Debates of 30 Jul 2021

MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:12 p.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 11:12 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:12 p.m.
Hon Members, we shall consider the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 29th July, 2021.
Page 1 … 13 --
Dr Nyarko 11:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 13, item numbered 4, the sentence under closing should read “The meeting was adjourned at 4.30 pm”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:12 p.m.
What is your correction?
Dr Nyarko 11:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I said, item numbered 4 on page 13 should read “The meeting was adjourned at 4.30 p.m.” The preposition “at” is
missing. It is stated “The meeting was adjourned 4.40 p.m.”.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:12 p.m.
Very well. The word “at” is missing. Your point is well noted.
Page 14 -- 17
Hon Members, subject to the correction, the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 29th July, 2021 is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Yes, presentation of Business Statement, Hon Majority Chief Whip?
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh 11:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your leave, the Hon Majority Leader has indicated that he is on his way and almost here. I would seek your leave for us to vary the order of Business and rather take Statements in anticipation of the arrival of the Hon Majority Leader.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:12 p.m.
Very well. Mr Speaker has admitted two Statements. Both are to commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
I would invite the Hon Member for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa to read the Statement.
STATEMENTS 11:22 p.m.
Mr Alhassan K. Ghansah (NDC -- Asikuma/Odoben/ Brakwa) 11:22 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make this statement on a very important day celebrated worldwide led by the United Nations member states.
Mr Speaker, World Day against Trafficking in Persons is an event observed across the globe annually on July 30. This event by the United Nations is geared towards raising awareness and to increase the prevention of human trafficking. The theme for this year's celebration is dubbed “Victims' Voices Lead the Way”.
Mr Speaker, this annual event with its significance was established and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/ RES/68/192 to provide opportunities for governments to reaffirm their commitment to stop criminals from exploiting people for profit.
Right Hon Speaker, trafficking in persons and modern day slavery is a worldwide problem with just some
few countries immune to human trafficking. The problem needs a global solution and that is why the United Nations organizes the World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness, encourage vigilance and gain support for the prevention of human trafficking. In furtherance to ensuring that this problem is discouraged amongst traffickers, the UN has produced a protocol to punish human trafficking and is hoping to implement this globally and an act to protect victims of trafficking.
Mr Speaker, survivors of human trafficking are being used in this year's campaign so as to help establish effective measures to prevent this crime, identify and rescue victims and support them on their road to rehabilitation.
Mr Speaker, trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. The problem of human trafficking has caused many victims to have traumatic post-rescue experience during identification interviews and legal proceedings. In fact, some victims have faced re- victimisation and punishment for the crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers, as well as
Mr Speaker, some of these efforts undertaken by government include 11:22 p.m.
convicting more labour traffickers, opening a dedicated shelter for child trafficking victims and increasing funding for victims services. The government also trained law enforcement personnel, judicial officials, community leaders and service providers, to be hard on these criminals whilst holding public awareness activities.
Mr Speaker, however, in order to fully attain and globally be recognised as dealing with the menace of trafficking and traffickers, Government must prosecute and convict any alleged traffickers as well as provide adequate resources for law enforcement to aid investigations and prosecutions and expand shelter capacity, address corruption in trafficking crimes, and finally amend the Anti-Trafficking Act (Human Trafficking Act 2005) regulations to remove the option of a fine in lieu of imprisonment in cases where the trafficker was a parent or guardian of the child victim.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, let us all encourage and support the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (M.O.G.C.S.P), The
Chairperson of the Committee on Gender and Children (Ms Francisca O. Mensah) 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make this Statement.
Mr Speaker, today, July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This day, popularly referred to as the Blue Day, is being commemorated around the world. As a Parliament, it is equally important for us to identify and commemorate this day, whilst assessing progress made in the fight against human trafficking and what we can collectively do to enhance national efforts at eradicating it in our beautiful country.
Mr Speaker, our country is blessed with such a deep and rich culture. We can look throughout history and see a graceful strength that inspires all who visit. Our people are talented and innovative and are constantly working for a better tomorrow. We have a lot to be proud of and be thankful for. We have thriving democratic and socio-economic credentials which have made us the spectacle of many across the world.
However, Mr Speaker, there is a shadow that has casted itself over our cherished country. That is the shadow of human trafficking. This shadow is not solely over our country, but it has casted its shadow over the majority of the world. In summary, The Human Trafficking Act of 2005 (Act 694) defines trafficking as the transfer of someone within a country or across national borders for monetary gain or by deception or through the abuse of power.
Mr Speaker, we must admit that this issue plagues our nation across and within borders. Ghanaians are trafficking Ghanaians. We see at our airports a weekly quota of young people being trafficked under the guise of pursuing greener pastures in countries like Lebanon and the Gulf States. Cross-border trafficking is a very real crisis in need of immediate attention.
Mr Speaker, in ending these atrocities, we will have to work together in order to see change. Organisations like the International Justice Mission (IJM) exemplify this well by supporting government to end the problem.

Institutions such as the Human Trafficking Secretariat, Department of Social Welfare, Attorney General's Department, Ghana Immigration Service and other stakeholders are working assiduously with their limited resources to end this injustice that is robbing the future and dignity of our children, brothers and sisters.

Mr Speaker, as we speak today, hundreds of children are being exploited on the beautiful Volta Lake. In order to completely end this menace, we need to intensify collaboration to enhance awareness creation, rescue victims, arrest and prosecute perpetrators, rehabilitate survivors and make it unappealing to traffic people. This is why the current partnership between the International Justice Mission, members of the Coalition of NGOs Against Child Trafficking (CNACT) are worth acknowledging. Collaboration is not only necessary but is required to end

trafficking, especially in the midst of

COVID-19.

At this point, it is important to commend the work of the Anti- Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Economic and Organised Crime Office and the Human Trafficking Secretariat for their efforts and collaboration with NGOs in addressing the problem. Over the past couple of years, hundreds of victims of trafficking have been rescued within and across our borders with several perpetrators being prosecuted. That notwithstanding, there are some areas in need of immediate attention.

Despite a robust policy framework, the Human Trafficking Act of 2005 (Act 694) and amended by the Human Trafficking (Amendment) Act of 2009 (Act 784), Human Trafficking Prohibition (Protection and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons) Regulations, 2015 (L.I. 2219) - the practicalities on the ground shows a steep practical deficit when it comes to the prevention and protection of victims of trafficking. Some key focal areas that we need to prioritise as a country to scale up our efforts at ending this problem are as follows:

1.The Department of Social Welfare is heavily under-

staffed and underfunded to provide the kind of support needed to victims of human trafficking. Some Depart- ments of Social Welfare offices lack basic provisions such as computers, vehicles, printers, et cetrera.

2. There currently exists only one female adult shelter in the entire country, thereby creating a massive vacuum when it comes to survivors of trafficking.

3. There is only one short term government-owned child shelter in the entire country with a limited capacity that is not suitable for the growing number of cases.

4. The Human Trafficking Fund is woefully inadequate for the provision of rehabilitative, livelihood, economic empowerment support and preventative activities.

Ghana is often seen as a leader in West Africa and needs to step up the funding available to step up the fight against trafficking in persons. Ghana with a population of approximately 31 million

currently has a one million cedi (approximately US$172,400) budget in tackling the menace. In comparison, our neighbours, la Cote d'Ivoire with a population of 24.29 million; and Togo with a population of only 7.798 million people, spent US$3.87 million and US$300,000 respectively on the fight against Human Trafficking.

5. The Volta Lake would need a minimum of 10 serviced marine boats to patrol the lake and put an end to the exploitation of children on the lake.

6. There is the need for greater coordination between the Ghana Police Service, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice and the Attorney- General's Department and the Economic and Organised Crime Office.

7. The need for psycho-social support for rescued persons and continuous support to monitor and to repatriate victims in the case of cross- border trafficking.

8. There is the need for the media to support the fight against human trafficking by actively sensitising the general public on it. Making available media platforms for victims to share their stories would go a long way to change the perception that human trafficking is abstract and would deter others from experiencing same.

Mr Speaker, it is worth mentioning that as I speak, we have some members of the International Justice Mission as well as a survivor of cross- boarder trafficking from the Gulf States and a survivor of child trafficking on Lake Volta in the Public Gallery. I believe strongly that, if we take measures to address some of these gaps, we would make double our impact in the fight against human trafficking.

Mr Speaker, as Members of Parliament, we also have a critical role to play in supporting with the sensitisation and law enforcement efforts by the respective government agencies and civil society organisations. May we see freedom for our people and may Ghana be blessed.

I thank you once again for the opportunity, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:32 a.m.
Hon Members, we agreed that, that should be the end.
Yes, Hon Leader what next?
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, rightly so. As was agreed, there will not be comments on those Statements.
Could we take item numbered 7 (c) on pages 2 and 3 of today's Order Paper?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:32 a.m.
Very well, at the Commencement of Public Business, Presentation of Papers.
PAPERS 11:32 a.m.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we can now take the Business Statement.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:32 a.m.
Very well, Business Statement for the Eleventh Week.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:32 a.m.
Arrangement of Business
Formal Communications by the Speaker
Mr Speaker, you may read any available communication to the House.
Question(s)
Mr Speaker, the Business Committee has scheduled the following Functionaries to respond to Questions asked of them during the week:
No. of Question(s)
i. Majority Leader and Leader of the House -- 1
ii. Minister for Lands and Natural Resources -- 7
iii. Minister for Food and Agriculture -- 10
iv. Minister for Employment and Labour Relations -- 2
v. Minister for Transport -- 3
vi. Minister for Education -- 6
vii. Minister for the Interior -- 6
viii. Minister for Roads and Highways -- 11
ix. Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Dev't -- 3
Total number of Questions -- 49
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, in all, the Leader of the House and eight (8) Ministers are expected to attend upon the House to respond to forty-nine (49) Questions during the week. The Questions are of the following types:
i. Urgent - 11;
ii. Oral - 38
11. 42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as recommended during the presentation of the Business Statement last Friday, the Business Committee once again proposes that as much as possible, Questions which are Constituency-specific be limited to only the Hon Members in whose names the Questions stand to ask the main question and supplementary
Questions. This is to enable the House dispose off as many Questions as possible, having regard to the tall order of Questions scheduled for the week.
Statements
Mr Speaker, pursuant to Order 70(2), Ministers of State may be permitted to make Statements of Government policy. Statements duly admitted by the Rt. Hon Speaker may be made in the House by Hon Members, in accordance with Order
72.
Bills, Papers and Reports
Mr Speaker, Bills may be presented to the House for First Reading in accordance with Order

120. However, those of urgent nature may be taken through the various stages in one day in accordance with Order 119.

Pursuant to Order 75, Papers for presentation to the House may be placed on the Order Paper for laying. Committee reports may also be presented to the House for consideration.

Motions and Resolutions

(i) Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.

(ii)Debate on the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the Budget Mr Speaker, debate to approve the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2021 Financial Year is scheduled to continue and conclude on Monday, 2nd August, 2021.

All Hon. Members are encouraged to avail themselves at plenary and to participate meaningfully in the debate.

Sitting on Monday and Sitting time during the Week

Mr Speaker, the House is programmed to Sit on Monday, 2nd August, 2021. This arrangement is to provide enough room for the transaction of business pending in the House, taking cognisance of the fact that, the House will not Sit on Wednesday, 4th August, 2020, which would be a holiday.

Mr Speaker, the Business Committee appeals that your earlier directive for Sittings to commence at 2:00 p.m. be varied. It is recommended that, in view of the business scheduled for the week under consideration, Sittings commence at 10:00 a.m. each day.

Furthermore, the House may also extend Sitting beyond the 2:00 p.m. as stipulated in Order 40(2) to enable the completion of scheduled business for each day of the week under consideration.

Address By Visiting President

Mr Speaker, the Business Committee takes this opportunity to inform all Hon Members that on Tuesday, 3rd August, 2021, the visiting President of the Republic of Angola, H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves

Lourenço, is programmed to address the House at 2:00 p.m.

Hon Members are urged to be punctual to grant audience to the august guest.

Public Holiday

Mr Speaker, Wednesday, 4th August, 2021, is expected to be Founders' Day, a statutory public holiday, and would be observed as such.

The House is expected to adjourn sine die on Friday, 6th August, 2021.

Conclusion

Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160(2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committee submits to this honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week.

Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160 (2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committere accordingly submits the order of Business for the ensuing week.

Urgent Question --
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:32 a.m.


Minister for Lands and Natural Resources what measures the Ministry is putting in place to fence the Achimota Forest, to reduce attacks by criminals on nearby residents and motorists.

*249. Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor (South Dayi): To ask the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources what is the status of payment of compensation to land owners who lost their lands during the construction of the Akosombo Dam late in the 1950s.

*357. Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey (Keta): To ask the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources the laid down processes or procedures to be followed when rosewood is consfiscated.

*358. Mr Adam Mohammed Sukparu (Sissala West): To ask the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources the total number of seedlings procured and distributed by the State on Green Ghana Day, and at what cost.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

(a)Report of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence & Interior on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission relating to the establishment of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre in Accra, Ghana.

(b) Report of the Joint Committee on Defence & Interior and Foreign Affairs on the National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanism Bill, 2021.

Presentation and First Reading of Bills --

(a) Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Bill,

2021.

(b) Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

(c)Office of the Special Prosecutor (Amendment) Bill,

2021.

(d) Criminal Offences (Amend- ment) Bill, 2021.

(e)Proper Human Sexual and Ghanaian Family Values Bill,

2021.

Motions --

(a)That this honourable House approves the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2020 Financial Year.

(Continuation & Conclusion of the Debate)

(b) Second Reading of Bills --

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

2021.

(c)Third Reading of Bills --

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

2021.

Consideration Stage of Bills ---

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

2021.

Committee Sittings

Urgent Questions --

(a) Mrs Angela Oforiwa Alorwu- Tay (Afadzato South): To ask the Leader of the House what measures are in place for the use of vehicle undercarriage scanners to check vehicles that enter the precincts of Parliament to ensure proper security for everyone working in Parliament.

(b) Mr Eric Afful (Amenfi West): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture the plans the Ministry has to re-open the 2021/2022 main crop season to purchase the abundance of cocoa beans which have been harvested by cocoa farmers in Ghana having regard to the exigencies of the season.

(c) Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwame Dafeamekpor (South Dayi): To ask the
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:32 a.m.


Minister for Food and Agriculture what steps the Ministry has taken to pay fertiliser suppliers to avert the acute shortage presently facing farmers in the country.

(d) Mr Mahama Ayariga (Bawku Central): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture why farmers cannot access fertilizer under the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme.

(e) Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw (Wa East): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture what mitigation measures are being put in place to reduce the financial shocks occasioned by COVID-19 on the poultry industry in Ghana.

Questions --

*145. Mr Frederick Yaw Ahenkwah (Jaman North): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture what accounts for the inability of the Ministry to fix a satisfactory minimum producer price for cashew in the 2021 cashew crop season despite the coming into fruition of the Tree Crop Authority.

*146. Mr Joseph Kwame Kumah (Kintampo North): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture the status of the proposed Cattle Grazing Parks at Kintampo North Municipality.

*147. Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwame Dafeamekpor (South Dayi): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture when the report on the audit commissioned into “Cocoa Roads” under construction would be ready and if Members can be given copies.

*194. Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw (Wa East): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture when the contractor working on the warehouse project in Bulenga in the Wa East District will hand over the facility for use by the community.

*195. Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso (Krachi West): To ask the Minister for Food and Agri- culture when the construction of the warehouse for Krachi West will commence and be completed.

*196. Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw (Wa East): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture what specific arrangements are being put in place to supply agro- inputs (seed, fertilisers, pesticides, weedicides) to farmers in the Wa East Constituency under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.

*226. Mr Abed-Nego Azumah Bandim (Bunkpurugu): To ask the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations how many people were engaged under the National Builders Corps (NABCO) programme in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District.

*227. Mr Albert Akuka Alalzuuga (Garu): To ask the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations why some National Builders Corps (NABCO) employees in the Upper East Region have not been paid since December

2020.

*233. Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah (Dormaa West): To ask the Minister for Transport when the Sunyani Airport, which was closed in

2015 for rehabilitation works, would be completed and commissioned for use.

*234. Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo (Wa Central): To ask the Minister for Transport when commercial flights to Wa will resume.

*235. Ms Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah (Salaga South): To ask the Minister for Transport the status of the construction of the Ferry Landing Bay (i.e. Makango Port) referred to by H.E. the President in the State of the Nation Address delivered on the 9th of March, 2021.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

Motions --

(a) Adoption of the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Report of the Auditor- General on the Public Accounts of Ghana (Public Boards, Corporations and Other Statutory Institutions) for the year ended 31st December,

2017.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:32 a.m.


(b) Adoption of the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Report of the Auditor- General on the Public Accounts of Ghana, Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies (MDAs) for the Financial Year Ended 31st December, 2017.

(c)Adoption of the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Report of the Auditor- General on the Statement of Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments of the Bank of Ghana for the year ended 31st December, 2017.

(d) Adoption of the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Report of the Auditor- General on the Public Accounts of Ghana (Consolidated Fund) for the Year ended 31st December,

2017.

Committee Sittings

PUBLIC HOLIDAY (Founders' Day).

Urgent Question --

(a) Dr Prince Hamidu Armah (Kwesimintsim): To ask the Minister for Education what the Ministry is doing to bring universal coverage of public and mobile library services to all districts in Ghana to give learners opportunities to compensate for disruptions to the academic calendar occasioned by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

(b) Mr Benjamin Komla Kpodo (Ho Central): To ask the Minister for the Interior what steps the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is taking to provide urgently needed relief to the people of Kpenoe, Shia, and the Ho Model School, whose schools, Health Centre, and private buildings have had their roofs ripped off by the recent rainstorms.

(c)Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor (South Dayi): To ask the Minister for the Interior the urgent steps the Ministry is taking to curb the smuggling of fertilizers, meant for the Planting for Food and

Jobs Programme across the country's borders.

(d)Dr Kwabena Donkor (Pru East): To ask the Minister for the Interior what steps are being taken to bring to an end the siege by armed robbers on the people of Pru East, Pru West, Sene East, Sene West, and the Atebubu-Amantin Districts in the Bono East Region.

Questions --

*63. Dr Clement A. Apaak (Builsa South): To ask the Minister for Education when textbooks based on the new Standard Based Curriculum for Basic Schools will be supplied to basic schools in Ghana.

*89. Mr Joseph Kwame Kumah (Kintampo North): To ask the Minister for Education on plans being put in place to complete the only GETFund hostel project at the Kintampo College of Health and Well-Being which is about 65 per cent complete.

*90. Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza (Adaklu): To ask the Minister for Education how much of the US$1.5 billion

approved by Parliament in October, 2018 for GETFund has been drawn down to date and which contractors were paid from the drawn down amount.

*122. Mr John Kwabena Bless Oti (Nkwanta North): To ask the Minister for Education when works on the Damanko Community Day Senior High School would be completed to enable its commissioning for use.

*123. Mr Frederick Yaw Ahenkwah (Jaman North): To ask the Minister for Education when the construction of the Community Day Senior High School (E-Block), situated at Duadaso No. 2, will be completed and commissioned for use.

*150. Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu (Wa West): To ask the Minister for the Interior what measures the Ministry is putting in place to ensure that safety and security is assured the people of Wa West Constituency who suffer attacks by robbers on daily basis.

*186. Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan (Adentan): To ask the Minister for the Interior what urgent steps Government is
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:32 a.m.


taking to improve the security situation and incidence of armed robbery within the Adentan Constituency.

*187. Mr James Agalga (Builsa North): To ask the Minister for the Interior what measures are being put in place to curb the spate of armed robberies in the country in recent times, including attacks on bullion vans.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

Motions --

Adoption of the Report of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence & Interior on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission relating to the establishment of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Centre in Accra, Ghana.

Consequential Resolution

Committee Sittings

Urgent Question --
Dr Clement A. Apaak (Builsa South) 11:32 a.m.
To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways why twenty-five (25) Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) employed to work at toll booths in the Greater Accra Region, as part of Government's programme to employ fifty per cent (50%) of Persons With Disabilities to work at tool booths across the country, have been sacked.
Questions --
*205. Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan (Adentan): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the contractor working on the St. Peters - Ogbojo Police Station road project will come back to site.
*206. Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan (Adentan): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways the status of the construction of the bridge on the road from Sraha ADMA School to Ogbojo and the bridge on the Abubakar Sidiq to Ogbojo road.
*208. Dr Zanetor Agyeman- Rawlings (Klottey Korle): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the following roads in the Klottey Korle Constituency will be asphalted: (i) Eseefo road (ii) Akooshie street (iii) Odanta street (iv) Paradise street (v) Farah Avenue (vi) Salem avenue (vii) Abebrese street (viii) Awulakpakpa street (ix) Justice Anie Jiage street (x) Salvation Link.
*209. Mr Seidu Issifu (Nalerigu/ Gambaga): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the road from Nalerigu to Gbintiri will be completed.
*210. Mr Seidu Issifu (Nalerigu/ Gambaga): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the Nalerigu to Nakpanduri road will be completed.
*212. Mr Christian Corletey Otuteye (Sege): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the Ministry will complete construction of the Nakom Korpe to Toflokpo road, which was awarded some time back.
*213. Mr Kofi Arko Nokoe (Evalue Ajomoro Gwira): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the Gwira Aiyinasi to Wiawso road, being constructed by Fridoug Construction Limited will be completed.
*214. Mr Robert Wisdom Cudjoe (Prestea/Huni-Valley): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when construction of the Bogoso Prestea roads will be completed.
*339. Mrs Della Sowah (Kpando): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways on steps the Ministry is taking to rehabilitate the road network in the following communities in the Kpando Constituency: (i) Echo road (ii) Aloyi roads (iii) Torkor road (iv) Gbofe road (v) Dzewoe roads.
*340. Mrs Della Sowah (Kpando): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the people of Debidebi Avega in the Kpando Constituency, will be provided with accessible road network.
*257. Mr Bismark Tetteh Nyarko (Upper Manya Krobo): To ask the Minister for Local
Dr Clement A. Apaak (Builsa South) 11:32 a.m.


Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development when the new public toilet at Sekesua, near the market, will be completed and handed over for use by the residents.

*258. Mrs Della Sowah (Kpando): To ask the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development when the Kpando Municipal Assembly will have its own offices.

*259. Ms Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah (Salaga South): To ask the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development when Assemblymen would receive their motorbikes to facilitate their work.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

Motions

Committee Sittings
THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO 11:32 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:32 a.m.
Hon Members, I would invite your comments.
Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, since the beginning of this Meeting, I have tabled four Questions. Three of them are constituency specific, but one of them has to do with the Krobo area. Fortunately, last week, two of them were programmed, but I did not see them on the Order Paper the whole of the week. We now have a new programme this week, but the Questions are still not there. I would want to find out what has happened to them? They had to do with energy.
Mr Speaker, another issue of concern to me is the fact that the House has decided that other Hon Members should not ask supplementary questions to constituency specific Questions. I do not think that if we decide to do it wholesale, it would help in reducing the number of Questions. For instance, yesterday, an Hon Colleague from Shai Osudoku asked a Question which had something to do with my constituency.
Therefore, if I were given the opportunity to also chip in just a question, it would have settled the issue, and I would not be forced to ask another Question that would add
up to the numbers. Therefore, I would want to ask the Business Committee to reconsider that decision, and if not to make it wholesale, then allow constituencies that have common problems to also ask similar questions at the same time.
Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu 11:32 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I was lucky to have seen my Question, which was directed to the Hon Minister for National Security appearing on the Order Paper yesterday after many Questions had been filed. Unfortunately, it was shifted to today. However, today, I have seen the Order Paper, but the Question is not there. Sadly, it does not even find expression in the Business Statement for next week. Therefore, I would just want to seek for clarity to know whether the Question has been deleted forever, and if not, to know when it would appear on the Order Paper?
Ms Zuwera Ibrahimah Mohammed 5 p.m.
Mr Speaker, mine has to do with paragraph four on the address that says that on the days that the Rt Hon Speaker, deems it necessary, we might Sit beyond 2.00 p.m.

Mr Speaker, we have had experiences where we have sat beyond 2.00 p.m., running all the way beyond 5.00 p.m., but the challenge that we face during such times has had to do with the use of washrooms. Apparently, when it is 5.00 p.m., the taps do not run around the precincts of the Chamber. It is a little bit very inconveniencing for Hon Members when we Sit for long periods. I did some checks, but I do not know how far the facts that I got represent the true picture, but I was told that there is somebody who is supposed to be in charge of pumping water and making sure that the water goes round everywhere, who closes work at 5.00 p.m. Therefore, once he closes for the day, there is no water in Parliament. So, we might have to take that into account when Sitting goes beyond

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Samuel Nartey George 5 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I wish to draw the attention of the Hon Deputy Majority Leader to page 2 of the Business Statement, particularly, the Business for Monday, paragraph (v) - Presentation and First Reading of Bills. The proper rendition of item (e) which is a Bill that seven Hon Members and I are sponsoring
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5 p.m.
Hon Member, this is not Statement time. You have raised an issue.
Mr George 5 p.m.
I just wanted to explain the issue. I just want to make sure that it is not becoming a business enterprise.
Mr Speaker, the third one is to find out if the Hon Minister for the Interior can be brought here? Two weeks ago, I raised the issue of us as Hon Members of Parliament (MPs) getting police bodyguards, not police ushers. A police officer assigned to you without a firearm is an usher, not a
bodyguard. We saw what happened to our Brother, Hon Sukparu. But for the fact that his police guard was armed, we would have had an unfortunate tale to tell. Not all police guards assigned to Hon MPs have been issued firearms. When would they transition from ushers to bodyguards?
Mr Edward Abambire Bawa 5 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on 14th July, 2021, I filed an Urgent Question on foreign- trained doctors who had written their entrance examination and as we speak today, have not received their results. I have not seen it in the Business Statement, and it has gone beyond 10 Sitting days as prescribed by our Standing Orders. I just want to know why we have not seen that Question because this is a very serious issue that has to do with our healthcare system, and I thought that it was important that we capture that. The Hon Deputy Leader may want to look at that.
Secondly, I just want to add to what Hon Terlabi said. I can understand the rationale behind limiting Questions that are constituency-specific to just the Hon Members who ask them. However, there are certain situations where the problems cut across. For example, last week, an Hon Member asked a Question on the issue of closure of
borders. I come from a border town, and the problems there are akin to that of Jomoro Constituency. Therefore, if we limit it to a specific constituency, it means that all of us would have to file individual Questions to have the same response that can be dealt with within a few minutes if we have follow up questions.
I thought that the Business Committee, led by the Hon Majority Leader, would take a second look at this particular suggestion and see how they can make an amendment to that effect.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5 p.m.
The Hon Deputy Majority Leader will respond to these ones and take further submissions.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 5 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it has been said here time without number that when Questions are filed, admissibility of same is the responsibility of the Rt Hon Speaker. Therefore, for Hon Members to come up with the issue of the Business Committee failing to programme their questions - first of all, Hon Members must find out whether their Questions have been admitted.
Secondly, on the issue of security Hon Sam George raised, I believe those are welfare matters, and it has
nothing to do with the Business Committee planning it on the Floor save that he wanted to make it known. We have taken note. Let us discuss it.
Regarding the issue of bringing the Hon Minister for Health to the House, the Hon Member should file a Question. It can be an Urgent Question. He has come up with a proposal on how to preserve our Ghanaian values and all other matters. Therefore, he has all it takes to use all the parliamentary tools available to do the needful.
Mr Speaker, on the question of supplementary questions and they being of shared effect, we are trying to deal with the backlog of Questions. We work together here. Unless you cannot reach out to your Hon Colleague to say that I have a matter - you have asked a Question so please, add it to your supplementary questions so that your Hon Colleague would deal with it for you since you share a common boundary and you believe that it relates to you.
Mr Speaker, that is the way we have to work or else, there would be a lot of Questions that would be outstanding till we come back in October, 2021 thereabout. I do not think that is what we want so, Hon Members, let us agree to that proposal and make progress.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah 5 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Majority Leader stated that on Tuesday, 3rd August, 2021, the President of Angola would address this House. Mr Speaker, it is not unusual for Presidents to visit the country. To address the House, I would be very interested to know if the Hon Leader could highlight the purpose of the visit and its political dividends that we stand to gain, and why he would address this House?
Mr Speaker, while I have the Floor, I believe that the point that the Hon Sam George made is very important especially because in the last three days or so, there have been a lot of these issues on social media. It appears that somehow, we are not handling the issue of tourism very well, and I am very concerned --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5 p.m.
Hon Members, please, you have the avenue for dealing with social media matters. I really have a problem encouraging social matters on the Floor.
Mr Buah 5 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not a social media matter.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5 p.m.
Bring them through the appropriate agency.
Mr Buah 5 p.m.
That is the point I am making. I believe that --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5 p.m.
The Business Committee will programme it. The Hon Deputy Majority Leader has said so. Let us not repeat it.
Mr Buah 5 p.m.
Yes, I am suggesting that the Business Committee --
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza 5 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Business Statement presented by my good Friend, the Hon Deputy Majority Leader.
Mr Speaker, I have noticed you are always available for Sitting to start on time as we all promised ourselves, but it appears it is we ourselves who, in many cases, are not on time for you to enter the Chamber. I am appealing again to Hon Colleagues that it appears Speakership, in making cases, get themselves ready to start work on time, but it is we ourselves who do not populate the Chamber appropriately for them to enter. Hon Colleagues, let us come to work again. Mr Speaker told us, “leadership by example”.
Mr Speaker, I used to say, imagine you have an appointment with your doctor for surgery and he is late --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 5 p.m.
Hon Member, this is Business Statement.
Mr Agbodza 12:02 p.m.
Thank you very much. Mr Speaker, I am worried, but the Hon Leader just left the House. During the reading of the last Business Statement, he promised that he would make the appropriate arrangements for Extended Sitting, but this promise has failed. No such arrangements were made and delivered.

So, they should make sure that if there would be extended Sittings, the necessary support systems should be provided for Hon Members to work.

Mr Speaker, last week, an important Question was answered in this House in relation to the cost of the President's travel and the Hon Minister for Finance asked the Hon Member for North Tongu, Mr Ablakwa, to redirect his Question to the Hon Minister for National Security. He did and the Question was admitted, so I thought that because it was an Urgent Question it should have been scheduled for the Hon Minister for National Security to tell us how much exactly that particular trip cost. I want to urge the Hon Majority Leader, so that the Question would be advertised for the Hon Minister to

come to the House to answer that Question.

Mr Speaker, lastly, the research assistants of Hon Members have been on the same salary from the time they were appointed till today. I want to encourage leadership to work to improve the welfare of our research assistants because they complain a lot. I am informed they are not even paid. It is an affront to Parliament and it is a breach of respect to Hon Members.

Leadership should work to augment the welfare of our research assistants because if they are not in good shape, we would also not be in good shape.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:02 p.m.
I indeed intend to curtail it because we are not discussing the Business Statement. You are only taking advantage to make comments on matters which are --
Yes, Hon Member for South Dayi, Mr Dafeamekpor?
Mr Rockson-Nelson E. K. Dafeamekpor 12:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:02 p.m.
Hon Member, you have a Question that is outstanding?
Mr Dafeamekpor 12:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is so.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:02 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, the Hon Member for South Dayi, has an outstanding Question, so please respond to that.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Business Committee is made up of 20 Hon Members which comprises 10 members from each Side. We meet as a team to work on these things.
Mr Speaker, for the records, the Rt Hon Speaker has not admitted any Question from the Hon Member for North Tongu, Mr Ablakwa. I do not want him to create the impression that the Rt Hon Speaker has admitted his Question, passed it on the Business Committee and we have failed to programme the Hon Minister to come and answer it. Let it not be the record. His leadership is part of the Committee and they would not sit idle when a Question has been admitted because they protect their members' interest. So, he should not create the impression that their leaders do not talk for them.
Mr Speaker, again, we have said that admissibility lies within the bosom of the Rt Hon Speaker, so they should use their Hon Whips. The Minority who are always concerned about their Questions should use their Hon Whips because they are very effective. What they fail to do is that they do not want to utilise their leadership -
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:02 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, kindly, respond to the issues that have been raised.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would respond by suggesting to them strongly that for some of these concerns, they should use their leaders. They should go to
their leaders and discuss with them so that they would use their influence to follow up. That is why we have leadership. The Minority should please, use their leaders.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:02 p.m.
Do you mean to say that there are no outstanding Questions to be programmed by the Business Committee - is that the issue?
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, not at all. We have dealt with all that were brought to our attention. That is why I have appealed to them to consult and confer with their leadership. The Hon Member for Lower Manya Krobo, Mr Terlabi, should go to his leaders and engage them.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the Report should be adopted.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:02 p.m.
Mr Speaker, before I make comments on the Business Statement of which I am an Hon Member of the Committee, I want to refer to Order 160 (1) which with your permission, I beg to quote. It says:
“There shall be a Business Committee consisting of twenty Members, and composed of the Majority Leader as Chairman, the
Chief Whips of the parliamentary parties and other Members''.
Mr Speaker, this is a Committee of the House and their Report is like the Report of any other Committee - we all operate the Committee system. The question that was directed to the acting Hon Leader of the Business Committee does not concern the leadership of any Caucus because the leadership and some Hon Members of either Caucuses belong to this Committee. So, we should not go on that tangent.
Mr Speaker, to assist the Hon Deputy Majority Leader, the Business Committee programmes Questions submitted and admitted by the Rt Hon Speaker for the plenary and for our adoption which we have done. However, I expected the Hon Deputy Majority Leader to say that there are a lot of Questions some of which are brought to the Business Committee to be programmed for the ensuing week. Similarly, there are over 50 Statements which have been submitted to the Rt Hon Speaker for admission but we cannot take 50 Statements in plenary for a day. So, Hon Members should also understand. Until the Hon Deputy Majority Leader explains to them, they would not know.
When such questions are asked and we jovially say they should confer
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:12 p.m.
with their leadership - no Hon Member submits a Question to leadership and leadership on either Sides does not have the power to admit Questions and the Business Committee does not also have the power to admit Questions. It lies within the jurisdiction of the Rt Hon Speaker.
Mr Speaker, beyond that the comment that was made by the Hon Member for Ningo-Prampram, Mr Sam George, per the Business Statement, the House would adjourn sine die on Friday, 6th August, 2021. So, technically, the Business Committee may not be able to sit again until when the House reconvenes. So, if the Hon Member says that the Business Committee should programme the Hon Minister for Health to appear before the House and the Hon Deputy Majority Leader said that he should come by a Question, he has both a Question and a Statement under his bosom but he wants to make use of a Statement.
The appeal was directed to you that since the House would adjourn sine die next week and we may reconvene somewhere in October - this is a health concern so the Hon Member was of the view that if the Rt Hon Speaker or the House could invite the Hon Minister for Health to make a Statement - and provision has been
made for Statements in the Business Statement. Let us make use of what we could before 6th August, 2021, but the Hon Member was asked to come by a Question knowing very well that a Question cannot be admitted no matter how urgent it is and answered before 6th August, 2021.
Mr Speaker, we have serious challenges. The Business Committee has not done anything untoward. The Questions and Statements are so many and we have to make use of the time that we have.

I would want Hon Members to accept and I would also want to appeal to you if technically, the House could invite the Minister for Health to brief the House on the measures being taken so that we may not go on recess and be recalled within these two months to come just as we did to approve the Deputy Minister for Health during the COVID-19 times.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:12 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Whip, if Hon Members do not have their Questions admitted, it is wrong for their leader to find out from Mr Speaker.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, no, there is a Question book.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:12 p.m.
That is all I understood the Hon Deputy Majority Leader to be saying that if there are issues with admissibility, use your leadership to verify for you, and I think that should not be an issue.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 12:12 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if I have your indulgence, just a couple of issues on the Business Statement --
My first issue would be that probably, on Monday, as we have agreed to Sit, we would engage Hon Members who have Questions to stand them down in order that we can spend quality time to have some quality comments or debate on the Mid-Year Budget Review to deal and bring to conclusion matters relating to same and reschedule the Questions to another day. Since nothing stands referred to any Committee and there are no supplementary estimates, that would be my suggestion.
Mr Speaker, we further expect that the Ad hoc Committee Report on the Sputnik-V Vaccines should be programmed for our consideration before we adjourn sine die.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Sam George has raised a very significant issue; we
should give it some attention in the public interest. It is about COVID- 19 test and persons challenging the medical and scientific veracity of the PCR and Antigen tests.
Imagine your wife has travelled or your mother was coming in and they are subjected to a test or the outcome of a test that is questionable, that would separate the families not based on scientific merits. Some concerns have been raised about the quality of the tests conducted by Frontier Health Services. We have our issues with its procurement but we deserve better as a country and this House deserves to ask relevant and legitimate questions including positioning Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) to play an independent supervisory role.
Mr Speaker, so, it is a matter which if the Hon Minister for Health together with the Ministry of Aviation would respond to, that would be important.
Mr Speaker, my final issue, as I indulge you again, is matters relating to fertiliser. There is either a shortage of it or non-payment of persons supplying fertiliser which is affecting farmers generally across the country. It is seasonal; if we do not act now, we would act in regret. If it is that the Ministry of Finance must come and
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:12 p.m.
Hon Minority Leader, I think it would have been fair to speak to me or your Ranking Member of the Privileges Committee before bringing this matter to the floor of the House. The thing is that I have never called for hearing via Zoom. I know that one of us has given an interview to the Press and he has totally misrepresented the facts. It was a meeting to decide when we would sit which I said we could do it on Zoom.
I discussed with my Ranking Member; I understand his challenges. People did not show up but the meeting went on and it has been advertised. We would sit on 5th August, 2021, in person and we have given the venue for the meeting and we have advised Members which sections of the Standing Orders they must read in preparation for their work. That was all I intended us to do at that meeting. It was not intended to be a hearing and I encourage Members -- [Interruption] --
Very well, Leader, we would discuss this later.
Hon Majority Leader, yes, now that you are here.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just entered and the Business Statement was presented to the House by the Deputy Majority Leader. I am just hearing the Minority Leader make a request to me to invite the Hon Minister for Food and Agriculture to come and respond to some issues relating to the supply and perhaps payment for fertilisers. I think if we are ad idem on this, we could invite the Hon Minister to come, not to respond to the Question because admitting the Question perhaps would be too late in the day, but to come and make a Statement on the subject matter.
Mr Speaker, I understand the Hon Sam George also raised some issues about the integrity of the equipment for testing COVID-19. We should appreciate this point that there is nowhere in the world where anybody could vouch 100 per cent for the integrity of these equipment. So, let us not rubbish what is happening here.
Mr Speaker, I would relate to a specific incident that happened just about five days ago. A university don had led a team to Germany - Germany of all places - and when they got there, they submitted
themselves to the COVID-19 test. Just when they were coming, they submitted themselves to a test in the hospital facility and all of them were negative. They got to the airport in just less six hours after they submitted themselves to the hospital facility and so they had to submit themselves again. They showed their results and they said no; they should submit themselves again. When they did, the university don who was leading the team was found out to have tested positive. Within a space of six hours and he could not believe it. They went home and submitted to a second test at another hospital and it came out negative. What it means is that there is something wrong somewhere.

Mr Speaker, I am not too sure that the attempt by some people to run down facilities is a good effort; it is certainly not. Let us not try to relate to matters that we do not know of because I heard an Hon Member say that it is a fact. What fact does he or she know? Please, this is a matter about Ghana, let us not go on that path.

So, please if the Hon Minister has to also come and relate to it, so be it. However, let us not go on our own frolic to run the country down, it does not do anybody any good.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:22 p.m.
Very well.
The Business Statement of the ensuing week is hereby adopted by the House.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, except to give an indication, I think the statement programmed that I should come and relate to a Question that had to be shifted to Tuesday. At the time, I had not had a response and now, I have a response and so, I believe we can even relocate it to Monday for me to respond to that urgent Question in the name of Hon Angelina Oforiwa Alorwu-Tay; Member of Parliament for Afadjato South. We can respond to it on Monday, we will bring it forward to Monday. That is the only amendment to it.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:22 p.m.
Very well.
Let us move on to item numbered 8 -- Motion.
MOTIONS 12:22 p.m.
Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 12:22 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion for the adoption of the President's nomination of Mr Kissi Agyebeng as Special Prosecutor.
Mr Speaker, nobody will stand in the way of any President to want to combat, prevent and punish corruption. It was re-assuring listening to Mr Kissi Agyebeng when he said he will make corruption a high cost activity but I have always called it a ‘high-risk activity'. To make it ‘high risk', will be to sanction it and sanctioning it will require strong political will.
Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 12:32 p.m.
I would like to believe that this young man as he has said, will walk in his own shoes because he would not be able to fit into the shoes of Mr Martin Amidu; former Special Prosecutor given his background and experience as compared to that of his predecessor.
Mr Speaker, in contributing to the debate, I have cause to go back to the 26th of October, 2017, and to refer to a very important letter that the United States of America (USA) referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs when the matter of Special Prosecutor was debated.
I say so because in this particular matter, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, referred the nomination of the Special Prosecutor by the Hon Attorney- General and Minister for Justice to Parliament.
Mr Speaker, I beg to quote the observation of the USA which is always at the global forefront of fighting corruption.
“Our foremost recommendation is that the Office of Special Prosecutor be seen to be free of political influence and
interference, specifically the appointment of the Special Prosecutor should be subject to a transparent, competitive short- list process”.
I beg to repeat that the determination of the Special Prosecutor in the letter of the USA Embassy of 31st August, 2017, is that the Special Prosecutor should be subject to a transparent, competitive short-listing process. This Special Prosecutor was not subjected to this requirement and I associate myself with this requirement and I think that next time, the President must cause an advertisement to be made publicly because this - why are we not relying on article 88 of the 1992 Constitution because successively, Attorney- Generals and Ministers for Justice have failed the test under the Fourth Republic to punish corruption and closer politically-exposed persons.
Mr Speaker, so, we need a truly independent person and that is where I have my doubts as to how independent Mr Kissi Agyebeng would be; given the determination that he was handpicked or recommended by the Hon Attorney-General and Minister for Justice to the President.

Mr Speaker, so in future we should subject it to a competitive short-listing

process so that we get an apolitical person to occupy the position, so that he can deal with our quest to combat corruption.

Mr Speaker, my other comment is that the young man impressed me with his knowledge of law, particularly on Criminal Law. Mr Speaker, but laws are not enough to fight graft, white collar criminality and economic crime because that is one of the offences, both the giver and the receiver benefit from the offence. It is not like other criminal offences where one person would lose something because bribery and corruption is shrouded in secrecy.

Mr Speaker, however, he comes with some background and as the Hon Chairman of the Committee questioned him on some of these matters, he assured us that he would work to criminalise unexplained wealth; subject persons to what the law on evidence require and prove beyond reasonable doubt. He explained that he would avoid conflict of interest situations and he would work to reduce the incidents of corruption.

Mr Speaker, another assurance he gave your Committee was to avoid possible conflict between the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice. Probably, the chemistry of the

two of them may work, but they have to work to serve Ghana and not to serve any political party or a Government in power. In any case, we are told that corruption in Ghana is facilitated by three important factors which are need, greed and opportunity - and persons who have control of resources are likely to have the opportunity.

Mr Speaker, he said that he would work with the Board to create two new additional departments so we look forward to measuring him on those matters.

Mr Speaker, as I said, I have no objection whatsoever to stand in the way of a President who wants to fight corruption, but what we expect is for Mr Kissi Agyebeng to demonstrate political neutrality, political independence and political will in making corruption a high- risk activity.

I would conclude by advising him that in Ghana, the focus is normally on political office holders; Hon Ministers and Hon Members of Parliament, but the Chief Directors and Chief Executive Officerrs are left as if they are not part. Mr Speaker, there is evidence that some Chief Executives and other office holders are involved. Some writers divide corruption in Ghana into three categories; petty corruption, grand
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:32 p.m.
Hon Agalga?
Mr James Agalga (NDC -- Builsa North) 12:32 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the Motion on the Floor.
Mr Speaker, clearly in my estimation, Mr Kissi Agyebeng demonstrated a lot of competence and ability to deliver as the Special
Prosecutor when he appeared before the Appointments Committee. One of the cardinal guiding principles that informed the decision of this House in enacting the Office of the Special Prosecutor's Act was to have an office that would be insulated from all forms of manipulations and interferences in discharging its mandate of prosecuting corruption and corruption-related offences. So, the Committee sought to test Mr Agyebeng's ability to rise to the occasion when appointed as the occupant of an Office that truly would be independent in carrying out its mandate.
Mr Speaker, I should say that Mr Agyebeng acquitted himself well in that regard and I beg to refer you to paragraph 5.6 of the Report where when he was confronted with the accusation labelled against him as having had something to do with the Agyapa Royalties Transaction, he was very frank and stated that he came nowhere near the Agyapa Royalties Transaction. Indeed, if Mr Agyebeng had stated that he had something to do with that transaction, then in my view, this would have disqualified him from occupying the Office of the Special Prosecutor. However, he clearly distanced himself from this transaction and accusation that was labelled against him.
Mr Speaker, he also put matters to rest in respect of his age and
competence because he had also been accused that as a young person, he lacked the experience and expertise to step into the shoes of a colossus such as the former Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu. Mr Speaker, Mr Agyebeng said to the Committee that he was 43 years old and he sought to draw comparison between himself and the President of France who is also 43 years old.
Mr Speaker, he also informed the Committee that under the 1992 Constitution he is even qualified to sit on the Bench of the Supreme Court because he has served 18 years at the Bar which is more than the required minimum of 15 years. So, though he is a very young and enterprising lawyer, he has demonstrated clearly that he is very qualified to occupy the office of the Special Prosecutor's seat.
Mr Speaker, I would conclude with a last point that I thought he demonstrated a lot of candour with regard to the issue of potential conflict between the role of the Attorney- General and Minister for Justice and the role of the Special Prosecutor. Mr Speaker, he was very frank that under article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, the prosecutorial powers of the State are vested in an Attorney-General, however, the Act establishing the
office of the Special Prosecutor also vests the power in the Special Prosecutor to initiate criminal proceedings in our courts.
Clearly, although the law says that the Office of the Special Prosecutor should be responsible for prosecuting cases of corruption and corruption- related offences, in certain cases, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice could actually decide to prosecute cases of corruption and corruption-related matters. Mr Speaker, so if care is not taken and the roles are not properly delineated -- his words were “the proper delineation of the roles, there could be possible conflict between the two”.
Mr Speaker, so it is my prayer that when he assumes the Office, he would come up with certain proposals for consideration and to determine how we can properly delineate the roles so as to forestall the potential conflict between the two Offices.
Mr Speaker, on this note, I would say that Mr Kissi Agyebeng merits to be appointed as the Special Prosecutor so we should all support him in that regard.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:32 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.


Mr Speaker, having listened to Hon Colleagues who have spoken ahead of me, I think the issues at stake relate to the knowledge candour about the law of Mr Kissi Agyebeng, and the conclusion of all those who have spoken ahead of me is that he is a man who is very deep in his knowledge about the law. That is, he has integrity.

Mr Speaker, again, people have spoken eloquently about the integrity of Mr Kissi Agyebeng and again about his own independence of thought and beliefs, his conviction and commitment and his avowed position in upholding the rule of law.

Mr Speaker, my colleague, Hon Agalga related to the imperatives of article 88 of the 1992 Constitution. I think before we came to fashioning the law relating to the office of the Special Prosecutor, we all came to the understanding that the 1992 Constitution vests in the Attorney-

General, the power of investigations and no other person. What we sought to do and indeed did was to have the Attorney-General delegate some of his responsibilities to the Special Prosecutor. It does not recuse the Attorney-General eternally from involvement in such criminal investigations. He could, but I agree that there should be some clear delineation of boundaries. Even with those ones, if we even did that, it cannot be a permanent watershed because occasions may demand the Attorney-General himself or herself intervening in the investigation and prosecution in relations to such cases.

Mr Speaker, the Special Prosecutor is supposed to work in close collaboration with the Auditor- General in pursuing criminals, especially those of them who engaged in money laundering, corruption and invest in assets.

Mr Speaker, as a country, I believe the time has come for us to have a second look at the 1992 Constitution in respect of article 286.

Article 286(2) of the 1992 Constitution provides that:

“286. (1) A person who holds a public office mentioned in clause (5) of this article shall submit to the Auditor-General a

written declaration of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by, him whether directly or indirectly -- ”
Mr Speaker, clause 2 says 12:42 p.m.
“(2) Failure to declare or knowingly making false declaration shall be a contravention of this Constitution and shall be dealt with in accordance with article 287 of this Constitution.”
Now, if such declarations are made, the Auditor-General places these declarations in a safe under lock. How is anybody to know that a person has failed to declare or knowingly made false declarations in respect of his assets if the Auditor- General is not allowed to look at the declaration?
Mr Speaker, the Auditor-General and indeed Auditors-General elsewhere, when you submit your declaration, they look at it and investigate the declaration. If you say that you have acquired within maybe, a space of four years, as a public officer, 10 houses, they would look at your income and ascertain how you possessed or owned 10 houses in four years. They would match it against
your income, then they would be able to establish whether you acquired those assets properly or improperly. However, our case is different.
So Mr Speaker, we have to look at this. Clause (4) of article 286 provides:
“(4) Any property or assets acquired by a public officer after the initial declaration required by clause (1) of this article and which is not reasonably attributable to income, gift, loan, inheritance or any other reasonable source shall be deemed to have been acquired in contravention of this Constitution.”
How do we know, if as it obtains now, the Auditor-General is not required to have a look at your own declaration?
Mr Speaker, I believe we should have a reconsideration of these provisions in order to allow the Auditor-General to peruse these documents that are given to him. If there are any contradictions, suspicions and improprieties established by the Auditor-General, they could be ferried to the Special Prosecutor for further investigation and if need be, for prosecution.
Mr Firtst Deputy Speaker 12:42 p.m.
Hon Members, the House has accordingly approved the nominee, Mr Kissi Agyebeng for appointment as Special Prosecutor in accordance with article 79(1) of the 1992 Constitution.
Hon Majority Leader, if I may be guided?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:42 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe we can get to item numbered 9, which unfortunately has been listed as a Motion that this House approves the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the Budget Statement and
Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2021 Financial Year.
Mr Speaker, I would want to submit as I started saying yesterday that indeed, this presentation, technically, is not to seek approval from this House. It was information that was coming to us by way of a Statement. The House could pass comments on them but it should not really come in the form of a Motion.
So subject to the indulgence of my Colleagues, I would want to amend the item listed 9 as a Motion. It cannot be a Motion. It is a Statement that was read to us, and we must comment on the Statement, which is our responsibility.
Mr Speaker, I understand the Hon Minister for Finance moved the Motion, but that was wrong, technically. It is a Statement that he submitted to this House. So we can just amend the item listed as a Motion and proceed to make comments on the presentation the Hon Minister made to this House.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, first of all, unless the Hon Leader of Government Business did not advise the Hon Minister appropriately, the Minister moved a Motion. He moved a Motion
yesterday and he said that this honourable House approves the Mid- Year Budget Review.
Mr Speaker, I have just requested for some information. In 2019, it was a Motion, if you would indulge me, I would quote. It reads:
“I beg to move that this honourable House approves the Mid-Year review…”

Mr Speaker, in 2020, again, “…I beg to move that this honourable House approves the Mid-Year Review, 2020.”

Again, “I beg to move…” It was a Motion. Mr Speaker, even in 2018.

Secondly, whether it is a Statement or not, our most important core function as Parliament is oversight and budget oversight and this forum remains the forum for debates; comments, we can but we should debate. This is because the Hon Minister raised debatable issues here. When he was comparing 2016 to 2021, how are we going to respond with comments? We have to debate it and share our narratives. I have no

difficulty because when article 179 is read well -- for purposes of yesterday, he did not come with a Supplementary Estimates. That is why he himself said that Article 179(8) reads as follows:

“Where, in respect of a financial year, it is found that the amount of moneys appropriated by the Appropriation Act for any purpose is insufficient or that a need has arisen for expenditure for a purpose for which no sum of moneys has been appropriated by that Act, a Supplementary Estimate showing the sum of money required, shall be laid before Parliament for its approval.”

Mr Speaker, that is where you would have referred some matters to Committees and other issues. So probably within that context, we would agree to make comments on the statement but he moved the Motion. He was not advised properly and early so the Hon Majority Leader should accept responsibility for that or is it part of his new Suame tomorrow's aspiration tactics? I do not understand -- Motion and now Statement. How can a Motion be reduced to a Statement?

However, Mr Speaker, we have no difficulty. I understand that at conclave, you agreed that you would take three
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:52 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, we are starting with Hon Cassiel Ato Forson.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that we would require your directive on this matter. This is because there is a thin line between the content of a comment and indeed a debate but when you relate to a debate, after, we have to vote to approve of the information that is given to us or not to approve.
Mr Speaker, it does not work that way.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:52 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, I thought at the conclusion of the comments of the Hon Minority Leader, he agreed with you that there is nothing to be voted on so we are just discussing the Statement presented to us. You will have the opportunity to comment as you choose.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if that was how he landed, that is how it is supposed to be.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:52 p.m.
Hon Cassiel Ato Forson would start.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker to take the Chair.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just want to clear the air. They brought only 70 copies yesterday so only 35 Members on our Side have copies of the Statement. If the rest are in, we can share them. As the Ranking Member and the Chairman are contributing, the Hon Members would be going through. So that if there are omissions, misleadings and others, we can be bringing them on try.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:52 p.m.
Hon Leader, the Leaders decided that we should start. I was of the view that we should start on Monday but you leaders insisted that we should start today. So you knew the numbers you have, you knew your limitations and you insisted that we start today. So please take steps to get the others who do not have the book.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we can start. I was just drawing attention of the Table Office to make available copies as we proceed.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:52 p.m.
You do not need to address me to talk to Table Office.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have been in this House for some time.
Mr Speaker, Hon Ato Forson is here with me; Hon Ricketts-Hagan is here with me when Mid-Year Reviews have been submitted without supplementary budgets. We sometimes even start the debate immediately after and ask them -- [Interruptions] -- Yes ask him. You were not a Deputy Minister. You were a Chairman of a Committee. The former Deputy Ministers are here.
Mr Speaker, we even started that very day. Please, let nobody mislead anybody here -- with respect. Because it is not a Motion, properly so called, it is the reason we are calling Hon Ato Forson. So he is not going to second a Motion. He is going to contribute.
So, Mr Speaker, I believe with that understanding, we can start. I was saying yesterday that even though the practice has been that whenever we have this, we do the comments one day and finish it, I am just saying that because today is a Friday, we can spill it over to Monday to conclude on Monday.
Mr Speaker, I believe we are moving on as a House; we should expand the frontiers of contributions.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:52 p.m.
Hon Cassiel Ato Forson?
Mid-Year Budget Review and Economic Policy, 2021
Mr Cassiel A. B. Forson (NDC -- Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam) 12:52 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make some few comments on the Mid-Year Review that was recently presented to us.
Mr Speaker, in doing so, let me start by saying that in the Minister's submission, he said that he did not appear before us to ask for an increase in appropriations neither did he appear before us to ask for an increase in taxes.
Mr Speaker, I submit that in as much as he may not have appeared before us to seek additional expenditure, he may end up by the end of the year 2021 to exceed the Appropriations Act.
Mr Speaker, I say this because last year, the Minister responsible for Finance exceeded appropriations by GH¢8.8 billion.
Mr Speaker, this is amounting to about US$1.5 billion. This singular increase in expenditure exceeding appropriations by GH¢8.8 billion has been captured by the Auditor- General's Report for the year 2020. That is why I am not encouraged at any time that the Minister tells us that
Mr Cassiel A. B. Forson (NDC -- Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam) 1:02 p.m.
even though he may not come to seek for appropriations -- that does not necessarily mean that the Minister would not ask for appropriation.
Mr Speaker, I make reference to the Auditor-General's Report on the Consolidated Fund for the year 2020, page 3. Going into it, one would notice that 18 different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) exceeded their allocations for the year 2020 by GH¢8.8 billion. Mr Speaker, I can make this document available and I am sure every single Member of Parliament has one.
Mr Speaker, let me also say that I heard the Minister once again saying that even though revenues were not doing well, he has cut some expenditures accordingly.
Mr Speaker, it would surprise you to know that our Minister for Finance is cutting expenditure at wrong places and overspending in wrong places. The two put together, he is doing the wrong things.
Mr Speaker, I said this for a reason. I say this because for instance, the Minister responsible for Finance and the Ministry of Finance collected National Health Insurance Levy for the first six months of the year. Page 90, Appendix 2(b) gives this information. The Minister collected an
amount of GH¢1.02 billion in the name of the National Health Insurance Levy.
Mr Speaker, it would surprise you to know that even though he collected GH¢1.02 billion, he only paid an amount of GH¢380 million.
Mr Speaker, this is not right. Apart from that, he also collected an amount of GH¢1.021 billion in the name of Ghana Education Trust Fund.

Mr Speaker, again, it will surprise you that on page 91, Appendix 2C, the Minister has so far in the first six months of the year, he has only paid GETFund an amount of GH¢439 million. It does not end there. It would also be noticed on page 90, Appendix 2B, that the Minister for Finance and the Ministry of Finance has collected an amount of GH¢1,064,000,000.00 in the name of Ghana Road Fund. Again, he has only paid GH¢453 million. Clearly, it would be seen that the Minister is cutting expenditures at the wrong places. These statutory agencies need money for them to function well.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Finance had programmed that in the first six months of 2021 to spend GH¢1,069 million being transfers to the District Assemblies Common

Fund (DACF). It would surprise you to know that during that period, the Ministry of Finance had only paid GH¢415 million to the DACF. That is why I am saying that the Minister for Finance is cutting expenditures at the wrong places. These are places that we would need them to spend, because those institutions have collected the money, they were supposed to spend that money to spike economic growth.

Mr Speaker, the Minister is overspending in wrong places because if you look at page 91, Appendix 2C, clearly, the Ministry of Finance had programmed that goods and services, for the first six months of the year, they were going to spend GH¢2.6 billion.

It surprises me that at the end of the first six months, the Ministry of Finance has spent GH¢4.4 billion. This is over expenditure of about GH¢1.8 billion within six months. This is for goods and services which is supposed to be used for the running of Government agencies. Even though the Minister is collecting taxes in the name of GETFund, National Health Insurance, Ghana Road Fund, he is not giving the taxes that he is collecting in the name of these statutory authorities, but rather he is increasing expenditure under goods and services. This should not be allowed to continue.

Mr Speaker, you would notice on page 101, Appendix 4 (e) -- this is a major concern to me, because we all know that COVID-19 is a major threat to our economy, our health and our very existence. That is why we should encourage our Minister to make funds available for the purposes of buying vaccines.

In the Budget Statement, the Minister said that he has allocated an amount of GH¢929 million for COVID-19 vaccines. Mr Speaker, it would surprise you that so far, only GH¢126 million has been made available for the buying of vaccines for the first six months of the year. Out of this amount, on page 109, Appendix 4E, it says that they have paid 50 per cent for the supply of Sputnik V vaccines which is GH¢16 million.

Mr Speaker, we were told that they have so far not paid any amount for SputnikV, but this Budget tells us that between January to June, 2021, they have released an amount of GH¢16 million for the purchase of Sputnik V vaccines. So, we can see contradictions between what they have informed us and what has been done according to the Budget Statement.

Mr Speaker, we have been told as part of this Budget Statement on page 109, Appendix 4E,that COVID-19
  • [MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER IN THE CHAIR.]
    • Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, begin to wind-up. You were allotted 10 minutes.
    Mr Forson 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I understand that I was allotted 15 minutes; that was the discussion we had yesterday. We said that Ranking Members would be given 15 minutes.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Anyway, I understand it is 10 minutes
    for the Chairpersons and Ranking Members.
    Mr Forson 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was told 15 minutes.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe even though eventually, we agreed on 10 minutes, from the way he is going, maybe, we should allow him at least three minutes, because he has already done 10 minutes. If you cut him short now, he may not be able to conclude on any good point. So, allow him at least three minutes. [Laughter]
    Mr Forson 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, so far, I have done three minutes, so I have 10 more minutes. On page 96, my major concern was that the Minister informed all of us that the expenditure of GH¢1.4 billion meant for Agenda 111 for the provision of health infrastructure has been cut by GH¢700 million. I would have thought that this is something His Excellency the President informed all of us that it is his priority. Early on, we were informed that Agenda 111 would have been completed in the year 2020. I would have thought that it would have been a priority of the State, so enough resources would be made available. But sadly, even though the original Budget had said that they would make available an amount of GH¢1.4 billion, only for us to see in the Mid-Year Budget Review that the amount has been reduced by GH¢700 million.
    Mr Speaker, again, you would notice that COVID-19 related expenditure has also been cut by another GH¢700 million. Clearly, our Minister is moving the economy in the wrong direction.
    Mr Speaker, I would now move to the financing. This is important because this is where debts are accumulated - - [Interruption] -- Mr Speaker, I have not done 15 minutes, so if you can allow me to flow? The Bank of Ghana recently as part of the MPC announced to us that in the first quarter of the year 2021, Ghana's Public Debt stood at GH¢332.4 billion. This has moved from GH¢291billion to GH¢332.4 billion in the first three months of the year.
    Mr Speaker, in the Budget Statement, if you look at Appendix 2A on page 89, the Minister informed us that foreign borrowings in the first six months of the year is GH¢21billion. On domestic borrowing, in the first six months of 2021, they have borrowed an amount of GH¢6.7billion from commercial banks and also borrowed an amount of GH¢13billion from --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, please wind-up.
    Mr Forson 1:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have timed myself and I am not up to 15
    minutes yet. Honestly, I am not even up to 10 minutes; I am now on the ninth minute.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, I give you two minutes to wind-up.
    Mr Forson 1:12 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, clearly, what it means here is that this Government is piling on debt. It goes on to say that in the year 2021, Government will still borrow. I project that from the way the Government is borrowing, our public debt by the end of December 2021, will be GH¢360 billion.

    If we are to express this on a projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of an amount of GH¢339 billion at the end of the year 2021, Ghana's public debt would hit 82 per cent of GDP at the time that our tax revenue is not performing, and at the time that everything is coming down. Certainly, --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:12 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have exhausted your time.
    Mr Forson 1:12 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, to conclude, certainly, our public debt as we see it is not sustainable, and we
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:12 p.m.
    I would call on the Hon Kwaku Kwarteng, but before then, I would allow the Hon Speaker to take the Chair. [Pause]
    MR SPEAKER
    Mr Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng (NPP -Obuasi West) 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is true that in 2020 Government exceeded appropriation, but Government did so for reasons that we all know. The COVID-19 pandemic was not anticipated at the time that the 2020 Budget was being prepared, and in accordance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Minister came to this House for permission to exceed the allowable threshold deficit, which approval we granted. It is important that we keep that in the records and not suggest that somehow, the Minister exceeded appropriation in a manner that is unlawful.
    Mr Speaker, secondly, the President took a decision to downsize his Government. The President, as a
    result, has made savings together with the reduction in conferencing and foreign travels. So, today, we are seeing savings, which as I would discuss, has made it possible to maintain the fiscal stability that we require. In the case of interest payments for instance, we have made savings of an amount of GH¢3 billion below the ceiling that this Parliament approved, and that is on page 22 of the Mid -Year Review of the Budget Statement that was submitted to us.
    It is just wrong for anybody to give the impression that Government or the Minister is cutting and spending expenditures in the wrong places. That has to be laid to rest.
    Mr Speaker, however, the presentation that was made by the Minister for Finance carried three important points. First, the presentation says that he came here not to ask for more money, and we understand. This is because the COVID-19 pandemic brought its own burdens, and as a result, a gap of an amount of some GH¢14 billion was created, for which Government needed money to close the gap. In addition to the gap, Government also needed to find money to finance expenditures that we had not anticipated for. The only way that Government could deal with this challenge as all Governments across
    the world did was to borrow in a way that was necessary. After that, every good Minister for Finance and Government would want to consolidate, and it is the reason Government came here yesterday and said that it is not asking for more money, and that is a refreshing observation.
    Mr Speaker, again Government came here and said that it would not impose any taxes. We all know that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Government had to provide resources to support the private sector to ensure that the path for recovery would be less painful.
    A Government that would do this would not turn round and impose taxes on the very people that it seeks to provide support for, and that explains again why the Minister came here yesterday, and to the delight of Ghanaians, said that he would not impose any taxes. That again, is a refreshing observation and reflects Government's sensitivity to what business needs.
    Mr Speaker, thirdly, and perhaps this is the most important bit, after asking for no money and seeking not to impose any taxes, Government said that it is committed to preserving all the social interventions that it has

    The Road Agenda, including new roads and rehabilitation has been preserved. [Hear! Hear!] Agenda 111 to provide modern hospitals for every district has been preserved. [Hear! Hear!] Teacher trainee allowance has been preserved, nursing trainee allowance has been preserved, the School Feeding Programme has been preserved, and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme has been preserved. [Hear! Hear!] The One District, One Factory programme has been preserved, the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme has been preserved, and the Pension Reforms has also been preserved. [Hear! Hear!]

    Mr Speaker, I could go on and on, but it is important that we make the point that when a Government is not asking for more money and taxes, and yet is committing to preserve those
    Mr Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng (NPP -Obuasi West) 1:22 p.m.
    things that matter to people, then Government must be doing something right, by cutting expenditure in places that could be cut, and putting the money where it is important. That is why we see that the economy is beginning to recover. Real GDP growth is beginning to recover, and inflation is down to 7.8 per cent, taking into consideration that we projected 8 per cent for this year. The Bank of Ghana policy rate was reduced to 13.5 per cent in May, but as we speak, that has been maintained, and it is to make credit cheaper for the private sector, so that the private sector can borrow, expand the economy, create jobs and reduce poverty.
    Mr Speaker, again, we see that when revenue under-performed by some amount of GH¢4 billion, the response of Government was to look at those places within the expenditure so that Government could cut without hurting the people. That has been done, presenting to the international community under market that this Government is determined to maintain fiscal discipline, therefore, they should bring their moneys into our economy and invest. That again, is a refreshing observation.
    Mr Speaker, we also see in addition to all these interventions that
    Government has deployed the CARES Programme; the “Obaatanpa programme”, which is a Programme to help businesses and households to recover from the unfortunate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Again, under that, we see very encouraging deployments.

    The financial services sector has been cleaned, and we have seen the deployment of Ghana Incentive-based and Risk Sharing Scheme for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL), an arrangement in which credit is put into agriculture so that our farmers can borrow and improve agriculture and bring us more food sufficiency. GIRSAL has been deployed and yesterday, we were told that under the Obantanpa Programme, this has also been preserved.

    Mr Speaker, again yesterday, the Hon Minister announced to us that the listing of Ghana as a country with strategic deficiencies in our anti- money laundering regime has come to an end, and now, Ghana has been delisted, and by that, our image in the international community as a destination where one could come and do clean business has been enhanced. Again, this was a healthy observation.

    Mr Speaker, in order to help businesses, what was traditionally the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) has been scaled up, and is now called Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA). This Agency is to give Government the backing that would help the private sector in the recovery. Mr Speaker, in all these, what Government has done is to speed up the recovery and to create the jobs the Hon Minister referred to.

    In conclusion, it was a good review we heard from the Hon Minister. Our task, as Parliament, is to look at the good commitments the Hon Minister communicated in the review, and to ensure that we stick to this path, deliver on the commitments, and ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved for this generation and for those unborn.
    Mr Speaker 1:22 p.m.
    Hon Members, I have just had a brief from the Clerks- at-the-Clerk, and I have flagged some issues for us to discuss later with Leadership as to what we are doing. We have to be very clear in our minds what we are doing so that at the end of the day, we know what decision to take.
    From the brief I have been given, it is quite hotchpotch, and we need to do that, but the debate will continue. We will continue with the debate. I do not know whether it is a debate anyway. I am told they are comments that are being made, and that, it is a Statement, not a Motion. There are procedural and legal issues that we have to look at, but we will continue with your presentations. At the end of the day, we will take a decision.
    The next person from the list I have been given is Hon John Abdulai Jinapor. I am told that you have a maximum of eight and minimum of five minutes. I was told that the Hon Ranking Member and the Hon Chairman were both given 15 minutes each, and for the rest a minimum of five, and a maximum of eight minutes. That is what I have been told.
    Now, I am told it has been reviewed to 10 minutes. I have just been informed. It has been resolved, so, you have 10 minutes.
    Mr John Abdulai Jinapor (NDC -- Yapei/Kusawgu) 1:22 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in yesterday's Mid-Year Budget Review, contrary to those flowery sugar-coated words that were infused with biblical quotations, this Budget Statement has only come to confirm our worst fear that indeed, the Ghanaian economy is in a terrible
    Mr John Abdulai Jinapor (NDC -- Yapei/Kusawgu) 1:32 p.m.
    state. Mr Speaker, the Ghanaian economy is in the intensive care unit if you take time to read this document.
    Mr Speaker, it is not just that; the future looks bleak if you listened to the Hon Minister very well. This reviewed Budget Statement will only bring hardship, suffering and anguish to the ordinary Ghanaian. Mr Speaker, I refer to paragraph 102 on page 21 of the Budget Statement. This year alone, this Hon Minister has introduced about nine different tax handles, and so, if he tells us that he has not come for taxes, this is just a mid-year budget review.
    Already, he has introduced a Pollution and Sanitation Tax, Delta Fund Levy, COVID-19 Health Levy, Financial Sector Clean-up Levy, and he has even taxed Liquefied Petroleum Gas. That is what the Hon Minister has done this year. So, what is this issue of not taxing? Despite all these tax handles, the Hon Minister made it clear that he was expected to get GH¢35.8 billion in the first six months. At the end of the period, he had only GH¢24 billion, a shortfall of GH¢10 billion. I refer to paragraph 109 of the reviewed Budget Statement. You will see the figures there.
    Mr Speaker, when you have such a shortfall, what you do is to cut down
    on expenditure, and the areas to cut down have to do with goods and services. The target of the Hon Minister for Finance was to spend GH¢2.6 billion in the first six months. At the end of June 2021, he ended up spending GH¢4.4 billion, representing an increase of 63.5 per cent. Where is the good management of the economy? Where in this Budget Statement can they tell me that there is prudence and fiscal discipline?
    Mr Speaker, I refer to paragraph 22 on page 3. As of December 2020, our total debt stock was GH¢291 billion. In just six months, our debt stock has increased by GH¢43 billion. Meanwhile, our revenue has increased by only GH¢24 billion. Therefore, our debt increment is about double what we even made in terms of revenue.
    Mr Speaker, for the primary balance, which is core, because it excludes what is used in terms of debt servicing, our target was GH¢4.8 billion. By the end of June 2021, it had skyrocketed to GH¢7.3 billion. Mr Speaker, despite all this mess and evidence to show that we are on the wrong trajectory, the Hon Minister stood here, quoted the Bible, and told us that he would continue to pursue fiscal consolidation. What does he want to consolidate with these figures I have provided?
    I am not surprised that we are here. This is the International Monetary Fund (IMF) outlook regional document. Mr Speaker, I refer you to Table SA2,
    “Overall fiscal balance including grants and government balance”.
    If you look at all the 44 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, they were all affected by COVID-19. Our deficit, which is the highest among all the 44 countries was 16.4 per cent. la Côte d'Ivoire did five per cent; even Chad did 1.2 per cent; Congo, 1.9 per cent, but Ghana alone did 16.4 per cent.

    Mr Speaker, this is the IMF document, and I am ready to table it before the House. It is titled:

    “International Monetary Fund Regional Economic Outlook Sub-Saharan Africa''.

    I have the document with me. We are members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and we have not protested. We are subject to article 4 consultations and we have not protested. I have the evidence with me. Every single element I make in the House, I provide the bases and the evidence.
    Mr Kwarteng 1:32 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is not debating what is on the table. The figures he quoted --
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    Hon Chairman, you may resume your seat. That is not a point of order.
    Hon Member, please, continue.
    Mr J. A. Jinapor 1:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in the Budget Statement, the Hon Minister for Finance said that the minimum wage has been increased by 4 per cent. What it means is that nominally, if one would receive GH¢100, at the end of the period, the person would receive GH¢104 and meanwhile, the inflation rate is 8 per cent. If we apply an equation and discount that 4 per cent by 8 per cent, it means that the purchasing power for an ordinary worker at the end of the month, is GH¢94. So, this Budget Statement is nothing but a killer one. This is what we call a kofie ko wu budget to wit “go home and die budget''. [Laughter.] I cry for the ordinary worker because despite this Budget Statement, they would be impoverished and would be worse off at the end of the period. It was stated in this Mid-Year Review.
    Mr Speaker, on paragraph 87 on page 16 of the Budget Statement, despite the fact that we have been told the financial sector is doing well, credit
    Mr J. A. Jinapor 1:32 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, I would want to also place it on record that we are not against the State in its increase in stake in oil blocks but this Side of the House would not be part of any arrangements to amend the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA), which is aimed at going into the Heritage Fund. If the National Democratic Congress (NDC), did not have the vision to set up the PRMA which we had during the COVID-19

    pandemic, they would not have gone into the PRMA - into the Stabilisation Fund, which is captured in this Budget Statement to withdraw GH¢1.2 billion to spend on COVID-19 related expenditure.
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, conclude.
    Mr J. A. Jinapor 1:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, it is obvious that the ordinary worker is suffering, the ordinary teacher is suffering and the woman in the house cannot even make ends meet. I would want to put it on record that if elections were held today, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government would lose abysmally as far as the economy is concerned. [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Speaker, on that note, I congratulate you on that special award that you received.
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    Hon Members, this is not “award time'' [Laughter.] We are dealing with the Mid-Year Review, so let us focus on that.
    Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah (NPP -- Okaikwei Central) 1:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleagues on the Other side have confirmed the
    reason why they are in the opposition. Clearly from their presentations, they have made a lot of academic presentations or comments that would keep them in opposition for some time.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance yesterday spoke about his completion, consolidation and continuity agenda with the aim to fix the economy which had been broken as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all aware that jobs creation remains at the heart of every Ghanaian at this point in time. Ghanaians are not interested in academic arguments on radio stations, television and on this floor of the House but they want to hear a very comprehensive plan aimed at eliminating or reducing unemployment and we expected the Minority to have come out with an alternative Ghana CARES “ Obaatanpa” Programme in support of Government's programme but we have not seen anything.
    Yesterday, they expected some increases in taxes -- a supplementary budget and they were given a sullia, to wit the “nutmeg''.
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    Hon Member, you used a word which is not English.
    Mr Boamah 1:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in English it is referred to as “nutmeg'' in the football parlance.
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    You said sullia and it means “nightmare''?
    Mr Boamah 1:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in the soccer parlance it means “nutmeg''.
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    So, the soccer means “nutmeg''?
    Mr Boamah 1:32 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. [Laughter.]
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    I do not think the Hausa sullia means what you have said.
    Mr Boamah 1:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is a soccer version.
    Mr Speaker 1:32 p.m.
    You have attempted.
    Mr Boamah 1:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance was very honest with the House. He gave a global overview of the performance of global economy to the extent that the global economy shrunk by 3.3 per cent during the COVID-19 era. Gold prices climaxed and now it sells at over US$1,800 per ounce. Oil was estimated at US$59.3 but now it is around US$71.3 per barrel. All those considerations were put into account
    Mr Boamah 1:42 p.m.
    but what must a serious government do in order to turn around the economy? That is why the Hon Minister for Finance came with the GH¢100 billion Ghana CARES Obaatanpa Programme.
    However, a lot of people do not understand it and have not taken pains to understand it. It is Ghana's version of an economic recovery programme during this COVID-19 era to create a lot of job opportunities for the youth. That is what the youth of this country looks out for. From the Budget Statement, over 71 per cent of Ghanaian youth are under the age of 35 years and what do we seek to do for them? Under the 1D1F, over 150,000 jobs have been created out of the 104 companies that are in operation and we expect to increase the number of jobs under the programme.

    Mr Speaker, in paragraph 151 of the Budget Statement which gives an elaboration of the Ghana CARES “Obaatanpa” Programme, it would be realised that the Hon Minister for Finance has signed a number of compact arrangements with various ministries like the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; Trade and Industry; Tourism, Arts and Culture; and others

    - all with a view to creating a lot of jobs.

    Mr Speaker, let me draw your attention to paragraph 157, the Ghana Incentive-based and Risk Sharing Scheme for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL) aimed at giving guarantees and technical assistance to banks in order to lower the risks that they perceive in lending to the agricultural sector. This is very important.

    Secondly, the Ghana CARES “Obaatanpa” programme under the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) Programme aims at reducing post- harvest losses especially for our countrymen in agriculture which is very commendable.

    Mr Speaker, over 120,000 jobs are expected to be created under a skills training programme by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations. If we look at the Inter- Ministerial Strategy for Job Creation under paragraph 185, a well- coordinated programme for the next three years to create over one million jobs within the youth and sports sector, the lands and natural resources sector and also the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

    Mr Speaker, I am trying to focus strictly on job creation with this

    presentation. Mr Speaker, efforts to address the unemployment situation from January to June, 2021 facilitated the employment of over 201,850 persons through cooperative development programmes, the Youth Employment Agency, placements by public employment centres and private employment agencies.

    Mr Speaker, under paragraph 189, Skills Training, over 60 direct jobs and 300 indirect jobs in the Atwima Kwanwoma, Afigya Kwabre North, Sekyere South, Juaben, Ahafo Ano South and Ahafo Ano West Districts. Over 1,317 youth were given various skills training in areas such as food and bakery among others. Consequently, another 2,983 youth were trained in various vocational and technical skills.

    Mr Speaker, this is what the youth of this country wanted to hear from our Minister for Finance with respect to jobs and unemployment and government is on the right track. Government has put in place the right measures to reduce youth unemployment and we expect our Hon Colleagues to have come out with an alternative plan after the Minister had presented this review only to come and debate or make comments based on academic figures.

    Mr Speaker, so, all in all, the Minister for Finance came here, spoke in accordance with law, gave the country a new breadth of hope in respect of job creation and we must commend him for that kind gesture.
    Mr Speaker 1:42 p.m.
    Well, you could not use all your ten minutes. On the Other side, it is the turn of the Hon Isaac Adongo. [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Isaac Adongo (NDC -- Bolgatanga Central) 1:42 p.m.
    I thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
    Mr Speaker, yesterday, being mindful of the state of the Ghanaian economy, I was very hopeful and expectant of very robust policies and programmes that could turn this economy around.
    Mr Speaker, this is an economy that has attracted the concerns of major international bodies. Reports issued by Fitch Ratings Inc. indicates that the economy of Ghana is not well.
    Mr Speaker, a report commissioned and issued by Goldman Sachs, a reputable investment bank in the United States of America with inputs from
    Mr Isaac Adongo (NDC -- Bolgatanga Central) 1:42 p.m.
    Havec Research, World Bank and the IMF shows that for almost every indicator comparable between Ghana and its peers, Ghana is worst. Everybody would have wished that we would have focused on how to deal with it, but here, I was surprised that we were asking the would-be members of a cathedral to be paying tithes and collections for a church that is yet to be born.
    Mr Speaker, when the major problems of education, health care and road infrastructure are staring us in the face, we are already collecting tithes in advance of the building of a church.
    Mr Speaker, but my Hon Colleague made me very sad but confirmed the fears that we have had over the last couple of years when the President put together that elephant- size government. He had admitted right-sizing that elephant-size government, in six months, they have saved this country GH3¢billion. That is very sad. It means that for a year, they were wasting an average of about GH¢6 billion on that elephant-size government. Over a four year period, they had wasted the taxpayers money to the tune of about GH¢24 billion and we told you so. We told them that their government was irrelevant because of the numbers. Today, they

    Mr Speaker, the Minister said he did not come to ask for money. In Parliament, we do not have money sitting here that would be given to them. They came to us to ask for permission to go and do the difficult task and collect money to fund the economy. So, as my Hon Colleague said, when they had already come and listed so many taxes and we asked them to go and collect them and they had not been able to collect them, if they come back to ask for more money, they would not have the capacity to collect it. If they insist, then it means they would have to borrow. Given our debt situation, what the Minister would have done is to bring forward the day of reckoning for the collapse of this economy. That is what he did not do.

    Mr Speaker, it is very frightening that an economy at this moment in time -- and I would want to go back to the Goldman Sachs Report which I am willing to tender -- It makes it very clear that when we take our peers, Ghana is the only country that borrows a lot on the Eurobond market in relation to its size, yet, when it borrows more, its economy does not grow to compensate for the

    borrowing. So, Ghana is the number one country with outstanding Eurobonds to GDP of 17.5 per cent, yet, our peers that took a lot of Eurobonds have grown their economies such that the percentages are very negligible. But when we borrow, we do not grow the economy. What happens?

    Mr Speaker, we have also been told that as we speak, today, the yield on Ghana's bonds is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa and in emerging economies. What this means is that the risk that investors price for our original bonds, they are now afraid that Ghana may go into default and so they are pricing higher yields. So, if we were issuing an Eurobond of US$100 and we were getting a coupon of eight per cent which is US$80, investors are now saying that, the only time I would buy the Ghana bond is for us to reduce the price to say US$80. So, we are losing US$20 in order that when they buy it and get the US$80, they would make a yield of about nine to 15 per cent. It means that Ghana's bonds are now being sold at donkomi on the market.

    How can we run an economy such as the most precious Ghana, and we now must be handling our bonds like junk bonds and reduce the price significantly for people to buy?

    Mr Speaker, the same report also indicates that Ghana, amongst all its peers --
    Mr Speaker 1:42 p.m.
    Hon Member, you used a word that is not English.
    Mr Adongo 1:52 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, donkomi means “cheap option”.

    I wish I had a Dagarti expression that would make it easier -- [Laughter] -- but selling something cheaper than its true value.
    Mr Speaker 1:52 p.m.
    What Hon Ahmed Ibrahim said is the exact meaning of ‘dongomi'. To wit, reduced to clear.
    Mr John Jinapor 1:52 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, so Ghana has been reduced to clear -- [Laughter] --
    Mr Speaker 1:52 p.m.
    Hon Member, that is ‘dongomi' not what you said.
    Mr Adongo 1:52 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, now that we are reducing to clear, it is even making me more worried that we are now going on to the market at a time we are reducing to clear to issue what we call, a sustainable bond.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance makes reference to the
    Mr Speaker 1:52 p.m.
    Hon Member, in conclusion?
    Mr Adongo 1:52 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, how can borrowing to go and finance 2026 bond be described as sustainable bond meant to provide free education?
    Mr Speaker, the deception of the international investor must cease and we must begin to build confidence and credibility within the sphere of the international market. Otherwise, we will soon have a bigger challenge of access for funding and they will run away from our bonds.
    Thank you very much -- [Hear!] [Hear!] --
    Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah (NPP -- Ofoase/Ayirebi) 2:02 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make a few comments on the Mid-Year Budget Review delivered by the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr Speaker, from the onset, I want to quickly respond to a couple of comments that my very good Hon Colleague -- Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central just made.
    The Hon Member said that he was expecting to hear of a robust programme during the Hon Minister's delivery yesterday. I would want to respectfully submit to my Hon Colleague that if he listened attentively, the Hon Minister for Finance actually laid out a robust programme called the Ghana CARES - Obaatanpa Programme.
    Mr Speaker, my hope was that he would probably take up the Programme benchmark by bench- mark and maybe, argue that it is not fit-for the purpose or not able to deliver on the objectives. However, to suggest that there is no recovery programme or he did not hear of one, I think that does not sit well.
    Again, Hon Isaac Adongo talks of the GH¢3 billion savings that the Chairman of the Finance Committee spoke about and makes the argument that it is by virtue of down-sizing the Government. Respectfully, the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee was very clear that the GH¢3 billion was savings in interest payments and was occasioned as a result of the re- profiling of the improved debt management strategy. I think that it is important we put that clearly on record as this is a House of record.
    Mr Speaker, today, my Hon Colleague from Bolgatanga Central said to this House that in reading from Fitch and Goldman Sachs and an article in the Daily Graphic and from a chief economist for Africa and another professor, there is some analysis about the Ghanaian economy which we should all hold and believe.
    The last time I checked our Hon Colleagues on the Other side told us that if we want to find policy credibility in any economic document, it comes from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). That is what they told us. So, I am surprised that the IMF Executive Board, article 4 consultation of Ghana, is not what he is referring to and I would like to refresh on it.
    Mr Speaker, paragraph 1 of this press statement issued by the IMF in
    July, 2021 which they believed gives political credibility which says; ‘Ghana was hit hard by COVID-19, the Government's response helped to contain the pandemic and supported the economy but it came at the cost of a record fiscal deficit. The economic outlook is improving even though risks remain including from the evolution of the pandemic and rising debt vulnerabilities'.
    Mr Speaker, the IMF that my Hon Colleagues hold on to, goes further to say that; ‘the pandemic had a severe impact on economic activity, growth slowed down to 0.4 per cent in 2020 from 6.5 per cent in 2019. An economic recovery is underway, growth is expected to rebound to 4.7 by 2021'.
    These are the words of the organisation that my Hon Colleagues on the other Side say; we should bring policy credibility.

    So, if we want to quote international documents and platforms to buttress our arguments, I believe there is not one that would supersede the verdict of the IMF. Mr Speaker, the story of Ghana's economy is simple; an economy that had dwindled to 3.4 per cent growth by 2016,

    frozen public sector jobs, having energy crisis, growing at an average of about seven per cent between 2017 and 2019, had in accordance with the report of the Hon Minister for Employment and Labour Relations created about three million jobs, delivering flagship programmes that were impacting the quality of lives before it was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Speaker, the verdict is out there; growth stagnated, constraints in further job creation, general economic difficulties that we all realised, dwindling revenues of Government resulting in unprecedented borrowing which took our debt-to-GDP ratio to about 76 per cent.

    Mr Speaker, the good news is that the recovery has started. I want to quickly read for the benefit of my Hon Colleagues, paragraphs 5 and 6 of the Bank of Ghana Monetary Policy Committee's Press Release of July 26, 2021. It reads:

    “In the domestic economy, the Ghana Statistical Service reported an estimated GDP growth of 3.1 per cent for the first quarter of 2021. Yet another sign of strong recovery from the impact of the pandemic, even though still lower than the pre pandemic growth of 7 per cent recorded for the first quarter
    Mr Speaker 2:02 p.m.
    You are exactly within the ten minutes.
    We would now listen to Hon Benjamin K. Kpodo.
    Mr Benjamin K. Kpodo (NDC -- Ho Central) 2:02 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr Speaker, the Budget Statement under review was presented by the Hon Majority Leader, Mr Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu. However, when he looks behind him now he cannot find his troops because they have abandoned him and do not seem to be interested in it. Mr Speaker, he has produced a plan on behalf of the Government and it is both revenue and expenditure. Over the past six months, the revenue side has failed him yet he sticks out his neck to say that they would spend as they planned originally. Mr Speaker, is this not foolhardiness?
    Mr Benjamin K. Kpodo (NDC -- Ho Central) 2:12 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I wonder what it is that they do not have the money and they come to Parliament to say that they have not come to ask for new money. It is true that they have not come to ask for money but their revenue has failed them so how can they spend 110 billion? Mr Speaker, it means that they are definitely hiding something.
    Mr Speaker, this brings me to the major characteristic of the financial management of this country. This is the most non-transparent and the most unfair Government as far as the management of our expenditure is concerned.
    Mr Speaker, when requests are made for disclosures or details of expenditure items, this Government blatantly refuses. I remember that when the Government came for the Stabilisation Fund of US$218 million, we asked in this House that they should give us the details, but they said no, they would rather give it in the mid- year review. Mr Speaker, up till now, we do not have the details.
    Mr Speaker, the COVID-19 expenditures for which these moneys were taken - we still do not know how they were spent and that is why people are calling for forensic audit of the COVID-19 expenditures. It is necessary so that we can know the
    details. Mr Speaker, the presentation on page 93 regarding the COVID- 19 expenditures; Appendixes 4(a) and (b), do not present any details that we should accept. The Hon Minister must come again to give us the details.

    Mr Speaker, the Government says they would want to introduce a new programme that would bring one million jobs to the youth of Ghana. Already, the Government has overspent the budget for goods and services by GH¢1.7 billion, which is 63.5 per cent higher than what was budgeted. But he is not asking for any money to fund that, and so how is it going to be implemented?

    I think the youth of Ghana should not be excited about these promises. This is just another verbal game being played by this Administration. It is not possible that without making funds available, this programme could be achieved.

    Mr Speaker, one thing I have also noticed is that there is an insatiable desire by the Government to spend at the centre. That is why they have capped funds which are meant to carry out activities in the local areas. The funds they have capped include the Road Fund, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the National

    Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), which is robbing these Funds from carrying out their activities.

    Mr Speaker, the capping has left these sectors in shambles. GETFund cannot pay contractors; the Road Fund cannot pay its contractors; and the NHIF cannot pay supplies just because these funds have been capped. The Government is spending the moneys at the centre when we are all seeking to pursue decentralisation. We, as a nation, have sat and agreed to take these moneys from the Energy Sector Levy to fund our road projects, then they come and cap it. What is the meaning of that?

    That is why they have decided to take 2.5 per cent of the Value Added Tax (VAT) for educational activities. They have come to cap it. What is happening in the educational sector? It is down.

    Mr Speaker, This Government has even capped the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). And even when the Supreme Court said they should not cap the DACF, they have used surreptitious means to take the money from the DACF. So we are only insatiable at spending the money at the centre instead of allowing the various sectors to function properly.

    Mr Speaker, currently, the Government is again accumulating debt to other Government units. For instance, the DACF is owed over GH¢1 billion, by the Ministry of Finance. In 2020, for the third and fourth quarters, they only did a small payment, and in 2021, the first quarter has passed, but they have not paid anything into the DACF. If you would recall, during the last Mid-Year Budget Review brought by the Hon Minister, they had to go and borrow from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in order to pay the statutory funds. And they have started accumulating the debts again. When they collect the money, they should give it to them. They are not doing that but are accumulating debts. It would come to a time when they would have to go and sell reduced- to-sell bonds in order to pay the various funds that Government owes them.

    Mr Speaker, in my view, the Hon Minister has to go back to the drawing board and bring changes and be ready to deal with them so that these other Government units would function properly. For now, I think we are not having proper management of the economy which is not helping Ghana at all.

    On this note, Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Mrs Abena Osei-Asare (NPP - Atiwa East) 2:22 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I rise to make a few comments on yesterday's Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review delivered by the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr Speaker, before I proceed, I just would want to clarify some statements that have been made on the Floor since this is a House of record. First of all, my colleague on the Other side mentioned that according to the Auditor-General's Report for 2020, 18 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have exceeded their appropriations. It is not the same as the total appropriations being exceeded unless it has been stated categorically that the total appropriation approved by Parliament has been exceeded.
    There is a difference between that because in 2020, we all know that with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of these MDAs had not planned for expenditure on
    COVID-19. So Government had to take money from the Centre to support them in that regard. So there is nothing like we exceeding the total appropriation given to this House.
    Secondly, Mr Speaker, he mentioned the statutory funds and their shortfalls. We compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges. When he got to the Road Fund, he chose to use the collections against the actual payments, but when you look in the Budget, in Appendix 2c, for the Road Fund, we projected to pay GH¢436 million and not the GH¢1.04 billion he mentioned. We projected to pay GH¢436, and we were able to pay GH¢453 million, even given the constraints we had.
    Also, I just would want to put it on record that we have paid the third quarter of the DACF and are about to pay the first quarter of the 2021 DACF as well. So that Mr Speaker, we are on track and hope to complete that.
    Mr Speaker, my colleagues on the other side keep talking about capping. Capping is nothing but taking money from these statutory funds and using it for other equally important Government projects. That is capping. Capping is not about taking the money and putting it outside Government's coffers, but rather channelling it into other equally
    important Government projects. So when we cap, we use it for other things that would best serve the implementation of the Budget.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to put it on record that the DACF has not been capped. We have gone according to the Supreme Court's ruling. We have not capped DACF. I just wanted to put these on record.
    Mr Speaker, again, my colleagues on the Other side keep talking about us having gone to borrow. However, we were all here when we mentioned that we are expecting GH¢72 billion in our revenue generations and when it comes to our expenditure, we were hoping to spend GH¢110 billion. So between that, Parliament approved for us, the GH¢41 billion for financing. So this is nothing new.
    What is important is that we lived within the financing limits given us. Clearly, when you look at what we have produced for the first half of the year, we targeted to do about GH¢22.7 billion, and we have done GH¢22.5 billion, and so clearly, we are on track and living within the proceeds that Parliament gave us for financing the 2021 Budget.
    If someone would want to talk about that, he should talk about whether we are living within or outside
    what has been approved for us? This is very important, and Ghanaian's, should know that.

    Mr Speaker, again, my colleague on the Other side also mentioned the fact that the public sector wage increase is 4 per cent.

    Mr Speaker, in coming out with the public sector wage, we do not just look at Government. This is because Government is not the only employer. There are other employers that we should also consider when we are fixing the public sector wage. This is because Government employs, and the private sector also employs. When we look at what is happening currently and the economy now recovering, we cannot push a rate that would make it difficult for the public sector to employ more people. It is very easy for the public sector to lay people off when cost of production goes up. So Government considered all these things and together with the employers and the union, arrived at four per cent for 2021 and six per cent for 2022. We believe that all these --
    rose
    Mr Speaker 2:22 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Whip, you realised that I am very reluctant in permitting interruption?
    Mrs Osei-Asare 2:22 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that my Hon Colleague on the Other side did not hear me. I mentioned that he was comparing apples to oranges and that with the Road Fund, he compared the total collections to the provision and for the other ones, he compared what has been programmed to Budget. That is why I am saying that he compared oranges to apples.
    Mr Speaker 2:22 p.m.
    Take your time, I am taking note of the time. I will give you enough time. The Hon Member is available. Order 92(1) (b) is applicable but that depends on whether the Hon Deputy Minister would give in. This is because you are trying to elucidate some matter raised by the Hon Member speaking in the course of the speech. It says:
    “to elucidate some matter raised by the Member speaking in the course of his speech, provided that the Member speaking is willing to give way and resume his seat, and that the Member wishing to interrupt is called by Mr Speaker.”
    So that is where we are. That is the only Order that is available. So I wanted to know from her. This is because there is some disagreement. Hon Ato Forson made some statements which you are referring to
    and the issue being raised is that you are not properly quoting what the Hon Member said in your submissions. But you said you are doing it and so I want to give him the opportunity.
    Is she referring to exactly what you said?
    Mr Forson 2:22 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance is misquoting me. In the statement that I made, my argument was simple. I said the Government is cutting expenditure at the wrong places and then increasing expenditure at the wrong places. I also went on to say that he is doing the wrong thing by quoting an example that the District Assemblies Common Fund in page 91, Appendix 2(c) of the Mid-Year Budget Statement said that Government has programmed to spend an amount of GH¢1.069 billion yet in the same Budget Statement, even though they have programmed to spend GH¢1.069 billion, they have so far paid to the District Assemblies Common Fund a paltry amount of GH¢415 million. So they are cutting expenditure at the wrong places.
    Mr Speaker, I did not end there. I added other statutory funds and proved to them that they are cutting expenditure at the wrong places.
    Mr Speaker, I also compared how much the Government is collecting in the name of taxes for GETFund and the Road Fund yet they are not paying to these authorities. That was my argument. So if she is quoting me, she should quote me holistically. She should not mislead the House based on what I said.
    Mr Speaker 2:22 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minister, go on.
    Mrs Osei-Asare 2:22 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was specific about the Road Fund levy where he compared collections to actual payments. We have records of it so you can check. I was listening to him very well. He compared collections of road fund to actual payments. What I am saying is that we programmed to pay a little over GH¢500 billion for the six months for the Road Fund so when he is comparing, he should compare the programmed amount of GH¢583 million to what we have paid of GH¢435 million. That is all I am saying.
    Mr Speaker, it is clear. It is on pages 90 and 91. That is why I am saying that he should compare oranges to oranges or apples to apples and not apples to oranges.
    Mrs Osei-Asare 2:22 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, again, my Hon Colleague on the other Side keeps saying that we keep charging things to DACF but the PFM Law allows Government for any reason to also align its microphysical targets to any of the statutory funds. So Government thought that the School Feeding Programme is all over in the districts. Government sought to align an amount to the District Assemblies Common Fund.
    Mr Speaker, what was aligned is not the GH¢489 million my Hon Colleague on the Other side mentioned. Rather, it is GH¢245 million that was aligned. So that is very clear. That was what was approved in the DACF formula and so that should be stated clearly that GH¢245 million was approved in the DACF formula and not the GH¢489 million.
    Mr Speaker 2:22 p.m.
    You go on. You do not have any power to tell him to sit.
    Mrs Osei-Asare 2:32 p.m.
    I am sorry, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleagues on the Other side also keep talking about the revenues we have
    generated. But from all indications, my brother on the Other side mentioned that we programmed to raise GH¢35 billion revenues and then we have been able to raise 10 billion short of that. But clearly, the document we have in front of us tells us that we programmed to do GH¢32 billion and we have done GH¢28.3 billion.
    So that shortfall is 12.5. But the most interesting thing about this is that usually when we are not able to meet our revenues, we come here with an expenditure over and above our deficits but this time, we are clearly within the target expenditure we set for ourselves such that - it tells that Government is doing everything possible to live within its means and to make sure that we sustain whatever it is that we want to sustain and implement our programmes and projects for the 2021 Budget.
    In doing so, Government is really focused on revenue mobilisation and to the fact that the Hon Minister mentioned that there is going to be a revenue assurance and compliance execution called the RACE to help us mobilise more revenue.
    Also, there are other digitisation measures that have been put in place like the Ghana.gov which is a common payment platform for all Government services. We piloted it
    some part of last year and the first four or five months of this year and we have seen some major improvements and clearly, this has reflected in the revenues that we have generated.

    Mr Speaker, all we are asking is for Parliament and Ghanaians to support us and once we are able to raise more revenue, I believe that all that we have set for ourselves to implement, we will be able to implement them and we will do it well.
    Mr Speaker 2:32 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Finance Minister, in conclusion?
    Mrs Osei-Asare 2:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 2:32 p.m.
    Hon Member, it is now the turn of Hon Ricketts- Hagan --
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, just before we started, I think we gave ourselves the indication that today being Friday, we would allow for at least four people from either Side to contribute, and then we will bring the curtain down. Then on Monday, we could begin with those
    on the list. We would be winding-up on Monday, but we would precede it with two or three members before the Leaders wind-up.
    Mr Speaker 2:32 p.m.
    Hon Member, thank you for the information. What I have in front of me is six Members for One side and five from the Other side. I did not get the additional information you have just given. We have finished with four from each Side of the House. So, from your understanding it is time for us to move on to another issue. What is the guidance of Leadership? Do we adjourn?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe you can take an adjournment and come on Monday.
    Mr Speaker 2:32 p.m.
    Hon Leader, I do not know the time you started. Are you in my hands or I am in your hands?
    Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 2:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we started at 11 a.m., so the Majority Leader has to move for adjournment. We have not done four hours.
    Mr Speaker 2:32 p.m.
    Hon Members from the information, I think that I am in your hands. But before I give you the opportunity to move the Motion for adjournment, my attention has been drawn to an earlier communication from His Excellency, the President
    ANNOUNCEMENTS 2:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker 2:32 p.m.
    Hon Member, I now await your action.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this House takes adjournment until Monday, 2nd August, 2021 at 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu 2:32 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Motion for adjournment trusting that on Monday, we will defer Questions and concentrate and conclude on the debate on the Budget.
    Mr Speaker 2:32 p.m.
    Hon Members, before I put the Question, I would like
    to have that discussion with Leadership for us to agree on what we would do at the end of the day looking at the law and the practice.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved Accordingly.
    ADJOURNMENT 2:32 p.m.