Debates of 7 Aug 2020

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 12:04 p.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 12:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 6th August, 2020.
Page 1, 2, 3 … 18 --
Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin 12:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, item (d) on page 17, under normal circumstance it should be referred to the Finance Committee -- [Interruption] The tax issue has financial implication and I believe that, maybe, there was a mistake. Accordingly, I crave the indulgence of Mr Speaker to amend this by referring it to the Finance Committee.
Mr Speaker, I am fortified by the rules of the House and if you grant me
leave I shall refer to it, but the law is in your bosom.
Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
The matter shall accordingly be referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report.
Page 18, 19, 20 … 40.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of 6th August, 2020 as corrected is hereby admitted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, item numbered 3 -- Business Statement. Hon Chairman of the Business Committee and the Hon Majority Leader?
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 12:14 p.m.
Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 12:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Committee met yesterday, Thursday, 6th August, 2020 and arranged Business of the House for the Thirteenth Week ending Friday, 14th August, 2020.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 12:14 p.m.
Arrangement of Business
Formal Communications by the Speaker
Mr Speaker, you may read any available communication to the House.
Question(s)
Mr Speaker, the Business Committee has scheduled the following Ministers to respond to Questions asked of them during the week:
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 12:14 p.m.
Sitting of the House on Monday/ Extended Sittings
Mr Speaker, the House is scheduled to Sit on Monday, 10th August 2020. Sittings of the House may also be extended beyond the 2.00 p.m. as stipulated in Order 40(2) of the Standing Order to enable the completion of scheduled business for each day of the week under consideration.
Adjournment of the House
Mr Speaker, it was recommended during the presentation of the Business Statement last week that the House would adjourn sine die on Monday, 10th August, 2020. However, at that time, I intimated that a number of critical businesses are still pending which may not be completed by the said Monday, 10th August, m2020 and yet requires Parliamentary approval before adjournment sine die. Such businesses include:
(a) Development Finance Institutions Bill, 2020,
(b) University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020,
(c) Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2020,
A number of agreements are already presented to the House. The House is also expected to consider the Receivables-backed Trade Finance Facility for the purchase of cocoa beans for the 2020/2021 crops season.
In view of this development, the Business Committee recommends that the House Sits during the week under consideration to enable the completion of the outstanding businesses in order for the House to adjourn sine die on Friday, 14th August, 2020.
However, the Minority Members of the Committee disagree with the House adjourning on Friday, 14th August 2020. The Minority Members indicated that the House should endeavour to complete the outstanding businesses and adjourn on Wednesday, 12th August, 2020.
Mr Speaker, having regard to the tall order of outstanding businesses earlier alluded to, Hon Members are entreated to endure just two more Sitting days in order to dispose of all the important business pending before the House.
The House is expected to adjourn sine die on Friday, 14th August, 2020. Let me add that, if the House is able to finish with the listed programmes ahead of Friday, 14th August, 2020, the House shall adjourn before then.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160(2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committee submits to this honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week under consideration.
The House is expected to debate the Motion and take it through the various stages of approval in the course of the week.

Statements Presentation of Papers --

(a) Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited for the period January to December,

2018.

(b) Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of Cocoa Marketing Company (Ghana) Limited for the period January to December,

2019.

(c) Budget Performance Report in Respect of the Office of the

Head of Civil Service for the Period January to June,

2020.

(d) Semi-Annual Report of the Bank of Ghana on the Petroleum Holding Funds and the Ghana Petroleum Funds for the period January 1 -- June 30, 2020.

(e) Report of the Finance Committee on the Credendo Covered Buyer's Credit Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Belfius Bank NV and KBC Bank NV (as Arrangers [and Belfius Bank as Agent]) for an amount of seventy-two million, one hundred and fifty thousand euros (€72,150,000.00) to finance the construction of the Paa Grant Interchange and other roads in Sekondi and Takoradi Township (Phase 1).

(f) Report of the Finance Committee on the Term Loan Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and BMCE
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 12:14 p.m.
Bank International Plc (as Arranger) and Global Loan Agency Services Limited (as Agent) for an amount of sixty- five million euros (€65,000,000.00) to finance the design and construction of three bridges over Sweet River at Iture, River Ankobra at Ankobra and Black Volta River at Dikpe.
(g) Report of the Finance Committee on the Export Finance Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Coope- ratieve Rabobank U.A. for an amount of twenty-seven million, six hundred and fifty- one thousand, one hundred and fifty-two euros sixty-one cents (€27,651,152.61 [including Insurance of €3,410,852.61 by Atradius Dutch State Business N.V.]) to finance the construction of pedestrian bridges at hazardous locations in Ghana.
(h) Report of the Finance Committee on the Loan Agreement between the
Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A. for an amount of four million, two hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred euros (€4,277,700.00) to finance the construction of pedestrian bridges at hazardous locations in Ghana.
(i) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy and Domestic VAT amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of seven million, seventy-two thousand, three hundred and twenty-six euros thirty-eight cents (€7,072,326.38) on materials, equipment, works and services to be procured for the construction of pedestrian bridges at hazardous locations in Ghana.
(j) Report of the Committee on Defence and Interior on the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2020.
Motions --
(a) Second Reading of Bills --
Real Estate Authority Bill, 2020.
(b) Third Reading of Bills --
Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, 2020.
Consideration Stage of Bills --
Development Finance Institutions Bill, 2020.
University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020.
Committee sittings.

Questions

*754.Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome (South Tongu): To ask the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources what steps are being taken to improve on the supply of potable drinking water to the following towns: (i) Sassekope (ii) Dendo (iii) Yorkutikpo (iv) Atsieve (v) Dorkploame and its environs.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 12:14 p.m.


Questions --

*750. Mr Frank Annoh- Dompreh (Nsawam -- Adoagyiri): To ask the Minister for Special Development Initiatives whether there are plans to construct three astro turfs at Nsawam Methodist School, Adoagyiri Zongo, and Adoagyiri Cocoa Park.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

(a) Report of the Finance Committee on the Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Israel Discount Bank Limited for an amount of seventy-four million, one hundred and twenty thousand United States dollars

( U S $ 7 4 , 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

[including ASHRA's Premium of US$6,120,000.00]) to finance the supply of Armoured Vehicles to the Government of Ghana.

(b) Report of the Finance Committee on the Commercial Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Israel Discount Bank Limited for an amount of twelve million United States dollars (US$12,000,000.00) to finance the supply of Armoured Vehicles to the Government of Ghana.

(c)Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of eight hundred and thirty-five thousand, and seventy-nine United States dollars (US$835,079.00 on materials, equipment, and vehicles required for the execution of the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihoods Improvement Project (GASSLIP).

(d) Report of the Committee on Defence and Interior on the Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the

Ministry of Defence) and Elbit Systems Land Limited of Israel for an amount of eighty million United States dollars (US$80,000,000.00) for the supply of Armoured Vehicles to the Government of Ghana.

Motions --

(a) Third Reading of Bills --

Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020.

(b) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Addendum No. 1 to the Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Railways Development [Ghana Railway Development Authority]) and the Messrs AFCONS Infrastructure Limited of India for an amount of forty- eight million, eight hundred and forty-three thousand, four hundred and ninety United States dollars fifty-four cents (US$48,843,490.54) for the variation in respect of the

ongoing railway construction works between the port of Tema and Mpakadan.

-- Consequential Resolution

(c) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Supply Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Railways Development) and Messrs Dongfang Electric International Corporation for an amount of two hundred and forty-three million, six hundred thousand United States dollars (US$243,600,000.00) for the procurement of standard gauge rolling stock.

-- Consequential Resolution

(d) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Commercial Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Railways Development [Ghana Railway Authority) and Amandi Investment
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 12:14 p.m.
Limited for an amount of five hundred million euros (€500,000,000.00) for the construction of sections of the Western Railway Line on standard gauge from Takoradi Port to Huni Valley.
-- Consequential Resolution
Consideration Stage of Bills --
Development Finance Institutions Bill, 2020.
Complementary Education Agency Bill, 2019.
Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2020.
Committee sittings.

Statements

Motions --

(a) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Israel Discount Bank Limited

for an amount of seventy-four million, one hundred and twenty thousand United States Dollars

( U S $ 7 4 , 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

[including ASHRA's Premium of US$6,120,000.00]) to finance the supply of Armoured Vehicles to the Government of Ghana.

-- Consequential Resolution

(b) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Commercial Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Israel Discount Bank Limited for an amount of twelve million United States dollars (US$12,000,000.00) to finance the supply of Armoured Vehicles to the Government of Ghana.

-- Consequential Resolution

(c) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of eight hundred

and thirty-five thousand seventy-nine United States dollars (US$835,079.00 on materials, equipment, and vehicles required for the execution of the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihoods Improvement Project

(GASSLIP).

-- Consequential Resolution

(d) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Defence and Interior on the Contract Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Defence) and Elbit Systems Land Limited of Israel for an amount of eighty million United States dollars (US$80,000,000.00) for the supply of Armoured Vehicles to the Government of Ghana.

-- Consequential Resolution

Consideration Stage of Bills --

Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2020. (Conclusion)

Committee sittings.

Statements

Motions --

Third Reading of Bills

Development Finance Institutions Bill, 2020.

Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2020.

Complementary Education Agency Bill, 2019.

Committee sittings.

The House expected to adjourn Sine Die.
Mr Speaker 12:14 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Yes, Hon Mubarak?
Mr Ras Mubarak 12:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, last week a Committee of the Whole meeting was scheduled to take place. It did not happen, and there is no indication as to whether or not the Committee of the Whole's meeting would eventually take place sometime next week?
Mr Speaker, secondly, I raised an issue of the validation of the new Standing Orders which the Hon
Mr Speaker 12:14 p.m.
Hon Member, order. Do you want the Hon Attorney-General and Minister for Justice here?
Mr Ras Mubarak 12:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, absolutely.
Mr Speaker 12:14 p.m.
Then please, you know the procedure. Hon Members who fail or refuse to go by our procedures duly captured in the Standing Orders here should please hold their peace.
Is there any other observation, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 12:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, like the Hon Majority Leader and Chairman of the Business Committee rightly said, this Meeting is one of the longest we have had. For the Meeting before this, because of the COVID-19, we had to be hanging around to do Business. For the Hon Majority Leader as rightly reported from the Business Committee Report to want to extend the Meeting to Friday, 14th August, 2020, I keep saying that we need to be mindful of our health.
It is true that it has not only been today that Government's businesses wait towards the tail end of the
Meeting before they begin to pile them in the House and expect us to keep making room to accommodate that. It is getting out of hand, and it is being done at the expense of our health.
Mr Speaker, we have sat long enough. If it is about the receivable transaction by Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which is the main reason the Hon Majority Leader was requesting that we go beyond Monday, I agree.
There is no way this country would be able to purchase cocoa if we do not go through the syndicated loans that COCOBOD takes. But to add a whole week, it is worrying. That is why we suggested that we should end on Wednesday. Now, if he wants us to do new businesses that have come, the simple question is, what were they doing all these while?
This is because I want to believe that the Hon Majority Leader has notified them of when we intended to rise. Originally, we were to rise today, then he said we should add Monday because of the holiday on Tuesday. Now, it is being extended to Friday.
Mr Speaker, what we are doing to ourselves -- it is not surprising that when people leave this House, they become very wretched and sick. This
is because we all assume that these things that we do are just some of the things. But we are piling pressure on ourselves and it is not healthy.
Mr Speaker, I would still want to plead with the House that whatever we want to do, let us try to see what we can do to finish it on Wednesday rather than pushing it to Friday. We are overstretching ourselves. It is not good for our health and I hope the House would agree that we adjourn sine die on Wednesday so that we can go and take some rest. Look at the registration exercise and all the other things that are happening. There is so much stress that we put on ourselves which is unnecessary.
Mr Speaker, I hope that in adopting the Business Statement, we would be mindful to end it on Wednesday instead of Friday.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
rose
Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, is it on the same matter?
Mr Iddrisu 12:24 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, there must be a way of conferring on these matters. That is why you are the Leader. So please confer so that we know.
Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, proceed but I would say that in appropriate procedures where there is the Leader and he wants to speak on a matter, the Leader must know what his Hon Colleague is thinking and what the position of the caucus is.
Mr Iddrisu 12:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would do so.
Mr Speaker, I am compelled to rise because, for the record, the Business Statement has captured rightly what transpired at the Business Committee meeting chaired by the Hon Majority Leader. Indeed, in that meeting, he was not successful in persuading me and the Minority caucus to support him to extend our Sitting to Friday. He was not able to persuade me and I conveyed same to him.
But Mr Speaker, fair to him, he called me at the weekend late in the night to say that we needed to extend Sitting to accommodate COCOBOD and because of COVID-19, they needed to raise some financing
between today and Monday. So I gave him my word that the House can extend Sitting to Wednesday but he is insisting on Friday.
Mr Speaker, COVID-19 is not over. He should be mindful of article 102 of the Constitution. We need a quorum.
Mr Speaker, we have sacrificed and we have worked. All I persuaded him to do was to do everything possible for us to adjourn on Wednesday. Mr Speaker, I would give you my reason; originally, at the Business Committee and at the Leadership level, as you have advised, he drew my attention to two important Bills. The first is the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill that he was resolving some matters on with the President and then the Universities Bill to allow them to have admissions for this year.
Mr Speaker, now, he is introducing the Development Financing Institutions Bill. It is bulky and we need to study it and I do not see the trigger. This is August; he is introducing it as something new. So if we want to commit to two important Bills -- the Security and Intelligence Bill, we are committed. The Universities Bill, we are committed but to introduce the Development Finance Institutions Bill --
Mr Speaker, some of the Bills that we are passing now, our reputation outside -- because we rush through the processes, we do not do diligent work. We should not take consideration of Bills for granted. So I have persuaded my Colleagues that I am not able to assure him of my cooperation beyond Wednesday. I told him so at the Committee level.
We would cooperate because we have to cooperate but he said COCOBOD. Beyond COCOBOD, he has brought Development Finance Institutions Bill, which is a new matter. It was the Registration of Births and Deaths Bill and we are almost done with it. So what is critical is determined by him but he must be mindful that we all work together to constitute a quorum.
Mr Speaker, I am not able to assure him that beyond Wednesday, he would have our cooperation on this Side and our reason is that COVID- 19 is still real and congregation is still a storm for spiking of it and then we are overstretched.
Mr Speaker, originally, we were supposed to adjourn on 31st July. He persuaded that we added tomorrow and Monday because of the holidays.
So whatever it takes, the Hon Minister for Finance is here, they should do what it takes then by Tuesday, we would get the President's approval and come.
Then on Wednesday, the two important Bills -- Security Intelligence Agencies Bill and the Universities Bill can be passed but the Development Finance Institutions Bill, how far are we taking it? I am not sure that it is any major trigger. In any case, if the Hon Minister for Finance felt so strongly that it was such an urgent Bill, he should have come to the House much earlier. His lack of planning should not be an emergency on our part.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minority Leader.
Hon Majority Leader, you may respond, please.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first of all, the issue raised by Hon Ras Mubarak in respect of --
Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
That has been ruled out so please proceed to the next one.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am talking about the issue of the Committee of the Whole.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:34 p.m.
Admittedly, we were to have had a Committee of the Whole meeting initially planned for Wednesday but we shifted it to Thursday. But on Thursday, there were as few as three Hon Members in the Chamber. If he wanted us to have done it -- were there, and maybe you would have insisted that we hold the Committee of the Whole meeting.
With the 10 people, we thought that it would have been most imprudent to hold the Committee of the Whole meeting. When we come to considering the Bills, people just leave the Chamber and certainly, that may take precedence over the meeting that we have planned. Be that as it may, I think it escaped all of us at the Business Committee meeting yesterday.
Mr Speaker, we would certainly find space for it either on Wednesday or Thursday next week before we adjourn.
Mr Speaker, the other ones, you have ruled them out of order.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Chief Whip reminds all of us to be mindful of our health. Mr Speaker, we are mindful and he says business is being done at the expense of our health. I am not too sure of that. This is because I know that if we adjourn
today, he would go straight to Asawase to do his campaign. What would he say to that?
Mr Speaker, we are mindful of our health and we would do what is appropriate.
Mr Speaker, the other matter raised by the Hon Minority Leader -- he said that we had agreed on the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill. We would do everything possible today to finish with the Akenten Appiah Minkah University Bill that we are doing. If we are not able to finish with it, maybe, by the first half of Monday, we would be able to finish with that.
Mr Speaker, the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, as he related to, had some challenges. We are about resolving it and it is the reason why we are pushing it to next week. I guess by Monday, next week, we should be able to begin on Monday or Tuesday. It is not a very fat document. Once we commence, on the same day, we should be able to finish. This is because the major issues have already been dealt with.
Mr Speaker, the other one relates to the Development Finance Institutions Bill and that is required to commence the next financial year.

Mr Speaker, given what we are purposed to do between now and the electioneering campaign -- in the heat of the campaign, it would be difficult to have that clear mind to deal with it, and that is the reason we thought that we could deal with it.

Mr Speaker, the major issues have been identified, and indeed, screened out. So I believe that in two days, or a maximum of three days, we should finish with that Bill in order for us to adjourn on Friday, 14th August, 2020.

Mr Speaker, I do not intend to imperil the lives of Hon Colleagues. If anybody is exhausted in this House, it should be me. So I should be concerned; I should be the first person to work towards an early adjournment sine die.

The Hon Minority Leader however, made a point that because we have to pass many Bills, we are not diligent enough in their consideration. Mr Speaker, I totally disagree with that statement that he has made. I have been in this House for quite a while, if there is any Parliament that has been very thorough in the passing of Bills, it is

this Parliament. I have not seen any Parliament that, after amendments have been proposed to Bills, they have sat down to clean it up in the way we have been doing. It has never happened.

Since this Fourth Republic, it has never happened. It is the reason we have been able to pass such monumental Bills as the Land Bill, which efforts started way back in 1998, but it could not be passed. The Companies Bill, again the effort started in 1998, but it could not be passed. This Parliament has passed it. The Corporate Insolvency Bill has also been passed.

These are monumental Bills that this Parliament has passed. If any Parliament has to be commended, it is this Parliament. And for anybody to say that we have not been thorough enough, Mr Speaker, I think it is an unfortunate statement, and I disagree totally with the statement made by the Hon Minority Leader as far as that is concerned.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance, certainly, does not lack planning. We would have to be thorough. When matters come, they are generated and they go through Cabinet for discussions before they come to this House. I have known the routine.
Mr Speaker 12:34 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Leaders. In fact, we will not continue with a long debate on it. We will rather go on with the Business ahead of us.
From both the Hon Majority and Minority Leaders, we hear the expression, the Hon Minority Leader encouraging that we must do everything possible to rise on next week Wednesday. The Hon Majority Leader also captures this in actual fact, and he said, if we are successful in doing everything possible to rise on Wednesday, then we will do so.
But assuming having done everything possible to rise on next week Wednesday, we are faced with a novel situation, by which we are not able to finish everything, having done everything possible nevertheless -- Therefore, it is very important for us to give ourselves some room to operate and go for next week Friday. If we are able to complete, we will rise; if not, we will proceed with Business accordingly.
Hon Members, on that note, the Business Statement as presented is hereby admitted accordingly. Thank you very much.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, I have had some discussions with the Clerk to the Business Committee and something has occurred in the Report in error. It has to do with the Complementary Education Agency Bill. We agreed that one will not feature.
Yesterday, I asked them to take it off, because at the Business Committee meeting, we agreed on that. When the draft of the Report came, I insisted that it had surfaced, so they take it off. Even this morning, unfortunately, it is persisting. So, I would want to assure that the Complementary Education Agency Bill is not part of the programme for next week.
Mr Speaker 12:34 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, if we are able to finish everything, we will rise. If we are not able, we will continue till Friday.
Hon Members, item listed 4 -- Urgent Question. If the Hon Minister for Agriculture could please -- ?
Hon Majority Leader, I cannot see the Hon Minister for Agriculture. Is there an arrangement? --
rose
Mr Speaker 12:44 p.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Chief Whip?
Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is one Urgent Question and five Oral Questions.
Mr Speaker 12:44 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member, I have just said that. Urgent Question to the Hon Minister for Agriculture, what is the position?
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Food and Agriculture is not in the Chamber presently. So we may invite the Hon Minister for Communications to take her turn.
Mr Speaker 12:44 p.m.
Hon Member, so can we move on to Question *750 for now?
Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes.
Mr Speaker 12:44 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Speaker 12:44 p.m.


Hon Members, Question starred 757? The Hon Minister may please take the appropriate Chair.

Hon Members, before you go onto this matter, I noticed this morning a publication in -- [Pause] -- The Herald Newspaper. -- [Pause] --

Hon Members, the paging is blurred, but that Statement is titled: “Ursula Owusu running from accountability on the US$89 million Kelni's GVG.” To say that the Hon Minister was running away from responsibility in Parliament is a contorted representation of the Hon Minister.

Hon Members, this kind of approach to reportage of events in this honourable House must be eschewed. The headline is woefully misleading, and it is a misreport. I read it myself this morning, and in many ways, the presentation grossly misrepresented the proceedings of this honourable House during its Sitting held on Wednesday, 5th August, 2020. It casted insinuations on the conduct of the Hon Minister for Communi- cations.

It appears that some of the Hon Members of Parliament who come to the House continue in this style, which is not parliamentary, so far as my mind is concerned. If you look at our Standing Orders, Standing Order 30 (h), says, and I read that: “Publication of false, perverted, misleading, distorted, fabricated or scandalous reports, books or libels reflecting on the proceeding in Parliament” is not permitted in this honourable House. I therefore wish to draw your attention to our rules, and if this practice should continue, then it should result in the appropriate sanctions.

Hon Members, as it should have been clear to anyone who looks at the Hansard, on that day, I did not order that the Hon Minister must appear on a particular day. I said that that particular issue was adjourned to Friday. There is a big difference. This was misrepresented to be in tandem with the prejudged presentation of the Hon Minister's so called “running away from accountability”.

Hon Members, there was reference also to a letter from the Ministry, and that is also part of the record. Any person who cares to know would want to know. That letter came from the civil servants -- a chief senior servant, as to the fact that Answers being prepared by those civil servants were not ready on that particular day.

There are many Hon Ministers in this honourable House, and each of them, past or present, would tell you that there is nothing you can do when the appropriate Answer by the relevant ministerial civil service authorities have not been concluded.

So, if anybody purports that an Hon Minister is “running away” when Answers being appropriately compiled by civil servants are not ready, then it misleads the public, and especially, when the truth is readily available and was made clear on that very day.

Hon Members, on behalf of the whole House, I wish to warn, and for the last time, nobody drew my attention to this. I read it myself this morning, and I was not happy. I was dutifully unhappy about it. Everybody was misrepresented including my good self. It should not happen again, and I would want it to be put on record that the next time that this happens, appropriate parliamentary sanction would be applied.

Hon Members, I thank you very much.

Hon Members, we would move on to take the Question 757, by Mr Samuel Nartey George, the Hon Member for Ningo-Prampram.
ORAL ANSWERS TO 12:54 p.m.
QUESTIONS 12:54 p.m.
MINISTRY OF 12:54 p.m.
COMMUNICATIONS 12:54 p.m.
Mr Samuel Nartey George (NDC -- Ningo-Prampram) 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Communications how much incremental revenue has been made by Kelni GVG in the past years.
Mr Speaker 12:54 p.m.
Hon Minister, your Question, please.
Minister for Communications (Mrs Ursula G. Owusu-Ekufu) 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to seek your leave, before I proceed with the Answer, to clarify a few matters which occured in the Hosue on --
Mr Speaker 12:54 p.m.
Hon Members, order!
Hon Minister, you should Answer your Question.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to seek your leave to clarify a few matters which
Mr Speaker 12:54 p.m.
Order! Order! Hon Member, you may take your seat. Anybody who is a careful listener would know that the issue being addressed by the Hon Minister at this point in time has not been raised by me. The Hon Minister is now making a chronological analysis of the dates of the so-called filing, so please, we have to listen. When a point is being raised in an analytical manner, analyse where we have reached quickly, then you would not raise certain issues.
Hon Minister, you are permitted to give a prelude, so go on. [Interruption] Those who are shouting are out of order.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we received communication from the House dated 27th July, requiring the Ministry of Communications to respond to certain questions on the 28 th of July. This letter from Parliament, dated 23rd July, was received by the Ministry of Communications on 27th July. Upon receipt, the letter was forwarded to the respective agencies to provide the
response. However, because of the late receipt of this letter, it was not possible for the Ministry to attend upon the House on 28th July when we were required to respond to the listed Questions.
We sent notification to the House to that effect on 27th July. We were later informed that we would have to attend upon the House on the 5th of August to respond. As at the 3rd of August, we had not received the response from the National Communications Authority or the National Information Technology Agency. So, we accordingly wrote to the House on 3rd August to notify the House of our inability to attend upon the House to respond.
The Communication from the National Communications Authority and the National Information Technology Agency was received yesterday, 6th August and I have a copy of that for the records if so required. It was received on the 6th of August from the Ministry of Communications. So, it disabled us from responding and attending upon this House on 5th August as we were required to.
We notified the House on the 3rd of August and as of the 3rd of August, we had not received it. In view of the intervening holiday, I believe that was
why the House was notified late about the communication from the Ministry to the effect that we would not be able to attend upon the House. With the enormous respect that I have for the House, there is no way I would willingly refuse to attend upon the House to answer any Question asked by Hon Members. [Hear! Hear!] [Interruption] I could not have been running away.
Mr Speaker, Section 14 of the Communications Services Tax Act 2008 (Act 754), as amended by Section 7 of the Communications Service Tax (Amendment) Act, 2013, Act 864 mandated the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Communications to establish a common platform as a mechanism for verifying the actual revenues that accrue to service providers for the purpose of computing taxes due the Government under Act 864 and revenues accruing from levies under Act 775 as amended by Act 786 of
2009.
Pursuant to this, Kelni GVG was contracted on 27th December, 2017 to build and operate a Common Monitoring Platform (CMP) which is an integrated single platform connecting to nodes in the networks of all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and the Interconnect
Clearinghouse (ICH) where traffic and revenues can be monitored. The National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) are the implementing agencies and beneficiaries of this project.
The COMMON PLATFORM has four main components: Fraud Management, Traffic Monitoring, Revenue Assurance & Mobile Money Monitoring.
Results achieved so far .... Less cost, more value!!
The introduction of the CP has resulted in savings of US$1.1 million monthly over the previous contracts, resulting in a total of US$66 m over the 5-year contract period. The NCA was paying US$915,969 to Afriwave, while the GRA was paying US$1,675,492 to Subah, totalling US$2,591,462. The NCA now pays US$596,490 and the GRA US$894,735, a total of US$1,491,225. Additionally, unlike the previous contracts, the CP offers real time monitoring of 2.5 billion transactions per day within the telecom sector (e.g. Calls, SMS, Mobile money transactions, etc.).
Though there was some level of monitoring by Subah and Afriwave at the time, both Subah and Afriwave primarily depended on after-the-fact
Mr George 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Hon Minister for her detailed response. However, the original Question was to find out how much incremental revenue had been made but from the responses she gave, I am yet to see incremental revenue. Previously, before the inception of the CP and since its inception, it was month on months breakdown or yearly breakdown, on how much implemental revenue has been received?
Mr Speaker 1:04 p.m.
Hon Members, Order!
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the CP was set up to perform a specific purpose as defined by law of revenue assurance and that is the results that I have presented.
The Hon Member requires information that the CP is not set up to do and they could only do the work that they have been mandated by law and contract to perform. By virtue of its establishment and the revenue assurance functions, tax revenue has been properly insisted on being paid by the GRA and significant tax savings have been made primarily because of the implementation of this platform. The incremental revenues that the Hon
Member seeks for are not the job of the CP and I suggest that he directs the question to the GRA.
Mr George 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the question on savings arose from the Hon Minister's response in the final paragraph in her Answer, when she said and I beg to quote:
“An estimated GH¢300 million in taxes was saved between Q1 of 2017 to date''.
So, it supposes that the by-product of the CP, is savings and she alluded to GH¢300 million and that was why I wanted a breakdown.
Mr Speaker, in the second paragraph of the Hon Minister's Answer, it was stated that Kelni GVG was contracted on 27th December, 2017, which is the end of the fourth quarter in 2017. So I struggle to understand how savings are attributed to this platform from the first quarter of 2017, three quarters before the coming into force of the platform.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the operators of the CP requested from and received from the GRA, revenues declared from 2015 to September, 2019 for an in-depth analysis of
Mr George 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it gives me worry as a citizen and as a law maker with the issues of COVID-19, where Government revenues are affected. If we have under declarations by MMOs in our country and if we see fraud management components of the CP detecting and making savings of so far, GH¢327.3 million, should we not see prosecutions if truly there are such infractions of the law per the response of the Hon Minister?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the information from the CP has been given to the relevant regulatory agencies which would take the appropriate action that they deem fit. The relevant regulatory agencies in this regard are the NCA and the GRA. So, I suggest that the Hon Member should direct his question if any, to those regulatory agencies.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
Question 758.
Hon Member for Ningo-Prampram?
Status of the National Data Centre
Mr Samuel Nartey George (NDC -- Ningo-Prampram) 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Communications the status of the National Data Centre after the commercialisation agreement.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Communications decided to hand over the operations and maintenance of the eGovernment Infrastructure to a private operator for greater efficiency and to commercialise the excess capacity on the network in a revenue sharing arrangement. The private partner is also expected to invest in the upgrade and expansion of the infrastructure.
The objectives of the commercialisation are as follows:
1. Address the funding and capacity challenges of NITA.
2. Offer improved services to NITA clients in partnership with the private sector in the operations of the Infrastructure.
3. Attract the needed CAPEX to improve and expand on the Infrastructure without having to further burden Govern- ment.
Mr Speaker, Lebara Ghana was selected through a competitive tender process, to manage the infrastructure. It assigned its rights and responsibilities under the contract to Smart Infraco in 2019. Smart Infraco is currently investing in the following activities relating to the Data Centre:
Maintenance of the cooling and power systems of the Primary Data Centre is ongoing. The secondary data centre which is in Kumasi, has been inactive for almost five years, and needs to be equipped with new servers and storage which were used to replace defective equipment at the Accra Data Centre and other
equipment which are currently end-of-life. It is being equipped to bring it into operation before the end of the year.
The certification of the Data Centres to ensure that both Data Centres (Primary and Secondary) attain the international standards organization, (ISO) certification to attract more customers and support Government operations in this era of digitisation is underway.
Commercialisation: The team is currently working on a marketing drive and will roll out new branded services before the end of this year. This will include Data Centre Collocation and Cloud Services.
Mr George 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you and also to the Hon Minister for her response.
Mr Speaker, I would want to find out when exactly Lebara Ghana took over the management of the infrastructure? We are told they have handed over their right in 2019 but when exactly did they take over the management of the infrastructure?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe it was sometime in 2018, if my memory serves me well but I can check and revert.
Mr George 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Hon Minister what steps the Ministry is taking to hold Messrs Lebara Ghana and Smart Infraco to whom they have assigned their rights to, for what we are told is the inactivity for almost five years of the secondary data centre in Kumasi because per the terms of Lebara's commercialisation agreement, they ought to keep both centres running? So, if they have failed to do that for almost five years per the response of the Minister, what steps is the Ministry taking?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, from the inception of the contract to date is not five years; it is two years. After a due diligence was conducted upon handing over, it was realised that the Kumasi Data Centre had been cannibalised to repair components of the Accra Data Centre and so it was largely inoperative.
They have now taken steps to make it operational and we cannot hold them responsible for actions taken prior to their management operations of it. They are working according to the terms of their contract but a due diligence was conducted and signed
off by both parties prior to handing over which indicated that there is a significant challenge with the infrastructure as handed over. So, we cannot hold them responsible for what is not their fault.
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Finally, Hon Member?
Mr George 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much. The reference to five years was from the Answer of the Minister and not myself but the final question is on the commercialisation, the last paragraph of the Minister's Answer.
Do we have a specific timeframe? There are two more quarters to the end of the year. What kind of services and when specifically would we see the commercialisation of the infrastructure to be beyond just the Data Centre but also LT base stations and cord fibres that were part of the original tender process?
Mr Owusu-Ekuful 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Question was specifically about the status of the Data Centre and that is the way the Answer was couched. So, if the Hon Member wants to know about the other infrastructure, I suggest that he files a specific Question to that respect.
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
Question 759 by the Hon Member for Bole/Bamboi?
Yes, Hon Member?
Alhaji Bashir F. Fuseini Alhassan 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise up to find out the fate of my Urgent Question given that it was stepped down.
Mr Speaker, I listened with rapt attention to the Hon Majority Leader when he presented the Business Statement for the Week.
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Members, Business Statement matter attendance thereto is past.
Alhaji B.F. Alhassan 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was just craving your indulgence to --
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Members, Question 759 by the Hon Member for Bole/Bamboi? If the Hon Member is present, he should proceed.
Alhaji B.F. Alhassan 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am seeking your permission to ask --
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Member, no, permission is refused. -- [Laughter] -- Let us therefore move forward.
Mr Mutawakilu Adam 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member has asked me to ask the Question on his behalf.
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Please, you may.
Hon Members, we are back to one Question. I deliberately made the allowance so that we would know whether there is a runaway approach or not. So now, one main Question and a supplementary.
Extension of Mobile Network Connectivity to (i) Babato (ii) Chibriyoa (iii) Bampewa (iv)
Dugli (v) Agbadago (vi) Tanban Communities
Mr Mutawakilu Adam on behalf of (Yusif Sulemana) (NDC --Bole/Bamboi) 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister for Communications when mobile network connectivity will be extended to the following communities: (i) Babato (ii) Chibriyoa (iii) Bampewa (iv) Dugli (v) Agbadago (vi) Tanban?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, AirtelTigo currently has no coverage in Babato, Chibriyoa, Bampewa, Dugli, Agbadago and Tanban, however, it is in discussion with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) to extend coverage to rural communities and these locations will be considered in
Mr Adam 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is just left with four months to the end of the year, 2020. What preparation has been done so far in respect of what the Hon Minister has just told the House?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this information was received from the network operators, so if they indicate
that in their coverage plans they intend to cover these communities by the end of this year, it is my expectation that they are actively working to achieve that objective.
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Thank you very much. Question 760 by the Hon Woyome?
Steps Being Taken to Improve on Communication Network for All Mobile Telephone Operators
in South Tongu Constituency
Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome (NDC -- South Tongu) 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Communications the steps being taken to improve on communication network for all mobile telephone operators in South Tongu Constituency, particularly (i) Dabala (ii) parts of Sogakope, (iii) Agave Afedume, and (iv) Atsieve.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, AirtelTigo has three (3) sites serving South Tongu. Sogakope the district capital has 2G and 3G services and they plan to deliver 2G and 3G services to Agbakorpe in 2021. There is 2G and 3G coverage in Dabala. The remaining towns Atsieve and Agave Afedume are presently not covered. AirtelTigo intends to extend
coverage to Atsieve and Agave Afedume in the ongoing discussions with GIFEC through the rural telephony project.
Mr Speaker, Vodafone is currently providing 3G and 4G services in Sogakope. The 2020 coverage plans of Vodafone do not cover Dabala, Atsieve and Agave Afedume. These communities will be covered in their subsequent plans.
Mr Speaker, MTN plans to extend coverage to parts of Sogakope and Dabala by the end of 2021. It is expected that Atsieve and Agave Afedume will be considered in their subsequent plans.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, we wish to inform the House that the Ministry will work assiduously with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and MNOs to provide connectivity to the citizens of Ghana regardless of their location, through the Rural Telephony project.
The Rural Telephony project is intended to extend the coverage of mobile services into areas where access to such services is not adequately available due to the inability of Mobile Network Operators (MNO's) to expand their
networks as a result of commercial considerations. Essentially, this project will close the gap in Mobile Network Operators roll out plans and ensure universal access.
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Thank you very much. Hon Woyome, any questions?
Mr Woyome 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with reference to paragraph 1, line 5 of the Answer provided by the Hon Minister and also paragraph 2, lines 4 and 5, it appears all the three network operators have scheduled some period by which they will get these communities connected.
Mr Speaker, is it possible to further push -- for instance the one that has to do with the one considered to be connected subsequently after the major work is considered as a block before then. Is it possible to push for that which they have considered to be completed as a second phase per the Hon Minister's Answer as part of a major one to be conducted by the end of the year 2021?
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Hon Member -- ?
Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to draw my Hon Colleague's attention to Standing Order 67(1)(b). With your leave it reads:
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Hon Afenyo- Markin, you are not addressing the Hon Member.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes. I was facing you in this direction.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister has provided an Answer to the Hon Member's substantive question and a supplementary question should be grounded on matters that have arisen out of the Answer yet the Hon Member is being hypothetical, running commentary, expressing opinions --
The Hon Minister prepared before coming here and the Hon Member is not supposed to ambush her and by doing so, he has breached Standing Order 67(1)(b).
Therefore, I invite you to rule that he is out of order.
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Some questions may attract your debunking an answer by an Hon Minister and one may be entitled to ask a question. I believe that the Hon Minister will answer the question.
Hon Minister, your question please?
Hon Member, make yourself --
Mr Woyome 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
I actually asked the supplementary question based on the Answer provided by the Hon Minister.
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Hon Member, please ask your question.
Mr Woyome 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with reference to paragraph 1, line 5;
‘The network provider AirtelTigo intends to extend coverage to Atsieve and Agave Afedume in the ongoing discussions with GIFEC through the rural telephony project by this and the subsequent ones for the other sectors'.
Mr Speaker, my question is that; is it possible to push for the completion of the extension of works in the year 2021 that is being considered to go beyond that year for AirtelTigo, Vodafone and MTN?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the various network operators have their roll out plans and I have said several times here, they are only legally obligated to provide coverage in the district capitals. Anything beyond that is dependent on their own commercial considerations and roll out plans.
So, we can urge them but cannot compel them. The rural telephony project will seek to fill-in the gaps within the roll out plans as I indicated. However, unfortunately, I cannot give a timeframe when all of that will be concluded.
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
Would you want to Table the response from the National Communications Authority (NCA) that you referred to?
Very well.
Table Office to receive accordingly. The response from the NCA, making clear the chronology of events is duly tabled by the Hon Minister for Communications.
[Response from National Communication Authority tabled].
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Thank you very much for attending to the House and answering our questions this morning. You are respectfully discharged.
Is the Hon Minister for Special Development Initiatives in the House? If she would please take the appropriate Chair?
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Hon Member for Nsawam/Adoagyir?
MINISTRY OF SPECIAL 1:24 p.m.
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES 1:24 p.m.
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Special Development Initiatives whether there were plans to construct three astro turfs at Nsawam Methodist School, Adoagyiri Zongo, and Adoagyiri Cocoa Park.
Minister for Special Development Initiatives (Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson) 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Middle Belt Development Authority, an agency under the Ministry, has allocated to the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Constituency, three artificial turfs (astro turfs) at Nsawam Methodist School, Adoagyiri Zongo and Adoagyiri Cocoa Park.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Hon Member, you have one supplementary question.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 1:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there are obvious challenges associated with the execution of this particular contract. I wish to find out from the Hon Minister whether she has considered a possible review of this contract? If she has, what conclusion has she come to?
Mrs Koomson 1:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry is discussing the review of the contract with the agency and this would soon be communicated to the Hon Member.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Hon Minister, thank you very much for attending to the House to answer our Questions. You are respectfully discharged.
Hon Members, At the Commencement of Public Business - - item numbered 7(a). Hon Minister for Works and Housing?
PAPERS 1:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Item numbered 7
(b) Hon Minister for Finance?
By the Minister for Finance --
(i) Terms of a Receivables- backed Trade Finance Facility between Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and a Consortium of Banks and Financial Institutions, with the Government of the Republic of Ghana as Guarantor, for an amount of up to one billion, three hundred million United States dollars (US$1,300,000,000) to finance the purchase of cocoa for the 2020/2021 Crop Season by the Ghana Cocoa Board.
(ii)Request for waiver of stamp duty amounting up to the Ghana cedi equivalent of six million, five hundred thousand United States dollars (US$6,500,000) on the Receivables-backed Trade Finance Facility between Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and a Consortium of Banks and Financial Institutions, with the Government of the Republic of Ghana as Guarantor, for an amount of up to one billion, three hundred million United States dollars (US$1,300, 000,000) to finance the purchase of cocoa for the 2020/2021 Crop Season by the Ghana Cocoa Board.
Referred to the Finance Committee.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Item numbered 7 (c). Hon Chairman of the Committee on Finance?
By the Chairman of the Committee
(i) Report of the Finance Committee on the Credendo Covered Buyer's Credit Facility Agreement between
the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Belfius Bank NV and KBC Bank NV (as Arrangers [and Belfius Bank as Agent]) for an amount of seventy-two million, one hundred and fifty thousand euros (€72,150,000.00) to finance the construction of the Paa Grant Interchange and other roads in Sekondi and Takoradi Township (Phase 1).
(ii)Report of the Finance Committee on the Term Loan Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and BMCE Bank International Plc (as Arranger) and Global Loan Agency Services Limited (as Agent) for an amount of sixty- five million euros (€65,000,000.00) to finance the design and construction of three bridges over Sweet River at Iture, River Ankobra at Ankobra and Black Volta River at Dikpe.
(iii) Report of the Finance Committee on the Export Finance Loan Agreement between the Government of
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 8 -- Motion. Hon Minister for Finance?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if we can vary the order of business and take item numbered 32 on page 24 of the Order Paper.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 32 -- Motion. Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development?
BILLS -- THIRD READING 1:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker 1:44 p.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 8. Hon Minister for Finance?
MOTIONS 1:44 p.m.
Minister for Finance (Mr Ken Ofori-Atta) 1:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House approves the sum of GH¢11,896,477,566.00 as Supplementary Estimate for the 2020 Financial Year.
This Supplementary Estimates includes the GH¢1.2 billion from the Contingency Fund that was approved in April this year by this august House. This withdrawal would replenish through transfers of excesses from the cap of the Stabilisation Fund.
Mr Speaker, this Supplementary Estimate of GH¢11.9 billion is to enable the Government respond to the adverse socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has had and continuously have dire economic consequences both globally and domestically. Globally, there has been over 19 million infections and counting with over 700,000 deaths while the global
economy has contracted by 5.3 per cent resulting in the negative growth of 4.9 per cent for 2020.
This has disrupted the global supply chains and forced the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies to enact stimulus policies of over US$11 trillion as all responsible governments clamour to save lives and livelihoods and engineer faster economic recovery.
Mr Speaker, the request for Supplementary Estimate has therefore, been necessitated by the need for Government to incur additional health expenditure arising from the COVID-19 pandemic , including the need to provide incentives to health workers who have risked their own lives and continue to do so to provide care to Ghanaians to provide relief to our society's vulnerable citizens, household and businesses that have been affected and continued to face the brunt of the pandemic through the loss of income and livelihoods.
This would also allow Government to continue to provide water and electricity to households to support agriculture to guarantee food security and continue with the fumigation and sanitary protocols at markets, schools and public spaces across the country.
Mr Speaker 1:44 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister?
Yes, Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee?
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 1:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and to present the Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The Supplementary Estimates for the 2020 Financial Year were laid in the House on Thursday 23rd July, 2020 and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report, pursuant to article 179(8) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 143 of the Standing Orders of the House. This followed the presentation of the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2020 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament pursuant to Section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
The Committee subsequently met with the Hon Minister responsible for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta; the Hon Deputy Ministers for Finance, Mr Kwaku Kwarteng and Mrs Abena Osei-Asare; as well as a technical team from the Ministry of Finance and considered the Estimates.
The Committee hereby presents this report to the House pursuant to Order 161 of the Standing Orders of the House.
2.0 References
The Committee referred to and was guided by the following documents in its deliberations on the Supplementary Estimates:
The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana;
The Public Financial Management Act of 2016 (Act 921);
The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government for the 2020 Financial Year;
The Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2020 Budget Statement and Economic Policy; and
The Standing Orders of the House
Mr Speaker 1:44 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Yes Hon Member?
Mr Cassiel A. B. Forson (NDC -- Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam) 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to also contribute to the Motion, and in doing so, let me also say that there are some few concerns that I would like to raise.
Mr Speaker, if I may apprise the House of the Mid-Year Review, page 122, there are three key issues that I would like to talk about.
Mr Speaker, first, the Hon Minister for Finance informed us through the Mid-Year Review that the major adjustments that would be happening in the year 2020 include the interest payments. We were told that interest payments for the period, January to December, 2020 is projected to increase by GH¢4.5 billion. Of this amount, we were told that this is largely coming from domestic interest payment increase.
Mr Speaker, I am very concerned about the increase of GH¢4.5 billion of an interest payment. That in itself increases the Estimates that we are talking about. Mr Speaker, again --
Dr A. A. Osei 1:54 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I was trying to follow the Hon Ranking Member and he made reference to page 122 of the Mid-Year Review. I think that he means paragraph 122. There is no page 122.
Mr Forson 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it looks like my Hon Colleague is not listening to me. I mentioned page 112 of the document. [Interruption] -- Mr Speaker, it is page 112 and I am referring to Appendix 3 (C). So if he wants to follow me, he should refer to Appendix 3 (C).
Mr Speaker 1:54 p.m.
Hon Member, please, if what was said is not what you actually wanted to say, just correct that and proceed.
Mr Forson 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am making reference to Appendix 3C, page 112 of the Mid-Year Review. There are three major issues I would want to raise with that. The first refers to the interest payments where clearly, our Hon Minister for Finance has informed us that it is going to increase by GH¢4.576 billion.
This, for me, is a major concern, particularly that it is coming from the domestic side in the sense that Government is borrowing so much from the domestic market and as a result of that, we are going to pay an
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 1:54 p.m.
On a point of Order. Mr Speaker, first the Hon Ranking Member --
Mr Speaker 1:54 p.m.
May I please make my usual principles clear? When it comes to these matters of figures and facts, I would be quite cooperative in making sure that if there is an Hon Member who is not satisfied with any fact or figure, that person may object and that is what is happening now.
Hon Member, please, proceed.
Dr Asssibey-Yeboah 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he mentioned that the COVID-19 response plan implemented by the Ministry of Health cost GH¢580 million. Does he expect the Hon Minister for Finance to be reporting on that here? At the end of the year, the Ministry of Health would submit their expenditure budget performance report to the House. A Ministry is given GH¢580 million and during the Mid-Year Review, he wants the Hon Minister for Finance to be reporting on it. Where is this done? How can the Minister for Finance report on this stage?
Mr Speaker 1:54 p.m.
Hon Member, your point is well-made.
Hon Forson, please, respond.
Mr Forson 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought he was going to raise a point of order but clearly he did not.
Mr Speaker, my concern is simple. The Hon Minister said it has been implemented. This is according to the Mid-Year Budget Review. I would have thought that in the interest of accountability, at least, we should know what the plan is and how much of -- Where did the GH¢580 million go? That is the first plan.
Mr Speaker 1:54 p.m.
Hon Member, when we make arguments on the floor of this House, we must be very careful so that the media can appropriately report. We know that there is a time for appropriate Ministries, Departments and Agencies to account for what they have received.
Mr Forson 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, again, we have been told that the cost of COVID-19 Response Plan 2 to be implemented by the Ministry of Health is GH¢762 million. Mr Speaker, it is only right that at least, this august House would be given some information so that we know exactly where the money is going to go.
We cannot just be approving a blanket amount. An amount of GH¢762 million in Plan 2. Already, we have spent GH¢580 million. So it
is right that at least, we get some information on where the GH¢762 million is going.
Mr Speaker, secondly, if we look at this document again, on Health Infrastructure, Agenda 111, Mobilisation Advance for District and Regional Hospitals, Infectious Diseases Centres , an amount of GH¢600 million has been made available. Of this amount, capital expenditure (CAPEX) is GH¢360 million. An amount of GH¢240 million would go to goods and services.
Mr Speaker, how can they make mobilisation advance and term it “goods and services”?. Mobilisation advance is CAPEX. So they are telling me that for GH¢600 million for mobilisation, they are going to use GH¢240 million for goods and services and then the capital expenditure is only GH¢360 million. Mr Speaker, we require some explanation on this one.
Mr Speaker, this is what we have here. It is here and it says 1:54 p.m.
“GH¢600 million of which GH¢240 million is going to goods and services and GH¢360 million is going to capital expenditure.”
Mr Speaker, this is what we have here. It is here and it says 2:04 p.m.
We require some explanation on that one.
Mr Speaker, apart from that, the Coronavirus Alleviation Package (CAP 1) is GH¢1.204 million. I agree that this august House approves that. I agree that we were provided some information. But on the same Coronavirus Alleviation Package, we are getting for CAP 2, an amount of GH¢2.28 billion. We have not been given a breakdown of that amount. We require that breakdown and it is important that we require that information.
Mr Speaker, apart from that, of this GH¢2.28 billion, relief for payment of electricity bills is worth GH¢1.28 billion and market fumigation, et cetera is worth GH¢50 million.

We were told that other CAP 2 Programmes (CARES Programme) would cost GH¢950 million. We would require some breakdown as to exactly where the GH¢950 million would go?

Mr Speaker, apart from that, we have been told that there are other COVID-19 related expenditure of GH¢6,142,000.00. [Uproar] -- Would people expect that I do not ask for details? The details are important. This is the Parliament of Ghana, we require those information and I would ask the Hon Minister for Finance that in the interest of Ghanaians --
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, if you file an Urgent Question tomorrow or Monday, it would be accordingly admitted for you to seek all the details.
Mr Forson 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, just for the records, tomorrow is Saturday. I wonder if we are Sitting on Saturday?
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Members in parliamentary procedures those who are outside of here will sometimes not understand why certain procedures are not being used, and they get the wrong impression that maybe, somebody is doing a cover up or somewthing. So please apply what modalities are at your call, and then you can get all these details. Hon Member, please go on, otherwise, whenever the Hon Minister comes he would have to bring us this.
rose
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Yes, Hon Dr A. A. Osei?
Dr A. A. Osei 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when we had the debate on the Mid- Year Budget Review, as well as, at the consideration of the Estimates in Committee, my Hon Colleague was not around -- [Interruption] -- Probably, he might have information provided by the Hon Minister on the details -- [Interruption] -- Mr Speaker, it is in the Report and I can give him a copy of the Report -- [Interruption]
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Members, order!
Some Hon Members -- rose
-- 2:04 p.m.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:04 p.m.
Why are you up?
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Members, order! Order!
Dr A. A. Osei 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to refer my dear Friend to go and pick up the information that was provided to us in Committee. I know he was not there, and his Hon Colleagues should have given him that. It is all in the Report. Did Hon Isaac Adongo not give it to him? Did Hon Benjamin Kpodo not give it to him? -- [Laughter] -- His Hon Colleagues should have given him that. As the Hon Ranking Member of the Committee, he has an obligation to look for the information.
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, make a little reference to “it is here for me”. On what page? And he says, for example? --
Dr A. A. Osei 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is here, GH¢6.142 billion --
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Members, Order! -- The Hon Dr A. A. Osei is on his feet. Hon Member, please go on.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, other COVID-19 -- related expenditures, GH¢6,142,000.00, of which, fumigation and supply of PPEs to schools was GH¢220 million; of which additional allocation to Parliamentary Service, GH¢50 million; Electoral Commission, GH¢300 million; NIA, GH¢300 million and security, GH¢1,106, 000.00 -- [Interruption]
Mr Speaker, this is what the Hon Minister has said they intend to spend money on. The details are in columns 1 to 5 of the Appendix.
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, so the details have been referred to. Of course, we would not ask the Hon Minister to bring us voluminous treaties. If you want any further questions, file them on Monday. That is the way it is done.
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, if you would just take your time, I can say on authority that what you just said is palpably wrong. The relevant administrators will tell you --
Mr Forson 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker -- [Uproar]
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, I would want to correct you, because I happen to be in the know, and because I happen to have requested for moneys for Parliament of Ghana for COVID-19 -- related expenses. [Hear! Hear!] -- So, I cannot just sit there when you say that.
You are out of order, please continue.
Mr Forson 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, apart from the Parliamentary Service of Ghana's expenditure from the Report, we were told that the security would be given an amount of GH¢1,106,000.00. Is that also for
COVID-19 activities? It is important we ask these questions. We were also told that the NIA and the EC would be given GH¢300 million each.
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, please, these are relevant particulars. You may elicit further and better particulars by the relevant and appropriate parliamentary procedure. Please, go on --
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:04 p.m.
[Inaudible]
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, I do not need your assistance.
Hon Forson, you may go on.
Mr Forson 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have raised these budget concerns, and I believe that the Hon Minister for Finance must have some time to address these concerns, because they are important.
Mr Speaker, apart from that, if we are to sum up all of these amounts under COVID-19 Alleviation Programme, the Mid-Year Budget Review stated an amount of GH¢11,162,000,000.00, but if we are to add all of the amounts, it is GH¢11.3 billion. Clearly, this does not tally with what is in the Mid-Year
Budget Review. It is important that the Hon Minister does some reconciliation and gives us the right amount.
Mr Speaker, if you look at the same Summary of Supplementary Estimates, item numbered 6, National Development Bank, we have been told that the Government is setting aside an amount of GH¢580 million for the establishment of the National Development Bank. For me, it is a good idea for us to have a bank, but its establishment must conform to the requirement of the regulator which is the Central Bank. Government cannot be the one to breach its own laws. I would refer you to the Bank of Ghana, Act (Act 930). It reads:
“The paid up capital of the applicant is adequate and then the original source of the capital are acceptable and do not include borrowed funds.”
Mr Speaker, we have been told that for Government to be able to implement this Mid-Year Budget Review successfully, Government would borrow an additional GH¢24 billion from the domestic sources. So largely, they require us to approve for them to spend another GH¢11.8 billion. They would borrow all these amounts to fund it.
In the Bank of Ghana's Act, it is clear that we cannot borrow to finance a bank, to establish a bank or pay up shares. So how can Government be the one to do so?
Unless the Hon Minister for Finance tells us he has some moneys set aside for the purpose of this, other than what he is asking us for? Mr Speaker, clearly, Government is breaching Act 930. It is important the Hon Minister for Finance addresses all these concerns.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I support the Motion.
rose
Mr Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, factual corrections are different from points of order, and I will allow you therefore though the Hon Member has taken his seat to please continue.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, unfortunately, my Hon Colleague has not been around a bit. So he may be missing information that under normal circumstances he would have had.
Mr Speaker, the first mistake in misleading this House, is when he says, and I quote him: “Government said he is going to borrow an amount of 24 billion and it is from domestic sources.”
Mr Speaker 2:14 p.m.
Hon Members, please, in view of the time and the Business ahead of us, I direct that Business should extend beyond the regular hours.
Hon Dr A. A. Osei, you may please go on.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as was rightly pointed out to him, this House has made some expenditures on COVID-19 related expenditures, but here again, maybe because he was not here, he is not aware. I think that his Hon Leaders can clearly tell him that that is the case. As I speak, if one goes out there, he would find a bottle of sanitiser at various places in the House. This morning, I saw that masks were also there.
Mr Speaker, I would like to take him to the other statement that he made which is incorrect. On item numbered 3, which is on Health infrastructure Agenda 111, he misread what the Hon Minister said. He told us that the Hon Minister is going to spend an amount of GH¢240 million on mobilisation, but that is not correct.
In the Report, on that item, it reads: “mobilisation advance for district and regional hospitals, infectious diseases control…” So, on capital expenditure, the amount intended to be spent there is an amount of GH¢360 million. The Hon Minister did not say we should allow him to spend GH¢240 million mon goods and services.
Mr Speaker, however, in the process of getting capital expenditure, there would be expenditure recurrent on goods and services. So, here again, because he was not there, he
did not listen to the Minister at the Committee or the budget review. If he was not here, he would lack information.
Mr Speaker 2:14 p.m.
Hon Members, a point of correction can be made at a time like this. I have indicated to the Hon Member that he is to speak next, so what is the difficulty? No one should be afraid of debate.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, here again, let me remind him of another information that he is not aware of. When the Hon Minister came and spoke about security, he was not there. The Committee on Finance agreed on a loan to purchase equipment for security.
I would not say what that equipment is -- [Interruption] -- Mr Speaker, the point is that your Committee is aware that some amount of money is going into security service for obvious reasons. If we know what is happening in Mali and Burkina Faso, we would be careful when we start going to the security area. Those two --
Mr Speaker 2:14 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Dr A. A. Osei .
Yes, Hon Forson, your response? This is a debate and not any shouting on the Floor.
Mr Speaker 2:14 p.m.
He said that it was available to the Committee.
Mr Forson 2:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that information that he talks about is not available. Apart from that, what is available to the Committee is this blanket amount. The details are not with the Committee, and so if I ask questions here, it is important that I do so.
So, if the Hon Member says that he has, then he should give it to me. I would want to know where the amount of 950 million of that programme is going to go. I would
want to know what exactly they are using the money for. These are legitimate questions, and I require that at least, I get some answers.
Mr Speaker, again, nothing stops me from asking why the EC is getting an additional amount of GH¢300 million. I need to know, and it is important that all of us, not only me as an Hon Member of Parliament representing the good people of Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam. All of us must know, and that is why I am raising these concerns. Mr Speaker, clearly, the legitimate concerns that I have raised are one, clearly, this Government is breaching Act 930, and I would want an answer as to why we are breaching that Act?
Mr Speaker, number two, I would want to know why --? [Interruption] He made reference to page 110. Government of Ghana financing, was an amount of GH¢18.8 billion, but it has now jumped to GH¢44 billion. The difference between the amount of GH¢18.8 and 44 billion, the adjustment is GH¢25 billion, and that was what I was making reference to, in terms of Government financing. So, if he is quoting me, then he should quote me right.
Let me remind him that yes, I was not around when this was being taken at the Committee, but it was because I was at the constituency. I was
attending to serious parliamentary business, which is also important.
Clearly, Mr Speaker, we demand answers, and those answers must come because even the amount of 11.1 billion that the supplementary budget is asking us to approve for COVID-19 related expenditure, if we are to add what is before us, it is an amount of GH¢11.3 billion, which does not tally with that, so, answers must come.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:24 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am glad that you allowed him to vent a bit, but I would want to repeat that if he would want answers, then he has to make himself physically available. It is not by coincidence that Committee meetings are called. [Interruption] --
Mr Speaker 2:24 a.m.
Hon members, Order!
Dr A. A. Osei 2:24 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to advise my Hon Colleague Agbodza that when he gets up, he should not point his finger at his seniors. He has to be very careful. This is a place for debate and not a place for doing that. I am emulating him.
Mr Speaker, I insist that the domestic net financing is not GH¢25 billion. It is a technical question. The fact that you say expenditure difference is GH¢ 25 billion does it mean that borrowing is GH¢25 billion? No, that is not how you have to look at financing. I want to refer to the total finance, and the domestic financing is GH¢16 billion. What he meant to say was total financing including foreign -- If that is what he wants to say, he should say it, but he should not say domestic financing is GH¢16 billion. The foreign net financing is GH¢7.8 billion and I just want to remind him.
Mr Speaker 2:24 a.m.
Hon Minister, thank you very much.
Now, the debate continues. Where have we reached? Leaders?
Hon Dr A. A. Osei, you cannot continue, unless you are making a full contribution now on behalf of the Majority. I want to know. First of all, you were on some corrections, so if you are on the correction pathway, I think you have made enough corrections. You are entitled, of course, to make a contribution from your end because your Hon Counterpart has taken his seat.
So, Hon Majority Leader, where do we go from here? After this, Leadership.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:24 a.m.
Mr Speaker, Hon Oppong-Nkrumah.
Minister for Information (Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah) 2:24 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make some quick comments on this Report.
First is the supposition that by an increase in expected interest payments, something strange is happening to the fiscal tables. I want to draw the House's attention to pages 109 and 110. If you look at total revenue and grant projection in the original 2020 Budget, of GH¢67 billion cedis, the revised, now GH¢53 billion cedis, requiring increased financing between the original financing numbers and what has been provided, the increased financing would obviously come with increased interest payments.
So, it is not as though somebody has cooked a line and created some numbers there. It is quite clear from the change in the flows of revenue and expenditure that we would have to finance some more. Financing some more would require some more interest payments.
Mr Speaker, the second is about this issue of the National Development Bank. As has been alluded to by the Hon Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, our Hon good Friend on
the other Side has not been available for business in the House for a while because the Committee on Finance has had the opportunity to meet the Minister for Finance on the whole legal regime for development banks.
It is the Development Financial Institutions Bill. The Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance met for about three days to spell out a totally - different legal regime for this that is not applicable under Act 930. So, as the Rules say, a Member shall not ask a question, the answer to which is known to the House.
This Committee has had the opportunity to meet and go through the legal regime. So, coming back at this time on the Floor to raise questions as though there is a breach of the law is a bit untoward. Additionally, one of the significant things is this extra GH¢11 billion and my Hon Colleague goes specifically for the Agenda 111 and raises a question about why some part of the GH¢600 million is for non-CAPEX items?
Mr Forson 2:24 a.m.
On a point of Order. Mr Speaker, my Colleague, Hon Oppong-Nkrumah, made a statement that yes, the Committee on Finance met and looked at a Bill on the entire legal regime. I did not make reference to a Bill but made reference to an Act of Parliament, Act 930, section 9 (d)
and I said that they are breaching it. So I am not making reference to a Bill. As we stand here, we are talking of section 9 (d) of Act 930 and I am saying that it is a breach because clearly, they are financing their budget from borrowing and that means that the paid up capital for the National Development Bank is being borrowed. That is contrary to the law, so he should address that instead of saying and attributing things to me that he does not know about.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:24 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is within the rights of Hon Forson to draw the attention of this House to breaches as he sees them. However, in doing so, he should not mislead us with any inadequacy with respect to his understanding of the very law. The law he is referring to has not placed a limitation on Government.
With respect, we enacted that law and he should not mislead us because everybody is listening to him. [Interruption]. I am shouting for him to hear because he cannot hear. They are backbenchers and they better keep quiet. He and I were part of the enactment.
If the law is talking about risk mitigation and saying that an individual who wants to set up a bank must not go and borrow and create the

This is education and they should listen to me. This is a House of debate. At least I am addressing this House on a point of law, so Hon Mubarak should listen to me. I need to shout for him to hear.

Mr Speaker, the provision is clear. Hon Forson, please, we did it together. So that somebody would not go and borrow and come and present it as his asset and mislead Ghanaians into believing that he has what it takes to operate a bank.

So, for my respected Colleague to advance a point on this Floor, that Government is in breach of Act 930 and specifically refer to section 9 (d). In the least , he is trying to invite us to appreciate his misunderstanding of the law. We would tell him clearly that we would decline such an invitation because it is dangerous.

We are not interested. If we follow this invitation, there is a huge plateau of confusion, into which we would not want to land. If he is quoting the law, he should quote it right.

Mr Speaker, so I am now challenging him to read aloud for all of us to hear. The provision that limits Government from doing what it is doing, by way of setting up a bank through -- Government raises funds in so many ways, which he knows because he has been a deputy Minister before. Hon Buah has been a Minister and if he wants to speak on a point of order, he should speak into the microphone.

Several Hon Members -- rose --
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:34 p.m.
The entire Minority is up. Let them get up for me alone. They cannot even coordinate though they are supposed to work as a team. They should speak into the microphone because I am speaking into the microphone. This is a House of debate.
Mr Forson 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me refer my Hon Colleague to the law. Clearly, he is the one who does not understand the law. I am surprised because he is a lawyer and does not understand. If we are to look at section 9, under prerequisite for a licence, when you need to get a licence, it says and I beg to quote:
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first of all, to cool down the Hon Member's nerves, he must understand
that this is a development bank. What the Government has proposed to do is to set up a development bank. He should read the preamble to the law. He talked about Act 930.
He cannot just get up to say -- he should look at the definition of “applicant”. Who does the law refer to as an “applicant” in the context he wants us to appreciate? Mr Speaker, I am revising my earlier argument. The Government of Ghana owned shares and set up the Ghana Commercial Bank and National Investment Bank.
These are initiatives of the Government and I said that the import of that provision is not applicable in the very context which is before us -- so, he should know that.
The preamble of the law is there and he knows it, so he cannot say that applicants would borrow and create the impression that these are assets. If the Government of Ghana raises funds for the purpose to set up a development bank, does he want to say that the provision of 9(b) of Act 930 is applicable to this? No! The decision is clear.
Mr Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Thank you very much. The argument is clear.
Hon Member for Ofoase/Ayirebi, Mr Oppong-Nkrumah, please, continue.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I said before you allowed some of the learned friends in this Chamber to educate our Hon Colleagues from the other Side, Act 930, does not apply to development bank. It specifically deals with commercial banks and specialised deposit-taking institutions.
Mr Speaker, another question that was raised is why some entities qualify for COVID-19 related expenses? I am astonished as to why this question came up? Unless somebody, for example, did not participate in the COVID-19 test that you instructed us to have. For all Hon Members of Parliament, who participated in the test that was conducted and who have participated in the COVID-19 protocols that were supported with logistics in this Chamber, we know why Parliament needs some funding for the COVID-19 related expenses.
Unless some persons have not gone to register or have been juggling in some sort of exercise around the registration exercise, Electoral Commission officials had masks and thermometer guns and sanitisers -- there is a lot of COVID- 19 related expenditure items that are on-going. Even the National Identification Authority has brought an additional
Mr Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Leaders, conclusion. Either you are represented -- we have heard a lot and we have come to the tail end. The concluding remarks could be by the Hon Leaders themselves or by persons they would nominate. I have ruled.
Mr Avedzi 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, two Hon Members debated from the Majority Side. [Interruption] -- The Hon Chairman of the Committee, seconded the Motion and presented the Report and the Hon Ranking Member debated from our Side. The Hon Member for Old Tafo, Dr Akoto Osei -- [Interruption] -- and the Hon Minister for Information debated, so we need one more person from our Side before leadership could conclude.
Mr Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Hon Leaders, you would at this stage decide who should conclude for each side.
Minority leadership? I am not about to change my mind. We are coming to the end of this debate. It has been long and very interactive.
Hon Members, Order!
Mr Avedzi 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would yield to the Hon Member for Bolgatanga Central, Mr I. Adongo.
Mr Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Hon Member, you have 10 minutes to conclude.
Mr Isaac Adongo (NDC -- Bolgatanga Central) 2:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, at the start of the COVID-19 incident, you have cause to refer the Hon Minister's application to draw on the Stabilisation Fund to the Finance Committee, to deal with.
Mr Speaker, in presenting the application for the Supplementary Estimates, the Hon Minister attempted to account for the GH¢1.2 billion to be approved from the Stabilisation and the Contingency Fund. However, I am worried that the accounting for that money does not add up and I would want to advance reasons to show why that account does not add up.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance, indicated that out of the GH¢ 40 million that was approved for hot meals, about 150,000 people were served hot meals at GH¢4.32 pesewas per day, which amounted to GH¢12 million with a balance of GH¢27 million, which he said was used to defray the cost of dry food
packages and water. However, we also approved for the Hon Minister, an amount of money for dry food, which was about GH¢40 million.
The Hon Minister indicated that he spent about GH¢42 million on dry food, which indicated that he spent more by about GH¢1.9 million of the original budget that we approved from the Stabilisation Fund. So I am still not seeing the GH¢27 million being used to finance the dry food.
But if we add the dry food of GH¢42 million to the hot meals of GH¢12 million, we are back to GH¢54 million. The people of Ghana were complaining about the issue that we spent GH¢ 54 million on food for the three or four weeks of lockdown?
Mr Speaker, I recall that when the Minister came before us and said that it was GH¢54 million, as a result of the outcry, this figure was revised down to GH¢12 million but we are back to GH¢54 million and that is very worrying for the people of Ghana.
Mr Speaker, the Minister also says that the GH¢200 million that was allocated for free water, they only spent GH¢199 million. So, again, I am not seeing the GH¢27 million being spent on water beyond what was budgeted for the Minister. That again is very worrying.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
I thank you very much, Hon Isaac Adongo.
Yes, conclusion from the Majority Side. It is time we close this matter. I will give you ten minutes.
Who concludes?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me yield to the Hon Anthony Effah.
Mr Anthony Effah (NPP-- Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you and I rise to support this Motion.
Mr Speaker, we are here all because of COVID-19 and its impact on our economy. The impact of COVID-19 has been very widespread and left mixed performance in the economy.
Mr Speaker, if we look at paragraph 4.1 of the Committee's Report, we would be able to see how COVID-19 has effected the economy. In quarter one of 2019, the real GDP growth for the country was 6.7 per cent. In quarter one of 2020, the growth in real GDP had reduced to 4.9 per cent. The impact of COVID-19 on businesses, household consumption and investment --
Mr Speaker, at paragraph 4.1 of the Report, the main oil GDP growth in the first quarter of the year 2019 was 6 per cent. In the first quarter of the year 2020, the non-oil GDP grew by only 4.9 per cent, that is a further reduction from the previous year. Industry in the first quarter of the year 2019 grew by 8.4 per cent, and as we speak, the report is that in the first quarter of the year 2020, the growth in the industry sector was only 1.5 per cent and these are staggering figures -huge reductions in the performance of the economy.
Mr Speaker, the agricultural sector only increased marginally from 2.2 per cent of the first quarter of the year
2019 to 2.8 per cent and it is the services sector that saw some growth. So, the developments were mixed and if we take this against some revisions that the Hon Minister has proposed to this House, it says that, the GDP growth which was presented to be about 6.5 per cent has reduced to 0.9 per cent.
The non-oil growth rate has been revised to 1.6 per cent and so, the story ahead of us is not too good as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to the primary balance that we achieved, the projected positive 0.7 per cent, has now been revised to negative 4.6 per cent and the overall deficit which was projected at 4.7 per cent of GDP is now being revised to 1.1 --
These are worrying times and we are not in normal times but there have also been challenges with the implementation of the 2020 Budget Statement as a result of the shortfalls in revenue and also the escalation in the expenditures; some of which were not programmed. This has led to even the Hon Minister suspending the fiscal responsibility rules of Act
982.
Mr Speaker, with only these challenges confronting the economy, what do we expect? The only rational thing for the Hon Minister to do is to
come to this House and seek for additional funding so that the Government can implement its projects.
If we look at the attachment to this Report to which I would not go into details because it has been significantly elaborated. However, we can see that the spending is so strategic and if we are paying bills on all of that I think we should be able to approve this request.
Mr Speaker, I would like to conclude by looking at paragraph 4.8.1 of the Mid-Year Review and the Hon Minister quotes, which I beg to read:
“Whereas this pandemic requires us to exceed the limits imposed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Act 982, we have had to make these major expenditures to protect lives and livelihoods and also businesses”.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would like to urge the House to support the Supplementary Budget to enable the Hon Minister carry on with his business.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.


The Hon Minister may make a couple of final remarks in five minutes?
Mr Ken Ofori-Atta (Minister for Finance) 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker, Hon Members of this august House, I just want to thank the House for co-operating with us in these very difficult circumstances in which we have had to suspend the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) given the enormity of this unprecedented pandemic on the globe and in our country.
With all honesty, we gave as much information as was needed to the Committee and I can only assume that these issues have been raised in good faith; but all in all, I think our President is very clear about using this situation to ensure that we transform the economy and protect lives and livelihoods in everything we do. This is because in the end, our best capital is our human capital.
Mr Speaker, let me conclude by thanking you again for your co- operation and graciousness in these very difficult times.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Item numbered 9?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, we will deal with the item numbered 9 but I noticed something very important that issues are raised and the Hon Minister has to give response to the issues raised. In such a debate, we may take to the Supplementary Estimates.
The Hon Ranking Member who raises the issue before the Hon Minister even gets up, denigrates the Chamber. It is not right but I believe that we should all learn from these things.
Mr Speaker, I guess we can go to item numbered 9.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought the Hon Majority Leader was starting on a very important tangential course but somehow, he chose to skip the point. Issues were indeed raised in this House and we gave the Hon Minister for Finance an opportunity to respond to them and he chose not to respond.
I thought the Hon Majority Leader was going to invite the Hon Minister to respond to the issues but he chose a side goal and with the purpose of this House --
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Hon Member, you are introducing the word; “respond”. I remember very well when I asked; “any remarks”? We have heard many Hon Ministers and Hon Finance Ministers thanking Hon Members for a good debate and that if there are any difficulties, they will be taken into account.
The Hon Minister has really done what is usually done. One does not re-open a debate when he or she is satisfied with how well the debate has gone. It is not done.
So, please, that tangent is palpably improper at this stage.
[Interruption] --
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Let us face it --
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree entirely with you except that it is the Hon Majority Leader who introduced that.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree with you in an election of the Hon Minister.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
The Hon First Deputy Speaker will take the Chair at this stage.
Item numbered 9 -- Motions.
MOTIONS 2:54 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Assibey-Yeboah) 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of nine million and one thousand, three hundred and ninety- six euros (€9,001,396.00) on project materials and equipment to be imported for the execution of the Development of the Kumasi Airport (Phase III) by Messrs Contracta Construction UK Limited.
Mr Speaker, in doing so, I beg to present the Committee's Report.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Hon Chairman, thank you very much.
Any seconder?
Mr Casseil A. B. Forson (NDC -- Ajumako/Enyan/Esiam) 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and to say that we must support this request for waiver of import duties, et cetera.
The project is already ongoing and there is the need for us to ensure that the conditions in the contract are being met. Apart from saying this, it is also important that regarding all contracts that are brought to this House, the commercial contracts should be approved together with the request for waiver of taxes.
Mr Speaker, this makes it simple and easier to assess the true cost of the contract for the purposes of value for money. We should not necessarily have to wait for the project to get to a level before the request for waiver of taxes is brought to the House in line with the Constitution.
Mr Speaker, I support the Motion and I would encourage the Hon Minister for Finance to ensure that this is done going forward. I have already seen one of such on its way.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Members, it appears the consensus of the House is for me to put the Question.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Item numbered 10 -- Resolutions
MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
RESOLUTIONS 3:08 p.m.
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 3:08 p.m.
IS RESPECTFULLY REQUES- 3:08 p.m.
TED TO ADOPT THE 3:08 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
Any seconder?
Mr Ras Mubarak (NDC -- Kumbungu) 3:08 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
Item numbered 11. Hon Chairman of the Committee?
MOTIONS 3:08 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:08 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of two million, eight hundred and forty-nine thousand, one hundred and sixty-seven euros (€2,849,167.00) on project materials and equipment to be imported for the implementation of the Rehabilitation and Auxiliary Infrastructure of the Kumasi Inner Ring Road and Adjacent Streets Project (100kms) - - Phase 1 by Messrs. Contracta Construction UK Limited.
In so doing I beg to present your Committee's Report.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
Hon Ranking Member?
Ranking Member (Mr Casseil A. B. Forson): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and also support that this amount be approved for the purposes of granting waiver of taxes to the company that is constructing the Kumasi Inner City Roads.
Mr Speaker, this is particularly important because the loan as approved by Parliament includes a portion that a tax waiver would be granted to the contractor for the purposes of this project. So in my opinion, this is consequential and it is important for us to approve it.
Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
Hon Member for Bantama?
Mr Daniel O. Aboagye (NPP -- Bantama) 3:08 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
I ask that Hon Colleagues should support this Motion because Kumasi has really suffered. In the eight years term of the previous Government, the Bantama Constituency never saw any road development. However, under this current Government, we have
had an opportunity of the construction of 100 kilometres of inner city roads in Kumasi. I believe that this is good because it would help a lot of the constituencies, apart from Asawaase, to also get the opportunity of these roads.
Mr Speaker, most of the roads are in very bad state; there are a lot of congestion, high vehicle operating expenses and limited pedestrian ways. I think this is a step in the right direction so I would encourage my Hon Colleagues to support this Motion so that Kumasi could benefit.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
Thank you.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
Item numbered 12 -- Resolution.
RESOLUTIONS 3:08 p.m.
A REQUEST TO ADOPT 3:08 p.m.
THE FOLLOWING RESO- 3:08 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:08 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:08 p.m.
Item numbered 13.
MOTIONS 3:14 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy and Domestic VAT amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of fifteen million, five hundred and twenty-six thousand, two hundred and eleven euros twenty-three cents (€15,526, 211.23 [made up of €420,943.23 on
Mr Richard Acheampong (NDC -- Bia East) 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and to make few observations for the House to approve an amount of €15,526,211.23 as tax waiver for the construction of selected bridges in different locations.
Mr Speaker, we were told at the Committee that we have several of these broken down bridges at several locations, but as of now, they intend to deal with 50 of them so that as time goes on they would source another fund to deal with other broken down bridges.
If we turn to page 4 of the Report, on the rationale for the waiver in paragraph 5.1, it reads with permission:
“The Committee was informed that sections of the roads as well as wooden and steel bridges are damaged in a number of rural areas making many roads impassable especially during the rainy season.”
Mr Speaker, those of us from rural communities could bear testimony to this that during the rainy season, it becomes very difficult for some of the roads to be accessed. So if Government is taking a facility to undertake such project, it is a worthy call that we need to support.
Mr Speaker, even on the benefits of the project, the first one has to do with increase access to hospitals, schools and other social facilities. During the rainy season, it becomes very difficult for school children to commute and attend schools and especially pregnant women also find it very difficult to attend hospitals. Even for those people who attend markets, during the rainy season, it becomes another challenge, and the burden is put on Members of Parliament to fix their roads else they would vote against them.
Sometimes you have no other option than to find resources to fix these bridges and nobody would get you this money as a Member of Parliament since they might not have a budget for it. At other times, you would want to put in interim steps so that people could access markets, hospitals and others. In my view, this is a good facility so we need to support the tax waiver.
Mr Speaker, if you turn to the assessment aspect, we find out that we are buying six Toyota station wagon and 10 pick-ups. If we are going to construct 50 bridges, in addition, we are buying about 16 vehicles. At least, part of the money could have been used to increase the number of bridges that we are going to fix in different locations. This is
RESOLUTIONS 3:14 p.m.
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 3:14 p.m.
IS RESPECTFULLY RE- 3:14 p.m.
QUESTED TO ADOPT THE 3:14 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, I plead that you allow the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee to move motions
listed as items 15, 17, 19 and 21 together. They all deal with health facilities that we approved same day. If you so permit, he would move all of them together.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
Yes, Minority Leadership? Available Minority leader, do you have any objection to that?
Mr Bernard Ahiafor 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we agree.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Chairman?
MOTIONS 3:14 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties,
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of fifteen million, eight hundred and nine thousand, five hundred and sixty-eight euros (€15,809,568.00) on materials and equipment to be imported in respect
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy and Domestic VAT amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of twelve million, nine hundred and twenty-nine thousand, three hundred and twenty- nine euros forty-eight cents (€12,929,329.48 [made up of €741,890.08 on local purchases and €12,187,439.40 on imports] on
materials, equipment, works and services to be procured for the construction and equipping of twelve (12) Polyclinics in Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra and Ahafo Regions in Ghana by Messrs. VAMED Health Projects CZ s.r.o. (affiliate of VAMED Engineering).
Waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL etc on materials and equipment, works and services to be procured for the execution of the Turnkey construction of a Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital by Messrs. VAMED Engineering GmbH of Austria
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 3:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, NHIL, GETFund Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import Levy and Domestic VAT amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of six million, eight hundred and fourteen thousand, eight hundred and nineteen euros (€6,814,819.00 [made up of €206,104.00 on local purchases and €6,608,716.00 on imports] on materials, equipment, works and services to be procured for the execution of the Turnkey construction of a Urology and Nephrology Centre
of Excellence at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital by Messrs VAMED Engineering GmbH of Austria.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Ho Central?
Mr Benjamin K. Kpodo (NDC -- Hon Central) 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second all the motions which have been moved by the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee. These are requests for waiver of taxes, duties and other levies towards the implementation of projects which are all health-related.
Mr Speaker, the Committee thinks that these are very crucial and would lead to reduction in the cost of the projects and in some cases, serve as condition precedent for the acquisition of the respective equipment.
Mr Speaker, in this regard, I second the Motion and call on Hon Colleagues to approve the requests.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:24 p.m.
Resolutions numbered 16, 18, 20, and
22.
RESOLUTIONS 3:24 p.m.
Mr Kwarteng 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that
WHEREAS by the provisions of article 174 (2) of the Constitution, Parliament is empowered to confer power on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax imposed by an Act of Parliament;
The exercise of any power conferred on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax in favour of any person or authority is by the said provisions made subject to the prior approval of Parliament by resolution;
By the combined operation of the provisions of section 150(i) of the Customs Act 2015, (Act
Mr Kpodo 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to second the respective Motions.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, item numbered 23.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order
80(1) which requires that no Motion shall be debated until at least forty- eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the Motion is given and the date on which the Motion is moved, the Motion for the adoption of the Report of the 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) may be moved today.
Mr R. Acheampong 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:24 p.m.
Item numbered 24?
MOTIONS 3:24 p.m.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Design-Build Contract
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:24 p.m.
Chairman, I am looking at what is on the Order Paper. It is €65 million but you keep referring to €72 million. Where is the €72 million coming from?
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think we have moved the Motion for the Committee on Roads and Transport.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:24 p.m.
Where is your own Motion?
Is the Committee on Roads and Transport ready to move this Motion?
Neither the Chairman nor the Ranking Member is here.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:24 p.m.
Hon Okyem-Aboagye is a Member of the Committee so he could move the Motion.
Mr Ahiafor 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the information is that the Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport is not yet ready and the Chairman for Finance Committee is moving this Motion as if it is Finance Committee Report that is going to be presented. We cannot take this particular Motion only for the Finance Committee Report to be presented. So in the circumstances, the Motion cannot be taken.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, indeed, this is a contract agreement and it is a referral to the Committee on Roads and Transport. I think that they joined the leadership of the Finance Committee, but I am informed that leadership of the Finance Committee was not joined to it. So, that being the case, we have to drop that one and go to item listed as
33.
So Mr Speaker, in that regard, the procedural Motion, which is item numbered 23 that was moved would have to be nullified and any other matter related to that would have to be nullified, it was done pursuant to item listed 24.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:24 p.m.
Would you move another Motion to vacate the other made?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not too sure about that but if you may, I move that we nullify all that has been done in respect of Motion numbered as items 23 and 24.
Mr Ahiafor 3:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are masters of our own rules so I second the Motion.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:34 p.m.
Hon Members, the Motion is adopted without a vote but all others made in respect of the Motions numbered 23 and 24 are hereby vacated.

Hon Leader, did you say we should go to item numbered 33?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I indicated to you, we will deal with item numbered 33.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:34 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, item numbered 33 -- University of Skills, Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020 at the Consideration Stage.
BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 3:34 p.m.
STAGE 3:34 p.m.
Mr J. K. Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 14, subclause (3), delete.
Mr Speaker, we are deleting subclause (3) of clause 14 because subclause (2) takes care of subclause
(4).
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 14, subclause (4), line 1, before “head”, insert “titular”.
Mr Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 14, subclause (6), line 1, delete “period” and insert “term”.
Mr Speaker, the new rendition would read 3:34 p.m.
“The Chancellor shall hold office for a term of five years and is eligible for re-appointment for another term only.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 14, subclause (8), line 2, delete “related to” and insert “of”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr J. K. Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 14, subclause (9), line 2, before “diploma”, insert “honorary degree,”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 14 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 15 -- Vacancy in the office of the Chancellor
Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was following proceeding in respect of the amendment the Hon Member just made. On the honorary degree, we have been having issues with people who use the title when conferred on them.
I would just want to find out whether, it will please the Hon Chairman of the Committee, at the appropriate time, to restrain the use of the title when it is conferred as an honorary degree. People get honorary PhDs and they use them and call themselves doctors.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:34 p.m.
Hon Member, are you sponsoring an amendment to that effect or where does it fit?
Mr Afenyo-Markin 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am only suggesting to the Hon Chairman.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:34 p.m.
Hon Member, that is right.
Yes, Hon Ranking Member?
Mr Peter Nortsu-Kotoe 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what the Hon Member is referring is not part of the Bill. The Bill is to confer honorary degrees. How it is used is not the concern of the Bill. So the Hon Member is wasting our time.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:34 p.m.
Hon Members, let us proceed with our consideration.
Mr Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 15, subclause (1), add the following new paragraph:
“incapacitation”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 15 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 16 -- Vice-Chancellor of the University
Mr Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 16, subclause (4), line 1, delete “period of three” and insert “term of four”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 16, subclause (6), line 2, before “efficient”, insert “effective and”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 16, subclause (7), lines 1 and 2, delete “as may be”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 16 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 17 -- Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (3), line 1, delete “period” and insert “term.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (4), line 1, delete “Council meeting” and insert “meeting of the Council.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (7), line 2, delete “Oath” and insert “Oaths.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 17 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 18 -- Academic Board.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, line 1, delete “is established by this Act” and insert “shall be.”
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
Hon Members, should it not be the other way round? We usually would have changed “shall be” to “is”, so that it would be in the future.
Mr Chireh 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are establishing the University. So, if we look at it, in the establishment of the Academic Board, we have used the phrase “there shall be”, which means that we assume that it should be, but the word “establish” is not appropriate, and that is what we are changing.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the phrase “there shall be” could just be captured as “there is established”. All right, we do not want the word “establish”. [Laughter]
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 18 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 19 -- Composition of the Academic Board.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), paragraph (a), delete “who shall be” and insert “as.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), paragraph (g), add the following new subparagraph: “a Faculty”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), paragraph (g), add the following as closing phrase: “elected in accordance with the Statutes of the University”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), paragraph (i), delete “who is” and insert “as.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am looking at clause 19(1). We have already done it. Have we not? We have already done that in the amendment numbered (xvi). This particular amendment should not be captured as clause 19(1), but rather clause 19(i).
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
The amendment should have read: “subclause (1) (1)…”.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:44 p.m.
The Hon Chairman rather said clause 19(1), and that was where I found difficulty with the amendment.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), paragraph (j), line 2, delete “by Convocation”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 19 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 20 -- Committees of the Academic Board.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), line 2, delete “under this Act and”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (2), line 1, delete “comprised” and insert “consisting.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that there is a bit of confusion here. In Clause 20(1), I think that whatever amendment that must be proposed by the Hon Chairman -- in line 2, we deleted the phrase “as may be determined” and inserted “any other functions prescribed…”. [Interruption]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Very well.
Yes, Hon Chairman?
Mr Quaittoo 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the new rendition for clause 20 (1) is:
“The Academic Board may establish standing and ad-hoc committees for the purpose of carrying out functions under this Act and any other functions prescribed by the statues of the University.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, in that regard, what was done under item numbered 33 (xxi) is abandoned and considered withdrawn.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
It is overreached due to the last one we took.
Clause 20 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 21 -- Functions of the academic board
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 21, paragraph (b), line 2, delete “accreditation by the National Accreditation Board” and insert “the accreditation by Ghana Tertiary Education Commission and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Item numbered 33 (xxiv)?
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 21, paragraph (c), subparagraph (iii), delete and insert the following:
“matters relating to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education and”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Item numbered 33 (xxv)?
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 21, paragraph (c), subparagraph (iv), delete and insert the following --
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what we did for paragraph (c), was to delete and insert but unfortunately, I think the Hon Member has left out “within and outside the country”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Which clause are you dealing with?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, clause 21 (c).
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
What did you delete in clause 21 (c)?.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:54 p.m.
We deleted “matters relating to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education and training within and outside the country”. That is its full complements.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Very well. I would put the Question on clause 21 (c) again.
Mr Quaittoo 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, considering what the Hon Majority Leader said, in line 2, we have continued with “emphasis on matters relating to” and then come to (i). So, the numbering, “3” is wrong. We are adding to the “emphasis on matters relating to” -- [Interruption] It is special emphasis on matters relating to --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
The advertised amendment is “matters relating to technical, vocational, entrepreneurial education and”. The Hon Majority Leader just suggested that he was supposed to add “training within and outside the country”. Is that right? So, I would put the Question on clause 21 (c) again.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Chireh 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just wanted to draw your attention to the fact that in the Bill, the roman numeral numbering is wrong, so instead of (iv), it should be (1). That is part of the confusion.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
I am just referring to the Order Paper. The draftspersons would do the corrections relating to numbering.
Item numbered 33 (xxv), you can move that Motion again.
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 21, paragraph (c), subparagraph (iv), delete and insert the following:
“subjects that relate to technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education and training within and outside the country”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 21 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Item numbered 33 (xxvi)?
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 21, paragraph (i), delete “other functions” and insert “any other functions specified”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the word is “functions”, but here it is “function”, so we should add “s”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
The draftspersons would make the appropriate correction.
Clause 21 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 22 -- The Registrar
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 22, subclause (2), line 1, delete “for the University”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Item numbered 33 (xxvii)?
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 22, subclause (3), paragraph (a), line 1, delete “period” and insert “term” and in line 2, delete “but”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Item numbered 33 (xxix)?
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 22, subclause (6), line 1, delete “functions provided for” and insert “function specified”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
Item numbered 33 (xxx)?
Mr Adu 3:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 22, subclause (7), line
2, delete “Oath of Office” and insert “Official Oaths”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 22 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 23 -- Director of Finance
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 23, subclause (2), lines 1 and 2, delete “for the University''.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 23, subclause (3), line 1, delete “period'' and insert “term'' and in line 2, delete “but''.
Question put and amendment agreed to
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 23, subclause (4), line 1, delete “as prescribed'' and insert “specified''.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 23, add the following new subclause:
“The Director of Finance shall, before assuming Office, take and subscribe to the Official Oaths as specified in the Schedule.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 23 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 24 -- Appointment of other staff
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 24, line 2, after “effective'', insert “and efficient''.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 24 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 25 -- Internal Audit Unit
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 25, add the following new subclause:
“The Internal Auditor is responsible for the Internal audit of the University.
The Internal Auditor shall, subject to subsections (3) and
(4) of section 16 of the Internal Audit Agency Act, 2003 (Act 658), at intervals of three months
-- 4:04 p.m.
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 26, subclause 1, paragraph (e), before “professional'', insert “staff''.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 26, subclause 2, paragraph (a), lines 1 and 2, delete “in consultation with the National Council for Tertiary Education and with the approval of the Minister,”.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with the amendment proposed to clause 26 (1) (e), which says before “professional'', insert “staff'', I am struggling to see what the “professional'' is -- [Interruption] -- I am sorry, I was looking at another -- [Laughter] --
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 26 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 27 -- Funds of the University
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 27, subclause 1, paragraph (b), opening phrase, delete and insert the following:
“Internally Generated Funds including”.
Question put and amendment agreed to
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 27, subclause 2, line 3, at the end, add “with the approval of the Controller and Accountant- General.''
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 27 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 28 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 29 -- Submission of annual estimates.
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 29, delete.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 29 as amended ordered to be deleted from the Bill.
Clause 30 -- Accounts and audit
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 30, subclause 1, delete and insert the following:
“The Council shall ensure that the University keeps books, records, returns and other documents relevant to the accounts in the form approved by the Auditor-General.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 30, subclause 4, delete and insert the following:
“(4)The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year --
(a) audit the accounts and submit the report to Parliament; and
(b) forward a copy each of the audit report to the Minister and the Council.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 30 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 31 -- Annual report and other reports
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 31, subclause (1), line 1 delete “one month” and insert “thirty days”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 31, subclause (3), line 1, delete “one month” and insert “thirty days”.
Mr Speaker, this is consequential.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 31, subclause (4), line 1, delete “also”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 31 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 33, opening phrase and paragraph (a), delete and insert the following:
“(1)The Council shall enact Statutes for the implementation of this Act.
(2)The Statutes shall
(a) regulate the
(i) appointments;
(ii) terms and conditions of service as determined by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission;
(iii) termination of appoint- ment; and
(iv) retirement benefits of employees of the University;”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 33, add the following new paragraph:
“determine the procedure for the award of degrees, diplomas and certificates;”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 33 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 34 -- Convocation
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 34, subclause (1), line 2, delete “prescribed by” and insert “as specified in”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 34, subclause (3), line 1, before “vote”, insert “attend and”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 34 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 35 -- Matriculation
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 35, subclause (1), line 1, after “take”, insert “and subscribe to”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 35 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 36 -- Congregation
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 36, delete and insert the following:
“The University may hold a Congregation consisting of persons specified in the Statutes of the University for the purpose of conferring honorary degrees, awarding degrees, diplomas and certificates.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 36 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 37 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 38 -- Intellectual property
Mr Adu 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 38, subclause (3), line 2, delete “persons who undertake any” and insert “a person who undertakes any creative” and in line 4, delete “those persons benefit from their” and insert “the person benefit from the creative”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 38 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 39 -- Academic freedom
Mr Bernard Ahiafor 4:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 39, delete.
Mr Speaker, the reason for the deletion is that I have looked at other University Bills that have been passed by this House and there is no provision for “Academic freedom” in those Bills. So, for the sake of consistency, I propose that it is deleted.
Mr Speaker, the second reason is that we have the Public University Bills yet to be passed into law. It has this provision, so, the agreement is that we should pass this particular Bill in line with the existing University Bill so that when we are doing the Public Universities Bill, we can take critical look at some of these things.Mr Speaker, it is for these reasons that I proposed that clause 39 be deleted in its entirety.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:14 p.m.
Very well.
Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
Mr Chireh 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we want the deletion because if we begin to create clauses or laws giving academic freedom, we are inviting Parliament and other people who have such powers to take them away from them.
It is assumed and by the nature of how the universities are run, we do not need to create any freedom for them. It should not be here.
Mr Ahiafor 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the public universities already have academic freedom. My worry is that if we legislate academic freedom here, there is nothing on academic freedom with the S. D. Dombo and C. K. Tedam universities, as well as all the other universities, is it creating the impression that it is only this university that has academic freedom whiles the others do not?. That is why we are proposing a deletion for the sake of consistency.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:24 p.m.
The more critical issue is what the Hon Member for Wa West has raised, that it is as though Parliament is giving them the academic freedom as and when we choose, we can take it away. Once we start legislating things that are assumed, whether by practice or convention, we will find a situation where some day, the legislators will say, ‘well, we gave it to you by law and so, we can take it away by law'. For me, that is the threat I see.
Hon Minister do you want to say something in this respect?
Dr Prempeh 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes. What I wanted to say is that what the Hon Member for Wa West said is not the international practice.
In fact, the University lecturers have been agitating for academic freedom and when we were looking for the best
examples, we found out that in other jurisdictions, it is enshrined and they take that power from the fundamental rights and say that in the academic system, that is it. So, they translate from the Constitution to the law.
Mr Speaker, so, when we go to Kenya, their academic freedom is enshrined in law and that does not mean that we are giving them that power. Otherwise, we can also take from them, what we are legislating Ghanaians can vote out the part of the Constitution that has to do with the fundamental human rights.
So that is not the reason. However, I do support the Hon Member for Akatsi South who says that for consistency, we should leave it for the omnibus Bill on public universities so that we do not create the impression that it is here and not there. That I do agree.
Mr Speaker, I would also add that this is not negative; the clauses that we are striking out that I support, are negative clauses. They are those on emergency powers and so on. However, this is a positive clause that is reinforcing something that they have been stating all along for. I do not think that if we leave it -- [Interruption] it is rather enhancing the work of the universities.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fusieni 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, exactly so. The only reason I would support the deletion is because we are being told that it will find space in the Public Universities Act which is of general application to all public universities. That is the only reason I am supporting it.
Mr Speaker, this provision in clause 69 is re-emphasising the traditional principles of academic freedom. It is a recognition that tertiary institutions have academic freedom and this provision is emphasising on that but because it is going to find space in the Public Universities Act to be of general application to all public universities, if we move it there, it will make sense and satisfy people, that even though it has not found expression in the earlier Acts that we have passed, it is not intended to discriminate in the enjoyment of this traditional academic freedom. That is the only reason. But I agree with the Hon Minister that this is re-enforcing, it is not anything negative.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree with the Hon Member for Akatsi South that it should be deleted for reasons of consistency since it does not appear in the other Bills we have done.When we insert it here, it may mean that perhaps, we are discriminating against the other institutions and that they do
Mr Ahiafor 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to delete.
Mr Speaker, the reasons are the same. This has no expression in the other university bills that we have passed but finds expression in the Public University Bill which is yet to be passed into law. So, I strongly believe that when passed into law, it will deal uniformly with the other universities.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 40 ordered to be deleted from the Bill.
Clause 41 -- Anti-discrimination
Mr Adu 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that subclause (1), opening phrase, line 3, before “race” delete “the.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 41 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:24 p.m.
Yes, Hon Chairman?
Mr Quaittoo 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is an advertised amendment for clause
41 (3).
Mr Speaker 4:24 p.m.
Let us hear you.
Mr Quaittoo 4:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 41 (3), line 2, after “attributable”, put ‘to'. To read; “attributable to only or mainly on”.
So, the rendition will read:
“For the purpose of this section, “discriminate” means to give different treatments to different persons attributable to only or mainly on the grounds stated in section (1).
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:34 p.m.
Very well.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 41 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, I believe that the placement of the preposition is wrong. It is attributable only or “mainly to”, not to only or mainly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:34 p.m.
If we put the “to” after “mainly” then we have to delete “on”.
Mr Quaittoo 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it should be attributable to “only” or “mainly” on the grounds.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is a constitutional provision in article 17 (3) of the Constitution. It is attributable only or mainly to. Mr Speaker, article 17(3) of the Constitution reads:
“For the purposes of this article, `discriminate` means to give different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby persons of one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another description are not made subject or are granted privileges or advantages which are not granted to persons of another description.”
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:34 p.m.
If we put the “to” after “mainly”, then the “on” would have to be removed.
Hon Member for Ho Central?
Mr Kpodo 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not disagree with the intent of the issue raised but the construction in this clause does not fit in and that is why the Hon Chairman of the Committee reframed it and that is correct. Mr Speaker, so I think that his amendment should be upheld.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that this is a minor thing that we must agree on. It should be attributable only or mainly to the grounds stated in subsection (1) or to the description stated in subsection (1). This is how it should read.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:34 p.m.
All right.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 41 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 42 -- Dispute settlement
Mr Adu 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move clause 42 Headnote, delete” and insert “Appeals”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 42 subclause (1), delete
and insert the following: “There shall be an Appeals Board for the University.”
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have no problem with the proposed amendment to clause 42(1), but this provision is establishing an Appeals Board and so the headnote should not read “Appeals” but rather the establishment of the
‘Appeals Board'. It is not the process of the appeals but the creation of the institution. So, the headnote should read ‘Appeals Board'.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the provision establishes an Appeals Board and also determines the processes and procedures of appeal. That is why we had to delete “the Board”, otherwise perhaps we have to say ‘Appeals Board and Appeal Processes'. So, “Appeal” would encapsulate both the Board as well as the processes and procedures. It is the reason we have “Appeal” in all the Acts we have passed. This is not the only one.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:34 p.m.
Actually the 4(a) establishes the appeals procedure. In addition to the establishment of the Board, the procedure and the grievances are all contained in the same clause 42. Hon Second Deputy Speaker?
Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is very good reason we have the Appeals Court or Court of Appeal. A body is established and then the procedure of getting to the body or how the body should conduct its activities. So, this clause is to establish the body and if we have been doing what has been suggested then it is an oversight -- I would not say an error.
The clause is dealing with the Appeals Board but we do not need to create another clause for the procedure or processes because it would be within the same clause. The headnote should read the “Appeals Board” and clearly, it has stated in subclause (1) that it is established by this Act --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:34 p.m.
Hon Chairman of the Committee?
Mr Quaittoo 4:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in this Bill, we just have the Appeals Board and there is nowhere in the Bill that we have a conflict resolution body that resolves conflicts. In the Act that establishes the C. K. Tedam University, there is “Appeals” and clause 1 of that Act reads “Subject to subsection (2), disputes on …” So, it establishes a number of disputes.
It continues “…shall be settled in accordance with the statutes of the universities”. Mr Speaker, so some
processes have been given in the statutes of the university to take care of resolving conflicts. Then subsection (2) establishes the Appeals Board. So, if one is not happy with section (1), then the person would go through the Appeals Board. So, the general topic there is “Appeals”.
However, this Bill starts straight away with the establishment of the Board and that is wrong. So, we should have clause 1 of this Bill stating ‘Subject to subclause (2)' which would now refer to the Appeals Board.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:34 p.m.
There is nothing wrong with that.
Hon Member for Wa West?
Mr Chireh 4:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in some of the legislations, it is dispute settlement. In this particular case, “appeals” is the appropriate word to use because we have not separated the setting up of the Board. It includes the procedures, appointments and everything. So that is why it should be appeals. Everything is there. If we put it there, the headnote would mislead everybody.
That is the reason. It is about appeals. In it, a Board is set up and then is the procedures for settling these disputes which are internal. They
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:44 p.m.
Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs?
Mr Banda 4:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if we are going by precedent, and do not want to depart from precedent, it appears to me that there is something that is missing in this one, which finds expression in section 39 of the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act. The whole of clause 39(1) in that Act, paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) ought to be lifted and incorporated in this one in order to make clause 42 of this Bill comprehensive.
Mr Speaker, the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act starts with “appeals”, which is section 39 of the Act. After
it has dealt with appeals, it comes to subsection (2) to establish the Appeals Board. So the heading itself is “Appeals” and not “Appeals Board”.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, do you have the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:44 p.m.
Unfortunately, I am not holding one.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:44 p.m.
If you have that one, I believe it would help you appreciate the issue being raised by the Hon Member. That is how it should have been.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:44 p.m.
I am reading this, and I even have amendments I think should be proposed. This “appeals” contains everything to do with appeals; the establishment of the Appeals Board, the procedure and everything to do with appeals.
Therefore, for me, the heading is appropriate. Everything to do with appeals; the establishment of the Board, the procedure, the grievance and all of them to do with appeals. However, I have been pointed to the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act. Can I read what is here?
“Appeals
Subject to subsection (2), disputes on:
(a) acts or omissions in contravention of this Act or the Statutes of the University;
(b) breach of an employ- ment contract by the University;
(c) promotion of persons duly employed by the University;
(d) grievances by students against the University on matters related to welfare and discipline;
(e)any other matter or dispute specified in the schedule shall be settled in accordance with the Statues of the University.
(2) There is established by this Act a body to be known as C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Board”.
Then it comes down to do the same things as is contained here.
However, if you go down, this section 39(1) is contained in clause 42(4) of this Bill. It is not different except that the arrangement is different. If you go to clause 42(4), it reads:
“The Appeals Board shall hear and determine appeals in matters on:
(a) an act or omission in contravention of this Act or the Statutes enacted by this Council.
(b) breach of an employment contract by the University;
(c) promotion of persons duly employed by the University;
(d) grievances by students against the University on matters related to welfare and discipline;
(e) any other matter or dispute specified in the schedule shall be settled in accordance with the Statues of the University”.
The same things that are in section 39(1) of the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences
Mr Chireh 4:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the dispute settlement is in section 32 of the University of Ghana Act. In that one, a Board is not set up. There is just dispute settlement and it adheres to the settlement of a Board. With this one, we could separate the two by setting up a headnote and giving the procedure under it. However, if the premier university has dispute settlement and we changed it to “Appeals”, we should be looking at whether there was merit at the University of Ghana regarding the use of “Dispute Settlement”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:44 p.m.
Is there any provision for dispute settlement anywhere? There is no dispute settlement that begins with appeals.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you look at the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act, section 39(1) really is about disputes settlement. So
that arrangement there is the settlement of dispute. And for people who would want to carry it on if they are not satisfied, that is the appeals to go through.
The first chapter is the settlement of disputes. Then the second would be the appeals. In fact, in the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Bill, we debated this and collapsed everything into one and said it should just be “Appeals”. However, if we want, we could just have that construction imported to clause 42 of the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020 and make that one clause and caption it “Dispute settlement”. Then what is here which is subclause (1) would be the appeals.
Mr Speaker, so it is the same thing, but let us import the rendition of section 39(1) of the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act before we have clause 42(1) of the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020 here, and then it would make sense.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:44 p.m.
All right. So here, even though the clause is headed “Appeals”, it is actually referring to the resolution of matters in accordance with the statues of the
University. So the first court of instance based on the statues, and what is in this established Act becomes the one for appeals. But here, we did not refer to where to begin.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, if you look at what pertains to the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act after the dispute settlement, we do not go to subsections (2), (3) and (4) but come to (5).There, you would see that the provision is:
“The Appeals Board shall hear and determine on appeal, matters on act or omissions in contravention of this Act or statutes of the University.”
That then would follow after section 39(1) (e) in the C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act. So it breaks it into two parts. One is the settlement of disputes, and people not satisfied with the outcome could go on an appeal. This is the arrangement.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:44 p.m.
This interpretation is problematic. The appeals cannot be subject to, but it should follow on from sub. I think you have to review those clauses critically.
This is because section 39(1) on appeals reads --
We have to review them critically. Clause 39(1):
“Appeals
Subject to subsection 2 dispute on acts in contravention of this Act or the status, breach of employment and any other related matter specified shall be settled in accordance with the statutes of the University”.
Then subsection 2 is establishing a body. So I do not know how the statutes would be subject to the Appeals. But I think that even though it is incongruous, this attempt to set up the settlement procedure though it headed Appeals and then after that the Appeals come.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in this one -- clause 42(4) after the 43 of the C.K. Tedam one, in clause 39(5) -- the same language is used.
“The Appeals Board shall hear and determine on appeal matters on acts or omission in contradiction of this Act or the statutes enacted by the Council.
So that disputes in the process as captured in the C. K. Tedam's one
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:54 p.m.
I agree that we can, but in that case, we cannot call it “Appeals”. It has changed to “Dispute settlement” and then “Appeals” would come after that.
Dr Prempeh 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is one of the many areas when we go through the various University Acts, in which Parliament has acted differently at different times hence the need to streamline some with proper thinking.
Mr Speaker, if we go to clause 33, which talks about the statutes of the University, one of the functions of the statutes is to determine the rules and procedures relating to discipline of students and employees of the University. This ‘Appeals' that we are doing was to give room that when this is exercised and there is still not an understanding, we can have an Appeals in law that the University should set up so that their ruling can be binding.
So Apart from changing the headnote in clause 39 from “Dispute settlement” to “Appeals” ,if there is a place that we need changing to make
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think the issue was actually how do we handle the Short Title to clause 42 so that anybody taking clause 42 would know what is contained in there? It is not about policy and procedure. How do we title clause 42? Anybody taking clause 42 can reasonably anticipate what would be contained in it.
If titling it as “Appeals” does it, so be it, except that we thought that it should be “Appeals Board”.But if “Appeals” does it, that is all. It is not
about policy. So we should not drag this matter too long. It is not a headnote.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:54 p.m.
Hon Member, but there is a way to it. We have said it in clause 33 that the University shall regulate by statute and we have listed these items. We have not provided for dispute resolution if there is dispute in respect of these statutes. But we have gone ahead to establish “Appeals Board”.
So I think we should start from “Dispute settlement” and probably lift the clause 39 here and then after that, the clause 42 would become the “Appeals” so that we can have the 39(1) here -- whether it would become a new clause or not and after that , the “Appeals” would follow. Otherwise, there is no dispute settlement arrangement. We go straight to the “Appeals”.
So I would defer the Question on clause 43.
That is not the only matter that would arise. So if we make it comprehensive to cover all the things that are --
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe we all appreciate the principle that we should provide
for dispute settlement or dispute resolution. As we are saying, it is encapsulated in the clause 39(1) of the C. K. Tedam Bill. So we can give directives to the Table Officers --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:54 p.m.
Just so that it does not become another move of a motion so that I would grant you.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I move, that we provide for dispute settlements and it should be captioned on the provision contained in clause 39(1) of the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences Act, 2019.
Mr Chireh 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I support the motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:54 p.m.
I direct the draftspersons to carry out the decision as has been taken by the House.
Clause 43 -- Interpretation
Mr Adu 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, add the following new interpretation:
“Matriculation” means a process by which a person is formally
Mr Adu 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, interpretation of “University”, line 1, after “the”, insert “Akenten Appiah-Menka”.
Mr Quaittoo 4:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, clause 43 -- now that we are doing something to the Appeals Board, in subclause (1) there is an amendment so we cannot have the definition right now but; It reads as follows;
‘“Appeals Board” means the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Appeals Board established …”
Mr Speaker, we are making an amendment to --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:54 p.m.
We would not amend the text.
Mr Quaittoo 4:54 p.m.
So we would say that: “There shall be an Appeals Board”. We did not say that “established”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:54 p.m.
But once it is stated in the law --
Mr Quaittoo 4:54 p.m.
I know we have done that already. So “established” here cannot hold.
Mr Chireh 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is no room for the Motion that the Vice Chairman is moving, because clause 1 of this Bill really indicates a university that is set up. So the best we can say is that “the University established under clause 1 (1), because that is where the name has been established. So, we need an interpretation on that particular piece. We can always cross-reference. The draftspersons should handle that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Yes, Hon Vice Chairman, would you drop the proposed amendment?
Mr Adu 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I drop the amendment.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Very well.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 43 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 44 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 45 -- Transitional provisions
Mr Adu 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, subclause (2), line 3, delete “National Council for Tertiary Education” and insert “Ghana Tertiary Education Commission”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Adu 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 45, subclause (5), line 2, delete “period” and insert “term”, and in lines 3 and 4, delete “National Council for Tertiary Education” and insert “Ghana Tertiary Education Commission”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 45 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Hon Members, that brings us to the end of -- the Consideration Stage for today
-- 5:04 p.m.
rose
Mr Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Yes, Hon Ranking Member for the Committee?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, at winnowing yesterday, we said that
the Schedule should be amended, so that we have the two oaths there. That has not been captured in the Order Paper. I would want to remind us, so that it could be added.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Hon Member, is there an amendment proposed to the Schedule?
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is under the Schedule.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that the Oath of Secrecy is added to the Oath of the Schedule.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
The Schedule as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Ho West?
Mr Kpodo 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, after some considerations, I have chanced on an issue I would want to draw the attention of the House to in clause 33, for a quick consideration. I do not want to move that, but we could look at it.
We are saying that in clause 33 (a) (ii):
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Hon Member, is that an amendment you are proposing?
Mr Kpodo 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is in the amendment, and I think it was adopted. I would want to raise an issue with that.
When Fair Wages and Salaries Commission which is a statutory body determines the wages and service conditions, can the Statute do anything about it? The Statute cannot change it? S, I would want us to amend that place, that if there is any other conditions of service, then the Statute can work on that.
But where Fair Wages and Salaries Commission determines the salaries and conditions of service of public servants, I do not think an internal body such as the Statute can do anything about it. That has been the practice. I would want to draw our attention to it, so that we see how we can fashion out that section.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Hon Member:
“The Statute shall regulate the terms and conditions as determined…”
Mr Ahiafor 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we need to be very careful. As indicated earlier, we have passed a lot of university Bills. In those Bills that we have passed into law, we have not subjected the conditions of service to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. So, if we are now going to do for this one, it would appear as if we are discriminating. So, let us allow the status quo to prevail, so that when we are --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Hon Member, do you have the C.K. Tendam University Bill? Clause 32 (a) (ii):
“Terms and conditions of service as determined by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission…”
Mr Ahiafor 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am looking at the Simon Diedong Dombo University Bill.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:04 p.m.
Hon Member, this is the C.K. Tedam University Bill. I also have the Simon Diedong Dombo Bill. Clause 32 (2) (ii):
“Terms and conditions of service as determined by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission”.
So that appears to be the consistent position we have taken.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 5:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I must confess that that has been the position.
Also, when my good Friend, Hon Kpodo drew my attention, and said he would raise it, I told him to do so. The operative word is “regulate”. Yes, we have put in all the Bills that we have passed for public universities.
Mr Speaker, I do not know, but how can the University Council regulate salaries, terms and conditions of employees as determined? We may need to understand what regulation mean here. Does it implement or what?
Dr Prempeh 5:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the history of the amendment which has happened in about six university Bills, was that, before this, if you read the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, it says that:
“33 The Council shall enact Statutes for the implementation of this Act which shall, in particular,
(a) regulate the following in respect of the employees of the University; (i) appointment;
(ii) conditions of service;
(iii) termination of appointment ; and
(iv) retirement benefits…”
Mr Speaker, but this has now been surpassed by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission Act. Now, it is the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission that decides on conditions of service for all public servants including civil servants.
Mr Speaker, pre-tertiary unions are about signing the conditions of service as agreed with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. So, at the time when we were doing the Technical Universities' Amendment Act, because they have different Acts for different Universities, that power had been given to the Council, and what was happening was that different universities were giving lectures different conditions of service.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) had advocated as far back as 2006 before the passage of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission Act, that they wanted
Mr Chireh 5:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with the way that the Hon Minister raised the issue, I wonder whether we did any amendments to that part when we were considering the Bill? Once we did not do so and we are referring to this matter about Simon Diedong Dombo, I think that it is appropriate that we do so.
In fact, I was a member of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, and in trying to provide for conditions
of service for almost all the security agencies and all that, there was always the need to invite a staff of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and they helped us to formulate it.
They said that it should be the same as the Government pay policy, but they later referred it to them eventually. This is because it is the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission that determines all the issues that has to do with wages and salaries.
So, I think that with what he is talking about, we should rather revert to the status quo that prevailed before we changed it to what was determined by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. I am surprised that the Hon Minister for Education is not discerning the thing strongly. He was the one who brought this Bill without that of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission's --
Mr Fist Deputy Speaker 5:14 p.m.
All right. Hon Member, your point is well made.
Hon Members, let us proceed. Hon Chairman, the Long Title please?
Long Title -- An Act to establish the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development and to provide for related matters.
Mr Adu 5:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that the Long Title be captured as “An Act to establish the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development and to provide for related matters”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
The Long Title as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:14 p.m.
Hon Members, that brings us to the end of the Consideration Stage of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020.

Hon Majority Leader, I intend to bring proceedings to a close, unless you have something else in mind?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 5:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me express due appreciation to Hon Colleagues, especially the usual people, who the day before yesterday and yesterday at the Winnowing Committee, were able to assist in fashioning this Bill and helped in doing all the reconciliations,
such that today, we have been able to finish this Bill. I am eternally grateful to them for the demonstrable commitment that they have been exhibiting.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister responsible for all these Bills that we are doing is here. The Hon Minister should not pretend that he is not listening to us.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:14 p.m.
We have done about four of his Bills this year, and we have done about 90 per cent of them in his absence. I want to emphasise that.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 5:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is more than that. [Interruption]
Mr Speaker, as I said, I am most grateful to them. We have two major Bills outstanding; the Securities and Intelligence Agencies Bill and the Development Financial Institutions Bill, which we must finish next week and get them behind us. I appeal to the same group of people to assist, so that the House would be able to rise in the fullness of time.
Mr Speaker, I know that you are in a hurry to leave to your constituencies, but I also know that you will stay for the completion of these two Bills.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:14 p.m.
I did not hear the last part.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 5:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am saying that I know that you are very much eager to leave to your constituencies, but I also know that you are committed to assisting the House in crafting the two Bills. I know that the Hon Second Deputy Speaker has finally arrived after taking some leave, -- [Laughter] -- but I know that he would also join you to assist the House in fashioning those two Bills. Once again, I am eternally grateful.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5:14 p.m.
Thank you, Hon Majority Leader.
I am truly eager to go to the constituency. A very close friend of mine was buried today due to COVID-19. He was the Director of Administration of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), and he died as a result of COVID- 19. He was buried this morning, but I could not be there. However, as I discussed with you two days ago, I stick to my -- [Laughter] -- so, we would consider that.
ADJOURNMENT 5:14 p.m.