Debates of 22 Dec 2020

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT
Mr Speaker
Hon Members, correction of the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 17th December, 2020.
Page 1 … 25
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Mr Speaker, on page 24, the name of my Hon Colleague has not been properly captured. It is “Hon Peter Nortsu-Kotoe”, the Hon Ranking Member for the Committee on Education, so if it can be corrected?
Mr Speaker
Page 25 … 46.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 17th December, 2020, as corrected is
hereby admitted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we have a few Official Reports for correction. The first one is the Official Report of Wednesday, 4th November, 2020.
Mr Speaker
We also have the Official Report of Saturday, 7th November, 2020, in four volumes.
Mr Speaker
Hon Members, we have the Business Statement for the Seventh Week -- Hon Majority Leader and Chairman of the Business Committee.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 12:55 p.m.
Chairman of the Business Committee/Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, your Committee met yesterday, Thursday, 17th December 2020 and arranged Business of the House for the Seventh Week ending Tuesday, 22nd December 2020. Hon
Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows:
Arrangement of Business
Formal Communications by the Speaker
Mr Speaker, you may read any available communication to the House.
Statements
Mr Speaker, pursuant to Order 70(2), Ministers of State may be permitted to make Statements of Government policy. Statements duly admitted by the Rt Hon Speaker may be made in the House by Hon Members, in accordance with Order
72.
Bills, Papers and Reports
Mr Speaker, Bills of urgent nature may be taken through the various stages in one day in accordance with Order 119.
Pursuant to Order 75, Papers for presentation to the House may be placed on the Order Paper for laying. Committee reports may also be presented to the House for consideration.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
Sitting of the House on Monday/ Extended Sittings
Mr Speaker, the House is scheduled to Sit on Monday, 21st December 2020. Sittings of the House may also be extended beyond 2:00 p.m. as stipulated in Order 40(2). This is to enable the completion of scheduled business for each day of the week under consideration.
In view of the tall order of outstanding business which require consideration and approval, the Business Committee appeals to Hon Members to exhibit the usual commitment and diligence to enable completion of same within the 2-day Sitting of the week.
Mr Speaker, the House is expected to break for the Yuletide on Tuesday, 22nd December 2020. The House would reconvene, hopefully, on Monday 4th January 2021, to wind up business of the Seventh Parliament.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160(2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committee
Chairman of the Business Committee/Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 12:55 p.m.
submits to this honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week under consideration.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

(a) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, NHIL, Import VAT, ECOWAS Levy, AU Levy, Inspection Fees, Withholding Tax, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to US$8,120,712.00 as well as Domestic VAT, Domestic GETFund and Domestic NHIL amounting to US$2,114,574.33, making a grand total of the Ghana cedi equivalent of ten million, two hundred and thirty-five thousand, two hundred and eighty-six United States dollars thirty-three cents (US$10,235,286.33) on materials/goods, equipment, and services to be procured in respect of the Project for the Rehabilitation of the National Trunk Road N8 (Phase 2) by Messrs Shimizu-Dai Nippon

Joint Venture of Japan, under the Grant Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in respect of the Rehabilitation of the National Trunk Road N8 (Phase 2).

(b) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, NHIL, Import VAT, ECOWAS Levy, AU Levy, Inspection Fees, Withholding Tax, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to US$4,495,661.00 as well as Domestic VAT, Domestic GETFund and Domestic NHIL amounting to US$3,632,929.87, making a grand total of the Ghana cedi equivalent of eight million, one hundred and twenty-eight thousand, five hundred and ninety United States dollars eighty-seven cents (US$8,128,590.87) on materials, equipment, and services to be procured in respect of the Construction of the Jamestown Fish Landing Site Project by Messrs. CRCC Harbour and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited of China, under the Aid Implementation

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development) and the Government of the People's Republic China (represented by the Ministry of Commerce) for the Construction of the Ghana Fishing Port Complex Project (Jamestown, Accra).

(c) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, NHIL, Import VAT, and EXIM Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of sixteen million, three hundred thirty-two thousand, one hundred and three United States dollars (US$16,332,103.00) on machinery, equipment and raw materials to be procured by LETAP Pharmaceuticals Limited under the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.

(d) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, Import GETFund Levy, Import NHIL, Import VAT, and EXIM Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of One Million, Five

Hundred Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Six United States Dollars and Twenty-Five Cents (US$1,519,886.25) on machinery, equipment and raw materials to be procured by Densu Ceramics Limited under the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.

(e) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, Import GETFund Levy, Import NHIL, Import VAT, and EXIM Levy amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of one million, three hundred forty-three thousand, four hundred and sixty-two United States dollars and twenty-eight cents (US$1,343,462.28) on machinery, equipment and raw materials to be procured by Mass Industries Limited under the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.

(f) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, NHIL, Import VAT, and EXIM Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of one million, three hundred thousand, and fifty- seven United States dollars
Chairman of the Business Committee/Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 12:55 p.m.


(US$1,300,057.00) on machinery, equipment and raw materials to be procured by Central Sugar Company Limited under the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.

(g) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, Import NHIL, Import VAT, and EXIM Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of two hundred and ninety thousand, seven hundred and fifty-two United States dollars (US$290,752.00) on machinery, equipment and raw materials to be procured by Champion Foods & Beverages Limited under the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.

(h) Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, NHIL, Import VAT, and EXIM Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of thirty-eight thousand, one hundred and sixty-four United States dollars (US$38,164.00) on machinery, equipment and raw materials to be procured by Miracle Fruits Processing Ghana Limited under the One

District One Factory (1D1F) programme.

Motions --

(a) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Addendum No. 4 to the Credit Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Messrs Euroget De-Invest S.A. of Giza, Egypt for an amount of nineteen million, three hundred and five thousand, one hundred and seventy-nine United States dollars (US$19,305,179.00) for the Turnkey Design, Construction, Supply and Installation of Equipment and Provision of Technical Assistance in the form of Training and Two Years Maintenance for the 500-Bed Military Hospital at Afari, Ashanti Region.

Consequential Resolution

(b) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Buyer's Credit Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and the Export-Import Bank of India for an amount of one hundred and fifty-eight million,

six hundred and seventeen thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four United States dollars (US$158,617,764.00) to finance the Design and Build Contract for the Tamale -- Walewale Road, phase 1 (Savelugu to Walewale [Km30 to Km113]).

Consequential Resolution

(c) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Duty, Import VAT, GETFund levy, Import NHIL, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of eleven million, four hundred and two thousand, two hundred and eighty Great Britain Pounds (GBP£ 11,402,280.00) on materials and equipment in respect of the Design and Delivery of Prefabricated Bridges for deployment throughout Ghana by Messrs. Mabey Bridge (registered as Acrow Global Ltd. of the United Kingdom).

Consequential Resolution

(d) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Roads and Transport on the Contract

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways) and the JMC (India) Limited for an amount of one hundred and fifty-eight million, six hundred and seventeen thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four United States dollars (US$158,617,764.00) for the Design and Build Contract for the Tamale - Walewale Road, phase 1 (Savelugu to Walewale [Km30 to Km113]).

Consequential Resolution

(e) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the Charter of La Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana Cocoa Initiative

(CIGCI).

Consequential Resolution

(f) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the Headquarters Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and La Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI) for the Establishment, in Accra, of the Permanent Headquarters of La Côte d'Ivoire
Chairman of the Business Committee/Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) 12:55 p.m.


- Ghana Cocoa Initiative

(CIGCI).

Consequential Resolution

Consideration Stage of Bills --

National Blood Service Bill,

2020.

National Ambulance Service Bill, 2020.

Insurance Bill, 2020.

Public Private Partnership Bill,

2020.

Committee sittings.

Statements

Motions --

Second Reading of Bills --

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill,

2020.

Public Health (Amendment) Bill,

2020.

Third Reading of Bills --

Public Private Partnership Bill,

2020.

National Blood Service Bill,

2020.

National Ambulance Service Bill, 2020.

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill,

2020.

Public Health (Amendment) Bill,

2020.

National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanism Bill,

2020.

Insurance Bill, 2020.

(b)Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, NHIL, Import VAT, ECOWAS Levy, AU Levy, Inspection Fees, Withholding Tax, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to US$8,120,712.00 as well as Domestic VAT, Domestic GETFund and Domestic NHIL amounting to US$2,114,574.33, making a grand total of the Ghana cedi equivalent of ten million, two hundred and thirty-five thousand, two hundred and eighty-six United States dollars

t h i r t y - t h r e e c e n t s (US$10 ,235 ,286.33) on m a t e r i a l s / g o o d s , equ ipmen t , and services to be procured in respect of the Project for the Rehabilitation of the National Trunk Road N8 (Phase 2) by Messrs. Shimizu- Dai Nippon Joint Venture of Japan, under the Grant Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in respect of the Rehabilitation of the National Trunk Road N8 (Phase 2).

Consequential Resolution

(d) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, Import NHIL, VAT, ECOWAS Levy, AU Levy, Inspection Fees, Withholding Tax, EXIM Levy and Special Import Levy amounting to US$4,495,661.00 as well as Domestic VAT, Domestic GETFund and Domestic NHIL amounting to US$3,632,929.87, making a grand total of the Ghana cedi equivalent of eight million, one hundred and twenty-eight thousand, five hundred and

ninety United States dollars eighty-seven cents (US$8,128,590.87) on materials, equipment, and services to be procured in respect of the Construction of the Jamestown Fish Landing Site Project by Messrs. CRCC Harbour and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited of China, under the Aid Implementation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development) and the Government of the People's Republic of China (represented by the Ministry of Commerce) for the Construction of the Ghana Fishing Port Complex Project (Jamestown, Accra).

Consequential Resolution

(e) Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Request for waiver of Import Duty, GETFund Levy, Import NHIL, VAT, and EXIM Levy amounting to the Ghana cedi equivalent of sixteen million, three hundred thirty-two thousand, one hundred and three United States dollars (US$16,332,103.00) on
THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker 12:55 p.m.
I thank you very much Hon Majority Leader.
Yes, Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa?
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful and I thank the Hon Majority Leader for the presentation of the Business Statement.
Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Majority Leader if he can be a bit more specific on the COVID-19 testing arrangement that is being put in place. When does he anticipate that it would be ready for Hon Members to present themselves for the test because that is very important? He fell short of giving us specific dates of when he thinks that the arrangement would be concluded.
Mr Speaker, finally, there are major security matters following from the elections. People have been killed. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) appeared before us before the elections and took responsibility that he is in charge of the election security taskforce.
Can the taskforce appear before us whether before Tuesday or when we reconvene on January 4, 2021 to answer questions on matters to do with lives that have been lost and all the security challenges we have faced during the election? It is a very important matter and I think we should create some window for the IGP and
members of the taskforce to appear before this House.
I thank you.
Mr Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, any comments or concluding remarks?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, for matters relating to COVID-19 testing, the details are being worked out and in the fullness of time, it would be given to Hon Members but certainly not beyond the 22nd of December, 2020.
Mr Speaker, the other matter raised by my Hon Colleague that we invite the security taskforce that was set up as a preparatory body to the conduct of the elections is a request from a Member, and leadership would put our heads together to see what to do under the circumstances.
Mr Speaker, I think it is important to inform Members that going forward, between now and the swearing in, given the rumours and whispers that keep inundating our space -- I do not believe in rumours -- however, it is important for the security of Members that we make the necessary arrangements via the security outfit in the House so that we
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance is here and he would do so on behalf of the substantive Minister.
Mr Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, I hope you have no objection for the Deputy Minister to lay the Paper?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is no objection. I thank you.
PAPERS 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Item numbered 5 (d) by the Hon Chairman of the Committee on Health?
Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Report is not ready.
Mr Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Item numbered 5 (e) by the Chairman of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs.
By the Chairman of the Committee --
Report of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the Charter of the La Côte d'Ivoire -- Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI).
Report of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs on the Headquarters Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the La Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI) for the Establishment, in Accra of the Permanent Headquarters of the La Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI).
Mr Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Item numbered 5 (f) by the Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Interior?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we may have to stand down item numbered 5(f) for the time being.
Mr Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Can we take item numbered 6 today? Item numbered
7.
MOTIONS 1:05 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Mr Yaw Addo Frimpong) 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this
honourable House adopts the Report of the Committee on Environment, Science and Technology on the Budget Performance Report in Respect of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation for the Period of January to December, 2019.
Mr Speaker, in doing so, I beg to present the Committee's Report.
Introduction
In accordance with Section 27(1) (2) of the Public Financial Management Act of, 2016, (Act 921), the Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, on behalf of the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, on Tuesday 26th May, 2020, laid before the House, the 2019 Budget Performance Report of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Pursuant to article 103 (3) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Standing Order 185, Mr Speaker referred the 2019 budget performance report to the Committee on Environment, Science and Technology for consideration and report.
Chairman of the Committee (Mr Yaw Addo Frimpong) 1:05 p.m.


sanitation. To address this, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) projected to commence the process of finalising a new National Plastic Waste Policy, which will focus on strategies to promote reduction, reuse and recycling. The Ministry again planned to liaise with the industrial sector to come up with alternative eco-friendly products from our natural resources.

The Plastic Management Policy and its accompanying implementation plan was to be finalised in 2019.

E-waste Management

The construction of a recycling plant at Old Fadama (Agbogbloshie) was projected to begin in 2019 under the National e-Waste Project. In the opinion of the Ministry it will help in the management of electrical and electronic waste as well as reduce the adverse impact of e-waste on human health and the environment.

The Ministry also projected to construct two Handover Centres (HOC) as part of the implementation of the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, 2016 (Act 917).

The programme was expected to lead to the creation of over 20,000 direct jobs through the establishment of a national e-waste recycling facility, associated holding centres in each regional capital and collection centres in each of the 216 districts.

Allocated Funds For 2019

The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation was allocated an amount of four hundred and seventeen million, nine hundred and fifty four thousand, three hundred and forty two (GH¢417,954,342.00) Ghana cedis for activities earmarked for the 2019 fiscal year.

Out of the amount allocated, two hundred and forty million, seven hundred and twenty three thousand, one hundred and thirty Ghana cedis (GH¢240,723,130.00) was from GOG, one hundred and forty seven million, one hundred and nineteen thousand six hundred and fifty Ghana cedis (GH¢147,119,650.00) from IGF and Thirty Million, One hundred and eleven thousand, five hundred and sixty two Ghana cedis (GH¢30,111,562.00) from Development Partners.

The breakdown of the allocation is as follows:
Chairman of the Committee (Mr Yaw Addo Frimpong) 1:05 p.m.


Actual Performance in 2019

Out of the allocated fund for the year 2020, the following activities were performed by the various directorates under the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation:

Ministry Head Quarters

In support of the Strategic Development Goal 12, target 4, the Ministry commissioned a training centre, health post and football pitch at Old Fadama (Abgogbloshie) to enhance sound dismantling of waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEE). The facilities were provided to minimise their adverse impacts on human health and the environment from the unsound management of e- waste. Implementation of the National Integrated E-waste Management Programme is also on-going.

The Ghana National Plastics Action Partnership Initiative (NPAP) was launched on 1st October, 2019 to support the existing work being carried out by the government of Ghana. It was also to promote initiatives by entrepreneurs and Civil Society actors at the local level and as well accelerate the reduction of plastic waste and pollution in Ghana.

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

In February 2019, the Presidential Advisory Council on Science, Technology and Innovation chaired by Prof. Edward Ayensu was inaugurated. The Council is expected to advise His Excellency the President on matters related to science, technology and innovation and their relevant application to national development. The Council is expected to operate from the presidency.

The CSIR completed renovation works on the CSIR-INSTI Block for the establishment of the High- Performance Computing Centre with HPC server and monitoring rooms. The Centre will provide opportunity for both academic and private institutions to analyse, model and simulate large volumes of data to help address both research and industrial challenges in areas such as health, environment, security, agriculture and natural resource management.

The Ghana Innovation and Research Commercialisation Centre was established at CSIR-INSTI. The operationalisation of the two research centres at CSIR will enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of the industrial sector,

encourage innovation and substantially increase the number of research and development.

Two colourful varieties of sweet potatoes were developed and released by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) whilst seven improved stress-tolerant Cowpea lines and two high yielding and stress-tolerant Groundnut lines received approval for release and cultivation. One improved soya bean variety christened “Favour” which has just been released has a yield potential of 3.5 tonnes per hectare and matures within 118 days and is expected to increase yield of farmers.

There is an on-going research on Schistosomiasis in some communities in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti Region and Ajumako- Eyan-Esiam in the Central Region by the CSIR which has shown about 20 per cent reduction of the disease. The CSIR has installed overhead water storage systems in affected communities to reduce the prevalence of the disease. This intervention is in line with SDG Target 3.3 which seeks to end epidemics and combat water- borne diseases and other communicable diseases.

Sustainable Land and Water Management Project (SLWMP)

To promote sustainable agriculture and strengthen capacity for the adaptation to climate change, the Sustainable Land and Water Management Project (SLWMP) supported 12,421 farmers with farm inputs to implement various SLWMP technologies within the 12 project districts, namely, Mamprugu, Moaduri, West Mamprusi, West Gonja, Sawla Tuna-Kalba, Talensi, Bawku West, Builsa South, Kassena Nankana West, Wa East, Daffiama- Bussie Issa, Sissala East and Sissala West.

Eight dugouts were also constructed at Mole National Park, fringe communities of the Gbele Resource Reserve (GRR) and within some agricultural landscapes under this project.

The Adoption Fund project was implemented to address the risks associated with climate change in the Five Northern regions. The project was to combat climate desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods. Under the project the following achievements were made:

100 boreholes constructed and installed with hand pumps
Chairman of the Committee (Mr Yaw Addo Frimpong) 1:05 p.m.


Over 50 acres of buffer zones created 62,500 tree seedlings were planted in 50 communities) to protect dams, dugouts and rivers.

10 dams were rehabilitated in 10 communities out of which four are near completion.

46 local NGOs based in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Savannah Regions were funded with a total sum of four million, one hundred and sixty thousand, five hundred Ghana cedis (GH¢4,160,500) an equivalent of (US$785,000) in three tranches to date to implement Alternative livelihood activities in the project communities.

Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA)

The EPA monitored air quality at 14 sites as a means of encouraging companies especially, large and transitional companies to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability into their reporting. The result indicated that PM10 levels were above the EPA 24 hour level of 70 µg/m3.

The EPA collaborated with the Environment 360, the US Embassy

and the Industrial Economic Incorporation of USA to undertake an Open Burning Project at the Chorkor and James Town catchment areas to help reduce the open burning menace and create awareness.

EPA also collaborated with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate of the Ministry of Roads and Transport and various transport institutions to implement the Motor Vehicle Emission Standards to help reduce motor vehicle emissions in Ghana.

The EPA further issued 1,621 Environmental Assessment permits and 26,671 chemical licenses. Out of 7,673 undertakings monitored by the EPA in line with L.I.1652 2,900 were compliant, while 4,773 were non- complaint. Enforcement letters were issued to the non-complaint undertakings for cessation of activities. Imposition of administrative charges were also applied to such companies.

Nuclear Regulatory Authority

(NRA)

The Nuclear Regulatory Authority monitored 250 users of radiation who are applying the regulations and guidance documents. Reports showed 20 per cent reduction in

authorised facilities with non- compliance issues.

Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC)

In a bid to end hunger and ensure access by the poor and vulnerable people including infants to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast produced the yellow flesh cassava which contains high levels of carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A which helps to prevent blindness.

Ghana Atomic Energy Commission monitored 1,301 telecommunication masts and assessed 373 base stations for compliance as well as 632 occupationally exposed workers involved in ionising radiation in their work.

Two laboratory facilities at the Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute (RAMSRI-GAEC) including the Random Monitoring Centre were commissioned. This was done to reduce by one third premature mortality from non- communicable diseases through prevention and treatment.

Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA)

The Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority trained all the 260 MMDAs on the Geographical Information System (GIS). The Regional Spatial Committees of the Greater Accra and the Eastern Regions were inaugurated and are fully functional. This will help address the substantial increase in the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adoption to climate change and resilience to disasters.

Ghana Biosafety Authority (GBA)

The scheme of service of the Authority was approved and embossed by the Public Services Commission (P.S.C.). A workshop on the guidelines on GMO food labelling was organised and a GMO detecting equipment for the GMO detection laboratory was procured in 2019.

Financial Performance in 2019

In the 2019 fiscal year, the Ministry was allocated an amount of GH¢417,954,342.00 comprising funds from Government of Ghana (GOG), Internally Generated Funds (IGF) and Development Partners (DPs).
Chairman of the Committee (Mr Yaw Addo Frimpong) 1:05 p.m.


The amount represented a 15 per cent increase as compared to the Ministry's budget allocation for 2018. The Personnel Emoluments allocation of GH¢233,933,250.00 also represented 10 per cent increase in allocation for 2018. The provision of GH¢2,989,880.00 for Goods and Services however saw a reduction of 32 per cent as compared to that of 2018. There was also a 5 per cent reduction in the CAPEX allocation to GH¢3,800,000.00. The IGF allocation however increased to GH¢147,119,650.00. Approved expected revenue from Development Partners also reduced to

GH¢30,111,562.00.

As at December, 2019, the Ministry had received a GOG

allocation of GH¢213,766,294.69 representing 88.8 per cent of the 2019 allocation. Out of the released amount, GH¢213,740,507.15 was expended by December 2019.

The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation as at December 2019 had received a total amount of GH¢410,848,252.37, being 98.3 per cent of the total approved budget allocation of GH¢417,954,342.00 for 2019 and expended GH¢378,523,078.75 which represent 90.6 per cent.

The expenditure breakdown as a percentage of allocations is 87.5 per cent for the Compensation of Employees, 140.1 per cent for Goods and Services, 28.1 per cent of CAPEX and 76.8 per cent for IGF.

Observations and Recommendations
Chairman of the Committee (Mr Yaw Addo Frimpong) 1:05 p.m.


The Committee during the review meeting made the following observations:

9.1 The Committee realised that the Ministry over spent its approved budget under Goods and Services. An amount of eighty three million, seven hundred and twenty four thousand, nine hundred and twelve Ghana cedis (GH¢83,724,912.00) was approved by Parliament for their operations under Goods and Services but the Ministry expended an amount of one hundred and nineteen million, four hundred and eleven thousand, seven hundred and sixty seven Ghana cedis thirteen pesewas (GH¢119,411,767.13.). The Committee was informed that the increase was as a results of extra funds provided by the Ministry of Finance for the payment of subscription fees for the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.

The Committee lauds the Ministry of Finance for eventually paying the subscription fees since that issue has lingered on for too long. The Committee urges that the payment of subscriptions should be prioritised, to ensure that the image of Ghana is held in high esteem at international fora.

The Committee was informed that the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, 2016 (Act 917) which was geared towards substantially reducing e-waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse encountered some challenges in its implementation in the year 2019.

A re-cycling plant was to be built in the year under review to receive e- waste from Old Fadama (Agbogbloshie). However, funds collected from the e-waste levy was not enough to support the project. There was also delay in the

establishment of the Board expected to manage the funds realised from the execution of the e-waste levy. However a training centre, health post and football park under the project were completed to minimise adverse impacts on human health and the environment due to the unsound management of e-waste.

The collection of the E-waste levy at the source of manufacture of the e- waste products suffered a hitch. It was therefore decided after consultation that the levy should be collected at the ports of entry of the e-waste. EPA in that regard, collaborated with GC- Net in the collection of the levy at Ghana's ports of entry. Funds realised were lodged in a holding account at the Bank of Ghana. The Board of the Fund has been inaugurated and it will soon commence management of the Funds as stipulated by law.

It was further realised that some of the charges in the 2nd Schedule of the law were unrealistic and called for amendment to make them enforceable.

The Committee commends the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the work done so far but urges it to liaise with the Attorney General's Department as well as other stakeholders and ensure that the amendments are forwarded as soon

as possible to Parliament to ensure its passage.

The Committee realised that the number of industries to be monitored for effluence quality during the year under review were exceeded. Out of 175 industries targeted, 165 were monitored.

The activity was to ensure that effluence from the industries were within acceptable levels. It was however realised that most of the effluence from the industries in Accra and Tema exceeded the EPA recommended guideline levels of 50 mg/1,75NTU and 1500 µS/Cm. Undertakings were made by industries to install suitable treatment plants to treat the effluence.

The Committee recommends that EPA should make follow up visits to ensure that the undertakings made are honoured and the effluence are brought to the recommended levels.

It was further observed that EPA collaborates with the Water Resources Management Commission to monitor polluted waters in the country. The Committee was informed that the pollution of our waters through activities like galamsey has led to the deprivation of some communities of their sources of water. The Committee recommends that the
Mr Kwame G. Agbodza (NDC -- Adaklu) 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion moved by the Hon Chairman of the Committee and to make some few comments.
This is a requirement of the Ministry to present the Budget Performance to Parliament. Mr Speaker, as captured by the Hon Chairman, his main
concern was for the Environmental Protection Agency to better collaborate with other agencies in an effort to protect the environment. I think that this is appropriate and so we would encourage the Ministry to do so effectively so as to ensure that our environment is well protected.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, thank you very much.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Can we take item numbered 8 or 9?
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Report for item numbered 9 is not yet ready.
Mr Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Thank you.
Hon Members, we would take item numbered 12.
Suspension of Standing Order 80(1)
Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) on behalf of (the Minority Leader and two other Hon Members): 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 second reading of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2020 may be moved today.
Hon Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
BILLS -- SECOND READING 1:15 p.m.
Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and to speak favourably for it, but to further pray that you allow one or two of our colleagues beyond the leaders to make some comments on this particular matter.
So I second the Motion ably moved by the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business for amendment to the Road Traffic Act of, 2004 (Act 663) to prescribe acts that constitute dangerous driving the results in the injury or death of an unborn baby.
Mr Speaker, probably, Act 663 did not contemplate this because that unborn baby is still not a natural person but the consequence and the grievousness of the accident might impact on the person. What remedy are we seeking to provide?
Mr Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Thank you very much Hon Chairman?
Chairman of the Committee (Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye) 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to associate myself with
the Motion on the Floor and to also seek your indulgence to report the Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2020, a Private Member's Bill was presented to Parliament by the Hon Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu on his own behalf and that of the Hon Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Hon Member for Kumbungu, Mr Ras Mubarak and Hon Member for Offinso South, Mr Ben Abdallah Banda on Saturday, 7th November, 2020.
1.1 In accordance with article 106 (4) and (5) of the Constitution and Order 189 of the Standing Orders of the House, the Rt. Hon Speaker referred the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to the Committee on Roads and Transport for consideration and report.
1.2 The Committee met on Thursday, 17th December, 2020 and considered the Bill. In considering the Bill, the Committee was assisted by Mr Ras Mubarak, officials from the Ministry of Transport, National Road Safety Authority, and Draftspersons from the Legal Department of Parliament who provided extensive information on aspects of the Bill under reference.
1.3 The Committee acknowledges their invaluable contributions.
2.0 Reference Documents
In the course of the Committee's work references were made to the following documents:
i. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana,
ii. The Standing Orders of Parliament,
iii. The Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), and
iv. The Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2008 (Act 761).
3.0 Background
The Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) subsequently amended by the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2008 (Act 761) provides for the protection of all road users including children. Section 14 of Act 683 for instance prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle on a road when a child of five years or under five years is at the front seat of the motor vehicle. Section 15 of that same Act empowers the Minister to prescribe types of safety equipment that are recommended as
conducive to be fitted in the presented classes of motor vehicles for the safety of children in the event of an accident.
The Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) however is silent on legal remedies for an unborn child where a road traffic crash occurs. Information from the Police and health care facilities indicate that a considerable number of women have lost their pregnancies as a result of road traffic crashes.
Mr Speaker, Act 683 does not impose a duty on a driver of a motor vehicle to report the death of an unborn child in the occurrence of a road traffic crash and it is also impossible to charge an accused person for the death of an unborn child.
The absence of a duty to report the death of an unborn child in a road traffic crash inadvertently results in the absence of data on the subject which may be relevant for national development planning subsequently the need for this Bill.
4.0. Object of the Bill
The Bill seeks to amend the Road Traffic Act of, 2004 (Act 683) to proscribe acts that constitute dangerous driving and dangerous
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza (NDC -- Adaklu) 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill and to also commend you for leading Parliament to break the glass ceiling on this issue.
Mr Speaker, I am sure if we go through our laws, there may be various reasons on why we should embark on these journeys in the future, and I am sure this Parliament would be remembered for this.

Mr Speaker, I just would want to tell the Hon Chairman that one of the cardinal reasons of this Report is to give the Plenary the opportunity to take this Bill under a certificate of urgency, which is missing in what the two Leaders have said and what the Chairman has said. One of the decisions we need to take is to agree that we are going to take this Bill under the certificate of urgency. I know it is in the Report and everybody said the Hansard should capture it. So that is one of the decisions we need to take today.

Mr Speaker, it is very true that the current law does not recognise the injury or death of an unborn child as is captured in this Report. In all the things that have been said, one of the things that is on the existing law puts the burden on the driver or the rider to report the accident. But Mr Speaker, at the Committee level, I made them aware that it is not all the times that the culprit is even in a position to report to the Police;one could be driving dangerously and be involved in an accident so he may be the same person who actually caused the accident anyway. So it is not always the case that the culprit is somebody else and there is a third party who is a victim. It could also

happen that when the accident happened, the person who caused it is incapacitated. So to put a burden of reporting on the person actually is problematic. That is why the Police and Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) comes up with that and at the Committee level, we were helped appropriately by the National Roads Safety Authority, that the onus at that stage could not necessarily be on the person who is being accused.

Mr Speaker, secondly, it could happen that somebody gets involved or an accident happens and somebody was pregnant at the time the accident happens. The defect on the child was only realised 10 years after the child had been born. The case on that accident could even be out of the window but there could be medical reasons to prove that that defect was as a result of that accident 10 years ago.

In this case, if proven medically, there should still be remedy for the victim in this case who is now a child and living. So it goes beyond the death of a foetus or an immediate remedy. It could be a remedy that could be extracted long after the actual incident, provided it can be proven medically.

Mr Speaker, the third thing I would want to say is that this also means that we should all observe the safety measures that are required. If a
Mr Ras Mubarak (NDC -- Kumbungu) 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to pass this landmark Private Members' legislation, and as has been indicated, this would go into history as one of the very important legislations that has been passed in this House. This is not only about us but it is about the future. It is about children who are yet to be born and if we can provide remedies in our laws for pregnant women who may be involved in accidents that could affect the babies, it is very exciting. This is what Parliament should be and is about.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for creating the space. This is also to thank Hon Colleagues who have contributed in making this possible.
Mr Speaker, there was a case in South Africa where a pregnant woman was involved in an accident. The child got brain damage and it was only realised after delivery that the injury to the child was as a result of an accident that occurred several months in the past. So indeed, this would go a long way to help us, Mr Speaker, and our grandchildren, our sisters, our wives, who on a daily basis are faced with the dangers of cyclists or drivers who are driving or riding without regard to passengers they are carrying or pedestrians on the road.
Hence what this seeks to do is to impose a burden on drivers to be careful when they are driving. It is to impose a burden on motor riders to be careful when they are riding their motorbikes on the road and I think that it is historic and we are grateful for the opportunity. With these few words, I would encourage the House to approve of this legislation under a certificate of urgency and I believe posterity would judge all of us kindly.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP -- Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 1:35 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I beg to speak in support of the Motion and not to repeat what my Hon Colleagues have earlier spoken to.
Mr Speaker, what the amendment seeks to cure is clear. I would want to commend the sponsors of the Bill, particularly you, Mr Speaker. We are making history and we would go a long way to enhance our democracy and our legislation as a country.
Mr Speaker, I think one of the things we are missing now is that inasmuch as we pride ourselves of the historic nature of this Bill, we do not have to gloss over other essentials such as the Road Safety Commission and the Ghana Police Service who clearly would have a role to play. If liability would be enhanced in its proper context, mainly because of the amendment, what it means is that the Ghana Police Service and the Road Safety Commission would have to change the approach to work.
So, going forward, we have to also strengthen the Police Service to be able to dispense wih their work effectively and creditably.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I think that the Legislative Drafting and Legal Services Department of Parliament would also have to be strengthened since it is definitely a new regime
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP -- Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 1:45 p.m.
where Private Members‘ Bills are going to be entertained and supported. Hence, the capacity of the departments in Parliament as an institution or as an arm of Government would have to be enhanced and their capacity built to be able to cope with speed and accuracy. So that is what I want to bring to bear and in wake. But all said and done, I would think that the House must commend the Speaker and the sponsors of this Bill and we would go down as historic landmark legislation and it is something that we have to be proud of. I am confident that going forward, in the Eighth Parliament, there is going to be a plethora of Private Members' Bills not just for their sake but they would seek to cure loopholes that we have in a number of legislation available.

So I fully associate myself with the Motion, and I would urge Hon Members to support it accordingly.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Yes, Hon Alhaji Fuseini, and then Leadership?
Alhaji Inusah A. B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 1:45 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is said that change does not come easily. It comes
from people with a conviction, dedication and focus in whatever they do.
Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that this afternoon, under your Leadership, we have expanded the frontiers of democracy and challenged the status quo. Now, it would be possible for Hon Members to initiate and bring before this House Private Members' Bill to complement the efforts of Government.
Mr Speaker, Hon Members of Parliament are now under your Leadership, given the privilege to have Bills standing in their names. That can only be the benefit to our democracy and also the recognition by Mr Speaker that this is the way to go. So, it would not be out of place to commend you and your Leadership for this bold step.
Once upon a time in this House, it was said that every piece of legislation would be charged on the Consolidated Fund, and that being so, Private Members' Bill could not be entertained in this House. Mr Speaker, has demonstrated that it can and it is being considered.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority leader said that a few weeks ago, we passed a new legislation, the Birth and Death Regulations Act, for which we
accounted for -- in the provisions of the Act, the death of a foetus. It is trite law that a foetus is not a natural person and would not have right. But what are we doing?
Today, we are reaching out; one, to our sisters, aunties, mothers and daughters that in the consideration of legislation in the House, and particularly for their welfare, Parliament is willing to consider and legislate on the dangers they are exposed to when they use the road, especially in the condition of pregnancy. We are imposing additional responsibility of care on other road users to be mindful of the women on the road and those in their vehicles and receptacles, so that they do not compromise the health of the women.
Mr Speaker, we are saying by what we are doing today, that it is possible for Hon Members of this House to close the gaps in legislation. We can only commend you and ourselves for this bold initiative. I am leaving Parliament and that was why I was itching to talk. I would want my name to be recorded as one of those who spoke in favour of this bold initiative, and that, the Eight Parliament would take advantage of what has been started today to complement the efforts of Government in closing the
gaps in legislation for the general benefit of the people of this country.
Mr Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
rose
Mr Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Members, any voice from my right? Otherwise, we will hear Hon Ayamba, the only Hon Member on her feet - No, she can speak for herself and that would be the last contribution before Leadership. Now, that we are talking about historic record. Yes, Hon Member, be brief.
Ms Laadi Ayii Ayamba (NDC -- Pusiga) 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. As an Hon Member of the Committee, yesterday, I was really impressed when I got into the Committee meeting only to read this Private Members' Bill, which was brought under a Certificate of Urgency.
Mr Speaker, as a woman, there is nothing more delightful than having this Bill passed. In the deliberations at the Committee level, we went into details because there were questions of when we would call an unborn child a foetus or zygote. So, we came to the
Mr Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Yes, Hon Muntaka?
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC -- Asawase) 1:55 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this
opportunity to be part of the history making, and to sincerely thank you, Mr Speaker, for the courage and resilience to at least get shell broken.
Mr Speaker, I remember very well in your inaugural speech, you reiterated how you wanted to see this House overcome this challenge. I would want to admit that you have seen the challenge and the difficulty when the attempt was made to introduce a number of them. I must say that had you not been resilient, since we are at the tail-end of the Parliament, you would have given up, but you still insisted that we do whatever it takes to at least break this barrier.

I hope that this barrier is truly broken when we are done with this today, so that tomorrow, regardless of what happens beyond this Parliament, this House would continue to have the courage to move on and be able to complement Government's efforts in shaping our laws.

Mr Speaker, this amendment is a very important one. Knowing the harm that road accidents cause, especially to the unborn baby, that our country, until we are lucky to pass this through and get the President to

assent to it, do not recognise as part of persons that have been hurt or killed, and that needs to be accounted for.

Mr Speaker, my concern is that if we look at the Act and the proposal, we tend to limit the punishment to only confinement. I hope that when we get to the Consideration Stage, we may reconsider that. We all are assuming, by the way it is couched, that accidents that are caused are deliberate. It is called an accident, so, if it is called an accident, then there could be a circumstance that the judge should be given the opportunity not to confine, but to fined the individual. To leave this punishment to only confinement, I think it is worrying. This is because in the Bill itself, clause 1 (a) reads which I beg to quote:

“A person who rides a cycle dangerously on a road that results in the death of an unborn child commits an offence, and is liable on summary conviction to a term of prison of not less than three years, and not more than seven years.”

Mr Speaker, we are tying the hands of the judge, and as all of us in our driving lives would admit, there are some instances that one would see genuinely that yes, an accident had occurred, but was not as a result of a
Mr Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Hon Members, in view of the Business ahead of us and the time now, I direct that Business continues beyond the prescribed hours.
Yes, Hon Minister for Roads?
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr Kwasi Amoako- Attah) 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to thank you most sincerely for allowing me to add my voice, and to associate myself with this all important Bill being considered, which would eventually, if it goes through, cause the amendment to the Road Traffic Act.
What we seek to do, is to make sure that we bring sanity on our roads.
Mr Speaker, in most cases, we do not pay heed to the unborn child, but it is important that we all take note that right from the foetus stage until the child is born, the child deserves a duty of care, not only from the mother who carries the conception, but even though not yet born, all of us owe such unborn children the duty of care, including drivers.
Mr Speaker, today, we go down in history as the first time that a Private Member's Bill is being considered since the inception of the Fourth Republic, and your good self, as well as all those who are proposing this Bill, would also go down in history because records would reveal that we have made an excellent move that would be associated with this Parliament, and the name of this Seventh Parliament would also go down in history.
Mr Speaker, the difficulty of Private Member's Bill had always been for the fact that it would impose a charge on the Consolidated Fund, as is contained in article 108(a)(ii) of the Constitution, which with your permission I read. It says:
“Parliament shall not, unless the bill is introduced or the motion
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr Kwasi Amoako- Attah) 2:05 a.m.
is introduced by, or on behalf of, the President --
(ii) the imposition of a charge on the Consolidated Fund or other public funds of Ghana or the alteration of any such charge otherwise than by reduction; or…”
Mr Speaker, this has always been the impediment in the way of introducing a Private Member's Bill. However, I am so happy about this particular Bill because it would come into effect if it is eventually accepted, but it would not impose any charge on the Consolidated Fund.
This is because this is a subject that would be dealt with by the insurance Company.

I believe that if Hon Members in this august House think and direct their minds on such imposition of taxes that would not affect the Consolidated Fund, we may be able to bring about a number of such Private Member's Bill that would promote the work of this House. And it is a very good move; it is a direction that would encourage the work of this House and bring out the ingenuity of Hon Members of Parliament.

Mr Speaker, with this I would like to urge that we carry it through. I thank you.
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member for Roads and Highways.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2020 accordingly read a Second time.
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
Hon Members, the item listed 14?
Suspension of Order 128(1)
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 128(1) which requires that when a bill has been read a second time it shall pass through a consideration stage which shall not be taken until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed, the consideration stage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2020 may be taken today.
Mr Ras Mubarak 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
Hon Members, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2020 at the Consideration Stage.
BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 2:05 a.m.
STAGE 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
Clause 1 -- Section 1 of Act 263 amended.
Mr Aye-Paye 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 1, delete and insert the following:
“1. The Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) referred to in this Act as the “principal enactment” is amended in subsection (1) as follows:
(a)in paragraph (b), by the insertion after “where” of “there is an injury to an unborn baby or;” and
(b) in paragraph (c), by the insertion after “occurs” of “including the death of an unborn baby”.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree to the proposed amendment by the Chairman of the Committee but I believe we have to
further amend subclause (b), which provides that in paragraph (c) by the insertion after “occurs” of “including the death of an unborn baby. Mr Speaker, appropriately, the insertion should come after “death”, not “occurs” because the original which is what we are proposing to amend, reads where death occurs, and the proposal is to insert “including the death of an unborn child” so that it would read:
“Where death occurs including the death of an unborn baby to a term of imprisonment for a term not less than three years”.
Mr Speaker, it should appropriately read 2:05 a.m.
“Where death, including the death of an unborn baby occurs…”
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
So, “occurs” comes after “baby”?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:05 a.m.
Yes.
Mr Agbodza 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, what we said yesterday was “unborn child”, not “unborn baby”—
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
Shall we keep “child”?
Mr Agbodza 2:05 a.m.
Yes, for consistency
sake, “unborn child” would be better than “unborn baby”.
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
Very well.
Mr Agbodza 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, some Hon Colleagues are asking, what is “an unborn baby” and an unborn child”? Mr Speaker, once a qualified medical person can prove that a conception has taken place, it does not matter whether it is one week, two weeks, until the term when the baby comes out. I think that also describes an unborn child.
We deliberately refused to describe what an unborn child is because that is not our job to do because somebody's pregnancy could be confirmed in a week; somebody else's could be confirmed in two weeks. We, in Parliament should not begin to do that, the medical fraternity would be able to do that appropriately and even prove it in Court.
Mr Ahiafor 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity. Who is an unborn child? Are we talking about the foetus or unborn child? I look at the parent Act and the Amendment Bill, and there is no definition for unborn child -- [Interruption] --
Mr Speaker 2:05 a.m.
Hon Member, make your point and let us not fight over anything.
Mr Agbodza 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, when a pregnancy is beyond a certain stage, it is no longer a foetus. That is what we want to avoid because the foetus is only up to a certain point. When somebody is in the stomach for eight months, it is no longer a foetus that is why it is an unborn child -- [Interruption]-- the medical people would tell us that when you are eight months in the stomach, you are no longer a foetus.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, conception is not in the stomach. -- [Laughter] --
Mr Agbodza 2:05 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader is right but the womb -[Interruption]- Mr Speaker, if I were to ask the Hon Majority to show me where a womb is, he would be pointing to somewhere in the stomach -- [Laughter] -- so the baby is in the belly not in the womb?
Mr Speaker, the medical fraternity knows where womb; conception does not take place in the intestines, it takes place in the womb and that is what we are talking about and everybody understands that.
Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, an unborn child has been defined as a child that has not been born and is still in the womb. So, which unborn child do we seek to protect? This is because pregnancy has cycles. We have the first trimester, the second trimester and the third trimester. Now, in the first trimester, the child is a zygote and a miscarriage can occur naturally. This miscarriage could occur and coincide with an accident, so are we --? [Interruption]
Mr Speaker, in the United States of America's (USA) jurisprudence, an unborn child is a child who is still in the womb after eight weeks. What happens in the USA's jurisprudence is that they fix the responsibility at a certain point and recognises that when anything happens to the pregnancy at that point, it is an offence. That is why you cannot have a legal abortion after a certain number of weeks of pregnancy in some States in the USA.
So, I was thinking that we should also be guided because if I am a trotro driver at Neoplan bus terminal and passengers are entering my vehicle, do I have to ask all the women whether they are pregnant? I cannot see whether they are pregnant but we are putting a responsibility on the driver to drive carefully. Would it be
fair to do that? I am just thinking that should we not define an unborn child in terms of the number of weeks of the pregnancy, so that the protruding stomach will be a manifestation and warning to anybody that somebody is pregnant on the road.
Mr Ras Mubarak 2:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in other jurisdictions where this particular legislation exists, they couch it to coincide with the period of pregnancy. So, for instance, in the past, once one becomes pregnant for more than 26 weeks, the baby is assumed to have a life of its own and can even exist outside the womb. Medically, there are incubators and other things that can keep the baby alive.
There has been improvement and in Europe and America, even for an 18-week old child, they have systems where the baby could still survive outside the womb. So, in agreeing with what Hon Fuseini said, we should couch it in a way that takes into consideration the period of pregnancy. In the draft legislation that we initially had, the suggestion was to have foetus that is up 12 weeks. Technology is evolving and if we restrict it to a certain amount of time, we may miss out on the benefits of technology.

Owusu -- rose --
Mr Speaker 2:15 a.m.
Hon Chairman, could we take some guidance from the Hon First Deputy Speaker and then as Chairman you could conclude?
Yes, Hon Mr First Deputy Speaker?
Mr J. Osei-Owusu 2:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am worried about why we are spending so much time on how old the pregnancy must be to define an unborn child. Once it is in the womb and has not come out, it is unborn, no matter how long it has stayed in the womb. One of my classmates was pregnant for about one and a half years. So, if she does not deliver after one year and gets injured, is what is in her womb not an unborn child? Is that what we are suggesting?
I do not think that we should spend time trying to define what is an unborn child. It is known, and given time it would cut out other people carrying a baby in the womb beyond the time we gave. So, we should not give ourselves any time period. As long as a child is unborn and remains in the womb of the mother, it is an unborn child. [Interruption] So, who are we legislating for? My view is that we should not waste time with the time period.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the danger of what the Hon First Deputy Speaker is proposing is that conception starts when the sperm comes into contact with the egg. Until the woman attains the menstrual cycle which she may miss, conception has already taken place and the woman would not even know that she is pregnant. So, until the fourth week, you would not know, yet it would have begun. That is why it is always defined to have a cut-off point. This is the reason in the registration of births and deaths, we restricted ourselves to foetus. I think that we should use foetus so that at least, it would be in sync with the Registration of Births and Deaths Act. So, I would suggest we use the term “foetus” and cut out “unborn child” or “baby”.
Mr Speaker 2:15 a.m.
Hon Chairman, please give us the formulation and let us make progress.
Mr Ayeh-Paye 2:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would therefore drop my amendment and leave it at “foetus”.
Mr Speaker 2:15 a.m.
If the amendment is dropped, there is nothing to discuss.
Amendment withdrawn by leave of the House.
Mr Bagbin 2:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the proposal by the Hon Majority Leader is in sync with the definition of “an unborn baby” and not child. A foetus is formed from the eighth week until birth, so that term is rather preferable. So, it could be “foetus” or “unborn baby”.
Mr Speaker 2:15 a.m.
So, are we going by the expression “unborn child”?
Mr Agbodza 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader's latest rendition is better. Indeed, when you read the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of “foetus” says, “a human being or an animal as it is developing in the uterus before birth”.

So it takes away the temptation of segregating at which period. It also says after the organs have started forming. If we use the word “foetus'', it would be in line and in consistence with other laws we have passed in this House, so that we avoid the use of the words “unborn child''.
Mr Ayariga 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this has been a very heated matter within the context of the United States of America's (USA) Supreme Court of adjudication on abortion matters and I am sure you are very much aware about the way the USA has resolved
the matter. So, in a sense we cannot ascribe rights to an unborn baby but that a foetus in the trimester, could be given recognition by the Supreme Court that, that kind of foetus cannot be aborted and does not constitute murder or anything of that sort. That is exactly what we are confronted with today. At what stage could we define it as a “foetus''? Is it the first three months, the second three months or from the eighth week onwards? Let us place it in the third trimester so that we could make some strides in terms of the adoption of the precincts in the
USA.
Mr Speaker, I support the argument that we should not use the word “child'' because it is not really a child that has not been born but technically the word is a “foetus''.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Member for Adaklu?
Mr Agbodza 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman used the words “unborn baby'' in clause 1 (a), in his proposed amendment the Hon Majority Leader said we could use the word “foetus''.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Please, read the rendition.
Mr Agbodza 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the new rendition would be:
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
So, a pregnancy is coterminous to the foetus until the child is delivered.
Mr Agbodza 2:25 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, for those of us who are not medical doctors, when the woman dies, would it be important for a medical doctor to certify that it is the foetus or not -- otherwise, how would it be known? This would mean that after death, a medical doctor has to ensure that it is a foetus - that is the onerous requirement.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
That is assumed.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who just spoke is a devout Catholic and he knows the theology and the Catholic law about what the status of an unborn child is.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
The Hon Member objects to it.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not know why he has brought my religion into this matter? It is an important question, so we should be sure it is the spirit that we want to do.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
When there is the need for medical certification it would be done.
Dr A. A. Osei 2:25 p.m.
There should be an insistence on a medical certification that it was really a foetus.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Yes, it must be a necessary part of a trial otherwise, you cannot get conviction.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Chairman, is there any further amendment to clause 1? If that is all your amendment, then I would put the Question on the clause as a whole.
Clause 1 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 2 -- Section 30 of Act 683 amended.
Mr Ayeh-Paye 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 2, paragraph (c), delete.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Chairman, what is the reason for the deletion? Please, satisfy us. Tell us why and how it would read at the end, so that Hon Members would see the point clearly?
Mr Ayeh-Paye 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the parent Act that we seek to amend, already contains the penalty charges and it would not be amended. So, there is no need to repeat the clause
2.
Mr Ayariga 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want some clarification from the Hon Chairman - a clarification that I also think applies to the way we have treated clause 1. Mens rea is a very important consideration in the definition of criminal offences. If a motor accident occurs, have we addressed our minds as to whether or not the crime is committed -?
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Member, if you are talking of mens rea, the law also says that there shall be strict liability.
Mr Ayariga 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would come to “strict liability''.
Mr Speaker 2:25 p.m.
This is a presumption of strict liability. When
you address your mind to mens rea, you should address your mind to strict liability because the law has the liberty --
Mr Ayariga 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree with you but we could take a positon that strict liability occurs. However, in a situation like this even when we decide that it is a matter that would be punished strictly whether a person knew of it or not, we, as a House need to be mindful of the way people board vehicles. If a trotro driver is driving, he does not know who gets on board or alights. For example, do we want to say that if there is an accident and anything happens to a foetus of a pregnant woman who has boarded the vehicle, would the driver be strictly punished? I do not know if we have consciously thought through this provision of strict liability.
Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first of all, this is a traffic offence and some traffic offences do not require express proof of intentions.
Where it is established that the driver of a vehicle drove recklessly, that is additional to the liability and aggravates the punishment.

So, mens rea is not really a concern in this matter but the worry is, because
Mr Bagbin 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is just to advise my Hon Colleague that it is improper to try to draw the Speaker into the arena of conflict. He could have mentioned another person than trying to rope in the impartial arbiter in this matter.
Mr Speaker, it is true that just to restrict the law to only imprisonment as a sanction is unfair. We should look at a possibility of a fine but the standard in this matter is not that the driver drove recklessly. No! It is that the driver drove without due care and attention. That is different from reckless. On that score, I agree that there should be an option of a fine and not just only imprisonment. If it is established beyond the standard of due care and attention to that of recklessness, then, there is a higher sentence because of the use of the word “reckless”. The two are not the same.
Mr Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Hon Second Deputy Speaker, please, what kind of fine would you -- [Interruption] -- No, if the Hon Second Deputy Speaker can help --?
Mr Bagbin 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have already passed a legislation in this matter. There is a standard for
calculating the fine in correspondence to the term of imprisonment. So, it is stated there. If it is three years, the fine should be a certain amount. We have already passed a law on that.
Mr Speaker 2:35 p.m.
So, we would leave that to the draftsperson.
Mr Bagbin 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, we would leave that to the draftsperson.
Mr Speaker 2:35 p.m.
All right, thank you.
Mr Agbodza 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, a further help. The original law has this in section 30 (1) which with your permission, I quote:
“A person who rides a cycle dangerously on a road commits an offence….and a summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 250 penalty units or a term of imprisonment not exceeding twelve months.”
So, the fine regime is there already. We could just apply that to the prison terms that the Chairman of the Committee proposed to make simpler. The draftspersons can take it on board and just use what is in the original Bill.
Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I agree that there is a
sanctions regime for dangerous riding but when a foetus dies, then we move to another realm. So, the sentence as proposed in this amendment is all right, except that we should have the corresponding fine which I am sure the draftspersons would be able to do.
Mr Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Very well, Hon Members, the amendment is withdrawn save that the appropriate penalty should be decided upon by the draftspersons in line with what already exists so that there would be a proportionate increase. Is that not so?
That being so, I order so, accordingly.
Yes, Chairman of the Committee?
Mr Ayeh-Paye 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 3, subsection (6), line 1, delete “motor”, and do same wherever “motor” appears in the clause; and line 2, before “death”, insert “injury or” and in line 3, delete “the driver” and insert “the person in charge”.
I so move.
Mr Agbodza 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I support the proposed amendment, specifically in lines 2 and 3 where we are deleting “driver” and inserting “the person in charge” because we are
Mr Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Hon Members, any further consideration?
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 3 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Long Title --
Mr Ayeh-Paye 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, Long Title, delete and insert the following:
“AN ACT to amend the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) to proscribe acts that constitute dangerous driving that results in the injury or death of an unborn baby or dangerous cycling that results in the injury or death of an unborn baby and for related matters.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Long Title relates to the proscription of acts that constitute dangerous driving that “results” -- “acts” is plural, so, it should rather read, “that result” and not “that results”.
Then, in line 4, we should do the same thing by deleting “results” and inserting “result” because it is plural.
So, it would read:
“AN ACT to amend the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) to proscribe acts that constitute dangerous driving that result in the injury or death of an unborn baby or dangerous cycling that result in the injury or death of an unborn baby and for related matters.”
So, we would consequentially amend “unborn baby” and in its place, we put “foetus”; then, “results” will change to “result”.
Mr Mahama Ayariga 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, once again, we are amending the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683). Now, the Act makes a distinction between where dangerous driving leads to injury and where dangerous driving leads to death. Where dangerous driving leads to death, there is no option of a fine.

Mr Speaker, now, the debate is whether or not we are equating the death of a foetus to the death of a human being. If we are, then clause 1 (c) of the Road Traffic Act would be

the appropriate clause that we would amend. If we take a position that the foetus life needs to be protected like the life of a human being then this whole debate about a fine does not come in because in the parent Act, we do not fix life in such a way that we give an option of a fine if it is lost as a result of dangerous driving.

So, we need to be clear in our minds in terms of what we want to achieve.
Mr Agbodza 2:45 p.m.
You are arguing against yourself, you led the argument initially and now --
Mr Ayariga 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you recall, I kept asking for the Act because I wanted to know what we were amending by referring to the parent Act to find out how that issue is treated. However, the sponsor of the Bill did not have the Act -- [Interruption] --
Mr Speaker, we had to go and get the Act. I believe that we have to be careful with what we actually want to do. Do we want to protect the foetus the way we protect every other human being in which case we have to go back to (c) which says that if death occurs, the term of imprisonment
should be a term of not less than three years?
However, how do we equate the foetus to the human being and treat them the same way in the passage of this Legislation and insist on strict liability? I have always held the position that yes, we want to progressively introduce protection for foetuses but we should not give the same level of protection. That is why I support the amendment.
Mr Speaker, lastly, that we are proceeding without rescinding your earlier vote on clause 1 of the Bill. This is because it is in this clause that we spelt out the penalty. So, it is in clause 2 that we raised the issue and amended. If we need to correspondingly amend clause 1 then you would have to rescind the vote that was taken on clause 1 so that we amend clause 1 appropriately, maintain same in clause 2 and then move to the clause that we are now.
Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is absolutely nothing wrong with what we have done. If we intended to treat a foetus the same way we treated human beings, we would not have filed this amendment; it is because we want to differentiate between the two. Therefore, the punishment should also be different
Mr Speaker 2:45 p.m.
That is why we have asked that a certain portion be left to the draftsperson to fill accordingly. Is that not so? All right.
So, of course, it cannot be “results”, it is “result” that is: “to proscribe acts…”. The “acts” is in plural and so, “results” must be “result”. That was what was proposed by the Hon Majority Leader.
Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we must bear in mind that there are consequential amendments in the headnotes and clauses 1 and 2. So, I just wanted to remind that the draftspersons be directed to do the consequential amendments.
Mr Speaker 2:45 p.m.
Very well.
All consequential amendments to follow accordingly.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Long Title as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr Speaker 2:45 p.m.
Hon Chairman of the Committee, any further amendments?
Mr Ayeh-Paye 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there are no more amendments.
Mr Speaker 2:45 p.m.
Hon Members, that brings us to the end of the Consideration Stage.
Hon Members, item numbered 16.
MOTIONS 2:45 p.m.
Majority Leader (Mr Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 131(1) which requires that when a Bill has passed through the Consideration Stage, the third reading thereof shall not be taken until at least twenty-four hours have elapsed, the Motion for the third reading of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2020 may be moved today.
(Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader [MP, Suame])
(Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader [MP, Tamale South])
(Mr. Ras Mubarak [MP, Kumbungu])
(Mr. Ben Abdallah Banda [MP, Offinso South])
Mr Ras Mubarak 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
BILLS -- THIRD READING 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker 2:45 p.m.
Hon Members, thank you very much for your hard work and for working towards the passage of a Private Members' Bill.
I appreciate the work of the Hon Majority and Minority Leaders in this direction as well as our newly established legal department particularly, Lawyer Sena, Madam Ofori Boateng and all our collaborators in the department of the Attorney-General and the Hon
Minister for Justice. I trust that this will encourage Hon Members to interrogate the law and for that matter, help in developing some of the gapping gaps that are in our laws especially, those that affect human rights.
Thank you very much.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe we can now attend to item numbered 18.
Mr Speaker 2:45 p.m.
The Hon First Deputy Speaker to take the Chair. We will continue with the item numbered 18, the Consideration Stage - National Blood Service Bill, 2020 at the Consideration Stage.
BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 2:55 p.m.
STAGE 2:55 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah) 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 4, paragraph (k), lines 1 and 2, after
Mr Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Hon Chairman, have we already dealt with clauses 5 to 16?
Dr Twum-Nuamah 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yesterday we considered up to 22 but there was an outstanding one in clause 17 so we can take that before we move to clause 27.
Mr Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Very well.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 17 subclause (7), delete and insert the following:
“The proceedings of the Blood Service Technical Advisory Committee shall not be invalidated by reason of a vacancy among the members or
a defect in appointment or qualification of a member.”
Mr Speaker, this is the standard rendition.
Alhaji Inusah A. B. Fuseini 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, they had used the formulation in clause 8(7) so we are just repeating the same provision in this particular instance.
Mr Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Very well.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 17 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clauses 23 to 26 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clauses 27 - Accounts and audit
Dr Twum-Nuamah 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 27 subclauses (1) and (2), delete and insert the following:
“(1) The Board shall keep books of accounts, records, returns and other documents relevant to the accounts in the form approved by the Auditor- General.
(2) The Board shall submit the accounts of the Service to the Auditor-General for audit within three months after the end of the financial year.”
MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:01 p.m.
Hon Members, I would put the Question on clause 27.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 27 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 28 -- Annual report and other reports.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 28 subclause (1), delete and insert following:
“The Board shall, within thirty days after the receipt of the audit report, submit an annual report to the Minister covering the activities and the operations of the Service for the year to which the report relates.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 28 subclause (4), line 1, before “submit”, insert “also” and in line 2, delete “request” and insert “require”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 28 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 29 -- Recruitment of blood donors
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 29 subclause (2), delete and insert the following:
“(2) Despite subsection (1), the Service may
(a)outsource to a non-profit- making organisation, the education and recruitment of blood donors; or
(b) authorise an institution or collaborate with an institution to educate and recruit blood donors.”
Alhaji Muntaka 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he has not told us why he wants to
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
Yes, Hon Chairman, we would want to hear why you are substituting it?
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the reasons were first of all, because blood donation is quite challenging, we wanted to widen the scope with which the Service would engage more interested parties to maximise the amount of blood that could be secured to support their operations. The second reason is to tidy the rendition in the original Bill.
Alhaji Muntaka 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you look at the original rendition, subclause 2 reads which I quote:
“(2) Despite subsection (1), the Service may, with the approval of the Board and under the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer, outsource a non-profit making organisation for the education and recruitment of blood donors.”
Mr Speaker, if you look at the proposed amendment, it is not mentioning the Board. It just started with “…the Service may” and it continues with outsourcing education
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
Hon Chairman, why have you excluded the Board?
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Service also includes the Board. If you look at the functions of the Service, the main authority is the Board. And so they give direction to the Service and Management to offer whatever they do. So by using the Service, it is implied that the approval would obviously come from the Board.
This is why we did not mention the Chief Executive Officer but we said the Service so that before the Chief
Officer implements anything, the Board would have already approved it in their deliberations before it is done.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
This is an interpretation which may be abused. So it is safer.
Alhaji Muntaka 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my suggestion to the Hon Chairman would be to keep the original clause 29(2) and the paragraph (b) of his amendment which talks about collaboration with other institutions. This is because, in paragraph (a), we do not see it come out clearly when it says:
“(2) Despite subsection (1), the Service may, with the approval of the Board and under the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer, outsource a non-profit making organisation for the education and recruitment of blood donors.”
This seems to exclude other institutions because the other institutions could include institutions that are doing it for profit. When we talk about paragraph (b), my understanding is that some institutions might be doing it for profit, but they could collaborate with them just to enhance blood donation and blood
donor education. But they may be profit-making organisations.
The way the original rendition is couched, it would outsource to only non-profit making organisations. If you look at paragraph (b) that is being proposed, it might include institutions that might be profit making.
If the Hon Member has a strong feeling on the paragraph, he could amend to add that to the original rendition than to just take the original rendition away from the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Speaker, you have been a Chief Executive Officer before, and you have heard a number of times how Boards and Chairpersons of Boards would want to virtually elbow the Chief Executive Officers in some of these decisions. I think the original rendition is neater than the new proposed amendment. So the Hon Chairman may think about it.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the value is really the same if we do not include the Board. This is because, education and recruitment is with the Service. It is the recruitment aspect that I am worried about, but with the education really, if you look at the object of the Service under subclause (3), it is to provide safe and adequate blood and blood products to patients who
Alhaji Muntaka 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when the Hon Majority Leader makes reference to clause 18 which talks about the Chief Executive Officer being the head of the Service, this amendment also then suggests that as the head of the Service, he should go ahead to do it without the Board.
What it means if we go by it is that, the Chief Executive Officer could go ahead without involving the Board. This is because, if you look at the original rendition, it wanted both the Board and the Chief Executive to play a role, but with the amendment proposed, even if we go by the suggestion of the Hon Majority Leader that since the Chief Executive Officer is the head of the Service, it means this cannot be done behind the Chief Executive Officer, it means that it could be done behind the Board.
Looking at the original rendition in the Bill, it envisages that this decision should be together with the Board.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
Let us resolve this and move on. I do not think if we intend that the Board would have a role to play, there is nothing wrong with adding the Board.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, we are not talking about employment. That really would require the intervention of the Board. But this is just canvassing for
blood donors. I am not too sure that this is a function of the Board which necessarily must involve the Board. It is the Service.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
The outsourcing to a non-profit making organisation, the education and recruitment of blood donors.
That is (a). That was the original clause 29.
Alhaji Muntaka 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the outsourcing could end up being one of the biggest programmes that the National Blood Service would have. This is because here, we are talking about the outsourcing of both the non-profit and possibly the profit making institutions.
The (b) is talking about authorising an institution. So this institution is not limited to only non-profit making ones. When we look at how others have done it in other jurisdictions, it is a big thing that the Board needs to do. This is because we can go and encumber the resources of the organisation, the personnel of the organisation -- a lot of other things of the organisation because we are doing this agreement in outsourcing and we cannot leave
the Board. So I do not see what adding the Board would take away.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, can we further amend the subsection (2) to read:
“Despite subsection (1), the Service may, with the approval of the Board …”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 29 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, add the following new clause after Clause 29:
“Collaboration with other institutions.
The Service shall collaborate with other institutions in the performance of functions under this Act.”
Mr Iddrisu 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I support the amendment but the word “other”. Would he not want to substitute it with “relevant institution” not “other institutions”. So it reads:
“The Service shall collaborate with relevant institutions in the performance of its functions under this Act.”
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the new rendition would read:
“The Service shall collaborate with other relevant institutions in the performance of functions under this Act.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
New clause as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 30 -- Offences and penalties
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, subclause (1), paragraph (b), line 2, at the end, add “without authorisation from the Service”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Alhaji Muntaka 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with the clause 30(b) that the Hon Chairman just amended, where he talks about manufacturers or producers of blood products for transfusion purposes and he said, “without authorisation from the Service”; he knows that they get licence from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to produce them.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the blood products here refers to the various components of blood, which is fresh frozen plasma, humacell, which are all just like blood but not whole blood. But since we are establishing
- 3:15 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:15 p.m.
Hon Member, let us look at the definition of blood products. It means “any therapeutic product derived from human blood or plasma”. So is it different from what is manufactured and licensed by the FDA?
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, until the passage of this Act, we are now going to have an established Blood Service and we think that they should have the power to supervise anything related to blood. This is because they would have the expertise and everything. So this law
would be a newer law than the FDA, they would now take charge.
Mr Agbodza 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, currently, we do not have this law in operation. We are making a law to harmonise how blood products are produced and distributed in this country safely. Even if there is an existing law or provision which makes FDA to play a role in terms of certification, this law should be the new law superseding it. Then we need to look at what to do with it. This is because it would be wrong for us to spend time to do this and yet there is another entity somewhere that can actually authorise and or give something else about blood, then this law would not be tight enough. So maybe we need to consider whether what the Hon Chief Whip is saying -
We need to ask those organisations who are doing what he is saying now to come under this. But I agree that that should be spelt out in this law. It should be this law that allows a manufacturer to produce and distribute blood products. I, 100 per cent, agree with the Hon Chairman.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was just looking at the construct of clause 30(1) (a). It says:
“A person who collects blood or blood products or holds out
to collect blood or blood product from a member of the public for transfusion without authorisation from the Service
…”
Mr Speaker, I do not want to believe that the Hon Minority Chief Whip is saying that we need to delete “without authorisation from the Service” in (1) (a). This is because (1) (b) is consequential to (1) (a). So if it is yes, then we are agreeing that that qualifier should be there. Other than that, we have to go to (1) (a) and delete “without authorisation from the Service” and that is not what we intend.
Alhaji Muntaka 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, (1) (a) in my view, is different from (1) (b). This is because (1) (b) is talking about manufacturing of producing, which is different from handling the products.

Mr Speaker, if we are not careful, Pharmacy Council would say that let them see us for approval of medication, and then Allied Health would also say they handle syringes and others, they would want to handle them. That is why we have Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA). The FDA's mandate is to make sure that all foods and drugs -- and they have the
Mr Iddrisu 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, I disagree with the Hon Minority Chief Whip. I would read clause 30 as a whole.
“Offences and penalties
(1) A person who
(a) Collects blood or blood products…without authorisation from the Service commits an offence.”
So, what the Hon Chairman seeks to do in clause 30 (1) (b) is:
“A person who manufactures or produces blood products from transfusion purposes, without authorisation from the Service commits an offence”.
So, in my view, it is elegant and good enough to fly. We have to read it together -- [Interruption] -- We are legislating from offences and penalties. We are saying that should somebody manufacture, produce or transfuse blood, the person should have authorisation from the Service. That is all the Hon Chairman seeks to do -- [Interruption] -- When it comes to clause 30 (2), Hon Member, your concern is addressed. “….does not apply to blood products” -- [Interruption] -- I am not convinced by your argument -- [Interruption]
Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we cannot manufacture and produce blood products for
transfusion. If there is going to be transfusion, even if there is approval from the FDA, there must be approval for transfusion -- [Interruption] -- because if such products are sold and they are transfused, it would be an offence. But FDA can license anybody to produce drugs and drug products that would be taken orally, but transfusion cannot be done; it must be with authorisation.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:25 p.m.
Very well, we would proceed with the amendment.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 30, subclause (2), line 1, delete “blood” and insert “plasma derived medicinal” and in line 2, delete “Foods” and insert “Food”.
Mr Speaker, the new rendition would be 3:25 p.m.
“Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) does not apply to plasma derived medicinal products approved for sale by the Food and Drugs Authority.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 30, subclause (3), opening phrase, lines 1 and 2, delete “medical practitioner who” and insert “health professional who collects or provides”.
Mr Speaker, the new rendition would be 3:25 p.m.
“Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (1) does not apply to a health professional who collects or provides…”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 30, subclause (3), paragraph (a), line 1, delete “collects” and in line 3, delete “medical practitioner” and insert “health professional”.
Mr Agbodza 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Chairman has deleted “medical practitioner” meanwhile, he has described a “medical practitioner” but he has not described who a “health professional” is in the interpretation. Does he intend to do that?
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is an amendment to define who
Mr Anyimadu-Antwi 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to draw the Hon Chairman's attention to subclause (3), paragraph (a). The last amendment was to delete “collect”. But if we read the entire sentence:
“…do not apply to a medical practitioner who blood for transfusion for a patient…”
I think something is omitted. If we do away with “collect”, then there is something wrong with it.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the earlier amendment that was done in item numbered (xi), we said: insert “health professional who collects or provides…”
So, if we do not take way “collect” from subclause (3) (a), it would be a repetition.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, clause 30, subclause (3), paragraph (b), line 1, delete “collects”.
Mr Speaker, it is consequential.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 30 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 31 - Regulations.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, add the following new paragraph: “(#) provide for the safe transportation of blood and blood products.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, paragraph (c), line 2, after both occurrences of “banks”, insert “and blood banks”.
Mr Speaker, the new rendition would read 3:35 p.m.
“…Hospital blood banks and blood banks…” We have defined hospital blood bank and blood bank. Therefore, we are referring to both “hospital blood bank and blood bank.” [Interruptions] -- We did not. The Hon Majority Leader wanted to amend it, but we kept it. This is because blood bank has also been defined in the interpretation.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
So, “blood banks” here is a term of art.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, paragraph (e), line 1, after “effective”, insert “and efficient”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 31 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 32 -- Interpretation.
Mr Iddrisu 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would beg for your leave and indulgence to make this proposal. The Hon K. T. Hammond engaged me on some national issues at your back. On clause 31, even though you have put the Question on it, just to strengthen it, I would propose that we put it this way:
“The Minister may on the recommendations of the Board by a legislative instrument make regulations to;
(b) prescribe “acceptable medical standards” for the transfusion of blood.”
Mr Speaker, I just wanted the phrase “acceptable medical
standards” there because we cannot leave it as open as it is. If we put it this way, then we have imposed a burden on them. So, it should not be just any standard for transfusion of blood, but the one that is medically acceptable.
Dr Prempeh 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to draw the House's attention to the fact that we have only one standards organisation in the country, which is the Standards Authority. They control every standard, including even the medical standards. In fact, the Food and Drugs Authority got their regulatory powers out of the Standards Authority. In every country, there is only one Standards Authority, and they prescribe standards for everything all over the world.
Mr Speaker, when we form a regulator like the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), then we take the standards of that which is applicable to one's country because there might be two or three different standards. So, even though I agree with the proposal to include the phrase “acceptable medical standards” to subclause (b), we would have to take note that the blood transfusion service itself should not start getting their own standards.
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the standards here are administrative standards. The standards at the Food and Drugs Board are quality standards - nationally acceptable quality standards. So, these are two different things. I agree with the Hon Minority Leader's amendment for us to include the phrase “acceptable medical standards”. This is because if we just put it as “standards,” what standards? That is where the question comes in.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
Yes, Hon Chairman of the Committee?
Mr Iddrisu 3:35 p.m.
No, Mr Speaker, I would stand it down.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
Hon Members, I would put the Question again on clause 31.
Clause 31 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 32 -- Interpretation.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, interpretation of “medical practitioner”, delete.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, interpretation of “voluntary non-remunerated blood donor”, line 1, delete “non- remunerated” and insert “unpaid”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, add the following new definition: “blood bank' means a facility equipped to store and distribute blood.”
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, add the following new definition: “health professional' means a person who is registered under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857).”
Mr Iddrisu 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would support it, but ideally, one would have wished to refer to Act 857 and see what the definition of “health professional” is. This cannot be possible because of the speed with which you are working, so, even as
you put the Question, you could direct the draftspersons to pay respect to the phrase “health professional” as defined in this, just for emphasis. We cannot make cross-referencing because of the speed with which you are working, so, it should be “health professional” as defined in it. If the Table Office could help me, that would be appreciated?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
The definition provided here implies a person who is registered under the Health Professions Regulatory Body. So, it does not provide the definition. Once a person is registered here, he qualifies as a health professional.
Dr Prempeh 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, they have provided some definitions that are very inadequate. The two definitions that I would want to draw your mind to, are the “hospital blood bank” definition, and the “blood bank” definition that we have given.
Mr Speaker, if we read the definition on the hospital blood bank, it means a facility with hospital related activities, which is equipped and staffed to store and dispense blood and blood products, and perform other clinical transfusion related functions.

What are they? So, if you say we should leave it but I find it very but I would leave it for now. I am drawing your attention that maybe, before we get to the Third Reading, confer with other authorities and see if we cannot improve it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:45 a.m.
Let me finish with the “health professional” then, I would pay attention to it.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:45 a.m.
Now, Hon Chairman, they are raising issue with your interpretation of “blood bank”.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we were guided by the professionals so; just like the Hon Minister for Education indicated it, if maybe, we can have a chance to confer; the Chief Executive Officer of the Blood of the Blood Service as it exists is around so; we can confer.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is important because if we look at the definition of “hospital blood bank”, it means a facility with hospital related activities. Of course, that relates to roles the hospital is
Mr Agbodza 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, just before the Hon Chairman proposes anything, in modern day, we just say haematology department. It is only in Ghana that we say “blood bank” because it is about haematology and it is about blood and if we see the definition of haematologist service and compare that with blood centre and other things, it is all about blood. It is
just that one is in the hospital situation. I think the professionals should help us harmonise these three definitions. I think it is all over the place.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:45 a.m.
Hon Chairman, what did you bring back from the consultation?
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in the amendment proposed, just like the Hon Majority Leader indicated, we wanted to move:
“Blood bank” means a facility equipped and staffed to store and distribute blood and blood products”.
Question put and amendment agreed to.
Clause 32 as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 33 -- Transitional provisions.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:45 a.m.
There is no advertised amendment to clause 33.
Mr Iddrisu 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is just one; the assets and liabilities, why the word, “accrued”? It is “assets and liabilities in relation to property; we do not need the word, “accrued” there, that is my strong view. And
two, the word “staff”, do we have “staff”? why are we protecting only assets and liabilities? Are there any staff that we need to? [Interruption] - Mr Speaker, I am satisfied, I was misled by the emptiness of the page but the word, “accrued”, I have difficulty with it being included. Let us delete it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:45 a.m.
In which clause or subclause?
Mr Agbodza 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, can the Hon Chairman show me where the definition “Immuno-haematology service” was used in the Bill? He is defining the word, “Immuno- haematology service, where did he use it in the Bill?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:45 a.m.
Haematology service, Immuno- haematological service - [Pause] - Very well, I would go to the Long Title while you look for that, if you cannot find it, then, we decide whether we want to keep it there.
Long Title ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:45 a.m.
Hon Chairman, did you find where in the Bill you used “Immuno-haematology service”? If you cannot find it, let us
just drop it from the Interpretation section.
Alhaji I. A. B. Fuseini 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is actually used in the definition of “blood centre” in the Interpretation section. It says:
“…means a facility equipped and staffed for the collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products and other Immuno- haematological services”.
That is where it has been used.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it was used to define “blood centre”. And since it is a term, we wanted to also define that so that it does not create any ambiguity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
I do not think that it is part of the Bill, so you do not need to interpret it.
Dr Prempeh 3:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in the interpretation part of the Bill, the second item interpreted reads,
“'blood centre” means a facility equipped and staffed for the collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products and other
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
You are interpreting your interpretation.
Dr Prempeh 3:55 a.m.
Yes Mr Speaker, because they have introduced a phrase that does not occur anywhere else. [Interruption] That is what the Hon Member is saying he did.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
Very well. I will leave it with you and your draftspersons. If you decide that it should stay, keep it there.
Dr Twum-Nuamah 3:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we accept your guidance accordingly.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
Very well.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in the transitional provisions, there is a standard construct. I see one missing here which says that moneys that may be lodged in some bank account, so the draftspersons should look at that because it is a standard construction. If it is possible, it should be included.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
Very well. I direct the draftspersons to
redraft the transitional provision to reflect the standard provision adopted by the House.
That brings us to the end of the consideration of the National Blood Service Bill, 2020.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, could we go to the Order Paper Addendum and present the Papers?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
They are all presentation of Papers? Very well.
Order Paper Addendum, presentation of Papers, first by the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance.
PAPERS 3:55 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
Item numbered 1 (b), by the Minister for Roads and Highways.
By the Minister for Roads and Highways --
(i) Supplementary Agreement No. 2 to the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Agreements between the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Roads and Highways) and Synohydro Corporation Limited in respect of the following road Projects constituting phase 1 Projects under the Master Project Support Agreements (MPSA): (i) Accra Inner-City Roads (ii) Kumasi Inner-City Roads (iii) Tamale Interchange Project (iv) PTC Roundabout Interchange Project, Takoradi (v) Adenta-Dodowa Dual Carriageway (vi) Sunyani Inner-City Roads (vii) Western Region and Cape Coast Inner-City Roads (viii) Upgrading of Selected Feeder Roads in Ashanti and the Western Regions (ix) Rehabilitation of Akim Oda to Ofoase Road (x) Hohoe - Jasikan - Dodi-Pepesu.
Referred to the Committee on Roads and Transport.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the next is item numbered 2. The Hon Deputy Minister for
Finance would do so on behalf of the Hon Minister.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
Very well. Item numbered 2 (a), Securities Industry (Amendment) Bill, 2020, by the Deputy Minister for Finance.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 3:55 a.m.
Item numbered 2 (b), by the Hon Minister for Education.
Minister for Education (Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh) 3:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, before I do that, I crave your indulgence to come under Standing Order 132 to withdraw the University for Film and Journalism and Languages Bill, laid on the 6th of October, 2020, before I proceed.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:05 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Minority Leader, the Hon Minister for Education, wants leave to withdraw an earlier Bill, do you have any comments?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:05 p.m.
Hon Minister, you may proceed with the laying of the new one.
BILLS -- FIRST READING 4:05 p.m.
Mr Agbodza 4:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance, just laid a couple of agreements that look like things we have done before. At least, it would be helpful if he should tell us -- because all the loans with regard to roads have been dealt with at the Committees on Finance and Road and Transport and they have been approved. So, he could give us a background as to how they have been laid again.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 4:05 p.m.
Hon Member, look at your Standing Orders. This is “Presentation of Papers''. They could go to the Committee and get all the information they want.
That brings us to the end of the proceedings for today.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to remind us that the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
would begin in earnest at 5.00 p.m. prompt, so Hon Members and staff are required to be seated at 4.30 p.m.
Mr Iddrisu 4:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the Parliamentary Service would support the Rt Hon Speaker, for the thanksgiving and I hope that we would not add new Businesses to what the Hon Majority Leader presented and was approved. We need to go back to our constituencies for the Christmas and get some rest. Apart from rest, he is in arrears because he has not dealt with the welfare issues of Hon Members.
ADJOURNMENT 4:05 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 4.10 p.m. till Monday, 21st December, 2020 at 10.00 a.m. in the forenoon.