Debates of 3 Jun 2021

MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 12:17 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 3 - Correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report.
Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 2nd June
2021.
Page 1…7 --
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Ms Alhassan 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, items numbered 11 and 18 on page 7 were corrected yesterday but the Hon
Members have still been marked absent. Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh and Mrs Ophelia Mensah Hayford, are in South Africa for the Pan African Parliament.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Table Office, please, take note.
Page 8…20
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 2nd June 2021, as corrected is adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, item numbered 4 -- Statements.
The first Statement which is on the “Green Ghana Project by Government'', stands in the name of the Hon Member for Tamale North, Mr Alhassan Suhuyini Sayibu.
Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Tamale North is at the Appointments Committee.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Very well.
Is the Hon Member for Bole Bamboi in the House?
Mr Akandoh 12:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he is also not in the House.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Is the Hon Member for Tempane, Ms Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba in the House?
Ms Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba 12:17 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:17 p.m.
Hon Member, you can make your Statement.
STATEMENTS 12:27 p.m.
Ms Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba (NDC -- Tempane) 12:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to make this Statement.
Mr Speaker, Parks and Gardens, which is now a Department under the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development was established by President Kwame Nkrumah in 1961. It was a Ministry under Cabinet Minister, Mr E. N. Ocansey and was responsible for the development of the nation's landscape and the preservation and beautification of the environment. Unfortunately, over the years, portions of Parks and Gardens lands have been appropriated for concrete structures.
Mr Speaker, the Department's functions include, promoting landscape beautification; acquiring lands to establish public parks and promote ecotourism to generate revenue for Assemblies and jobs for the youth; pursuing actions to combat the effects of global warming by promoting a national tree planting campaign involving all stakeholders; collaborating with the Botany Department of the University of Ghana and other stakeholders to document the country's flora, to develop and maintain a national information facility for sharing digital biodiversity data; initiating programmes to identify threatened economic and ornamental plants for multiplication and conservation.
In addition, the department will promote public education on their conservation and importance of plants for human survival; conservation of threatened plants and restoration of plants diversity as well as communicating its importance under the global strategy for plants conservation programmes.
Mr Speaker, COVID-19 has taught us the importance of green spaces for our health and well-being and we need to protect the few open spaces that remain in our sprawling cities. Global warming is a reality and we can fight it by planting trees that
Mr Speaker, the Ghanaian public respectfully ask 12:27 p.m.
(1) for assurances that Parks and Gardens land will be used for horticultural, botanical and other environmental purposes only, that no part of the land will be appropriated for concrete buildings, and that the Department will be supported to fulfil the role for which it was set up; (2) that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Lands Commission will be directed to publish a list of areas designated as public parks and open spaces in Accra, so that the citizenry is aware of the landscape of the commons, and open spaces are not appropriated to expand the growing concrete jungle.
Mr Speaker, I will like to conclude by calling on Ghanaians including all Hon Members of Parliament and the Hon Speaker to safeguard our
environment and to engage in environmentally friendly activities.
We should also develop the habit of visiting parks and gardens, to refresh our minds and we would appreciate the beauty of Parks and Gardens.
Let us all join hands with Eco- conscious citizens and other environmentally friendly groups for us to protect our green space.
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:27 p.m.
I thank you, Hon Member.
Yes, Hon Member?
Ms Agnes Naa Momo Lartey (NDC -- Krowor) 12:27 p.m.
I thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by my Hon Colleague.
Mr Speaker, when one looks at the frontage of the Flagstaff House, it tells one the great potential of Parks and Gardens. It is a department that when well resourced would be able to perform its functions to meet the beautification of the capital cities. I believe that the decentralisation of the Department of Parks and Gardens
Ms Agnes Naa Momo Lartey (NDC -- Krowor) 12:37 p.m.
should go a long way to support in greening the cities, thus, supporting the Green Ghana Project.
Mr Speaker, as we speak, the department is under-resourced. In terms of logistics, they have barely the basic tools to work to ensure that their areas of operation, in terms of decentralised departments are really brimmed and beautified.
Mr Speaker, aside the resources they lack, I also believe that leadership of the department needs to actually be creative in raising or mobilising funds to work. Individuals are making use of private garden companies. I believe that when Parks and Gardens is really resourced, they would be able to go into resource mobilisation to support their department.
Mr Speaker, currently as we speak, the Green Ghana Project is around and we are to be supporting it.
If Parks and Gardens were up and doing, I am sure that we would be able to channel the trees that have to be planted to the various districts and then Hon Members of Parliament would be able to support the project.

Not quite long ago, the Hon Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo raised the issue of trees that were very old in the median being cut down to make way for kiosks in the middle of the road. I believe that if these areas are beautified properly people would see some beauty and cleanliness of the city. It took the Hon Member to draw the attention of the Hon Regional Minister, who also ensured that these kiosks were removed.

Unfortunately, the trees that were lost cannot be replaced, and if even replaced, it would take so many years to grow. I believe that the people who perpetrated these acts must be brought to book and also be made to plant trees, see to its growth and make sure that the place is beautified, as part of the punitive measures. It is not just enough to remove the kiosks because it would only make way for other things to be brought there if the place is left bare. Mr Speaker, I plead with the House to also add our voice for the Department of Parks and Gardens to be resourced to ensure that they perform their functions especially at the district level. We all have to give them our support for them to beautify our constituencies.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
Hon Member for Anyaa Sowutuom?
Mr Dickson A. Kissi (NPP -- Anyaa Sowutuom) 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make a few comments on the Statement on the Floor.
I am of the opinion that Dr Kwame Nkrumah did a wonderful thing for us and I am hoping that this can be replicated in all municipalities of the country so that I would not have to travel from Bole Bamboi to Accra to enjoy the beauty and benefits of a park and garden in Accra. So, I will use this opportunity to plead that one way or the other, as we plan for our nation, we have to put in consideration the possibility of developing something in a smaller scale; a miniature Accra Parks and Gardens in all the various municipals or constituencies in this country.
Mr Speaker, this is my brief contribution to the Statement.
Thank you very much.
Mr Murtala M. Ibrahim (NDC -- Tamale Central) 12:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by my Hon Sister.
Mr Speaker, I think this is a wakeup call for both policy-makers including ourselves as Hon Members of Parliament to encourage the State to invest in the Department of Parks and Gardens. There is no denying the fact that all of us seated here would have experienced the importance of parks and gardens growing up.
At least, several of my Hon Colleagues here are older than me, but as young and as old as I am, I experienced the importance of parks and gardens when I was growing up in Tamale. I remember we had the Tamale Library situated at the same place and as children it was an opportunity for us to go and play there. We did not just play because it was also an opportunity for us to bond with people who necessarily did not come from our homes. I think that if we encouraged and urged the State to invest and provide this, it would take away some of the unfortunate incidents that some young people are engaged in because they do not have job opportunities, but at least there would be a place for them to go and bond with their colleagues.
Mr Speaker, the importance of parks and gardens is also to provide a clean air, particularly for the cities.
Dr Clement A. Apaak (NDC -- Builsa South) 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to a very worthwhile Statement.
Mr Speaker, we all know the value of parks and I believe that it is the singular reason that informed the first President of the Republic to have brought the parks and gardens into being as many of us have come to know. Indeed, those of us who are approaching 50 years old have been beneficiaries of very beautiful parks in different parts of the country. Unfortunately, as we speak today, we cannot say same for the current generation, but we all know the reason why the Department of Parks and Gardens has not been able to fulfil its mandate.

The reason is simple and it is as a result of inadequate funding and indeed, if we are serious about providing parks which we all know

are important, just not in terms of beautification purposes, but also augmenting our natural and physical environment, and even the impact of parks on the climatic system - the fauna and the flora. We ought to look at addressing the inadequate funding provided for the Department of Parks and Gardens.

Mr Speaker, as a society and as a population, we continue to grow in numbers and if we expand, many newer settlements are being established. I would want to urge the House that we look at making it mandatory for parks to be established in new settlements and communities as an effort, not only to keep the Department alive, but reinstate its relevance to our collective benefits. Those of us who have had the chance to live in other parts of the world know that parks are integral parts of communities across the world in those countries that we have visited. So, let this Statement not be a nine-day wonder; let us give it effect.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Rockson-Nelson Kwame Etse Dafeamekpor (NDC -- South Dayi) 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to add myself in support of the Statement on the Floor.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:47 p.m.
Hon Leader, hold on. I will give you the opportunity to contribute to the next Statement.
Let me revisit the first Statement on Green Ghana, and it is connected to the first Statement made by the Hon Lady.
Hon Member for Tamale North, Hon Suhuyini Sayibu, would read a Statement on Green Ghana Project by the Government of Ghana on 11th June, 2021.
Hon Member, you may take the Floor.
12. 57 p.m.
The Green Ghana Project by the Government of Ghana on
June 11, 2021
Mr Alhassan Suhuyini Sayibu (NDC -- Tamale North) 12:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the forestry sector in 1990, just a couple of decades ago accounted for 4.2 per cent of national GDP and Timber was the country's third largest foreign exchange earner. Timber and wood products earnings totalled US$140 million in 1993 and US$212 million by November 1994. Mr Speaker these were not attained by accident. It was the result of a deliberate policy from about 1983 to invest more than US$120 million to reform and grow the sector. For example, in 1986 the sector had a US$24 million timber rehabilitation credit, which financed forestry management and research as well as imports of logging equipment.
It supported reforms such as the replacement of the Ghana Timber Marketing Board with the Timber Export Development Board, responsible for marketing and pricing, and the Forest Products Inspection Bureau; responsible for monitoring contracts, maintaining quality standards, grading products, and acting as a watchdog for illegal
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
Hon Members, there is another similar Statement which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Bole/Bamboi, Hon Yusif Sulemana on the Alarming Loss of Ghana's Forest Cover and its Impact on our Sustenance.
I will invite him to take the Statement and afterwards, we will take the comments or contributions together.

Hon Member for Bole Bamboi, you may make your Statement.

The Alarming loss of Ghana's Forest Cover and its Impact on

our Sustenance
Mr Yusif Sulemana (NDC -- Bole Bamboi) 1:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I sincerely thank you for another opportunity offered me to make a Statement.
This Statement is motivated by a recent invitation of the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in
Mr Yusif Sulemana (NDC -- Bole Bamboi) 1:17 p.m.
2002, amendments to the Timber Resources Management Act, et cetera. Most of the reforms have been in place through the 1990s and early 2000s when deforestation was relatively slow. What has changed is the replacement of the 1994 Forestry and Wildlife Policy and its accompanying masterplan with the 2012 policy and its masterplan.
Mr Speaker, my first recommendation is that Government should conduct a comparative review of the two policies. This is to allow her ascertain the differences and probable lacuna in this current policy that has prevented it from restraining the escalating deforestation.

The second recommendation is the formation of an inter-ministerial committee to reconcile and rationalise polices on environmental conserva- tion is the second recommendation. Thirdly, the formation of proper and efficient inter-institutional relations to facilitate work of the Forestry Commission. This could take the form of partnership between the Commission, Local Assemblies, traditional authorities and the media. Fourthly, the expansion of the current LPG Programme which involves

distributing LPG cylinders and stoves to households. These programmes would curtail dependency on charcoal and firewood burning. The fifth one is the promulgation of clearly defined policies and customary land terms and enforcing policies on land use planning and allocation of concessions.

Mr Speaker, it must be emphasised that Statements on deforestation and the environment are not new to this House just as we have seen even this morning. But it is worth it and the data presented above shows clearly that we are headed towards trouble if nothing is done. Mr Speaker, therefore, I pray that you would use your good offices to direct the appropriate agencies to act appropriately in this respect. In that regard, the above recommendations would be very helpful.

Mr Speaker, once again, I thank you for admitting this Statement at this crucial moment. God bless you.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
Hon Member for Klottey Korle?
Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings (NDC -- Klottey Korle) 1:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement.
Mr Speaker, I would start with the Statement on the Department of
Parks and Gardens. If one pays a visit to the Parks and Gardens, one would feel so sad. That place should actually epitomise what the Department of Parks and Gardens is capable of and as previously mentioned by another Hon Colleague, they are so under- resourced.
Mr Speaker, as part of the mandate of the Department, they are meant to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Roads and Highways whenever roads are being constructed. We have had several new roads that have been constructed in the urban and rural settings yet no trees have been planted alongside. We do not see the maintenance of the shrubs being done properly because as previously mentioned, the Department is terribly under- resourced.
Mr Speaker, as we go towards the drive of children owning trees and everyone being expected to plant trees, there is a body that is mandated to do this and it should be resourced to ensure that the maintenance of these trees is guaranteed; if we plant a tree and we do not look after it, it will die before it reaches maturation. So, even as we have this conversation, we should look at how we can really enable this Department to perform its functions. With regard to the issue of
forests, permit me to say that I am the Hon Member of Parliament for the Klottey Korle Constituency and it is a coastal constituency. When people refer to forests, they normally think about the forests in the hinterlands, but there are mangrove forests as well. The mangroves are the ones that exist on the coastlines and the estuaries and these are plants that grow in salty conditions. They form one per cent of the world's flora but according to a UN study, 25 per cent of mangroves have already been destroyed.
Mr Speaker, as we look at the drive regarding how to preserve our coastline and prevent erosion along our water bodies, the issue of what kind of plants are being planted in the various areas in the urban and rural settings, mangroves should not be left out in the equation. They provide the kind of biodiversity that supplies the food chain for terrestrial and aquatic life. As a result, in looking at the kind of plants with regard to the greening project, mangroves should be included as part of how to preserve our coastline especially for the coastal constituencies.
Mr Speaker, it is not just about coconuts but mangroves as well because they exist as a forest, and like the traditional forests that we know of, mangroves also help in carbon emission and are very effective in
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
Thank you.
Hon Member for Bia West.
Dr Augustine Tawiah (NDC -- Bia West) 1:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
It appears that we have really been schooled this morning about the environment, issues regarding parks and gardens, ecosystem, tree cover and the eminent afforestation that is required for us to have an earth that belongs to us. Mr Speaker, in the days that I attended secondary school, I was a pure arts student who studied History, Literature and Religion, but St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School required every student to study biology and there are all kinds of areas in biology.

The last topic was ecology and I learned about the ecosystem where the symbiotic relationship between

humans, plants and waterbodies are all converged into a holistic picture of us living well as a result of our interdependence on each other.

Interestingly, I also come from a tropical rainforest area in the Western North Region, and I am surrounded by the Juaboso Forest, the Adabokrom Forest and the Asumura Forest, but inside my own district and constituency, is the Bia National Forest which is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated forest and we have elephants, chimpanzees and some rare animals there. Besides, we have trees that are over 100 years and significantly rare species that can be found in our country.

Unfortunately, the activities of humans now continue to destroy the efforts as outlined broadly, but I speak as somebody who experiences these things in my own context. Logging, while we need the wood for our buildings and so forth, in the Bia District, is destroying the forest. We have people who have made roads into the forests, they have tricycles which take the logs and send them to Mali, Burkina Faso and other places.

Again, we also have farming activities inside the protected forest.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP -- Abuakwa South) 1:27 p.m.
Thank, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the cocktail of Statements which converge on the same point - environmental sanity.
Mr Speaker, I am particularly elated that the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, at the behest of the President, has launched a very audacious policy and action that on 11th June, 2021, the whole nation should plant a minimum of five million trees. Mr Speaker, it seems to me that this foresight would go a long way to make up for the loss and for the depletion of our forest reserves and the rest of them because of neglect in the first instance and also, illegal mining activities.
Mr Speaker, as Hon Suhuyini Sayibu rightly stated, it is one thing to plant and another to nurture so that in the fullness of time, we would have a very solid and good forest cover which have a lot of implications for Ghana.
If we pay regard to the depletion of the ozone layer, it has got to do with how we receive rays of the sun, without any interference from forest cover which can even have very corrosive effects on our health. So, when we plant, what it means is that, the direct rays of the sun and oxygen flow and all the other factors would come to inure to the benefit of mankind.
I am also excited that the culture of planting trees is also being inculcated in our children and in this activity to be held on 11th June, 2021, children would be involved in the planting of trees across the length and breadth of the country.
Let us question the Forestry Commission. Are there any lapses and professional challenges that they go through which results in the decrease in our forest cover? We should look at the law that gives them their existence and if there are any lapses, let us amend it so that it becomes a policy which they can bring alongside budgets for our
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP -- Abuakwa South) 1:37 p.m.
consideration and if we scrutinise that, how much of your money would increase the forest cover of this great country of ours. It is very important that we look at this.
Mr Speaker, I was a bit excited about the competition between profit and environmental sanity. Mr Speaker, with your kind permission, I would like to quote the Hon Suhuyini Sayibu who tried to roll the numbers because I am of the view that if we have such a profit motive in felling timber without replacing them, the tendency is that, money would be your sole motivation at the expense of the environment.

This is what he said:

Mr Speaker, the forestry sector in 1990, just a couple of decades ago accounted for 4.2 per cent of national GDP and timber was the country's third largest foreign exchange earner. Timber and wood products earnings totalled US$140 million in 1993 and US$202 million by November, 1994.

Well, that is money, but do we not have a policy that if we want to fall one timber, we have an obligation to

plant at least a minimum of three? If we have such a programme and it has been policed properly by the authorities, then, this issue would not arise.

Mr Speaker, let me say a few things about the Department of Parks and Gardens and I would resume my seat. Even we have some parks and gardens at the University of Ghana, Legon where people who believe in the powers recline. And they used to go under the cover of the greenery and with descent concrete seating arrangements. Now, we do see these things being part and parcel of our lives. Where is the best place to go and do some good reading? Is it only in the library?

So, the Department of Parks and Gardens which was part of the programmes of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah has seen an embarrassingly low decline, and we should revamp parks and gardens for one simple reason that it could be an immense recreational centre for those who want to relax from the humdrum, hustle and bustle of city life.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:37 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Sawla/Tuna/ Kalba, Hon Andrew Dari Chiwitey.
Mr Andrew Dari Chiwitey (NDC -- Sawla/Tuna/Kalba) 1:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to comment on this wonderful and well-researched Statement made by Hon Alhaji Suhuyini, and of course, Hon Alhaji Sulemena.
Mr Speaker, all that they mentioned in their Statements are facts, and as a country, we would have to take a cue from the Statements and henceforth, move forward positively. It is on record that in Ghana, we have about 9.6 million hectares of forest cover, which is about 4.2 per cent of our land area. However, over the last one hundred years, the depletion of the forest is on a very fast rate. It is on record that in only 2018, Ghana lost about 60 per cent of our forest area. This is in a very alarming rate.
Mr Speaker, Ghana is among the countries that are losing their forest zones in a very fast rate. We have a country like Nigeria, which is on a very high situation; we have the Philippines, we have Ghana and Indonesia and Nepal going down. The good thing is that all is not lost. All is not lost because there has been an initiative to plant about five million trees. We only have to take this as an advantage to ensure that we improve on what we have.
Mr Speaker, there are countries with very good records that we could learn from. Reports from the Washington Post indicates that Russia is the world leader of trees with about 642 billion trees. Russia is followed by Canada with 318 billion trees. The third country is Brazil which has about 302 billion trees and the fourth is the United States of America with 228 billion trees. This was reported on the 18th of May, 2020. These are good records that as a country, we should learn from.
Mr Speaker, Hon Suhuyini indicated that when the last tree dies, the last man dies. Should we watch on for our forest to be depleted? Should we sit down and watch the last tree to die? Even by then, we would not be alive because as the trees continue to die, we would also be dying one by one.
Mr Speaker, so, as a House that makes laws, may we ensure that all the laws that we make, concerning or protecting our environment, we ensure that those laws are implemented to the letter?
Mr Speaker, we have a lot of people that burn the forest and go scot-free 1:37 p.m.
people go into the forest, fell trees and the story one would read about them -- and I do not know the
Mr Amidu Issahaku Chinnia (NPP -- Sissala East) 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity. And I would like to associate myself with the Statement ably made by the Hon Member of Parliament for Tamale North and the Hon Member of Parliament for Bole- Bamboi.
Mr Speaker, forests and forest products are very critical in sustaining human lives. But the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves, I would say is due to our attitude. And in various spheres of our lives, citizens think they have rights to the exploitation of natural resources but what they forget to know is the responsibility that comes with the exercise of the right. Mr Speaker, we cannot as a country, say that citizens should not exploit natural resources for their existence but in doing so, they must exercise their right to utilising these natural resources responsibly so that we can conserve and protect our forests for generations unborn.
Mr Speaker, forest degradation has so many consequences. The more the forests that we destroy the more we can be sure that wild life would equally be destroyed. I recall that as a very young man, there were some common animals that we used to find around our homes in villages. Today, when one goes around, they do not
find them because of degradation of our forest.

And I am sure if nothing is done, very soon, we would have to import ordinary animals that could be found in the environment such as rabbits, grasscutters, et cetera into the country ; as we continue to deplete the environment we continue to lose these animals in our forests.

Mr Speaker, Ghana, as a country is much dependent on agriculture. The economy is driven by agriculture. Majority of the citizenry are in the agriculture value chain and our agriculture is also rainfall dependant. Most of the farming activities that are carried out depend on natural rainfall. We also know that there is a direct relationship between forest cover and the amount of rainfall that is experienced on yearly basis. If we are to ensure that our farmers continue to get the natural rainfall so that they could continue their farming activities in order to survive economically, then we have a duty to protect the environment so that we could continue to experience rainfall for farmers to farm and survive economically.

Mr Speaker, as a country, we must take proactive steps to reverse the

situation. However, in some of the steps that we have to take, there must be collaboration between the central government and local government authorities. We all know that farming activities, indiscriminate bush burning and irresponsible utilisation of forest resources are major reasons that have led to the situation we find ourselves in. So, the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources cannot at the centre, regulate and ensure that things are done properly at the local level.

Mr Speaker, I want to suggest that the Ministry would have to collaborate with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development so that they could engage the local assemblies who could also collaborate with chiefs, local government and opinion leaders at the local level so that farmers and the local people could adopt appropriate farming methods and stop indiscriminate bush burning so that we could conserve our forests.

Mr Speaker, we must also take proactive steps in value addition to our forest products. If we add value to our forest products, then the tendency of the reduction of the high utilisation of forest products would also be occasioned. Once we add more value to the forest products, we would earn more money and thus reduce the rate at which we destroy the forest.
rose rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Builsa South? Have you spoken this morning?
Dr Apaak 1:47 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, I have spoken this morning but I would plead that you allow the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources designate to speak after me.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Anyway, I have called you, so you could contribute.
Dr Clement Abas Apaak (NDC -- Builsa South) 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Statement and to also congratulate Hon Members who have made various Statements particularly, to do with our forest cover and specifically, greening Ghana.
Mr Speaker, greening Ghana, is a good idea. Planting five million trees on 11th June, 2021, which happens to be the day I was born is a good
idea but would it not be a better idea for us to also focus on the protection of what we already have? This is why I have felt the need to speak again.
Mr Speaker, as I speak, the savannah ecological zone continues to be pillaged by illegal loggers. Those who are familiar with my advocacy to protect the endangered wood species from the 7th Parliament, should be reminded that the pillaging still continues. However, unfortunately, the criminals have now added two other species from the savannah ecological zone. The shea and dawada trees have also been endangered by the same pillages.
Mr Speaker, I fail to understand why trucks could go all the way from the Tema Harbour to places such as Sissala West, Sissala East, Builsa North, Builsa South, Yabakobore and transport tree species that are supposed to be banned and pass through all the police check points to the Tema Harbour and be shipped out of the country without any check. Clearly, this is as a result of official complicity.
Mr Speaker, as we speak today about greening Ghana, I want to use the opportunity to urge the powers that be and all of us to also put in maximum effort to protect what we already
have. We cannot just plant trees because that would not solve the problem. We must first protect what we have and in doing so, the laws must work. Official complicity must stop. Those who benefit from the destruction of our forest and savannah ecological zones, must be ashamed and stop the destruction of our environment.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:47 p.m.
Hon Members, the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources designate would contribute and afterwards leadership could contribute.
Mr Benito Owusu-Bio (NPP -- Atwima-Nwabiagya North) 1:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to thank Hon Members who have made Statements and contributed this morning.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, sent a message that he wished he was present in the House to also contribute. As I speak, he is in a conference in Moscow, Russia, where they are discussing extractive minerals and the way forward to sustainability. He has sent me his contribution through WhatsApp and with your permission, I want to read it out to the House.
Mr Benito Owusu-Bio (NPP -- Atwima-Nwabiagya North) 1:57 p.m.


Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon Member for Tamale North, Mr Alhassan Suhuyini Sayibu and the Hon Member for Bole Bamboi, Mr Yussif Sulemana, for their comprehensive Statements on the forestry sector and for supporting the Green Ghana Initiatives by the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel A. Jinapor, who is also the Hon Member for Damongo Constituency.

Mr Speaker, the Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is making significant contributions to improve the forestry sector in Ghana especially to address most of the challenges mentioned by the Hon Members. The Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and other partners are tackling the major challenges in the forestry sector through the following forest governance strategies; protecting and securing the forest resources, massive landscape restoration, promoting collaborative resource management, and improving benefit serving schemes and flow of forest benefits to the resource owners.

Mr Speaker, in protecting the forest and wildlife resources, the Government has intensified law

enforcement in the forestry sector and is strengthening the legislative and regulatory regime. In 2017, Parliament passed the Timber Resource Management and Legality Licensing Regulation 2017 (L.I. 2254) to regulate timber rights allocation and also regulate sources of timber and other matters. The Ministry is also currently working on the Wildlife Resource Management Bill which seeks to consolidate all wildlife laws and improve the sanction regime to ensure effective wildlife management in Ghana. The Bill would soon be brought to this House for it to be passed.

Mr Speaker, for the first time in several years, the Ministry has currently completed the conversion of over 125 timber leases into Timber Utilisation Contracts (TUCs) as prescribed by law and this would also come to Parliament for ratification.

Mr Speaker, with regards to landscape restoration, the Government has since 2017 embarked on a massive afforestation schemes which builds on past initiatives of previous governments. The Government in 2017 introduced the Youth in Afforestation Scheme which has employed over 45,000 youth and they are underrating the planting and maintenance of many plants across the country and also

engage in fire management in some fire-prone areas.

Mr Speaker, the Government is also promoting private investments in commercial forests plantations and this is very impressive. The Ministry, through the Ghana Forest Investment Programme (GFIP) has secured a loan of US$7 million which was approved by the previous Parliament to support small scale forest plantation development. This is an innovative scheme because our commercial banks would normally not give loans to tree growers due to the long gestation period and the tree growers are also not ready to take loans at high interest rates.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry has also undertaken a transformational policy reform that seeks to motivate farmers to keep trees on their farms without destroying them during land preparation. This is the Tree Tenure and Benefit Sharing Scheme which would soon be rolled out. Similarly, we are promoting climate smart cocoa production by providing free seedlings to cocoa farmers to plant at least 18 trees per hectare of their cocoa farms to increase the tree stock.

Mr Speaker, --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister-designate, hold on.
Hon Members, the time is 2.02 p.m. and I direct that Sitting be extended beyond 2.00 p.m.
Mr Owusu-Bio 1:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Government is also implementing other interventions to address the issues of deforestation and forest degradation. These include the REDD+ Programme, Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI), the Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAS) to promote participatory and collaborative forest management.
Mr Speaker, in accordance with the vision of His Excellency the President, the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Jinapor, has introduced the Green Ghana Project which seeks to plant and nurture five million trees on June 11. The Green Ghana Day as part of a master plan of the Green Ghana Project, seeks to restore the forest cover of Ghana. On Friday, 28th May, 2021, the Hon Minister together with the Hon Minister, for Education and the Ghana Education Service launched the One Student One Tree Initiative at the Accra High School and this seeks to encourage all students across the country to actively participate in the Green Ghana Day
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:57 p.m.
Thank you.
I would now listen to the Leadership but if an Hon Leader would yield to another Hon Member, I would permit that.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make few comments on the three Statements ably made by the three distinguished Hon Colleagues.
Mr Speaker, these Statements are very serious, however, they are read in this House annually. In this regard, I would opine that we move from the lamentations of Isaiah and try to actualise or take pragmatic steps to be able to curtail the annual rate of desertification which is projected to be crippling southwards at five kilometres annually.
Mr Speaker, I would start with the first Statement which references the Department of Parks and Gardens and you would remember that when we were approving the 2021 Budget Statement in this House, in the Budget Estimates of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, we lamented about the insignificant amount of moneys that was allocated to the Department of Parks and Gardens and today we are crying about parks and gardens. It is said that where you treasure is, that is where your heart is.
Mr Speaker, we are saying that parks and gardens is in a dilapidated state, but they even have just one vehicle that they use to water the flowers and according to them, that vehicle is over 40 years old. Mr Speaker, they wanted a budget to repair it but that was even a problem. We cannot underfund a Department and blame them for their inefficiency.

Secondly, the locations of the parks and gardens nationwide are always in prime areas. Go and see the rate at which the lands of the Department of Parks and Gardens are being encroached upon. Very soon, they would become landless and the Department would exist on paper. I do not want to believe Government deliberately underfund them so that when the trees are no more, then the Department would not exist then the lands can be taken over. I do not want to believe that, and I do not think that is the case.

Mr Speaker, the Department for Parks and Gardens was established for a reason so that certain particular kinds of tree species could be bought there and planted nationwide. Not only that, it falls under the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.

Mr Speaker, ask yourself, out of the 264 metropolitan, municipal and districts assemblies that we have nationwide, how many of them even have the Department of Parks and Gardens? Apart from the districts that were created in the 1980s, the new ones do not have. For those that have the Department of Parks and Gardens, the lands have been

encroached upon and certain mansions proliferating in those areas. Who gives those lands to people to build in those areas if the Department of Parks and Gardens is dear to our heart? We cannot lament when we know that that the lands of that Departments are being taken away from them.

Mr Speaker, we have been planting trees - If you read the Statement by the Hon Member for Bole Bamboi, he said in 2017 and 2018, we lost about 60 per cent of our forest cover and we are one of the fastest - Mr Speaker, if that is the case, what are we doing? I remember that it was during that time --
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Hold on, Hon Leader, I believe the Hon Minister would like to chip in something.
Mr Owusu-Bio 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not the Hon Minister; I am the Deputy Minister-designate. Mr Speaker, I am aware of article 79, so I would want to draw your attention to that fact.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Leader in making his contribution has made a statement to the fact that we lost 60
Mr A. Ibrahim 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am not surprised the Hon Deputy Minister-designate came with a prepared statement from his boss to read instead of commenting on the Statement that was presented on the Floor.
Mr Speaker, this 60 per cent forest cover loss is in the Statement that we are commenting on. He failed to comment on his, and he read the one that that this Hon Minister prepared for him to come and read. If he did not read the Statement, let me read for him to hear. I have not said anything new.
Mr Speaker, the Statement by the Hon Member for Bole Bamboi reads 2:07 p.m.
“It is, therefore not surprising, Mr Speaker, that Ghana was adjudged the country with the largest relative increase in forest loss of 60 per cent from 2017-
2018…”
It is there. Mr Speaker, I am not saying it; you said we should comment on the Statement and I did. The Hon Deputy Minister-designate failed to comment on it and read his Hon Minister's write up. Mr Speaker, let us make progress. I am commenting on the Statement and it is written there and you have admitted that. The Hon Member was to comment but he did not.
Secondly, it was in 2017-2018 that over 45,000 workers were employed in the tree planting exercise of the Forestry Commission. Mr Speaker, if really, over 45,000 people were employed to work in this area and each was to even plant 120 trees, we could boast of over five million trees that we want to plant. Mr Speaker, these are the critical issues. How were the 45,000 people employed in the Forestry Commission? Mr Speaker, you and I were in this House. Are you aware?
Mr Speaker, the discouraging aspect of it, and the reason sometimes those trees planted are not sustainable is this: the people are perceived to be sympathisers of a political party. Mr Speaker, when you go there and you do not belong there and you want to work there - it is like job for the boys. Critically, if we are going to plant five million trees, let us together, both parties and all of us as Ghanaians - because climate change does not discriminate.
This is the way to go. If we do not do that, then you perceive the work as if it is a political programme. Mr Speaker, you cannot achieve your aim so, I call on the Hon Minister and his agencies and departments, that climate change does not know whether you belong to the umbrella or elephant fraternity; it does not discriminate. Therefore, as a country, we must come together to plant trees and take it seriously.
Mr Speaker, yesterday when I was returning from my constituency and I got to Techiman, I looked for new yam because we are in June. The rainfall pattern in Techiman has changed. Now, if you are looking for new yam in Techiman, you will not get unless you go to Offinso. It means from the northern belt and the transitional zone, the rainfall pattern is decreasing and therefore, desertification is coming. Looking for new tubers of yam in Techiman - if you cannot get and you have to come to Offinso, gradually, it would get to a time, unless you come further downwards --
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Hon Leader, hold on once again. Hon Deputy Minister-designate?
Mr Owusu-Bio 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would not have got up again to interject my Hon Leader but for the fact that he said the Youth in Afforestation Programme is political. That to me is very unfair. It is a very good programme, and the selection of the youth and the participants were done by the various district assemblies. No Hon MP or politician was involved in the selection.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:07 p.m.
Hon Leader, you may continue, but wind up.
Mr A. Ibrahim 2:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am just about winding up.
I would not comment on that aspect. If a District Chief Executive is to employ people to work in the Youth in Afforestation Programme, your guess is as good as mine.
Mr Speaker, the transitional belt is suffering from good rainfall. If care is not taken, the Government policy of Planting for Food and Jobs in 2021 would be a failure because it depends on rain-fed agriculture. Mr Speaker, we are in June, and if you go round the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions and even the Ashanti Region, you will not see new maize anywhere. They are now ploughing areas to grow maize.
Mr A. Ibrahim 2:17 a.m.


Mr Speaker, and this is why I look at these Statements as being very critical that we must all be supportive in the tree planting and Government must veer from that path and rather include all parties to make sure that we have every sectoral representation in the Youth in Afforestation Programme so that everybody would participate.

Mr Speaker, in the olden days when laws were even not there, they relied on customary laws and they had forest reserves. Is that the case now? Are we underestimating the importance of the medicinal use of the tree species we have in the forest? If we sit down and all these things are depleted, and every time we say that we are doing tree planting as if we are joking with it, we cannot plant a tree without taking care of it and expect it to make a forest. These are critical areas.

Mr Speaker, while I thank you for the opportunity given to me, I once again, would like to call on the Deputy Minister - designate that when he is sending the feedback about the Report that he has read here to his boss, he should add that we wish him well, and I know that he has taken the first bold step. If

we go to the Savannah Region, charcoal burning has been banned --[Interruption]-- and once the Minister has been able to do that in his own region, I would like to have some feeling and belief that if he is able to add, bringing both political divides on board, he would excel in greening the Ghana that he wants to have.

Mr Speaker, he is also a Minister who is able to confiscate his party's Women's Organiser's galamsey site. This shows that he means business. Did we know that when we were reading Statements upon Statements here, concessions have been allocated to political powers? But he is not afraid; he has gone after them! And I, sitting here as an NDC MP, if the NPP Minister is able to confiscate his own party people's sites, then, it tells me that I must look sharp. But if I do not look sharp and it gets me, it would not only be burning my excavators, it would amount to arraigning me before the law court. The law would apply 100 per cent on me.

Mr Speaker, I commend the Hon Minister for doing that. But did we know? I know there are others in the forest and the good news is that the Hon Minister has sent a signal that all those with those concessions -- when the MP for Bole Bamboi was reading his Statement, he said, the causes of the deforestation are human

settlement; human activities and so on. Greed and the desire for political power are some of the causes of deforestations where political boys are told that their party needs money. Campaign, when we come to power, we would allow you to enter the forest and do this.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:17 a.m.
Leader, may you wind up?
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 2:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in winding up, I just would like to commend the Minister: He who climbs well, deserves a push. And also to call on any political appointee or any political office holder who has a concession that we are stewards of those extractive resources and we were given the mandate to take care of them; not to take exploits in them to our parochial, individual and selfish needs.
Mr Speaker, on that note, I thank you for the opportunity and wish that the Hon Members who made the Statements should not let it end here; they must bring a Private Member's Bill to make sure that we are able to make critical and stringent laws to be able to curtail the massive deforestation that we have in the country so that in such cases like these, we would be able to know even if the Executive or the court does not
run after you, MPs would move a Motion here and we could come together to sanction or impeach any Minister who does not take deforestation, mining in the forest and other things seriously.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:17 a.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Whip?
Mr Iddrisu Habib (NPP -- Tolon) 2:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you and the Hon Members who made the Statements.
Mr Speaker, Green Ghana and Afforestation is a national issue that we all ought to take very seriously. But it must be on record that Statements that are admitted and read on the floor of Parliament by Hon Members in terms of figures or statistics being put out is not a gospel; it could be challenged. And Hon Members should not assume that if an Hon Member makes pronoun- cement on certain percentages like what was done by Hon Suhiyini in Statement - even in 1983 when we had a wild bushfire in Ghana, our forest reserves did not lose by about 60 per cent, not to talk about now.
Mr Speaker, and it must be on record that at the moment, we do not need laws. Like my Hon Colleague said —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:17 a.m.
Hon Leader, please hold on.
Mr Sulemana 2:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to put on record that the 60 per cent that the Hon Member makes reference to is what I put there, not what Hon Suhuyini put there. It is also important to state that as I stand here, I am a research student so; what I have done is to do a thorough research and to put out the facts. One can challenge the facts but not challenge me. The source is out there so; if he thinks that the source is wrong, he could challenge that.
Let us be fair to ourselves: in that Statement, I also stated that the Ghana Government issued a Statement to say that the 60 per cent was debatable and that what they know of is 31 per cent. And I also put out there that 31 per cent is still the highest on the continent so; whether the 60 per cent is right or wrong, we are still leading when it comes to depletion of our forest cover. And that is what we have to accept.
Mr Habib Iddrisu 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think the Hon Member who made the Statement has clarified himself and I do not think he actually relies on the 60 per cent as attributed to it in his Statement.
Mr Speaker, just to add that like my Hon Colleague said, we need to make serious laws to be able to handle some of these issues of invading our forests. I think the Constitution is very clear on these issues and we do not need to make any new laws; we only need to implement the existing laws. If we look at article 268 and 269 of the 1992 Constitution, it has been made clear. Article 268 talks about anybody who tries to invade our forest, definitely, needs to come to Parliament for us to look at it. And article 269 talks about us establishing commissions like the Minerals Commission; the Forestry Commission and other statutory bodies to be able to look at the issue.
Mr Speaker, the importance of forest cover cannot be over- emphasised because it provides shelter for animals, regulates temperature on the environment and a whole lot. So, at the moment, we all applaud the Minister for his giant step but we should not make it look like the Minister wants to start his work by targeting NPP Executives.

The Minister is committed and he is determined to be able to end illegal mining and by so doing, anybody who is involved would definitely be handled but it does not mean

necessarily that he would want to start by handling the national women organiser as alleged to send a deterrent to the others. That is not the case. However, it is on a good note that the Hon Minister has started and in his own region, where the Hon Member of Parliament from Bole Bamboi is from, charcoal burning has been banned and yes, it would be extended to other regions, which would help our country.

The Hon Member for Bolgatanga Central, Mr Murtala Muhammed Ibrahim, would bear in mind that tree planting and afforestation is something that we even adore as Muslims and it has also been said in our religion that if a person plants a tree, he or she would reap the reward until eternity. This is because the person would get a reward when somebody sits under the tree and also when animals feed from the tree.

It is a national exercise that has been initiated on 11th June, 2021 by the Hon Minister for Land and Natural Resources. On that day, Hon Members should take the lead in the planting of the trees in our constituencies. It would not be out of place if on the said date, we the Hon Members would join our constituents to plant trees to help Ghana move forward.

This Government is very committed to preserve our forest and to also fight illegal activities that affect our forest. That is why the youth in afforestation project, which is alleged to be partisan was never so. Nobody was asked to bring a party membership card or his Hon Member of Parliament before he or she was employed. It was a perception but that was not the case.

Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Hon Member who made the Statement and also to say that with the contributions with regard to the Statement on parks and gardens, there should be a referral to the Committee on Local Government to visit our parks and gardens and report back so that we could see the state and nature of them. I remember when we were kids, we looked out for parks and gardens guest houses so that we could sleep there but at the moment, they do not exist. So, a lot has to be done with regard to that and I wish Mr Speaker, you could direct this issue to the Committee on Local Government.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Avedzi 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member said that we should visit parks and gardens in our districts but I do not have one in my district, so
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:27 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader, it is well noted.
Hon Members, we would take the last Statement on “Sanitation and Water Supply for Ghana's Rural and Lower Income Communities'' by the Hon Member for Assin North, Mr James Gyakye Quayeson.
Hon Member, you may make your Statement.
Sanitation and Water Supply for Ghana's Rural and Lower
Income Communities
Mr James Gyakye Quayeson (NDC -- Assin North) 2:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first, I would like to thank you for accepting my maiden Statement and also identifying the theme to this august House. I must say that I genuinely recognize your humility and your love to serve our nation Ghana.
I would also like to thank the leadership of the House and my Hon Colleague MPs for showing great support to making my transition to the House a favorable one. Last but not the least, I would like to thank all the
residents of my constituency, Assin North for trusting their fate in me to elect me as their Member of Parliament.
Mr Speaker, Ghana is blessed with a beautiful climate and rich culture that can attract abundant tourist activities but regrettably, the upkeep of our sanitation and water supply to our citizens is very poor. It is poorly managed and inadequate. In fact, it is sad to say that it is below the standard that will attract major tourist activities as it also poses as a health hazard.
Mr Speaker, Accra, the capital city of the country is nothing to be proud of as garbage or refuse are littered throughout the streets and piled up in all market places, food terminals and car and lorry parks.
Mr Speaker, I have had the opportunity to witness poor sanitation in places such as the Agbogbloshie market, Apam where the tragic drowning incident occurred early this month and Mankesim in the Central Region.
Mr Speaker, over 90 per cent of the country's 40 plastic industries, which produce over 26,000 metric tons of various plastic products, are projected to be located in the Accra and Tema Metropolis. According to
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 10,000 metric tons of finished plastic goods are imported into the country per year.
Mr Speaker, statistics released by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Waste Management Department and other waste management bodies stipulates that, plastic accounts for about 16.5 per cent of all waste generated on a daily basis (KMA, 2010). Plastic bags and bottles are used to transport drinking water in Ghana. Since sachet water is portable and easy to transport, the general public has developed a strong preference for it. There's also a perception that mineralised water is cleaner than tap water. These bags are dumped carelessly after gulping down the liquid content, littering the entire environment.
Mr Speaker, it will interest you to know that every year, Ghana imports over 2.58 million metric tons of raw plastic, with 73 per cent of it ending up as waste. Just about 5 per cent of plastic waste is recycled, leaving the remainder to collect in the atmosphere or end up in landfills, with nearly 30 per cent ending up in the ocean. Plastic bottles that end up, in the ocean according to the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will take up to 450 years to biodegrade. Plastic waste that wind up in landfills pollutes groundwater and leads to air pollution. Plastics that are not properly disposed of, can collect in drains and cause flooding. The stagnant water caused by pollution-induced flooding aids the spread of waterborne diseases such as malaria and cholera among the most vulnerable residents of heavily polluted areas. Ghanaians are also fond of burning their discarded plastic waste, which releases a toxin into the air.
Mr Speaker, Ghana needs to find a better way to improve on sanitation and water supply to her population rather than the rhetoric and wasteful capital spending. I could show you a slide of pictorial that I have captured in the streets of Accra and throughout our country including my constituency Assin North if there was available equipment and ample time to do so.
Mr Speaker, I will like to appeal to the Hon Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, my colleague, Hon Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah to treat this issue of poor sanitation and inadequate water supply particularly in Ghana's rural and low income communities seriously.
Mr James Gyakye Quayeson (NDC -- Assin North) 2:37 p.m.


Mr Speaker, I am going to confront this menace in my constituency and for this reason, I am launching a ‘‘Good Sanitation and Clean Water Supply'' initiative in my constituency starting this July. Hon Members in the Chamber are recognised as the first gentlemen and ladies in our constituencies and so I would like to urge my Hon Colleagues to propagate the essence of proper sanitation and plastic waste management in order to curb this menace in the country. I am hoping that the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources would use her good office to offer her consent, good guidance and assistance to achieve the goal and alliance with the departments involved in realising this.

Mr Speaker, I am confident that the residents of our various constituencies and all stakeholders will assist in this effort to make Ghana become the beacon of cleanliness in Africa.

Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
Hon Member for Keta?
Mr Kwame D. Gakpey (NDC -- Keta) 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity and I would also like to commend the Hon Member who made the Statement.
Mr Speaker, when we even look at the transportation industry; we see passengers in commercial vehicles like trotro sometimes throw rubbish out and all these pollute the environment. This is an attitudinal issue and as Hon Members of Parliament, we have to put pressure on the authorities who supervise these activities to ensure that people engaged in these acts are punished to put a stop to this behaviour. Mr Speaker, behavioural change is a process and so long as the law does not bite, people would continue to do this. Sometimes, we even see highly educated persons driving in their private cars, yet after eating something, they will just throw the rubbish out of their cars unto the streets and this is appalling.
Mr Speaker, in addition to this, in our various communities, we see that plastic waste have taken over areas like football parks, the sea and lagoons to the extent that when fisher folks return from sea or lagoons, their catch includes a lot of plastic and polythene waste. This actually pollutes and suffocates aquatic life. Also, it also has an effect on children because these plastic wastes in our communities also
serve as breeding areas for mosquitoes and causing other diseases like yellow fever. We provide maternity homes with vectors but at the end of the day they rather destroy the maternity homes.
Mr Speaker, I add my voice to the call that the pollution of the environment -- in countries like Rwanda, plastic usage has been banned completely. Anyone who sends plastics to Rwanda would be apprehended and punished. So, the time is now for Ghana to also try and implement strict measures to ban plastics in Ghana because the plastics also affect the soil and the crops as well.
I would call on the House to take the Statement seriously and Mr Speaker can refer it to the relevant Committee and also get the authorities in this area to act. Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Daniel O. Darko (NDC -- Upper Denkyira West) 2:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you. I add my voice to the Statement made by the Hon Member for Assin North Constituency.
Mr Speaker, plastic waste menace is a very serious problem in this country and plastic waste is
everywhere in this country. I remember that sometime in 2016, when the campaign was really intense, it was the position of President Akufo-Addo to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa. However, I think Accra is about the dirtiest city in Africa at the moment because there is plastic waste everywhere. What are we doing about it? What are the various municipal and district assemblies doing? Mr Speaker, in other countries, these items are separated and there are various containers to collect papers, plastics and other waste separately. Can we not do the same thing here? It has always been talking but no action.
Mr Speaker, I think it is about time we dealt with this issue once and for all. The municipal and district assemblies must enforce these rules because we see people either walking or in cars drink water and throw the sachets out instead of keeping them till they get to their destinations. Mr Speaker, I believe that this is something that the Government must act on especially the Hon Minister responsible for that sector. It has always been promises that it would be done but if we are look at our current state, we would see that Accra is so dirty. I think that the cleanest city in the country is Sunyani. Apart from Sunyani, all the other cities are dirty so it is high time we deal with
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:37 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Leadership?
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would commend the Hon Member for Assin North for taking this bold initiative and making a Statement on the sanitation in the country.
Mr Speaker, your joint Committee on Local Government and Rural Development, Environment, Science and Technology and Works and Housing embarked on a nationwide tour on the sanitation situation. Mr Speaker, what we saw is not different from what the Hon Member has presented. The Hon Member is a member of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development and I know that he took a lot of facts from the nationwide tour. Mr Speaker, the joint Committee would present a Report to the House so I would not say much, however, I would take the opportunity to seek your leave that
once the Hon Member has made this Statement -- even though we should have gotten a referral from you before embarking on the tour before our report is presented on the Floor, but we considered it as a progress of work from the Seventh Parliament and that is why we did it now. That is why we included it this time.

Mr Speaker, ordinarily, I would have asked you to refer this Statement to the joint Committee to look at it, but once the work has already been done, I would only want to seek your leave so that tomorrow when the Business Statement is presented, you allow the two Reports, the one by the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development and the other by the Joint Committee on their monitoring visits while we were on recess to be laid on the Floor and be debated for Hon Members to make their input next week when those Reports are debated.

Mr Speaker, I say this because in the Seventh Parliament when Committee went for tours and brought their Reports to the House, upon reading them, it was necessary for Government to take certain giant steps which it has done, and I believe it would be appropriate for the Report

to be laid. Where praise is worthy, we give it, because where there is the need for criticisms, we constructively criticise. So, once Government has taken certain steps in implementing some of the inputs from this House, we must present the Report for Ghanaians to know that the Committee of Parliament are helping to arrest the sanitation situation in the country.

Mr Speaker, with these few comments, I would want to end here and just remind you that I seek your indulgence to grant that leave so that the Business Committee would factor our Report as part of the activities to be presented to the House next week when the Business Statement is presented tomorrow morning.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Majority Leadership, do you have any contribution?
Ms Alhassan 2:47 p.m.
No, Mr Speaker, except to say that the day has been well spent and we are in your hands.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Hon Members, at this juncture, we will bring Statement time to close. I
use the opportunity to thank all of you for your contributions.
Let me at this time also come to the Leadership for direction.
Mr A. Ibrahim 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe after Statements, you would have taken us to Commencement of Public Business before we can adjourn.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:47 p.m.
Majority Leadership, is there anything?
Mr A. Ibrahim 2:47 p.m.
At the Commencement of Public Business, if there is any public Business to be executed, then, we do it. If there is none, then, you can ask your question.
Ms Alhassan 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as has been agreed by Leadership, the Motion is still on hold. Therefore, we can bring today's proceedings to an end.
Mr A. Ibrahim 2:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we support the position of the Hon Deputy Whip.
ADJOURNMENT 2:47 p.m.