Debates of 22 Jul 2021

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 2:21 p.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
Hon Members, kindly take note that the Hon Speaker's procession is a solemn occasion and it is observed in absolute silence. Please let us observe this.
We would move to item numbered 4. Correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report. We would start with the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 21st July,
2021.
Page 1… 8 --
Hon Ablakwa?
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful --
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
Hon Ablakwa, hold on.
The Chamber usher standing over there should take note that you do not stand here with your back to the Mace and this must be known to all; whether you are an Hon Member of Parliament or an usher.
Hon Ablakwa?
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please, on page 8, the first line which is your Statement to the House, the word should be “examine” and not “examined”. So, it should read “to also examine the extent to which the expectations of the citizenry are being met”. It has been captured as “examined”.
Also, the last but one paragraph should read “he admonished Hon Members to as much as practicable be present and punctual”. The word “admonished” has been spelt wrongly and so it should be corrected.
Mr Speaker, still on that page, the last paragraph should read “he encouraged Hon Members to observe the dress code of the House to reflect our tradition, decency and discipline” and not “to observe the dress”. So, we have to insert “code”.
Mr Speaker, this is what I heard you say yesterday.
Thank you.
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
Hon Ablakwa, you are right. Table Office, kindly take note.
Page 9 … 12 --
Mr Ablakwa 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please from item numbered 12(b) and all the subsequent Resolutions, I noticed that the “Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture” has been captured as “Sport” instead of “Sports” which is consistent with our Standing Orders. So, item numbered 12(b) and the others through to page 19 should be amended accordingly.
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
Table Office should kindly note.
Page 13… 16 --
Mr Samuel N. George 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the last line of paragraph 16 is headlined “Motion” and it reads: “the adoption of the Report of the Committee on Youth, Sport and Culture the on the following …”
Mr Speaker, we have to delete “the” after “Culture”.
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
Table Office should take note of this correction.
Page 17 … 23 --
Mr Andrew A. Asiamah 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, permit me to take you back to page 12, before paragraph (b), “the Hon Second Deputy Speaker referred the Agreement to the Committee on Health for con- sideration and report”, but when we checked page 14, the last paragraph indicates that the Hon First Deputy Speaker withdrew from the Chair at 7.40 p.m. and the Hon Second Deputy Speaker took the Chair. We have to reconcile this situation.
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
I think the Table Office would approach you and clarify this because it has to do with the presentation.
Hon Dr Agyeman-Rawlings?
Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, on page 23, the Rt Hon Speaker's name is ‘Sumana' and not “Suman”. The correct rendition then is “Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin” .
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
Table Office should not forget that I have a lot of Hon Daughters here who will take you on.

Yes, the name is “Sumana” and not “Suman”.

Thank you so much.

Pages 24, 25 … 27.
Mr Ablakwa 2:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please we have not received copies of that Official Report. I have checked with a number of Colleague Hon Members but they also do not have copies.
Mr Speaker 2:21 p.m.
Very well. We would defer the correction of this Official Report until Hon Members have received copies.
We would now move to item numbered 5 -- Questions. We have nine Questions and we would start with Question numbered 105 which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Tain Constituency, Mr Adama Sulemana. The Hon Minister for Communications and Digitalisation should kindly take the appropriate chair.
Hon Member, you may now ask your Question.
ORAL ANSWERS TO 2:31 p.m.
QUESTIONS 2:31 p.m.
MINISTRY OF 2:31 p.m.
COMMUNICATIONS AND 2:31 p.m.
DIGITALISATION 2:31 p.m.
Mr Adama Sulemana (NDC -- Tain) 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation if there are plans to connect the following communities in the Tain Constituency to the Rural Telephony Project: (i) Brodi (ii) Yabraso (iii) Atomfourso (iv) Akore (v) Degedege (vi) Bepoayase (vii) Sampano (viii) Bebunsua (ix) Konkonte (x) Kogua.
Minister for Communications and Digitalisation (Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful) (MP) 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) as part of the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project, has identified 2,016 communities across the country to benefit from the Rural Telephony Project approved by Parliament. Lands have been acquired and surveyed for the implementation of the
Project and work is currently ongoing on the acquired lands which are at various stages of completion.
Under phase I of the Project, the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), has identified and surveyed several communities in the Tain Constituency. Lands have been acquired in six (6) of the communities. The communities are: Tiadene, Kojo Arkokrom, Dagadou, Arkokrom, Nkrankrom and Seikwa Atomfourso. A telecom mast has been erected in Seikwa Atomfourso. Lands are yet to be acquired in Drobokrom, Njeu and Papakyea for the Project to commence in these communities.
Mr Speaker, not all unserved and underserved communities will be catered for under the current Project. Upon completion of this phase, phase II will commence. I will like to indicate that the communities mentioned by the Hon Member for Tain Constituency are not part of phase I of the Project. However, the communities have been captured by GIFEC under phase II of the Rural Telephony Project.
Mr Speaker, none of the mobile network operators (MNOs) have captured these communities in their
current network roll out plans. GIFEC will expedite work on the compilation of the beneficiary communities that are not covered under the current project for inclusion in the next phase of the Rural Telephony Poject. We urged all members to notify the MoCD of the connectivity gaps in their constituencies to assist the process.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, we wish to inform the House that the Ministry will work in close collaboration with GIFEC and the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to provide connectivity to the citizens of Ghana irrespective of their Project. Telephony Project will close the gap in the MNOs rollout plans and ensure universal access. Brodi, Yabraso, Atomfourso, Akore, Degedege, Bepoayase, Sampano, Bebunsua, Konkonte and Kogua in the Tain Constituency will be catered for under the phase II of the Rural Telephony Project.
Mr Speaker 2:31 p.m.
Hon Member, any supplementary question?
Mr A. Sulemana 2:31 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, phase I is expected to be completed in 18 months and so all things being equal, we are hopeful that by the end of next year, phase I would have been completed.
Mr Speaker 2:31 p.m.
Any further supplementary questions?
Mr A. Sulemana 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, no further supplementary question but just to add that for Seikwa and Atomfourso, the mast has not been erected yet. I am aware that it has been dug but it has not been erected -- just for the records.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 2:31 p.m.
Hon Members, this is a constituency-specific Question. I hope it would not be hijacked by any Hon Member.
Mr Speaker 2:31 p.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Whip?
Mr Ahmed brahim 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just want clarification from the Hon Minister. How many communities out of the 2,016 constitute phase I? Is it all the 2,016 communities that are under phase I or it has been divided into several phases?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, all the 2,016 communities constitute phase I of the Project. By a conservative estimate and GIFEC is still collating the list of communities that still are deficient in connectivity. Another 2,000 plus would be covered under the phase II of the Project and that is why I urged Hon Members to notify us about the connectivity gaps in their constituencies so that they would be included in the second phase.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
rose
Mr Speaker 2:31 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Whip, you are entitled to one supplementary question.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is just the last one.
Mr Speaker 2:31 p.m.
All right.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the 2,016 which constitutes phase I belongs to the facility which was
approved in this House. Does it mean that the Hon Ministry is envisaging bringing another Facility for approval for phase II or there is a funding sitting somewhere for phase II?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the funding that was approved by this House is for phase I of the Project which covers 2,016. GIFEC is now gathering the information about phase II and we would do the needful at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 2:31 p.m.
We move on to Question numbered 197 standing in the name of the Hon Member for Tempane, Ms Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba. Hon Member, you may ask your Question now.
Settlement of Debt owed NITA
Ms Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba (NDC -- Tempane) 2:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation what urgent steps the Ministry is taking to get Ministries, Departments & Agencies (MDAs) and Metro- politan, Municipal & District
Assemblies (MMDAs) to settle the total amount of GH¢11,254,881.30 owed the National Information Technology Agency (NITA).
Minister for Communications and Digitalisation (Mrs Owusu- Ekuful) 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is a vexed issue and I would crave the indulgence of the House to take a little bit of time to respond to it.
Mr Speaker, the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) runs the National Data Centre (Virtual Private Servers, Colocation services & Hosting), provides connectivity to MDAs and MMDAs, domain registration, official email system as well as connectivity to the GIFMIS platform.
NITA has also setup a government virtual workspace for 330 MDAs and MMDAs allowing these institutions to work remotely through emails, office productivity tools, document management, correspondence management et cetera. NITA provides subsidised rates for all services to all these government institutions as against commercial rates provided by the private sector entities.
Mr Speaker, the current outstanding indebtedness to NITA by MDAs is twelve million, seven hundred and twenty two thousand,
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Hon Member, any supplementary question?
Ms Akanvariba 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister indicated that due to NITA's indebtedness to its service providers, Vodafone, for example, has disconnected its services to institutions outside Accra. May I know from the Hon Minister whether alternative sources of internet connectivity have been provided for institutions affected by this disconnection?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, NITA has made an attempt to continue to provide services to the affected MDAs. All of them also owe NITA for the services they provide. So, it is catch-22 situation. If MDAs do not pay NITA, NITA cannot pay its service providers, so that the service will continue to operate. That is why we would urge the House to assist us in our efforts to encourage the Ministry of Finance to pay from source.
Ms Akanvariba 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on centralisation of payment, is the Hon Minister privy to and can tell this honourable House the level of progress made by the Hon Minister for Finance at decentralising payment to ensure efficient internet connectivity?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I indicated in the Answer, in the current Budget, an attempt has been made to allocate some fund centrally for data connectivity charges to NITA. Even though it is commendable, the allocated amount of over GH¢3 million is just about a quarter of the outstanding indebtedness of MDAs to NITA. So, a lot more can be done. They have tried, but they can still do much better.
2. 51 p.m.
Ms Akanvariba 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, besides the calls for the centralisation of payment and deductions from source, what other steps is the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation putting in place to ensure compliance by MDAs and MMDAs for uninterrupted internet connectivity?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the only other measure that the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) can take to ensure payment is to disconnect defaulting MDAs. If we look at the attached list, the Judicial Service, Registrar- General's Department, Ministry of Justice, as well as all MDAs and MMDAs are being provided with services.
So, they have been reluctant to take this step, however, if the indebtedness persists, they would have no choice than to disconnect defaulting institutions to compel them to pay before they can enjoy the service, just as Vodafone has disconnected services to NITA outside Accra.
Mr Samuel N. George 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, looking at the appendix supplied by the Hon Minister to a response, 25 per cent of the total debt owned NITA is by two agencies; the Electoral Commission and the
Controller and Accountant-General's Department. These are two agencies that this House provides adequate budgetary allocations to. The Electoral Commission had all allocations for its expenditure.
The Controller and Accountant- General's Department relies heavily on the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) which is run by NITA. Again, another 25 per cent of this debt is owed by agencies under the Hon Minister's own Ministry, such as the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and the Ghana Post, as well as other Ministries of State, including Parliament House.
Would the Hon Minister consider the suspension of service forthwith to the Electoral Commission, Parliament, and the Controller and Accountant- General's Department that runs GIFMIS until they make the requisite payments to NITA because NITA itself is owning its service providers?
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minister, would you consider?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, maybe we should start with Parliament House and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. It would be the
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Hon Members, we would move on to the next Question.
rose
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you would indulge me, I have just one follow up question for the Hon Minister on NITA. I wanted to find out from her whether the activities of NITA are being commercialised?
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if the Hon Minority Leader makes this a substantive question, I would come and respond to it; it is not related to either the Question or the Answer provided.
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Hon Minister, you do not have to come and answer a question until I give you the permission to do so.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:41 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, if you would ask and would permit me --
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
I was going to disallow the question as being a substantive one, but you jumped the gun. [Laughter.]
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful 2:41 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, I take a cue from you, and I appreciate it.
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Hon Members, the next Question is not going to be taken today. I am told that the --
Mr Emmanuel K. Bedzrah 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is a question of public interest, and this is the second time that this Question has been advertised, but the Hon Minister has not been around to answer the Question.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister has not given us any justification why this Question should not be taken today, yet it is not a Question that demands a written answer. I have just been told by the Clerks-at-the-Table that he had given an Answer to the Question the last time. It is not a written answer, it is an oral Question with supplementary questions that need answers. The people at Gbawe and Weija are sitting on a time bomb, and anything at all can happen in that enclave, therefore, we need answers for this Question.
Mr Speaker, we need your directive that next time, the Hon Minister should be ready to answer this Question and get Ghanaians ready to understand what is happening in that enclave.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Hon Member, thank you so much for drawing my attention to this. I was informed by the Table Office that they have been in contact with you, and that the Question would not be asked today. That was why I proceeded to move on to the next Question. However, once you have drawn my attention to it, I direct that the Hon Minister appears at the next programme date to answer the Question. I so direct.
Yes, Hon Majority Chief Whip?
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for granting me this space. I heard my Hon Colleague and friend loud and clear. I was surprise at his statement, especially when he has been engaged by the Clerks-at-the-Table that an Answer has been given, and the Hon Minister has also not just given us an Answer, but has also engaged Leadership extensively, and given reason why he is unable to appear.
Mr Speaker, the first time, he engaged us extensively, and then the second time he did same. So, I am really struggling to understand why my Hon Colleague would say this. Of course, this is Parliament, but we must also appreciate that the Hon Minister also does other things.
I would have agreed with him if the Hon Minister had not engaged Leadership on this. However, on this one, he has engaged us extensively, and both Sides have understood the position of the Hon Minister. So, I think that there is nothing to litigate about. Besides, the Hon Minister has indicated that tomorrow, he would come and do the needful, so, there is no point in dragging this matter.
Mr Speaker 2:41 p.m.
Hon Majority Chief Whip, you are completely out of order. It is not Leadership that asked the Question, it was filed by an individual Hon Member of Parliament. So, if the Hon Minister is minded to engage, then he should have gone beyond Leadership to the individual Hon Member to explain why he would not be available to answer the Question.
Yes, the Answer has been supplied, but he is not physically available to answer the Question, and that is what the Hon Member has drawn our attention to. Therefore, to say what

you said is definitely not supported by any rule of our Standing Orders, practice or procedure. [Interruption] -- What is the issue?

Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 2:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I conceive that in these matters, we would have to defer to you. So, I would defer to you on this matter, except to say that in prosecuting agenda on this Floor, Hon Leaders have a responsibility. Hence, with the greatest of respect to your office, if the Hon Minister engages Leadership, then it is contingent upon us as Hon Leaders to also --
Mr Speaker 3:01 p.m.
Hon Member, please, resume your seat. There is no Leadership capture in this matter. You lead the Hon Members of Parliament, the Hon Members represent people in their constituencies and they have responsibilities. They must represent the people who elected them here effectively. That cannot be short- changed for Leadership in this.
Yes, the Hon Minister definitely would have to come to Leadership and inform Leadership that for one or two reasons, he would not be available to answer the Question, but that does not
substitute the Hon Minister doing the same with the Hon Member; or Leadership themselves getting in touch with the Hon Member to discuss the issue and then the Hon Member himself would accept that. If that is not done, you cannot prevent the Hon Member from raising the issue on the Floor. That is not democracy.
Please, let us move on. I have given the directive and it would be rescheduled and the Hon Minister will appear to answer the Question. The Hon Minister is regular; he attends Sittings. I have been seeing him here. He is not one of the Hon Ministers who are shy of attending parliamentary proceedings. It has been so since 1993. Some Hon Ministers are always shy of attending parliamentary proceedings.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I did not really hear you, so, I do not know what “Are you one of them?” is meant to imply. I did not catch it. I was just going to indicate that the Hon Dr Kwaku Afriyie is one Hon Minister that every one of us can vouch for.
Mr Speaker 3:01 p.m.
Yes, I stated that.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:01 p.m.
He will not renege on his responsibilities without due cause. [Interruption] Can I finish? Please, this is what is not good in this House. You make your point, people listen to you, and when the Hon Leader wants to talk, you want to obstruct him. It is not acceptable.
Mr Speaker, the point I am making is that the Hon Kwaku Afriyie is not one Hon Minister who is afraid of this House. Mr Speaker, my under- standing is that he communicated his inability to Leadership. Yes, if there is a challenge, it is between the Leadership of the House and the Hon Member; - how they were unable to reach the Hon Member. Indeed and in truth, we would not fault the Hon Minister for failing to come to the House.
Mr Speaker, I have heard the directive that you have given, and my understanding from the Hon Chief Whip for the Majority is that the Hon Minister has even suggested that we should programme him for tomorrow, and he would be in the House. With that understanding, as you have directed, we can move on.
From now on, if there is any communication from any Hon Minister to Leadership, with due alacrity, we
should consult and confer with the Hon Members who have filed Questions so that this would not recur in the House.
Mr Speaker 3:01 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, the added value is the fact that you have stated that the Question should be programmed for tomorrow for the Hon Minister to come and answer. For the rest, you simply repeated what I had already stated.
We would move on to Question 157, which stands in the name of the Hon Member for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to take the proper seat.
Hon Member, you may now ask the Question.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN 3:01 p.m.
AFFAIRS AND REGIONAL 3:01 p.m.
INTEGRATION 3:01 p.m.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (North Tongu) 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration how many Ghanaians were evacuated from other
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey) 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it would be recalled that Cabinet at its meeting on Friday 22nd May, 2020 approved a strategy paper presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration with a further directive to develop an evacuation implementation plan for the evacuation of Ghanaians who had become stranded in other countries across the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation plan was put into effect on 23rd May 2020 in close collaboration with the COVID-19 Task Force to bring home these stranded Ghanaians.
Mr Speaker, before proceeding to provide details of the evacuation exercise, I wish to place on record that the evacuation exercise was executed in collaboration with other Government agencies. As such, the information I will provide this august House, particularly those regarding amounts spent by Government on the quarantine of evacuees were provided to my Ministry by the National Security Secretariat, which was in charge of quarantine.
Mr Speaker, for the purposes of determining the full extent of Government responsibility and resource commitment, the evacuation exercise was grouped into four (4) categories, namely:
i. Ability-to-Pay: comprised private individuals, business/ c o r p or a t e - s p o ns o r e d employees, privately- sponsored students on exchange programmes, Government-sponsored students who were yet to complete their courses of study but without any compelling reasons insisted on returning home. It also covered foreign-sponsored evacuations which only required Government to provide travel documents and guarantee safe passage, as well as Ghana residence permit holders, including diplomats and their dependents;
ii. Government Funded Evacuation: consisted of Government officials who had travelled on official business; Government-sponsored students who had completed
their courses of study; as well as Government-sponsored students who were yet to complete their courses of study but were compelled to leave their places of residence;
iii. Distressed/Desti tute: - comprised Ghanaians who had travelled to various countries before the advent of the pandemic but whose circumstances had worsened due to the crisis and consequent travel bans and other restrictions imposed by countries around the world; and
iv. Deportees/Returnees: which comprised Ghanaians who had been scheduled for removal from various countries.
Mr Speaker, to ensure a well- coordinated exercise, the evacuation was undertaken in phases. This decision was primarily informed by financial and logistical considerations, namely the capacity of quarantine and isolation centres to hold large numbers of evacuees, and the human resource capacity of the COVID-19
Task Force and other collaborating agencies to handle the large number of Ghanaians to be evacuated.
Subsequently, the sums of GH¢8,725,000.00 and US$1,866, 934.00 were approved by the Government to cater for the cost of quarantine and air tickets of stranded Ghanaians in China and the United Arab Emirates, respectively.
In addition, US$475,895.00 was expended on the evacuation of stranded Ghanaians in West and Central Africa. The Government of Ghana also spent the sum of GH¢44,460,530.00 on quarantine of various evacuees in eighty-five (85) hotels spread across Accra, Prampram, Bolgatanga, Takoradi and Kasoa.
The cost of hotel accommodation for the evacuees included three meals and water per day for the 14-day quarantine.
Mr Speaker, for purposes of clarity/transparency, I will provide this august House with a breakdown of how the funds released by Government were expended on the evacuation exercise as follows:
Mr Speaker 3:01 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member, any supplementary question?
Mr Ablakwa 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have three supplementary questions. I thank the Hon Minister for her response. My first supplementary question is from page 24; the last paragraph of the Hon Minister's Answer. She indicates to this House that Government successfully evacuated a total of ten thousand and twenty-five (10,025) stranded Ghanaians.
However, I have been doing arithmetic of the breakdown provided on that same page; I even added those from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait at page 25 and what I get is a total figure of five thousand and ten (5,010), meaning five thousand and fifteen (5,015) have not been accounted for by the breakdown that has been provided. Is the Hon Minister able to let this House know what accounts for the discrepancy or if she is able to rectify this discrepancy?
Ms Botchwey 3:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the beginning, I did state that there were several categories of people who were evacuated. The first group consists of those with ability to pay. This groups, Government did not spend any money on them because they had the ability to pay. And that can be found on page 22 of the Order Paper.
So, if there is any discrepancy, it is not a discrepancy.
It is actually those who had the ability to pay and in this case, Government had to provide or negotiate for them to come down. So, that is one group and from them, we move on to the other categories: the distressed, the deportees and the Government-funded evacuations.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
Hon Member, your second supplementary question.
Mr Ablakwa 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my second supplementary question is still taken from page 24 and is on the breakdown provided by the Hon Minister on the cost of airfares. I have done the basic arithmetic of the number of evacuees as provided under the item numbered (ii) and what emerges would need some clarification from the Hon Minister.
The cost of ticket per person for evacuees from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China is US$396 when you do the arithmetic. For those from Lebanon, it is US$269. However, for the evacuees from West and Central Africa is a whopping US$940 per person. It is more
expensive than those coming from China, UAE, Europe and elsewhere. Togo, Nigeria and Benin are just next door to us, yet we have a ticket per person cost at US$940.
Could the Hon Minister help us understand why there is this wide disparity between those who were evacuated from our nearby next door as compared to those evacuated from UAE, China, Lebanon and far afield? It is a strange development which I do not understand.
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
Hon Minister, you may do so.
Ms Botchwey 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I cannot off the top of my head do the maths, but one thing that I know, because I have just experienced something like that, which is that it can be very expensive travelling within West Africa and Africa. Yesterday, I saw a fare quoted for a flight between Ghana and Togo and it was over US$1,000, so I am not surprised.
When you have fewer numbers, it is quite difficult. When they come few and far between, it is difficult to negotiate non-bulk fares as against when you are negotiating bulk fares for flights from Europe and Asia. So, in this case, we had the numbers and it was easier to negotiate than it was
for the flights coming in from West and Central Africa.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
Hon Member, your last supplementary question.
Mr Ablakwa 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my last supplementary question is from the 2021 Budget Statement presented to this House by Hon Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu on 12th March, 2021. He was the short-spanning Minister for Finance then. On page 273 of the Budget Statement, as presented by Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on behalf of the President, this House was informed that the evacuation of returnees from Lebanon, cost the country GH¢46,398,352 and the number of returnees provided for in the Budget is 2,221.
Looking at the Hon Minister's response to Parliament today on page 24 of the Order Paper, the cost has been provided as GH¢21 million and not GH¢46,398,352 which is a very wide disparity. As for the returnees, I think we can live with the discrepancies because it is not that much - 2,221 as against 2,350 is what has been provided today. The challenge, however, is with the GH¢21 million versus the
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
I have a difficulty here because these are figures given by two different people and you are asking one of them to explain the difference. I do not doubt the figures that you have quoted, but how one is called upon to reconcile her figures with that of the other --
Hon Minister, once you are by the Hon Majority Leader, could you get the information, so that you could reconcile the two figures? Hon Majority Leader, I said that once she is seated by you, she is given the opportunity now. Has she got some information from you to be able to reconcile her figures?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on the surface, my Hon Colleague is just looking at the expenditure borne by Government on quarantine alone, it is not the total expenditure.
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
That is the information you have already given, but she should be able to say it because it is the Hon Minister who is being asked the question, so let us listen to her.
Mr Ablakwa 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought that I would be given the opportunity to respond to what the Hon Majority Leader said. [Interruption] It is for the records because he is totally wrong and it does not add up. If you add the cost of tickets, which is US$634,000 --
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
We are not debating this matter. The question has been directed to the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs --
Mr Ablakwa 3:21 p.m.
It is less than GH¢5 million and we still have a side disparity.
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
Hon Member, take your time. You are addressing the Speaker and not the Hon Majority Leader.
Mr Ablakwa 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am sorry. Then the Hon Majority Leader should give me some breathing space to ask my supplementary question.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, he quoted a specific figure, and I am telling him that the figure is limited only to quarantine figures. Is he telling me that I am wrong?
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, this question was not directed to you and that is why I asked the
Hon Minister who is seated by you to get the information from you and answer the question. So, you do not have any business standing up.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is why he could not also come in on account of my advice.
Mr Speaker 3:21 p.m.
Yes, I stopped him.
Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration?
Ms Botchwey 3:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to draw the Hon Member's attention to the section that he quoted. The GH¢21 million actually has to do with expenditure that Government bore on the quarantine. The second one, that is the US$634,150 which is in item numbered (i) actually has to do with the airfares.
In addition to that, Government spent money because most of these people were destitutes and had to be moved to centres and they were there for a long period even before we were able to arrange for their flights back to Ghana. When we put all those costs together, they go beyond what has been stated.
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza 3:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 25 of the Order Paper, Burkina Faso has been mentioned twice in the names of the countries that were mentioned. Could the Hon Minister confirm that there is only one Burkina Faso and so that could be an error?
Mr Speaker, on page 24 of the Order Paper, the Hon Minister deliberately listed the numbers attached to the evacuation destination. For instance, she stated the number of evacuees from UAE in item numbered (a) but with regard to item numbered (d), she did not indicate any number. It only indicated “evacuees from Europe and other parts of Africa''. If we subtract 4,318 which is the number she listed out of the 10,025, it would be left with 5,707. So, are we to assume that the number of evacuees for item numbered (d) is
5,707?
Mr Speaker 3:31 p.m.
Hon Member, with regard to the first part of your Question, the Hon Minister is not responsible for the print of the Order Paper, so she cannot be called to answer a question why the name “Burkina Faso'', has been repeated. So, that question has been overruled. However, she could respond to the second question.
Mr Speaker 3:31 p.m.
Hon Member, yes, the Hon Minister disagrees with you that she did not deliberately leave out those figures but it is just that they did not come to her attention, so she could not have provided for figures that she did not have.
Mr Rockson-Nelson Este Kwami Dafeamekpor 3:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if I may refer the House to paragraph 3 on page 24 of the Order Paper, the Hon Minister said the following:
“Mr Speaker, some private individuals also made donations to support the efforts of government, and with your indulgence, I would acknow- ledge them. They include the Hon Member of POarliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong who mobilised the amount of US$428,000 and included the personal donation of US$200,000 to support
evacuations from Lebanon. A cash donation of GH¢200,001 from Sethi Brothers was also received to subsidise the cost of quarantine of some evacuees from the United Kingdom''.
Mr Speaker, this House established the COVID-19 Trust Fund to receive donations from the public in addition to Government's money to be able to undertake some of its activities. So, I would want to ask the Hon Minister whether these donations from these private people went through the COVID-19 Trust Fund for the purposes of these activities?
Ms Botchwey 3:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the donations that were mentioned did not go into the COVID-19 Fund because the Hon Member for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong and his friends, which include some Hon Members from this House, wanted the money specifically to go towards the destitutes in Lebanon. It was as a result of news carried out by some radio stations on people in Lebanon who were stranded and as a result, they wanted these moneys to go specifically towards the evacuation of those people and that was exactly what was done.
In the case of Sethi Brothers, one of their top people came with the British Airways and as a result they
decided that they wanted that money to go towards the evacuation of some people form the United Kingdom and that was exactly what was done. Audit has been done of all these amounts and they have been accounted for to the last penny.
Mr Kofi Iddie Adams 3:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's answer captured on page 25 of the Order Paper, she mentioned airlines that were used in the evacuation and specifically indicated that the Ghana Airforce Casa aircraft was used to evacuate stranded Ghanaians from West and Central African countries. In page 24 of the Order Paper, she listed the cost of evacuation, and evacuation from West and Central Africa alone was US$475,895 which is even far higher than that from UAE and China which had lesser numbers as stated in the same page.
Mr Speaker, could the Hon Minister tell us whether the Ghana Air Force Casa aircraft charged fares or we provided only fuel for them to lift stranded Ghanaians from West and Central Africa?
Ms Botchwey 3:31 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my understanding was that it was for fuel and under the item numbered (e),
“insurance'', has been indicated. That was the cost that was given to us by the Ghana Air Force.
rose
Mr Speaker 3:31 p.m.
Hon Members, we would move to the next question.
Sorry, my daughter. You could not catch my eye. We would take the last supplementary question from the Hon Member for Klottey Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings 3:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I might have to wear a red attire to catch your eye next time.
Mr Speaker, based on the Hon Minister's answer on page 25 paragraph 3 of the Order Paper, she mentioned the issue of human rights violations with regard to those who were in the various countries in the Gulf region to be illegal.
I would like to enquire from her whether her Ministry has ascertained the routes by which these persons left Ghana and when to those particular countries and whether there has been any legal proceedings put in place to seek justice for those whose human rights were violated in those particular states?
Mr Speaker 3:41 p.m.
Your Question is mainly on the routes the illegal migrants used.
Is that understanding correct?
Dr Agyemang-Rawlings 3:41 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, as a means to ensuring that we can manage the proper migration of our citizens from this country to the Gulf States.
Mr Speaker 3:41 p.m.
Well, it does not actually arise from the main question but as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, if she has that information, she could share with the House. But you are now talking about the illegal routes; because the question is not directed at that and it is talking about the cost of evacuation, she might not have looked at it but if she has the answer, she could tell the House.
Ms Botchwey 3:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would be grateful if the Hon Member would file a Question on this particular issue because I have a lot to say. Indeed, if you are asking how they left Ghana, many of them now do not go through our airports. Many of them use unapproved routes and get their visas in other parts of West Africa. Therefore, it is difficult for us
to account for them. Unfortunately, when they get to their destination, they do not also let us know at the embassies that they are there.
Mr Speaker, I really would like to come back and talk about this matter. As we speak, many who were evacuated from Lebanon have started going back. So, we are experiencing problems again but if I can have a substantive Question on this, I would like to share with you the information that I have.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 3:41 p.m.
Well, they may be following the history of Lebanon itself because they also left Lebanon through no routes and many of them were stowaways. That is how they left Lebanon and dispersed worldwide as a result of a long drought which led to famine in that country but we should not encourage this now. We do not have a long drought and there is no famine in Ghana. I think we are better than many countries.
So, we would move on to the next Question but Hon Member, you can file a substantive Question on this matter. The Minister is ready and willing to come and answer the Question.
We would move to Question numbered 170 standing in the name of the Hon Member for Juaboso; Hon Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
Yes, Hon Member, you may ask your Question.
Nature of Diplomatic Engage- ments with Russian Government on the Procurement of Sputnik-V Vaccines
Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (NDC -- Juaboso) 3:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration the nature of diplomatic engagements with the Russian Government relating to the procurement of Sputnik-V vaccines.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey) 3:41 p.m.
Mr Speaker, diplomatic engagements with the Government of the Russian Federation regarding the supply of Sputnik-V vaccines to Ghana were confined to the following:
a) Correspondence with the Russian Embassy in Accra;
b) Correspondence between the Ghana Embassy in Moscow and Russian Government Agencies; and
c) Meetings with Russian Government Officials.
Correspondence with Russian Embassy in Accra
The Ministry, from 2020 to date, exchanged a number of correspondence with the Russian Embassy in Accra regarding the supply of the Sputnik-V vaccines to Ghana.
At the instance of the Russian Embassy in Accra, the Ministry transmitted a letter dated 7 th December, 2020, from the Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Mr Kirill Dmitriev, addressed to the Honourable Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, announcing the registration of Sputnik-V vaccine as the world's first vaccine against COVID-19 (registered in Russia on 11th August, 2020). The letter also requested the contact details of Ghanaian authorities responsible for approving the use of the vaccine for the purpose of procuring same.
The Ministry by a Note Verbale dated 16th February, 2021, also forwarded to the Russian Embassy a letter from the Ministry of Health, requesting the facilitation of the
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, can the Hon Minister furnish this House with copies of the correspondence? What I have is different from what has been enumerated in the Answer. So, will the Minister be kind enough to give us copies of the correspondence?
Ms Botchwey 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am able to do so.
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Answer, I realised that the highest Government official from Russia that the Government of Ghana dealt with, was the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Hon Minister could not even engage with her counterpart; the substantive Minister for Foreign Affairs in Russia and the President could not call the Russian President under these circumstances?
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Hon Member, is that your supplementary Question?
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, that is my Question.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Hon Member, I do not get the question, please can you re-phrase it?
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the question is, why is it that the highest Russian Government official we engaged with was the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs?
Ms Botchwey 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am reluctant to respond to this Question for the simple reason that the way the Question was asked, that the highest official is the Deputy Minister; that indeed is the case.
However, the Hon Member does not know who the person is, neither does he know the influence of that Deputy Minister. He wants me to say that I have engaged my counterpart, I have not engaged my counterpart because that is not the way it is done. You asked me to come here to say what my Ministry had done. There have been other contacts that have been made.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Hon Minister, sorry to intervene: You are addressing me and not the Hon Member.
Ms Botchwey 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I apologise. I said that other contacts have been made and I am reporting what my Ministry has done as at today but other contacts have been made even at the very highest level.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Yes, your last supplementary question.
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, very well.
Mr Speaker, the Russian Direct Investment (RDI) Fund has dealt with more than 30 countries including some African countries; Algeria, Kenya and Rwanda. The Hon Minister states that their engagements have not yielded any fruits. Do we have diplomatic challenges with Russia?
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Hon Member, the supplementary Question to the main Question is, do we have diplomatic challenges with Russia?
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Answer, he indicated that we have not been successful in acquiring Sputnik-V for the good people of this country.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Yes, it is here and I have read it.
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Speaker, I have indicated to you the countries that have been successful in securing Sputnik-V for their countries. Why is it that we have not been successful in securing those vaccines?
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Hon Member, that is a different question from the first one you asked.
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is the substance of it.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Hon Member, that is not the substance of it.
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with all due respect, I have re-phrased the Question.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
So, Hon Minister, answer the second supplementary question because the first one has been overruled.
Hon Member, the Minister is not clear on your Question. So, can you please repeat the question?
Mr Akandoh 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes. This is the third time I am repeating the Question.
Mr Speaker, what I am asking is that the Hon Minister indicated to us that she has not been successful in acquiring the vaccines for the country, and I am stating that as many as 30 countries have been successful. Why have we not been successful?
Ms Botchwey 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, all I know is that we have not been successful and I do not know why the other countries have been successful.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Well, I will give it to the backbenchers this time. Yes, Hon Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare.
Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity. If I may ask the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration whether or not in her diplomatic dealings, she involved the Ministry of Health of Ghana in acquiring the Sputnik-V vaccine?
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Hon Member, you are asking mean whether the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana called the Minister for Health of Russia -- ?
Mrs Ofosu-Agyare 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, no. I mean; ‘involved our own Minister for Health in the search'. She has --
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
Whether the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana involved our Minister for Health in the search?
Mrs Ofosu-Agyare 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please, still in this, I would like to add; ‘in the foreign dealing'. I would like to know whether the Hon Minister for Health was in the known of this diplomatic relation to find the Sputnik-V vaccine?
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
I can see the Hon Member for Adenta.
Mr Adamu Mohammed Ramadan 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, under the response correspondence to the Russian Embassy in Accra, the third paragraph says: ‘The Ministry by note verbale dated 16th February, 2021 also forwarded to the Russian Embassy a letter from the Ministry of Health requesting for the facilitation of the Russian Government in the procurement of the Sputnik-V vaccine for use in Ghana in view of the surge in the COVID-19 cases in the country.
I would like to find out from the Minister whether there was any response from the Russian Government with respect to, whether or not they could supply the vaccines so that Government could engage with a third party.
Mr Speaker, I am asking this question because I am aware -- [Interruption.] -- Thank you.
Ms Botchwey 3:51 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I never sighted a response.
Mr Speaker 3:51 p.m.
The Hon Second Deputy Speaker to take the Chair.
Hon Ablakwa, you may ask a supplementary question.
Mr Ablakwa 4:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration whether in her efforts to engage with the Russian authorities, she utilised the window created by the African Union? The African Union has secured 300 million doses and they have indicated that there is a credit line for member- countries to take advantage of, and some countries have utilised that
platform. The African Union is working with the Russian Direct Investment Fund, who are the marketers of Sputnik V. Was there any engagement with the African Union by taking advantage of the 300 million doses that Russia put at the disposal of Africa?
Ms Botchwey 4:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there was no such engagement by my Ministry but I must put on record that African Hon Ministers of Health are directly engaged with this process.
Mr Speaker 4:01 p.m.
Hon Members, we have come to --
rose
Mr Speaker 4:01 p.m.
Please we started long ago. I hope you would not take us backwards. Do you want to ask a supplementary Question?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 4:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to find out from the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration whether she is excluding herself from African Hon Ministers engaging in the transaction?
Mr Speaker 4:01 p.m.
The Hon Minister said African Hon Ministers of Health: She is not one of them.
Hon Members, on your behalf and on my part, I want to thank the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for attending upon the House and giving very comprehensive responses to the Questions that have been posed to her.
Hon Minister, we are extremely grateful and you are hereby discharged. We would now move to Question numbered 161 which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Wa East, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw.
Hon Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development should take the appropriate seat.
Hon Member, you may ask your Question.
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES 4:01 p.m.
AND AQUACULTURE 4:01 p.m.
DEVELOPMENT 4:01 p.m.
Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw (NDC -- Wa East) 4:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker asked the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development when the renovation of hatcheries in the Upper West Region would start.
Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (Mrs Mavis H. Koomson) (MP) 4:01 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the miniature Public Hatchery located at Sankana in the Nadowli-Kaleo District is the only hatchery in the Upper West Region.
The Facility has not been operational over the years. The Ministry in the medium-term (2022- 2025) intends to develop the aquacultural potential of the Region by constructing hatcheries in suitable locations including the White Volta tributaries in the Wa East District.
MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
Hon Member, any supplementary Question?
Dr Jasaw 4:06 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am happy with her initial response which includes plans for the Wa East District. Mr Speaker, may I know if the plans for the proposed hatcheries and those including the White Volta tributaries in the Wa East District would be captured in the 2022 Budget Statement that would be presented to this House?
Mrs Hawa Koomson 4:06 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if I understood the Question by the Hon Member, the hatcheries
we intend to develop in the area for the 2022-2025 medium-term would be included in our Budget.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
Hon Member, any further supplementary question.
Dr Jasaw 4:06 p.m.
Mr Speaker, no further supplementary question on this.
Thank you.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Anthony M. Sumah (NDC -- Nadowli/Kaleo) 4:06 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
I am inclined to ask a follow up question because the hatchery is located in my Constituency. Mr Speaker, the Question was to find out when the hatchery would be renovated and the Hon Minister in her Answer indicated that the Facility has not been operational over the years.
So, I want to know why the Facility has not been operational because it was the source of fingerlings for most of the dams in the Upper West Region. Also, does the Ministry have plans to renovate it in the interim while we work at constructing new hatcheries?
Mrs Koomson 4:06 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not operational because it was not included in the Budget and so there was no plan to stock the ponds in the area. Also, some of the ponds need to be reconstructed before they can be stocked.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:06 p.m.
Hon Members, we would move to Question numbered 162, which stands in the name of Dr Jasaw.
Measures to reverse Formal Warning by EU
Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw (NDC -- Wa East) 4:06 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development what specific measures are being put in place to reverse the formal warning (yellow card) from the European Union (EU) that could lead to eventual banning of seafood from Ghana.
Mrs Koomson 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, Ghana was issued with a warning or threat (Yellow Card) on June 2, 2021 by the European Union (EU) for being identified as a non-compliant country in the fight against Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Ghana therefore proposed to adopt and implement the following:
i. Ghana has categorised the issues into long term, medium
term and short term spanning one month to 24 months for all the concerns to be addressed.
ii. We have set up a Dialogue Mission with EU to address the issues. The first Meeting between the two parties is scheduled for 23rd July, 2021.
iii. We are seeking Cabinet approval for a new fisheries Act to be enacted to meet all international obligations.
iv. A Draft Marine Fisheries Management Plan will be validated in a workshop scheduled for 27th July, 2021, after which, the Plan will be submitted to Cabinet for approval and then gazetted for implementation.
v. A new National Plan of Action (NPOA) on IUU Fishing National Plan of Action (NPOA) on IUU Fishing (2021-2025), which is being implemented by the Fisheries Commission was deposited with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations on 5th May, 2021.
Dr Jasaw 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have been here before. In 2013, Ghana was issued this yellow card but we put in specific arrangements and ensured that by 2015, the ban was lifted. Now, when the EU was issuing the threat, they also gave some specific recommendations. I would want to find out what specific punishments and rewards they have for vessels and operators who violate the regulations put in place as management measures.
Mrs Koomson 4:11 p.m.
The punishments are in the Act and so we are going to enforce the law as stated earlier.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Dr Jasaw 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's written response on page 28, one of the specific measures they plan to implement is captured in (iii), and with your permission, I beg to quote:
“We are seeking Cabinet approval for a new fisheries Act to be enacted to meet all international obligations.”
Mr Speaker, what is wrong with the current Fisheries Act?
Mrs Koomson 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I know we are working on the Act. When I got to the Office as I
mentioned that EU has specifically given us some of the issues that should be added to the Act and that is why we are presenting it to Cabinet. Specifically, the Gear Audit that we have started. It is not in the Act as we speak. The number of vessels that should be operated on our waters is not part of it and there are so many things that we need to work on to make sure that we meet the international standard.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Dr Jasaw 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have my final supplementary question. What are the challenges that the Ministry is facing in the effort to enforce and reverse this yellow card?
Mrs Koomson 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, to be very frank, we are not having any challenges as we speak.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:11 p.m.
On that note, we move to Question numbered 163 that stands in the name of the Hon Member for Keta, Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey.
Hon Member, you may ask your Question.
Plans to Develop Aquaculture in the Keta Lagoon and Other Streams
Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey (NDC -- Keta) 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development the plans the Ministry has to develop aquaculture in the Keta Lagoon and the numerous streams to produce more fish, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc. for more food and jobs.
Mrs Koomson 4:11 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Keta Lagoon is a nursery area, feeding grounds and pathways for the diadromous migration of many fish species. The lagoon faces the following problems with respect to ecosystem productivity and capacity to sustain fishers' livelihoods.
1. Degradation and habitat loss.
2. Pollution.
3. Proliferation of aquatic plants that cover large areas of the lower Volta estuary.
4. Overfishing and illegal fishing practices.
5. Silting of the connection of the Lagoon with the open sea.
6. The lack of adequate management of the Lagoon and related fisheries activities.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:21 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Keta, you may ask your supplementary question.
Mr Gakpey 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Minister's Answer, she mentioned pollution, proliferation of aquatic plants et cetera. I would want to find out from the Minister the measures the Ministry is taking to address these problems?
Mrs Koomson 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry will collaborate with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and EPA to work on it.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:21 p.m.
Hon Members, we move to the last Question on the Order Paper which stands in the name of Hon Samuel Atta-Mills.
Closure of Fish Processing Plant in Elmina
Mr Samuel Atta-Mills (NDC -- Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem) 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development why the fish processing plant at Elmina is still closed and what the Ministry is doing about it.
Mrs Koomson 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the fish processing plant at Elmina, started operations in 2016 when the Project was handed over. However, the Facility had challenges with the absence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) (to treat waste after processing) and faulty condenser coils
for the refrigeration system. Through the defect liability period, the condenser coil for one of the refrigerators was replaced. The absence of the ETP was design defect, which the contract did not cover.
The Indian Government has agreed on the use of the outstanding amount on the Project to replace the iron coils with copper coils, install an ETP and construct a warehouse for the Facility to make it operational.
Mr Atta-Mills 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister again, when the coil will be fixed and when we should expect the fish processing plant to be in operation?
Mrs Koomson 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have contacted the Indian Ambassador. As I mentioned earlier, we have also called on the consultant to come and have a meeting with my office, and then we can take it from there. We cannot assess the rest of the Facility without the consultant and the contractor. They know what exactly the issues are, and so we are collaborating with them. When we are able to do it, we will write to the Indian High Commissioner and the funds would be released for the works to be done and it will be operationalised.
Mr Atta-Mills 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in the Minister's Answer, she said sometime that the Indian Government has agreed for the use of the outstanding amount on the Project. What amount is she talking about? How much is that?
Mrs Koomson 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when I took over and visited the Facility, I was informed that when the construction was done, there was some money left in the account that was to be used for the warehouse and other facilities, but it has not been used. When I met the Indian High Commissioner, I discussed with him and he made me aware that the rest of the money is there, so it can be used to work on the issues on the plant, so that it can start working again.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:21 p.m.
Hon Minister, thank you very much for attending upon the House to answer some questions. You are hereby discharged.
Hon Members, at the Commencement of Public Business, item numbered 7 on page 3 of the Order Paper, Presentation of a petition by the Hon Member for Okaikwei North.
PETITIONS 4:21 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:21 p.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Whip?
Mr Habib Iddrisu 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, none of the other Papers are ready. If there are Statements, we can take them. If there is no Statement, none of the Public Businesses are ready. and so, we can adjourn.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this House be adjourned till tomorrow 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
Mr Emmanuel Bedzrah 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have noticed that our Hon Colleagues on the other Side do not have any Public Business for us to do. Therefore, I second the Motion that
this House adjourns till tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:21 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Okaikwei Central, is there any issue?
Mr P. Y. Boamah 4:21 p.m.
Mr Speaker, you regulate the Business of the House. We announce to you the order in which we want proceedings to take place on the Floor. We are ready to work -- [Interruption] -- provided Mr Speaker will allow us to proceed.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:21 p.m.
Hon Member, I am ready to also work, but it appears Leadership together with those who are supposed to help the House to work are not available. Ministers who are supposed to present the Papers are not available
-- 4:21 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT 4:21 p.m.