 1997 and 2001, January, he was made an Hon Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports and served under the Hon E. T. Mensah as his Hon Deputy.
    Mr Speaker, I did not meet him in Parliament but I met him in his capacity as the Hon Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports. I remember on one occasion he came to respond to a Question that had been filed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
    Between 1997 and 2001, I was not the Hon Ranking Member for Youth and Sports but I was recognised as more or less the spokesperson unofficially though, of Youth and Sports for the Minority at the time and in that capacity, I got into close contact with him.
    Mr Speaker, he was a man who carried himself very well. He was poised and was good mannered. I did not know until later on, that he was from the royal family in Sandema and this reflected in his manners. When the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lost power, he lost his deputy ministerial position but after they came back to power in 2009, he was made the Deputy Coordinator for NADMO, under Mr Kofi Portuphy and he acted effectively in that position until 2014, when he was taken ill.
    However, the position was not filled but he was by and large not able to continue so he left the place and he was not in the best of health ever since the period 2014 as I later learnt.
    Mr Speaker, our condolences to the family. May the good Lord grant him eternal rest but also to notice that just like many of our Hon Colleagues who leave Parliament, this should strengthen the resolve of Parliament to engage the Committee that are set up under article 71 of the Constitution, to institutionalise this pension scheme that we have talked about.
    This is because the few years that he left, the difficulties of caring for his family afflicted him as well. We need to have a relook at this, otherwise,
    we cannot leave our people to go out there and find it extremely difficult to take care of themselves and many times, it leads to unfortunate ends.
    Mr Speaker, we are told that the burial service is just this Saturday and I want to believe that the Hon MP for the area, who made the Statement, Mr Agalga, would go back and if Parliament has to be represented then, perhaps, they may have to leave this evening or early tomorrow morning to the place.
    In consultation with the Hon Minority Leader, we have agreed that the Hon Member for Wa Central, Dr Rashid Pelpuo, may have to get himself ready to join the Hon Member for Builsa North, Mr Agalga, to represent Parliament as an institution on the occasion.
    Mr Speaker, may God bless his soul and give him eternal rest. I thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 12:18 p.m.
    I thank you very much, Hon Majority Leader.
    Hon Members, shall we give a minute's silence in due regard for the departed former Hon Colleague.
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    May our departed Colleague and all the faithful departed rest in perfect peace in God. Amen!
    All Hon Members: Amen!
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    Hon Members, at the Commencement of Public Business, item listed 5, presentation of Papers.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources is here with us. I believe we can take the presentation of these Papers on behalf of the Hon Minister.
    They are items numbered 5 (a)(i) to 5 (a)(xxxvii) from pages 3 to 7 so the Minister could be allowed to present in bulk and then the necessary referral be made to the appropriate Committee.
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, you may present all the Papers collectively and I will refer them to the appropriate Committee. They have been well listed and we are all aware. But please state it for the sake of finality.
    PAPERS 12:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    Item numbered 5 (b) (i) by the Hon Chairman of the Committee?
    Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman for the Committee on Roads and Transport is not available but the Hon Ranking Member for the Committee is here and I request if he may be permitted to lay the Papers on behalf of the Committee.
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Majority Chief Whip.
    Item numbered 5 (b)?
    Ranking Member of the Committee (on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee) --
    (i) Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Design-Build Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways [Department of Urban Roads]) and VIABUILD Africa for an amount of sixty-five million euros (€65,000,000.00) for the design and construction of the Paa Grant Interchange and other roads in Sekondi and Takoradi Township (Phase 1).
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 5 (c) by the Chairman of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development.
    Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Vice Chairman of the Committee is available to lay the Paper on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee.
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    Thank you very much; yes, Hon Vice Chairman of the Committee?
    By the Vice Chairman of the Committee (Mr Sanid Suleman Adamu) (on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee) --
    (c) Report of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development on the African Union Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralization, Local Governance and Local Development.
    Mr Speaker 12:28 p.m.
    Hon Majority Chief Whip, may we move to item numbered 6.
    MOTIONS 12:38 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 12:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Suspension of the Fiscal Responsibility Rules for the 2020 Financial Year.
    Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 12:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to present your Committee's Report.
    1.0 Introduction
    The request for the Suspension of the Fiscal Responsibility Rules for the 2020 Financial Year was laid in the House on Wednesday, 29th July, 2020 by the Hon Minister responsible for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on behalf of the Minister responsible for Finance.
    The Rt Hon Speaker referred the request to the Finance Committee for consideration and report.
    The Committee met with the Minister for Finance, Hon Ken Ofori- Atta, two Deputy Ministers for Finance, Hon (Mrs) Abena Osei- Asare and Hon Kwaku Kwarteng and Officials from the Ministry of Finance to consider the report.
    2.0 Documents Referred To
    The Committee referred to the following Documents:
    1. The 1992 Constitution;
    2. The Public Financial Manage- ment Act, 2019 (Act 921);
    3. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 (Act 982); and
    The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.
    3.0 Background
    Section 2 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 (Act 982) enjoins Government to observe the following fiscal rules on annual basis:
    a) The overall fiscal balance on cash basis for a particular year shall not exceed a deficit of five per cent of the Gross
    Mr Richard Acheampong 12:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, before I move on to make my submission, I would like to refer the House to section 3 (1) of Act 982 and it reads;
    “The Minister may suspend the Fiscal Responsibility Rules due to a force majeure or unforeseen economic circumstances or both including
    (a) a natural disaster, public health epidemic, drought or war while a state of emergency has been declared by the President under article 31 of the Constitution,
    (b) an unanticipated severe economic shock including commodity shocks and
    (c) periods where the gross domestic growth rate is 1 per cent or less”
    Mr Speaker, (a) is not applicable; clearly, the Hon Minister has been given flexibility under this section 3 (1)
    to come to the House and seek our approval for the suspension of the Rules so that he would not be censured.
    Looking at the Report, the critical parts has to do with funds for restoring corporate finance of the country. This is because the Hon Minister was saying that he has reduced the projected revenue from 67 billion to 53 billion and on the other hand, expenditure has been increased from 85 billion to 97 billion.
    Mr Speaker, however, if we check why we are spending this money, capital expenditure has been increased from GH¢9.2 billion to GH¢9.3 billion -- a difference of about GH¢66 million.
    When we go to the goods and services section, it has been reduced from GH¢8.3 billion to GH¢7.7 billion. So, clearly, this kind of expenditure will not in any way project growth for the country.
    Mr Speaker, so, the Hon Minister is telling us to give him up to the year 2024 to restore the fiscal stability of this nation. If we take a look at the Committee's Report and the plans the Hon Minister has provided to the House that this can be achieved by
    the end of the year 2024 -- We should however not create the impression that all is lost as a result of this pandemic,.
    If we look at how the price of gold is picking up -- so the financial institution that has exposure with the mining companies are getting back the loans granted to those institutions and therefore, they are not doing badly at all and the telecommunication companies are also cashing in.
    So, if the Hon Minister is telling us that they want to expand the tax net by roping in more people to pay more taxes so that, going forward, we can restore the situation, we would have to look at this aspect of our economy.
    We cannot adopt one sided thinking by saying that all is lost because the COVID-19 pandemic has also presented to some positive aspect of life and people are hosting virtual programmes and are spending more money through the internet than before. So, the question is, do we have any telecommunication companies that is giving us this kind of revenue? This is because they pay taxes to the State.
    Mr Speaker, so, we need to diversify the economy and make sure that going forward, we cannot solely
    rely on other sectors of the economy which would not give us anything in return.
    So, since the law has given the Hon Minister a leeway to operate, my advice to him is that we operate within the Rules by making sure that the recovery plan works to expectation so that by the year 2022, we can return to normalcy and the economy would pick up and we can together work to run the country.
    We cannot hide behind COVID- 19 with the cry that all is lost and we would not be able to put our house in order. Mr Speaker, we can do something to change the narrative.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity.
    Mr Speaker 12:48 p.m.
    Hon Member, thank you very much.
    Dr Anthony A. Osei?
    Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation (Dr Anthony A. Osei) (MP) 12:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to support the Motion on the Floor and I would commend the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation (Dr Anthony A. Osei) (MP) 12:58 p.m.
    restore just like that. Mr Speaker, if businesses close down just to get the employees back to work would be a problem.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the Hon Minister that instead of saying that he would try to do it in a year or two years, he should give himself as much time as possible; at least a four year period. If it happens that we are able to do it much earlier we would all be in good shape. Clearly, as the law requires, between now and the end of the year, the Hon Minister has given us the quarterly revisions. Mr Speaker, I am sure in December, the Hon Minister would have to come to Parliament and report on the expenditure on account for the first three months of 2021. By that time we would have known what happened in the second quarter with regard to where the growth rate was. I would not be surprised if it turns out that the 0.9 per cent would be an overestimation.
    However, I would urge my Hon Colleagues that by law the Hon Minister is required to demonstrate to Parliament the reason for suspending it. The Hon Member was trying to censure the Hon Minister - Mr Speaker, on a sound legal basis, the Hon Minister has done the right thing. Let us support him so that the actions
    he would take would bring all of us to normalcy. We do not have to get to a point for the Hon Minister to report that things are so bad that he is recommending that the wages of Hon Members of Parliament should be reduced.
    It would not be very good for us and I do not think the Hon Minister would want to come back and tell us that. So, let us do what we can to support him, particularly, in the CARES Obatanpa, which the Hon Minority Leader calls Obatanbohye, we should support the Hon Minister in all that he is trying to do.

    What would be most important is not the fall in revenue of about GH¢13 billion that we have to lose. That can come back slowly. However, the additional expenditures that must be made to continue to fight COVID- 19 is what all of us must care about.

    Right now, I think the budget of GH¢11.869 billion is even on the low side. In America, they have already spent US$3 trillion and not billion. As I speak, they are arguing about another US$3 trillion on the fiscal side. On the management side, the Central Bank of America is going to put in another US$3 trillion.

    Clearly, we do not have that kind of money and so GH¢11.896 billion might be enough for the rest of the year. As the Hon Minister said, this is the stabilisation stage of the recovery. However, next year would be even more important. He would need to find resources as we have currently done with the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bring us back to normalcy.

    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I urge all colleagues to adopt the Report of the Committee so that the suspension of the Fiscal Responsibility Rules is assured.

    I thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 12:58 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister, safe that your words were not few.
    Hon Minority Leader? Please let us tackle it with brevity.
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 12:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me thank you for the opportunity to contribute for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Suspen- sion of the Fiscal Responsibility Rules for the 2020 financial year.
    Mr Speaker, I recognise that this Parliament, probably in the passage of that particular legislation exercised a futuristic mind. This is because, for the law inception tray to provide for the anticipation of a public health emergency or other matters related to force majeure was to contemplate that there are events in the world that none of us, including Parliament as an institution, has control over. That is why we can rely on it.
    However, our difficulty is that while the Hon Minister is reporting a deficit of GH¢4.1 per cent, the IMF in its latest Report is reporting 7.1 per cent, adding the Energy Sector and the Banking Sector arrears that have been paid. So our difficulty is not with COVID-19 but with the numbers that the IMF itself is sharing. Must we accept the Hon Minister for Finance's numbers or what the IMF has published of a 7.1 per cent deficit?
    Mr Speaker, let me refer to the Committee's Report, and in particular, page 6. This is where my difficulty lies. It requires that the Minister would have shared with us measures. When you read about the measures in page 6 of the Report, it reads:
    “Reducing the fiscal deficit from 11.4 per cent of GDP in 2020 to 9.6 per cent in 2021, 7.1 per cent in 2022”
    Mr Speaker, I am going by his own Report. If we come to page 6, it reads 12:58 p.m.
    “reducing the fiscal deficit from 11.4 per cent of GDP in 2020” then we come to his conclusion and it says “11.7 per cent of GDP”. What must we rely on? I think this must be done.
    Mr Speaker, then the Hon Minister for Finance and the Hon Minister for Employment and Labour Relations must consider it a matter of urgent necessity for this House to be apprised of the impact of COVID on employment. The Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation may reference to developments in America. At least, in America, there is data on unemployment claims. In Ghana, the Minister announced here an unemployment insurance. How much would he spend on unemployment insurance was not indicated. We should know.
    Secondly, we do not have a labour market information in Ghana for us to have a reliable data on the level of unemployment and in particular the impact of COVID-19 on employment. I could not agree more with the Hon Minister for Employment and Labour Relations that particularly on the hotel industrial and hotel
    Mr Speaker, I am going by his own Report. If we come to page 6, it reads 1:08 p.m.
    owners. Their staff are home. When we say unemployment insurance, that category of people are not expecting insurance; they are expecting something to take home. Maybe, at the end of the month, Government would say it has a special package.
    Mr Speaker, this is why data is important. We must keep statistics of the employed in Ghana and those making meaningful contribution to taxation.
    So that with that data, Government could say that all workers of this category working for hotels would be given a stipend of GH¢400 or GH¢500 for the next two months.

    Then Ghana has come. Not where we promise them an insurance business.

    So they should understand why we said that the same law provided for the sanctioning of the Minister -- it did not come from the Hon Minority Leader. The same law made provision that if the Minister was unable to stay within the deficit up to below 5 per cent, he was a good candidate for sanction. It is not the Minority Leader's request. It is the law which provided for it and I am saying that

    statistics from the IMF -- we should be able to reconcile it with the statistics that the Hon Minister for Finance has shared with us; particularly when he keeps the banking sector expenditure.

    So far, this Parliament has approved only about 16.7 billion but he comes to report 21 billion. When did he get authorisation to spend the rest of that money? [Interruption] -- I am quoting from the Mid-year review document. They said 21 billion and I say what he has authorisation from this House to spend not more than 16 billion. Those questions must be answered.

    Indeed, Mr Speaker, we must have a serious national conversation on the impact of COVID-19. We may be underrating its economic ramifications today. Government must also show prudence in its expenditure management and expenditure control.

    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 1:08 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minority Leader.
    Hon Deputy Minister?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister would certainly speak for the Hon
    Minister. I thought that the Leadership of the Majority side would have to be given space as well.
    Mr Speaker 1:08 p.m.
    Please, do you want to speak next?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would yield to Dr Nana Ayew Afriye.
    Mr Speaker 1:08 p.m.
    Very well.
    Dr Nana Ayew Afriye (NPP -- Effiduase/Asokore) 1:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Motion. In doing so, may I first of all make this clear. The Parliamentary memo that came to the Committee stated clearly in the table that the deficit would be 11.4 per cent. This is the memo that came to the Committee. So it is time to reason that any other figure seen on the table from the Committee in this Report would be a typographical error and therefore, notice should be taken accordingly.
    Mr Speaker, it is clear to also make some arguments -- notably as the Hon Minority Leader knows. In terms of international gross reserve, it is so clear that the report from the Hon Minister ably made us understand that over a period of time, certain governmental intervention, for instance at the Ministry for Trade and
    Industry, there is something on import substitution, assembling of vehicles in Ghana. Some of these are those that are expected to shove up export and decrease import. So on this occasion, it is so clear that over a period, one would see realistic, increase in the international gross reserve.
    Mr Speaker, in the area of GDP. The GDP now is anticipated to be under 1 per cent and we know in economic policy that for us to be able to double GDP, usually, we would take an interest rate and divide it over the growth rate and know the time period. Amazingly, if we are going to look at the expected interest rate now, say around 15 per cent and then look at the anticipated GDP as 0.9 per cent, then we are talking about probably 2 per cent in about 16 years.
    So the proposition by the Hon Minister for Finance accordingly in four years stands to be a bit ambitious in terms of placing in economic policy context. I therefore think that it is something that is laudable considering the fact that we would expect recovery in 16 years and he is thinking of four years or up to 2024. It is one of a kind that we must have to commend him for being more realistic than being probably more theoretical or overambitious.
    Mr Speaker 1:08 p.m.
    Hon Member, do not insinuate. Nobody is doing politics. Any Hon Member can express his view.
    Withdraw that.
    Dr Afriye 1:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I take a cue from your intervention --
    Mr Speaker 1:08 p.m.
    Withdraw. Do not say you take a cue.
    Dr Afriye 1:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I ably withdraw that position but then --
    Mr Speaker 1:08 p.m.
    Hon Member, there would be no “but” otherwise you would be going back.
    Dr Afriye 1:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have withdrawn that.
    Mr Speaker, the amount of money that was taken from the Contingency Fund -- they have built a previous regime where moneys taken --
    Mr Speaker 1:08 p.m.
    Hon Member, I would advise you: the stance of your counterparts have not been adamant. So I would advise that you make your points without any acrimony and we conclude this matter. This is because
    I can see we are all making progress. But of course, there can be criticisms and they have not maligned so please you should also watch how you go so that we would end this quickly and nicely.
    Please, proceed.
    Dr Afriye 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion I stand to say that the House should definitely adopt this and the positions of the Hon Minister is realistic. I am sure this is the way to go to make us get out of this economic resurging, artificially made so by this public health disaster.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

    Deputy Minister for Finance (Mr Kwaku Kwarteng) on behalf of the (Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, to start with, I would like to play it out that the deficit figures of 4.7 and some 7.1 supposedly by the IMF cited by the Hon Minority Leader belong to 2019. They have nothing to do with COVID-19 and it is important that we do not mix up these figures.

    Mr Speaker, I would like to thank Hon Members for their contributions. We will take them on board, as we

    implement the Budget and as we get the suspension we are looking for.

    Mr Speaker, in respect of the 2020 projected deficit, I am grateful to Hon Dr Nana Ayew Afriye for the correction of the typographical error on page 10, paragraph 6, which is the conclusion of the Committee's Report. The deficit projected for 2020 is 11.4 per cent and that was accurately communicated by the Hon Minister in his presentation to this House.

    Mr Speaker, the point has been made that -- [Interruption] -- we should not give the impression that all is lost. Government has never given that impression, and we do not intend to do so.

    Mr Speaker, it is important that our Hon Colleagues on the other Side listen to this; we have launched a recovery plan, which I would explain briefly. The conventional wisdom is that, we do not pray for an epidemic, but when it comes or if it comes, it is not wasted. So we will learn the positives from this pandemic.

    But the reality today is that, while revenues have taken a hit, expenditures have to be escalated in order to contain the pandemic. It is that, which has given rise to the excess over the threshold set in the Fiscal
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Deputy Minister.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Members, item listed 7 -- Yes, Hon Minister for Finance.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, would you please take your seat?
    Yes Hon Majority Leader, item listed 7?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 7 would be handled by the Hon Minister tomorrow. We have agreed that he comes at 11 o'clock tomorrow to do it.
    Mr Speaker, it was programmed earlier for him to do it today. Unfortunately, there is a conference currently going on and he would not be with us. The conference will end around 2.00 p.m.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you want us to take that tomorrow.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, for him to constitute himself and come here after the conference, may be around 4.00 p.m., which would not be a good time, and that is why we have agreed that he comes here tomorrow to do that.
    Mr Speaker, so we can do other ones.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Members, item listed 8 -- Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    The Hon First Deputy Speaker would please take the Chair.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, by the same argument, we intend to take items numbered 8, 10, 12 and 14 tomorrow.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Member, kindly list all the relevant items for me.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 8 is a procedural Motion. Items 9, 11 -- Mr Speaker, we will take all of them tomorrow.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Member, will we take all tomorrow?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, rightly so.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Member, does it include item listed 8?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, item numbered 8 is a procedural Motion.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Member, are we moving that now?
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, no.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Thank you, Hon Member.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in that regard, we will go to item numbered 38.
    Mr Speaker 1:18 p.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 38 -- Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, 2020 at the Consideration Stage.
    Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee? Clause 23, debate to continue.
    BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 1:18 p.m.
    STAGE 1:18 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr Suleman Adamu Sanid) 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 23, subclause (1), line 1, before “death” insert “a” and in line 2, delete “fourteen” and insert “ten”.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 23, subclause (2), delete and insert the following:
    “Despite subsection (1), the District Registrar shall only register a death that is reported more than ten days after the death occurred if the prescribed fee for late registration has been paid.”
    Mr Mahama Ayariga 1:28 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, the clause being inserted makes provision for the prescribed fee for late registration. I am against the policy of the prescription of a fee for late registration.
    Mr Speaker, I understand that the object of the prescription of a fee is to punish people who register late, so that the prescription of the fee would be to encourage people to register early and within their liable time frame. But if our policy is to encourage people to register and register early,
    then to impose a financial obstacle for those who unfortunately are not able to register within the time frame would actually be a disincentive.
    So, I think that for a matter like registration of births and deaths, which is a matter of public interest where we are to encourage everybody to register at whatever time, we should not impose a financial obstacle at any stage in the decision of a parent to register the birth of his child.
    If for some reason the parent is not able to register within the time frame and we now impose a financial obstacle, it becomes a disincentive to register. So, I am in favour of the amendment except that portion of it, which recognises the inclusion of a penalty or a fee for registering late.
  • [MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER IN THE CHAIR.]
    • Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the argument of my Hon Colleague relates to deaths. We are not dead, so, with all respect to him, he is in a desert. We are talking about death, and we are also talking about
    birth. The Hon Member is totally out of sync, so respectfully, we could go on.
    Mr Ayariga 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, whether birth or death, there is a public interest in having an up-to-date data, and that public interest is better served when a system is put in place that encourages people at all times to be able to walk into the registry and register; births or deaths.
    However, when we impose a financial obstacle to a registration of either birth or death, we turn to discourage people from registering, and that would further hamper our access to the data that would help us to take timely public policy decisions. So, it is in our interest, and how much money are we going to get from collecting fees from people who are registering the death of anybody?
    I therefore think that there is a public policy interest in not imposing any financial hurdle or obstacle to anyone who would want to walk into a registry and register a death or a birth at any time. That is my position on the matter.
    Mr Benjamin K. Kpodo 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that we should not be making the law for the elite. If we impose such financial burdens on
    every citizen, then we might not get the correct data that we are looking for. The fact is that in several villages, people give birth and they do not bother to report to anybody.
    In fact, in the villages, when people die, they do not have anything to do with the mortuary. All they need to do is to get some Wawa board and put them together, and by evening or the following morning, they are in the cemetery.
    Nobody cares, so, if we further impose a financial burden on people, then they would not come -- that is the fact. If we would want to enforce the law for the elite, then fine because I may want to get a passport in the future, so I would bother to register my birth. However, there are some people who never ever think of getting a passport or anything any day. So, they would not bother to register, and we would understate our population, our birth, the foetal deaths and the deaths.
    I think that we should be cautious of the kind of financial burdens that we impose. If we want to fix some fee, it should not be in the form of a penalty for not registering on time. This is because that would deter people from really coming forward to announce their births and their deaths.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 1:30 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this law is intended to regulate the registration of births and deaths. Elaborate provisions have been made to ensure that where a child is born within a specified period, the medical facility, the traditional attendant or the area where the child is born becomes captured.
    Also, the law makes provision for the certification or registration of death, either at the crematorium or at the cemetery. Wherever a person would be buried, one would need a certificate to be able to do it.
    However, the law also recognises that a person can die outside these places, so, where a person is buried without recourse to the documents needed for the burial to take place, such a person can still take a death certificate. After all, the death certificate can be used for other things, and it should be upon the payment of a prescribed fee.
    Mr Speaker, we should hasten to approve this amendment. If the amendment is not captured properly, we would open the flood gates for late registration. It would then mean that if a child is born and is not registered, the parents could sleep until thy kingdom come, and later walk in to go and register.
    That is what the argument that they are proffering means. It also means that if a person dies, his relatives could just go and bury him and come and sleep till they need the death certificate before they go and register. We should not encourage that.
    What is the incentive for registering early? The incentive for registering early is the non-payment of the prescribed fee. So, we should not encourage a situation where we would promote indiscipline, where a person would be born but his parents could just go and sleep and not register.
    It would compromise the collection of data in this country. Another situation is that a person may die, but his relatives would just go and burry him and come and sleep, and then at any time that they want, they would go and register. That would be indiscipline, which should not be encouraged.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, what my Hon two Colleagues, the Hon Ayariga and the Hon Kpodo are doing is to take us back to the principle of this Bill. Mr Speaker, we have gone past that.What we are doing now is the Consideration Stage which is guided by Standing Order 128(2), which provides:
    “At the Consideration stage of a Bill the House shall not discuss the principle of the Bill but only its details.”
    Mr Speaker, again, we are guided by Standing Order 128(4) which provides 1:38 p.m.
    “At the Consideration of a Bill the House may make such amendments as it considers fit, provided that the amendments (including new clauses and new schedules) comply with the following conditions:
    (a) they must be relevant to the subject-matter of the Bill and to the subject- matter of the clause to which they relate”.
    Mr Speaker, thus far, they are not proffering any amendments except to say that they disagree with the principle. I believe we cannot go on that way. With respect to my two Hon Colleagues, if they have amendments to proffer they could come with the amendments and then, we go on. Otherwise, with respect , we cannot make any progress on this Bill. If they have amendments to proffer, let them do so.Otherwise, you would put the question and we can make progress.
    Mr Chireh 1:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that the amendment proposed by the Chairman -- [Interruption] Yesterday, we had difficulties about the wording, and today, he has made it a bit clearer . So the idea is that,
    Mr Ayariga 1:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, first and foremost, the Hon Leader says that if I have an issue, I should proffer an amendment but, there is an amendment and we are considering the amendment . I am against the amendment, and that is why I make this argument.
    Mr Speaker, and my opposition to the amendment should not be based on I having produced, provided or proffered an amendment. I am just against the amendment. I accept the policy consideration but we need to find a way of compelling people to go and register and register within time.
    Mr Speaker, my argument however, is that, in the Bill, we have not made it an offence not to register within a certain time frame but we are now imposing a financial hurdle to register outside a certain time frame. So, what it does is that, if I do not register, I would not be punished.
    If I would not be punished for not registering, why would I go and pay money to register. That is what we have done, that is why I am saying that the strategy is wrong. We want to compel people to register, then, the first move is to say it is an offence not to register, and you would suffer a penalty if you do not register.
    But if you come late to register, we would do it for you upon you paying a fee, then, there is something to push somebody to go and register. But, in this instance, it is not an offence not to register so; if I fail to register a death, absolutely nothing would happen to me so; why do I now go and pay money to register when I go late?
    That is the logic I do not understand, that is why I am raising this issue. I agree with you that we must find a way of compelling people to go and register but is this mechanism going to work if I do not register, nothing happens to me, but
    if I am going to register late, I would pay money, I would sit in my village; I would not go and register.
    Mr Chireh 1:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the principle behind the whole idea of promulgating this law is to regulate registration. As a lawyer, he argued very brilliantly here about why the birth certificate should not have been considered as one of the source documents for the register that is being compiled. So today, does he not know that if we do not have a registered death, we cannot make claims for Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) benefits and all that? We must show that somebody has died.
    In any case, as an advanced country, we have to make this law. This was first passed in 1965 to be compliant. And everybody is looking for data and data includes deaths and births. He also needs it as a lawyer for many things and that is why we are taking the trouble to make this law.
    So, this argument of decriminalising it is not good. It is not always good to criminalise but there are things here that we are talking about if one flouts that law, something would happen to that person. But just to encourage people to register deaths. In fact, in
    this country when we do not register deaths, it is serious because people can just disappear and it is not good. We must know the cause of death; we must do all the things so that human life is protected, but if we say people can just go and bury and walk away, that may not help us. Please let us take a decision and vote on this matter.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:38 p.m.
    Hon Members, the item listed (iii)?
    Mr Sanid 1:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 23, subclause (3), lines 3 to 5, delete “specified fee for late registration determined in accordance with the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provision) Act, 2018 (Act 983)” and insert “prescribed fee for late registration.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 23 as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:38 p.m.
    Clause 44?
    Clause 44 -- Regulations
    Mr Sanid 1:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 44,
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:38 p.m.
    The item listed as (v)?
    Mr Sanid 1:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 44, paragraph (d), line 1, after “effective”, insert “and efficient”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr O. B. Amoah 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we agreed that we would have to insert a new clause under clause 44 and I think that it would come before subclause (d). So, I thought we would take that one before amending clause 44 (d), which the Hon Chairman just moved and has been agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:48 p.m.
    Well, if you are ready to move that, move it. The draftspersons would determine its location.
    Mr O. B. Amoah 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 44, add the following new paragraph:
    “To provide detailed procedures for late registration.”
    This particular clause was under clause 13(12) and we agreed that we should take it out for it to come under Regulations, so that the Minister would be in charge of that. So, the new clause we are putting in is to provide detailed procedures for late registration, so that under regulation 44, it would read:
    “The Minister shall within 12 months of the coming into force of this Act, by legislative instrument make regulations to provide detailed procedures for late registration.”
    Mr Ahiafor 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am looking at clause 44 (d) and it says:
    “on any matter necessary for the effective implementation of this Act”.
    So, once we have clause 44(d) as an omnibus clause, legislation on procedures would also be covered by this omnibus clause.
    Mr Chireh 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the Hon member's proposed amendment because it specifies -- [Interruption] If you look at the
    controversy that it was generating about late registration, it is only appropriate that we provide for it in terms of the procedure. Just like the other one preceding it - if we have the last omnibus paragraph, why do we even provide it in the others?
    We could just stop, but the draftspersons want it to be clearly spelt out under a procedure and because fees would be collected for late registration, we need to detail that out in the regulations. I support the proposed amendment.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thought for clause 44 (c), we may have to add the particulars for the registration of “births, foetal deaths and deaths”. I think we did not include “foetal deaths” there.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 44 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 45 -- Interpretation
    Mr G. K. Aboagye 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, interpretation of “birth”, line 2, delete “its” and insert “the”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:48 p.m.
    Item numbered 38 (vii)?
    Mr G. K. Aboagye 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have an amendment for clause 45 which has not been advertised in the Order Paper and I want to move it.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:48 p.m.
    Why not do what has been advertised and then do what has not been advertised at the end.
    Mr G. K. Aboagye 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, add the following to the interpretation in the appropriate order.
    “'burial permit” an authorisation issued under this Act to grant permission for the burial, cremation or any other form of disposition of the body of a deceased or foetus”.
    Mr Chireh 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am opposed to an amendment which includes “foetal deaths”, that is clause 45(vii). [Interruption] Is it advertised? [Interruption] Very well.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr G. K. Aboagye 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, interpretation of “death”, line 2, at end, add “and it includes foetal death”.
    Mr Chireh 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that the Hon Chairman should drop this amendment because we have defined “foetal deaths”. What was moved by the Hon Majority Leader in clause 44 to include “foetal deaths” at no point would death now include that. Both “death” and “foetal deaths” are specific and we have defined both words. I think that there is no need to add that part.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thought by what happened on the Floor the other day, what was intended to be done was the deletion of the words “of evidence”. So, we would insert:
    “'death” means the permanent cessation of life in a person any time after the live birth of that person”.
    What was included here is: “'death” means the permanent cessation of evidence of life”.
    I am saying that we should delete “of evidence”, so that it would simply read, “death” means the permanent cessation of life in a person any time after the live birth of that person”. So, what was to be deleted is “of evidence”.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:48 p.m.
    So, the proposed amendment is to delete “of evidence”?
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:48 p.m.
    Item numbered 38 (viii)?
    Mr G. K. Aboagye 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, add the following new interpretation:
    “‘Deputy Registrar' means the Deputy Registrar of Births and Deaths appointed under section …. of this Act;”.
    Mr Ahiafor 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the amendment is incomplete. If he says, “section ….”, what kind of amendment is that? So, he should be specific.
    Mr Chireh 1:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the draftspersons would be directed to insert that because we have created
    a portion appointing the Deputy Registrar which was originally not part of the Bill. So, this would be after the complete Consideration.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:48 p.m.
    I think this is understandable. [Laughter]
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:58 p.m.
    Hon Members, having regard to the state of the Business of the House, I direct that the House sits outside the regular Sitting hours.
    Item numbered (ix), on the Order Paper?
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “district'', line 2, delete “and Metropolitan Authority'' and insert “or Metropolitan Assembly''.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, before we come to it, we have interpreted “disposal'' and in the body of the Bill, the word that has been used is “disposition'' and not
    “disposal''. If it has to be interpreted, it should rather be “disposition'' and not “disposal''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:58 p.m.
    I would now put the Question on item numbered (ix) on the Order Paper.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “District Assembly'', line 2, delete “assembly'' and insert “Assembly''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “foetal death'', line 2, delete “its'' and insert “the''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “occupier'' paragraph (a), line 1, delete “governor''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “person responsible for a child'', line 2, delete “(5) of section 12'' and insert “(3) of section 13''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “putative father ‘', line 1, delete “the person alleged'' and insert “a person claimed'' and line 2, delete “alleges'' and insert “claims''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “substitute parentage order'', line 1, delete “form'' and insert “from''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “surrogacy'', closing phrase, line 1, delete “fetus'' and insert “foetus''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, Interpretation of “surrogate mother'', line 2, delete “fetus'' and insert “foetus''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Ahiafor 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we agreed to provide interpretation to “medical practitioner'' and “health practitioner'', in view of the debate that they generated yesterday.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:58 p.m.
    I recall that. So, where is that interpretation?
    Mr Sanid 1:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in view of the amendment proposed by the Hon Member for Akatsi South, Mr Ahiafor, I suggest that the drafters would lift the interpretation from the Public Health Act and insert it in the Interpretation column of this Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:58 p.m.
    Very well. I would direct that interpretation of “health practitioner'' and “medical practitioner'', as contained in the Public Health Act, shall be lifted and inserted in the Interpretation of column of this Bill. I so direct.
    Clause 45 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 46 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 47 -- Transitional provisions
    Mr Sanid 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 47, add the following new clause:

    “Transitional provisions

    47.(1) A staff of the Births and Deaths Registry in existence before the coming into force of this Act shall, on the coming into force of this Act, be absorbed into the Births and Deaths Registry established under this Act.

    (2) A staff absorbed into the Births and Deaths Registry established under this Act shall, on the coming into force of this Act, be deemed to have been duly employed on the terms and conditions which are not less in aggregate to the terms and conditions attached to the post held by that staff before the coming into force of this Act.”
    Mr Banda 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am not opposed to the proposed amendment except to say that in clause 47, subclause (2), there is no need to repeat the line 2, “established under this Act” because it is already so expressly stated in clause 41, clause (1), line 4. Once we are dealing with
    the same clause and talking about the same staff and Registry, it is needless to repeat that phrase under clause 47, subclause (2).
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:08 p.m.
    So, what do you propose we delete?
    Mr Banda 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I propose that we delete “established under this Act” in clause 47, subclause (2), line 2 so that it would read:
    (2) A staff absorbed into the Births and Deaths Registry shall, on the coming into force of this Act, be deemed to have been duly employed on the terms and conditions which are not less in aggregate to the terms and conditions attached to the post held by that staff before the coming into force of this Act.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 47 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there is a matter that I believe has not been put beyond doubt and that has to do with the surrogacy. Mr Speaker, yes, a surrogate mother is one who accepts to carry a baby on behalf of another
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:08 p.m.
    But we cannot have the two. If it becomes “another woman or an intended parent”, you have two options but maybe “another woman or the intended parent”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I guess the same would also affect the “surrogate mother”. We should add “on behalf of another woman or the intended parent”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the amendment adds more clarity but its net effect is the same. A surrogate person always does something on behalf of another but it is alright. I agree.
    Clause 45 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Long Title -- AN ACT to provide for the registration of births and deaths in the country; the decentralisation of the births and deaths registry to improve the collation of statistics for national development and for related matters.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree that the Short Title is the Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, 2020 , but because of the distinction that we have made, the Long Title should bear the inclusion of “foetal deaths”.
    So, it should read:
    “AN ACT to provide for the registration of births and deaths
    in the country; the decentra- lisation of the births, foetal deaths and deaths registry to improve the collation of statistics for national development and for related matters.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Long Title as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:08 p.m.
    Hon Members, that brings us to the end of the consideration of the Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, 2020.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader, what next?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, I believe we can go to the Order Paper Addendum.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:08 p.m.
    Hon Members, the Order Paper Addendum --
    At the commencement of Public Business, item numbered 1, Presentation and First Reading of Bills by the Minister for Finance. Hon Majority Leader, are you doing the item numbered 1?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we would be dealing with item numbered 1.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    I have called for the presentation of Papers and First Reading of Bills but there is nobody to present it.
    Item numbered 1 -- Presentation and First Reading of Bills by the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, I can lay the document on behalf of the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    All right.
    BILLS -- FIRST READING 2:18 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    Item numbered 2 -- University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial
    BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 2:18 p.m.
    STAGE 2:18 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, do you have a copy of the Bill? I do not have a copy and I cannot see the Hon Minister, his deputies nor the Hon Chairman of the Committee. Who will be leading the discussion?
    [Pause] --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader, what do you propose that we do?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe we can begin with the Short Title and clause 1 which are usually very standard constructions.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, what did you say?
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in fact, since the beginning of this Meeting, we have established a number of University Acts of a
    similar nature. So, it is our hope that we will be able to run through this very quickly to bring it to existence.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    Very well. Item numbered 2 (i) -- Short Title?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, after Cabinet had looked at the Bill, the agreement was that the name of the University should be, Akenten Appiah-Menka University.
    It has been named after that illustrious son of this country and indeed, the Committee was communicated to, that this indeed, is what is intended to be done.
    Unfortunately, it looks as though when they were presenting their Report to us, they omitted to do that. Hon Yieleh Chireh and indeed, the Hon Minority Leader who understood the issues have filed an amendment to that effect. However, it is indeed reflective of what happened before Cabinet.
    Mr Speaker, so, I fully endorse the amendment that has been filed by the --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    So, are you moving the proposed amendment or commenting on it? I was going to call it out for Hon
    Members to either support the Motion or otherwise.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, yes. That is what I am saying.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    I have not called it and that is why.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you have not yet called it?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    No. I expect that it will be read out before I do so.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have jumped the gun then.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    Yes, you did.
    Short Title -- University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I will resurrect what I have said already that Cabinet has endorsed it and communicated to the Committee and the Hon Ranking Member is here. I even had some discussion with the Hon Minority Leader early on and it is right and appropriate that they had done this and I do not know why the Committee did not include that in the
    proposed amendment. However, I think that it is right and proper and I fully support it.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not think that we need to debate this matter; a country that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 1 -- Establishment of the University
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move , that before the ‘Establishment of the University', the group headnote -- “University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development” would also have to be commensurably amended so that it will read; ‘Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development'.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:18 p.m.
    I direct that the draftspersons make the corrections in respect of the group headnote with the amendment earlier agreed on to the Short Title. I have seen that the Hon Member for Wa West, Mr Yieleh Chireh has come in. Would you like to move your amendment?
    Mr Chireh 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the proposed amendment is for us to preface the University with ‘Akenten Appiah-Menka'. I do not know why you are deleting “succession” -- but mine was a complete delete and replace and that would have been easier.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:28 p.m.
    What did you go to do outside? I think you are disorientated now.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he went out to reorganise himself because he appeared to be unsettled and I moved clause 1 on behalf of Hon Chireh and Hon Iddrisu.
    The proposed amendment is clause 1 subclause (1), line 1, before “University”, insert “Akenten Appiah-Menka” and in line 2, delete “with perpetual succession”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the deletion of “with perpetual succession” has been incorporated in the earlier amendment proffered by Hon Chireh and Hon
    Iddrisu, so once we have settled that the Hon Chairman would have to drop this.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:28 p.m.
    Very well. It is the same amendment. So item numbered (ii) can be abandoned.

    Clause 1 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 2 -- Aims of the University

    Mr Johnson K. Adu Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2 subclause (1), paragraph (a), delete and insert the following:

    “provide higher education in technical, vocational and entrepreneurial training to develop skilled manpower for job creation and economic development”.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Mr J. K. Adu Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2 subclause (1), paragraph (a), line 1 delete “e” and insert “with emphasis on”.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the proposed amendment advertised as item (v) has been taken care of by the amendment we just did which is item numbered (iv). So, we can withdraw this one too.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:28 p.m.
    Item (vi).
    Mr Johnson K. Adu 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 2 subclause (1), add the following new paragraph:
    “(c) train and provide teachers with the relevant competence for teaching entrepreneurial develop- ment; and”.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have always advised that in adding a new paragraph it should not be numbered. This is because currently there is a paragraph (c) which is not being deleted so this would just be a new paragraph and the draftspersons would know where to insert it.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr J. K. Adu 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 2 subclause (1), paragraph (c), delete and insert the following:
    “(c) develop strong linkages between the University and
    (i) industry; or
    (ii) the communityto ensure the holistic training of teachers.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to withdraw the advertised amend-ment numbered (viii) because it would not sound well.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:28 p.m.
    Very well.
    [Amendment withdrawn by leave of the House].
    Mr J. K. Adu 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 2 subclause (2), opening phrase, line 1, delete “its” and insert “the”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr J. K. Adu 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 2 subclause (2), paragraph (a), line 3, after “education”, insert “and” and further delete “of the country and”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr J. K. Adu 2:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 2 subclause (2), paragraph (c), line 3, after “education”, insert “and”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr William A. Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 2 subclause (2), paragraph (d), line 1, after “teaching”, insert “and problem- solving”, and in line 2, delete “for the benefit of humanity”.
    It would now read; “promote the use of teaching and problem-solving methods that ensure critical and independent thinking”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2, subclause (2), paragraph (e), subparagraph (i), delete and insert the following:
    “matters that related to technical and vocational education and training within and outside the country; and”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2, subclause (2), paragraph (e), subparagraph (ii), line 2, after “education”, insert “and”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2, subclause (2), paragraph (f), line 2, after “books”, insert “journals” and in line 3, delete “of dissemination”.
    So the new rendition would become:
    “inseminate the results of research undertaken through the publication of books, papers, journals and any other suitable means; and.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2, subclause (2), paragraph (g), delete and insert the following:
    “provide extension and consultancy services in technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education and training related disciplines in higher education.”
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think there is a word missing in the last line. It should read “vocational and entrepreneurial education and training and related disciplines in higher education”. So there should be “and” after the word “training”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2, add the following new paragraph:
    “promote entrepreneurial education by the use of analytical and creative tools through research and training;”.
    Mr Speaker, the draftspersons could put this after paragraph (b).
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 2 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 3 -- Campuses of the University
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 3, Subclause (1), delete and insert the following:
    “The main campus of the University shall be in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.”
    Mr Ahiafor 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, looking at the original rendition in clause 3, it states: “The main campus of the University shall be the College of Technology Education at Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba.”
    Mr Speaker, this is specific that this should be the main campus of the University. However, if we are changing that to read “The main campus of the University shall be in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region”, it may be anywhere in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. But the original rendition specifically mentioned the College of Technology Education at the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:38 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this Bill is being considered today. Twenty years from now, it had become an Act, then clause 3 of that Act would read “The main campus of the University shall be in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.” By that time, it would have ceased to exist.
    Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, although I was part of the discussion in which we agreed to add “the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba”, having looked at it critically again, I would want to agree with the amendment proposed now. However, I realise that there is no need to put “in the Ashanti Region” after the word “Kumasi”.
    Mr Speaker, adding the “Ashanti Region” is not necessary. We know Kumasi is in Ghana. So why the need for putting the region again after the city. For instance, if we say the main campus should be in Ho, should we add “Volta Region”? I do not think it is necessary.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there is a Kumasi in the Central Region close to my father's hometown.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:38 p.m.
    And there is another one at Mafe in the Volta Region. [Laughter.]
    Mr Ahiafor 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we also have Kumasi in the Volta Region, but the only thing is that, we have been adding “Mafe” to it.
    Mr Speaker, if we have a good reason to depart from the original rendition, then the region should also be added. That would be in tandem with the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 3, subclause (2), delete and insert the following:
    “The University may have an affiliate campus in each region.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 3, delete and insert the following:
    “The College of Agriculture Education, Mampong, shall be an affiliate campus of the University.”
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:38 p.m.
    Why are we refusing to add the “University College of Technology” but adding the “College of Agriculture Education, Mampong”?
    When we came to the main campus, we refused to take the technology but we are adding the “College of Agriculture Education, Mampong” as an affiliate campus. Why?
    Mr Quaittoo 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is so because that college is already an affiliate campus of the current Kumasi campus and all are sub-campuses or affiliate campuses of the University College of Education, Winneba. So it is agreed that the two colleges in Kumasi and Mampong are the beginning points of this University.
    Mr Ahiafor 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, why are we saying “affiliate campus” instead of saying that “the University may establish other campuses”.
    Mr Speaker, the earlier university Bills that we passed, specifically the
    Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Act, 2019 says:
    “The University may establish other campuses in the Upper West Region and any other place as determined by the Council in accordance with section 25.”
    So we are using the words, “other campuses of the university”. Do we have a special reason for saying “affiliate campuses” instead of “other campuses”?
    Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I also have a challenge over there. In the memorandum accompanying the Bill, these two institutions are forming the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development with the Kumasi campus as the headquarters and Mampong as an additional campus. So the expression, “an affiliate campus” or “an affiliate” is not necessary over there. I wish it is read as: “The College of Agriculture Education in Mampong shall be a campus of the University”. If we see an affiliate, it means they would have a different status. Maybe, they would have to go through nurturing until probably they also become a separate university but that is not the idea behind the establishment of this
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:48 p.m.
    The Hon Second Deputy Speaker would take the Chair.
    Mr Banda 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we proposed “the affiliate”. This is because if we say “campus”, it does not bring out the relationship well but if we say “affiliate” to qualify the “campus”, then within the context of the expression, we know the relationship between the main campus and the affiliate campus.
    Mr Speaker, this is because maybe in future, the other affiliate campuses that have to be established would also grow up to be independent and be operating independently of the main campus.
    Mr Speaker, that is the sense of the --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:48 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, if I understand the Ranking Member, correctly, “affiliate” means a separate and independent body which has sought a relationship with another independent body but this one
    is the same university that has campuses elsewhere. So I think the objection is appropriate.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, yesterday, with us was a low ranger from Cavendish and when I proposed that the use of the word, “affiliate” was out of order, I was outvoted. So I kept my cool. But I kept insisting that they were wrong. I am happy that today, the truth has come.
    Mr Speaker, in the two others, this same argument came here on the Floor. In C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act, section 3, we said:
    “The University is established in Navrongo with campuses in any other place that the University may determine.”
    In the Simon D. Dombo one, it says:
    (1)“The main campus of the University shall be situated in Wa in the Upper West Region.”
    (2)“The University may establish other campuses…”
    Mr Speaker, we may decide to call the others in other locations as campuses that are affiliated to the
    University but we do not say that we are establishing an affiliate campus. So I agree --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:48 p.m.
    The Hon Second Deputy Speaker shall take the Chair.
    Hon Chairman, I thought you were proposing an amendment.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that we would have to delete the word, “affiliate” because they are part of the main campus. In that case, we should go up there and also delete the word “affiliate” from subclause (2) where we said:
    “The University may have an affiliate campus in each region”.
    We would have to amend that too to read:
    “The University may have a campus in each region.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move subclause (3), delete and insert the following:
    “The College of Agriculture Education, Mampong, shall be
    an affiliate campus of the University.”
    Mr Speaker, that is what we just discussed.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:48 p.m.
    No, we went back to “may establish campuses everywhere”. Now, you want to remove the word “affiliate” from this one.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we are removing the words, “an affiliate” for it to read “… shall be a campus of the University.”
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you are mixing up the two. What he is doing is clause 3, subclause 2, which he deleted. So it would now read:
    “The University may have a campus in each region”.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:48 p.m.
    We have done that.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:48 p.m.
    The next one then is: “… shall be a campus of the University”, which is clause 3, subclause (3).
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 3 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, headnote, delete “degrees” and insert “degrees, diplomas and certificates”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (2), lines 1 and 2, delete “if” and insert “where”.
    So the rendition reads:
    “The University may withdraw a degree, diploma or certificate that the University has awarded where the University has evidence that prove that the …”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe the subclause (2), line 1, we should insert “honorary degree”.
    “The University may withdraw a degree, honorary degree, diploma or certificate”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:58 p.m.
    Yes, Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:58 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have been discussing this matter; maybe, the educationists could assist us. The award of degrees, diplomas and certificates, I thought we had come to some agreement that honorary degrees are conferred, but not awarded.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:58 p.m.
    Hon Member, the amendment was proposed by you. [Laughter] So, do you want to withdraw that amendment?
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 4 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
  • [MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER IN THE CHAIR.]
    • Mr Quaittoo 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 5, subclause (1), paragraphs (c) to (l), delete and insert the following:
    “(c) four persons, nominated by the President, at least one of whom is a woman;
    (d) one representative of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission nominated by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission;
    (e) one representative of the University Convocation elected by the Convocation
    (f) one representative of Asso- ciation of Principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes nominated by the Association of Principals of Technical and Vocational Education and Training;
    (g) one representative of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training;
    (h) one representative of the students of the University, elected by the Students' Representative Council and the Graduate Students' Association;
    (i) one representative of the University Teachers' Association of Ghana
    nominated by the University Teachers' Association of Ghana;
    (j) one representative of the Teachers' and Educational Workers' Union nominated by the Teachers' and Educa- tional Workers' Union;
    (k) one representative of the alumni of the University nominated by the alumni of the University; and
    (l) one representative of the Association of Ghana Industries nominated by the Association of Ghana Industries.”
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my worry is where we have placed subclause (c). Usually, after all nominations have been made, including the institutional nominations, then we have the concluding subparagraph, that is four or three other persons nominated by the President.
    But here, it seems to take precedence over the other institutional representations. I think that we should rather take it to where it appropriately belongs. We should have paragraph (d) following and then paragraph (c) will be last. That is how we have couched all these Bills.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, yes we can do that, but really, that is the standard.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Yes, that should be it.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    I direct that the draftsperson should move paragraph (c) to its appropriate place.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, increasingly these days, we want to create more space for our women. Normally, if we have two nominations, we would say that one of them should be a woman. But here, we have four nominations. Why should we say that just one should be a woman? I think we should rather provide that at least two of them should be women, and not one.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon Member, if the House decides to help the appointing authorities, we would also want to test how gender sensitive they are. But the House could decide to say at least two. What is the sense of the House?
    Mr Banda 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I completely agree with the Hon Majority Leader. Normally, where we have two persons, that is where we say that one of whom is a woman.
    Mr Speaker, in order to ensure parity, with respect to the nomination, once there are four persons, I think it would be fair and just that we say “two of whom are women”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman, what is your view?
    Mr Quaittoo 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not have any problem with that.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon Members, from what I got from the House, it would be:
    “Four persons nominated by the President, at least of two of whom are women.”
    Mr Banda 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, going through the amendment, I wonder whether we can do something about paragraphs (d) to (l). There is one expression which runs through: “one representative of”. It has been repeated from paragraphs (d) to (l). If our draftsperson could assist us by
    rearranging to capture the expression in a preamble statement, so that we do not have to repeat it.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    I would further direct the draftsperson to look at the issue raised by the Hon Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
    Mr Bernard Ahiafor 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this amendment stands in the name of the Hon Minority Leader.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 5, subclause (2), delete.
    Probably, the rationale for calling for a deletion is that the power of appointment --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you not have his authority, why did you say “probably”? -- [Laughter] -- He should have given you why he is asking for the deletion.
    Mr Ahiafor 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the rationale for the amendment --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon Member, you said “probably” -- You should not use -- [Laughter]
    Mr Ahiafor 3 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the rationale for the amendment is that, the Constitution has given the power to the President to do the appointment. It is believed that the President in exercising that particular power, would take into consideration all the law says.
    So, there is no need to make a law to tie the hands of the President as to the category of persons to be appointed after the Constitution has given him that power. So the feeling is that we should just give the power to the President to appoint four persons, at least two of whom will be women.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    You have heard the Attorney of the Hon Minority Leader. Hon Majority Leader, what do you say?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, respectfully, this is a standard provision in all the Bills that we have been drafting. It is true that the President is required in the exercise of this discretion to show diligence and balance, but we should be assured that we know what the President must be doing. It is the reason we have made this abundantly
    Mr Banda 3:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is just to add a bit to what the Hon Majority Leader has said that we are not taking the power of appointment from the President, but we are only saying that the President in making the appointment should have regard to certain eligibility criteria in coming to that conclusion. So, this is not anything that departs from the express provision of the Constitution, which gives the power of appointment to the President.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
    Well, I agree to that. I do not think that we should take it for granted that even all Presidents would take all these things into consideration. You could have a President that would place more emphasis on other political considerations; issues of quality, of leadership, of gender, expertise in finance and the rest. So, I think that it is proper that we still live it there. However, it is for me to put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
    Hon Members, we are to delete subclause (2). I put the Question and the ayes had it.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was looking at some other Bills. I was doing a comparative analysis, so, with respect, you could put the Question again.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
    It was not just the Hon Majority Leader that was not paying attention. It involved even the Hon Chairman and the rest. They did not respond. [Laughter] -- So, in spite of the fact that the sense of the House is for us to retain the provision, the response rather gives a different impression, so, I would put the Question again.
    Question put and amendment negatived.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
    Hon Members, we have another proposed amendment that stands in the name of the Hon Peter Nortsu- Kotoe.
    Hon Member, you may please go ahead.
    Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 3:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (5) delete.
    Mr Speaker, clause 5 (5) reads 3:08 p.m.
    “The President may in case of an emergency;
    (a) dissolve and reconstitute the Council or;
    (b) appoint an interim Council to operate for a stated period.
    Mr Speaker, in the first place, I believe that even if we go to clause 14, we would see where the President is to appoint a Chancellor for the University, and as a public officer, that exercise is going to be vested in a number of powers and functions to be performed.
    So, if there is a Council of the University and we say that in the case of an emergency -- in the first place, the word “emergency” too is not even defined. What type of emergency are we talking about? Emergency may have different forms.
    So, the President can dissolve the Council and reconstitute it, but to me, we are giving too much powers to the President of the Republic. This is because emergency can be described in any form; it is relative.
    So, that power imputed on the President, I think, would be too much. Even looking at recent events that
    happened in the country with regard to the University of Education, Winneba and that of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, I think that once the Council is there, they should be given powers so that the Vice Chancellor, who is the titular head of the University could at least perform some functions and advise the President on what to do. I therefore move that we delete subclause (5).
    Mr Speaker, I thank you.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the submission of my Hon Colleague, the Hon Ranking Member for the Committee on Education. This is because this is really alien to any of the Acts that the House has passed.
    I do not know the antecedent of what happened recently in those universities, but we do not legislate because of just one incident that we have witnessed in this country. In any event, as we are saying, the Council has general powers, and in an emergency situation, however that emergency is determined, the Council can act appropriately.
    Mr Speaker, having said that, I would also think that if we are going to have a universal bill -- I know of this Universities' Bill that is coming. If that is what is intended, then it could
    Mr Quaittoo 3:08 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that this subclause is found in the Public Universities' Bill that is under consideration. There is a serious contention about that, and none of the current University Acts has this subclause.
    So, I would go in for this, but I would wait until we are considering the Public Universities' Bill, and then the debate would continue over there. As it is now, we are doing the Consideration Stage of this Bill that
    would establish this University, but when the Public University Bill comes into force, it would repeal all the various University Acts that we have in the system.
    So, I am just telling my Hon Colleagues that we would continue with the debate at that -- [Interruption] -- However, here, I would agree that we should delete it. I am standing in for the Hon Minister. If the Hon Minister were here, he would have defended this because before I stated the Public Universities' Bill here, he defended it seriously.
    So, we would wait for it to come there. When the Public Universities' Bill comes into force, it would repeal all of these Public University Acts that we have. So, I agree that for now, we should delete it and continue with the debate over there.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, do not anticipate a debate. However, I would put the Question on this.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 5, subclause (5) is accordingly deleted.

    Clause 5 as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 6 --
    Mr Quaittoo 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 6, Paragraph (d), line 2, delete “proper” and insert “effective and efficient”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 6, paragraph (f), lines 2 and 3, delete “ethnicity, sex, race, religious beliefs” and insert “gender, race, disability, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, social”.
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader? I actually did not see some of the things that they have inserted there.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have a template for this; let us adopt that template because what he has done here is not even complete -- gender, race, disability, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, social. So let us allow the
    draftspersons to resort to the template that we have adopted in respect of paragraph (f). Mr Speaker, they know what they do; the last time we did it so; let them do that and we would be —
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Chairman, I have seen that you are asking us to delete ethnicity, sex, race, religious beliefs and insert gender, race disability, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, social.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it would continue; social or political.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Yes, social, you are not touching that so it will stay there so, it would continue to -- or political affiliation. That is the Motion but the Majority Leader disagrees with that and he is calling on us to retain what we have.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, what they have done, as I said earlier and I related to a template that we had adopted. What they are proposing as I said is incomplete, but we have a template for that, the only introduction is “disability” which was not included in the previous one that we did. So I said to the draftspersons and Table Officers that they should look at what we did the previous time and just include “disability” and we would be home and done with that.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    I direct that the draftsperson should look at the issue of disability and if it is appropriate to include or not to include it.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that has been done and that is what is in the Order Paper so; if I may read, we all would understand it:
    “…ensure the creation of an environment of equal opportunity for members of the university without regard to gender, race, disability, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, social or political affiliation”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Exactly, that is what we need.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is the reason I told him that we have a template; but even here, it is not “social”, it is social or economic status.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    I have so directed; the draftsperson will look at it that way.
    Clause 6 as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 7 -- General powers of the Council
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    There is a proposed amendment which stands in the name of the Minority Leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu.
    Mr Ahiafor 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have the authority of the Hon Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu to withdraw the amendment in view of the fact that the same is the provision in section 12 of the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Act, 2019. It is just a repetition -- word by word so; for the sake of consistency, we should allow the provision to stay.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Hon Members, the item listed xxix, Hon Chairman?
    Mr Quaittoo 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 7, subclause (2), line 2, delete “be taken to”.
    Mr Speaker, the new rendition would read 3:18 p.m.
    “The conferment of particular powers on the Council by other provisions of this Act shall not limit the generality of this section”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 7 as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 8 -- Tenure of office of members of the Council
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:18 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just want to effect a little change to clause 8, subclause (4), line 4. It should read:
    “Shall be appointed to serve the unexpired term of the office”.
    Mr Speaker, what is here reads 3:18 p.m.
    “shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the office”.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Chairman, did you get the Majority Leader? What do you say to his proposal?
    Mr Quaittoo 3:18 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. I agree.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:18 p.m.
    Hon Members, the Majority has proposed an amendment to clause 8, subclause (4), line, 4 delete.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 8 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 9 -- Meetings of the members of the Council
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 9, headnote, delete “members of the''.
    The new rendition would read:
    “Meetings of the Council''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 9, subclause 1, line 2, delete “dispatch'' and insert “conduct''.
    The new rendition would read:
    “The Council shall meet at least, three times in each academic year for the conduct of business at the time and place determined by the Chairperson''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 9, subclause 2, lines 1 and 2, delete “of the Council”.
    The new rendition would read:
    “The quorum for a meeting of the Council is nine members''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 9, subclause 3, line 1, delete “each” and insert “a”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 9, subclause 5, line 2, delete “any of the meetings” and insert “a meeting”.
    The new rendition would read:
    “The Council may co-opt a person to attend and participate in a meeting but the co-opted person is not entitled to vote at the meeting''.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 9, subclause 8, line 2, at the end delete “its meetings” and insert “meetings of the Council”.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, are we on clause 10?
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:28 p.m.
    No, we are on clause 9.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to make a minor correction.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 9, subclause 4, line 2, delete the indefinite article “a''.
    So that it would read:
    “Matters before the Council shall be decided by consensus or by simple majority''.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:28 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee, did you note the proposed amendment?
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree to the deletion of “a'' in line 2.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:28 p.m.
    You do not agree with the “by''. The proposed amendment is to delete “by a''.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 9 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 10 -- Disclosure of interest
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 10, subclauses 1 and 2, delete and insert the following:
    “(1) A member of the Council who has an interest in a matter for consideration
    (a) shall disclose in writing the nature of that interest and the disclosure shall form part of the record of the consideration of the matter; and
    (b) is disqualified from being present at or participating in the deliberation or determi- nation of the Council in respect of that matter.
    (2) A member ceases to be a member of the Council, if that member has an interest in a matter before the Council and
    (a) fails to disclose that interest; or
    (b) is present at or parti- cipates in the delibera- tions of the matter.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:28 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 10, subclause 3, line 2, before “benefit”, delete “the” and insert “any”.
    The new rendition would read:
    “Without limiting any further cause of action that may be instituted against the member, the Council shall recover any benefit derived by the member who contravenes subsection (1) in addition to the revocation of the appointment of that member''.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    So, there is a deletion of “the” in line 2 and insertion of “any” and in line 3, delete “a” and insert “the” and again in line 3, delete “the” and insert “that”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 10 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Quaittoo 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 11, subclause (2), line 1, delete “comprised” and insert “that consists”.
    So, the new rendition would read:
    “A committee that consists entirely of non-members of the Council is advisory only.”
    The same thing appears in subclause (3).
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, instead of using “that consists”, we just import the language of the verb in subclause (1); “consisting”.
    “A committee consisting entirely of non-members of the Council is advisory only.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    Yes, Chairman of the Committee, you said we should apply the same to subclause (3) to read:
    “A committee consisting of members...”
    Mr Quaittoo 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, so subclause (3) will read:
    “A committee consisting of members…”
    That is correct.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 11 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 12 -- Allowances
    Mr Quaittoo 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, there is no advertised amendment on clause
    12.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    So, I will put the Question, but there is none on clause 13 too so -- [Interruption]
    Yes, I suspected there would be something. Is it on clause 12 or 13?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we only ended at clause 12 at the Winnowing but I believe we can add clause 13, except that --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    I wanted to add clause 13 but I was asking whether there would be some proposed amendments so that I can put the Question on clause 12.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I will proffer a little amendment to clause 13 even though there is no amendment.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    Alright, let me put the Question on clause 12.
    Clause 12 is ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 13 -- Principal Officers of the university
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, clause 13, subclause 2 reads:
    “The Principal Officer of the university shall before assuming office take and subscribe to the official oath as specified in the Schedule.”
    In all the others, they take and subscribe to “the oath of office and the oath of secrecy”. So, I believe that is how it should be captured. That is the only amendment that I want to proffer.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    Is that the standard?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is the standard unless
    as my attention is being drawn to now, we can also pluralise “oath” to “oaths” so that it could read:
    “take and subscribe to the official oaths as specified in the Schedule”.
    If we pluralise it, then perhaps it would cover the two. Either way it is right.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    We only have to make sure that when we get to the Schedule you add another oath.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, absolutely!
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:38 p.m.
    Yes, Chairman of the Committee, the proposal is to add “s” to the “oath” so that it would read:
    “take and subscribe to the official oaths as specified in the Schedule”.
    But there is only one oath in the Schedule as we have now, so, you should take note and add the second one. So, I will put the Question.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 13 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:38 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe we can end here. As for tomorrow, we shall finish. I do not want us to run into any hurdles and then we come back. When we winnowed it yesterday, we run really smoothly.
    So I believe if maybe we go to say 5 o'clock to continue with the winnowing, we can travel far so that tomorrow, we can finish.
    Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 3:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that even though we are eager to continue, we move faster when we build consensus on what should be contained in the legislature and so, we are in your hands so that we can start by 5:00 p.m. and finish at 7:00 p.m.. What is left are standard provisions except a little tweaking.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:48 p.m.
    All right.
    It being just eight minutes to 4.00 p.m., I will put the Question -- from the sense of the House, I should just proceed to adjourn the House but the right thing would have to be done before I do so.
    We have come to the end of the Consideration Stage of the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020 for today.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:48 p.m.
    Hon Members, the House is adjourned till Friday, 7th August, 2020 at 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
    ADJOURNMENT 3:48 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 4.51 p.m. till Friday, 7th August, 2020 at 10.00 a.m..