Debates of 3 Feb 2022

Hon Members, we shall commence with the correction of the Votes and Proceedings of the Sixth Sitting held on the 2nd day of February, 2022.
Page 1…7 —
Yes, Hon Member for Klottey Korle?

Mr Speaker, on page 7, item numbered 8, I have been marked absent, though I was present in the Chamber yesterday.

Very well, the Table Office would take note and make the correction.
Yes, Hon Member for Ho West?

Mr Speaker, the same applies to the Hon Sampson Ahi. We were here together yesterday and even went for a Committee meeting, but he has been marked absent.

Really! I hardly ever fail to take notice of the Hon Sampson Ahi, but I do not recall seeing him yesterday. [Interruption] — If he were here, then it is so unusual of me not to have taken notice of him. [Pause] The Clerk to Parliament says that many of us do not sign the attendance register. We used to place it in the Mails Room for Hon Members to sign, but it has now been brought to the Chamber. So, please, make sure that when you come in, sign, so that the Table Office would not be disabled from making the proper record of Hon Members present and absent.
Yes, Hon Member for Tema West?

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, as much as I agree with the Clerk to Parliament, there are times where the Rt Hon Speaker's Committees have to sit in the name of Parliament to, as it were, take care of Business on behalf of the House. In some instances, we have had to go out there to look at Bills, and sometimes, we go earlier than when Parliament is actually supposed to Sit. Parliament is supposed to Sit at 10.00 a.m. but we sometimes go in at 8.00 a.m. For instance, tomorrow morning, we would sit on a Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) Bill which commences at 8.00 o'clock in the morning.

Mr Speaker, three days ago, I was in a Committee meeting which was advertised on the Order Paper, but amazingly when we came down here, I was marked absent the following day. Yesterday, I was in another Committee meeting, and because of what happened the previous day, I managed to come and sign so that I would not be marked absent like the day. However, we cannot always come to the Chamber and sign before we go and do your work. So, I am only suggesting that once the Committee meeting is advertised on the Order Paper, Table Office, respectfully, should request from the Committee clerks, the signatories of Members who attended the meeting so that they could even be marked “absent with permission”, which would be fair enough.

Mr Speaker, however, we come to Parliament to do the work of Parliament, sitting in for the Rt Hon Speaker at a Committee meeting, yet w e are m ark ed absen t. A nd Odekro will however, come and pick it up tomorrow and start playing games with people. Therefore, Mr Speaker, respectfully, I would want the Table Office to consider this option that I have given and see if it is possible that they could get our Committee clerks to give them the attendance sheet so that they could inculcate it in the attendance register of the House? I so present.

Very well, it is —
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip?

Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague was trying to defend why he thinks what he said should happen. However, interestingly, three Hon Speakers of Parliament have all ruled that such a thing cannot happen. This is before as he may be aware, as an Hon Member of Parliament, even if one is in his constituency, he would still be doing the work of Parliament. Virtually, close to 95 per cent of our time is in one way or the other utilised in serving our constituents. However, it has been ruled again and again that to be marked present, an Hon Member would need to be in this Chamber, and there is a good reason for that. This is because others would stretch their excuses from Committee meetings to Committee travels, to being in the constituency and all the others. We all work at the constituencies too, so, I would want to urge the Hon Speaker in the Chair today to keep the ruling of the Rt Hon Speakers of the House. I do not see how difficult it is that if an Hon Member is within the precincts of Parliament, he cannot come into the Chamber and then go for Committee meetings. It has even been advised that Committees should not sit until Sitting in the Chamber is closed. Or if possible, they could sit very early and ensure that around the

10.00 a.m. when the Sitting of Parliament would commence, they would adjourn and come into the Chamber, then after plenary is adjourned, they go and continue. However, Chairpersons and Hon Members would always want to abuse this, but I would want to urge the Hon Speaker not to agree to this.

Again, I would want my Hon Colleagues to know that yes, Committees are part of the work of this House, but for an Hon Member to be marked present in Parliament, it has always been insisted that one has to be in the Chamber. If we joke and we open that window, then we would have people argue about quorum in the Chamber, while a lot of people would sit in their offices and in Committee meetings, only to tell us that they were within the precincts of Parliament. This is a ruling of Rt Hon Speakers of Parliament, and unless we are inviting the Hon Speaker in the chair today to make another ruling, I think that the standing ruling is the best for all of us. If an Hon Member comes into the precincts of Parliament, he should come into the Chamber and get his name signed. He should not only sit in Committee meetings —

Mr Speaker, this is a point of order.
Mr Speaker, I think that my Hon Colleague did not listen to me. I said, and I repeat that the document that we sign on as being present in the Chamber should be extended to the document that we sign our signatures on when we go for Committee meetings because that also portrays our presence. I said that tomorrow we would have a Bill to consider, and would start at 8.00 a.m. but Parlia-ment does not start before 10.00 a.m. So, if we go at 8.00 a.m., but the Sitting of Parliament has not started for us to come and mark our names, then does it mean that we are absent? However, if the Committee clerk can present our attendance document which we signed on to show that we have been in Parliament or we are doing the work of Parliament then I believe the Committee's attendance register would be an extension of the attendance register of plenary and for me I do not see anything wrong with it. It is different from an Hon Member being in his constituency and not having any document to sign on.

Hon Member, this matter is moot. It has been argued, reargued, ruled over and ruled upon on so many occasions. When the Committee meeting reports come, it shows Hon Members who were present at that Committee meeting, but it is different from being present in the Chamber.

The record on the attendance register of plenary shows Hon Members who were present in the Chamber and that ruling will not change.

Indeed, if I recalled correctly, in the Fifth Parliament when I joined Parliament of Ghana, it has consis- tently been that come here first before you go anywhere else. So, I encourage Members to always come to the Chamber, get yourself organised, sign the register before you excuse yourself to do any other business otherwise, it may be abused. And I think it should be

—

My brother-in-law is here; I am surprised that I did not see you yesterday so when they said you were wrongly marked absent, I was arguing that I hardly fail to notice you.

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Yesterday, I did not see you in the Chair. It was the Second Deputy Speaker who presided from the beginning and I was present.

I joined in the last hour. I was watching proceedings from the lobby.

Which means you came in late.

It is most unusual of me not to notice you anywhere you are. [Laughter] —

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I think we could resolve this issue by going the way we started. The e-Parliament — we invested so much in this architecture. We are still printing documents, doing manual signing and all that. Let us start the e-Parliament; when you enter, you log in and this matter would become a thing of the past. Mr Speaker, so, all the investments that we have done are going down the drain. — [Interruption] — Mr Speaker, not e-levy, e- Parliament. [Laughter] — So, let us go the e-Parliament way.

Hon Member, your endorsement of the e- levy is very well noted. — [Laughter]
—
Very well, I think the Leadership knows where we are in respect of those — it is not going down the drain, a lot of work has been done in that respect and very soon, it would be deployed.
Yes, Hon Dafeamekpor?

Mr Speaker, as much as I share the sentiment of the Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Industry, he is aware that the content of Votes and Proceedings have been a subject of litigation in this House. And so, it is important that when we come to Parliament, we make the effort to sign.

That is the only way the Clerk can keep the proper record of who attended Parliament or who did not. Otherwise

—

Hon Member, I have ruled already so let us leave that matter like that.

Very well, Mr Speaker.

Page 8
— 9 —

Mr Speaker, on page 8, the item numbered 46, I am sure if the Hon Dr Abdul- Rashid Pelpuo were here, he would have drawn attention. The Hon Abdul- Rashid Hassan Pelpuo was here yesterday and contributed to my Statement.

Yes, I recalled I saw him contribute to the Statement.
Page 9 —

Mr Speaker, the item numbered 7 on page 9; a little correction to the heading of my Statement. If we are going with ‘Resurgence of Coup d'etats in Africa', then, it should be African region but if we want to use ‘sub-region', then, it should be ‘the West African sub-region'. What is captured here is ‘African sub- region'.

Very well.
Page 10 — 11 —

Mr Speaker, on page 11, I am not too sure what the rule is but it was the Second Deputy Speaker who presided so I would have thought that he would - or is it the case that because you have taken over from the Rt Hon Speaker, whether it is the Second Deputy who presides or not, your name should — if the rule could be spelt our clearly to us then, we —
Because sometimes I see that it is the name of the person who presides, whether Mr is around or not, that is captured, but other times we appear to do differently. So, if the rule could be clarified so that we know what the practice should be?

We have had some discussion over this last week as to whether it should be the person who presided or the Speaker in charge but I am sure they would clarify the records.
Hon Members, subject to the corrections made, the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 2nd February, 2022 is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we have an Official Report: the Official Report of

Wednesday, 10th December, 2021 is for consideration by Hon Members. Any corrections?

Mr Speaker, the third paragraph on page 305: ‘We are all Hon Members of Parliament —

Sorry, what paragraph, please?

Mr Speaker, page 305, paragraph 1; the first three lines, I think there is a problem there.

Hon Member, when you are referring to the Official Report, we call them columns.

Mr Speaker, sorry. Column 1:
“We are all Hon Members of Parliament and I know the way we suffer”
I think there is a problem there.

Hon Member, sorry, I am not sure I understood you, could you go over it again?

Mr Speaker, the column reads as follows:
“We are all Hon Members of Parliament and we know I the way we are suffer”. And I am not sure that should be correct construction.

Which particular column are you referring to? Column 1? Which paragraph, please?

Mr Speaker, the third line. Just read the first, second and the third line and you would see it.

“Mr First Deputy Speaker: Hon Members, we would proceed with the correction of Votes and Proceedings” Is it that one?

No, Mr Speaker. Column 305 which reads:
“We are all Hon Members of Parliament and I know the way we are suffer…”

Very well, the Hansard Department should take note and make the appropriate correction.

Mr Speaker, with respect, if you pay attention to the cover page, we have Thursday, 10 th December, 2021. Then, underneath the Official Report, we have Wednesday, 10 th December, 2021. But I have checked the accurate date, and it should be Friday, 10th December, 2021. And that is why if you go to the last page, page 400 — the Adjournment, we adjourned the House at 3.38 p.m. till Monday, 13th December, 2021 at 10.00 a.m.

So, the two days provided on the cover page cannot be correct; it should be Friday, 10th December, 2021.

Thank you Mr Speaker.

Very well.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Very well, the Hansard Department will take note and make the appropriate corrections.

Mr Speaker, on the same document, on the second page, under Oral Answers to Questions, it has: “1. Minister for Roads and Highways (Col. 744)”.
Mr Speaker, when you go to the last page of the same document, the last column is 400, so I am wondering how there can be a column 744. I also noticed in column 397 to column 400 that there has been a sudden change in the type of font and writing style used. For the sake of consistence, it is important to point that out as well.

Column 397? I have noticed the font has changed but I do not know which —

Mr Speaker, for the sake of clarity, on the second page, under “Oral Answers to Questions”, we have “Ministry of Roads and Highways (Col.
744)”.

Hon Member for Builsa South, I do not seem
to have what you are referring to on my second page.

Mr Speaker, let me explain. If we are looking at the first page, when you flip to the second page, the item before the last one says “Oral Answers to Questions” and then goes on to say “Minister for Roads and Highways (Col. 744).

Very well, the content page. Any more corrections?
In the absence of any further corrections, the Official Report of Friday, 10th December, 2021 is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we would move on to item numbered 5, Questions to be answered by the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. The first Question numbered 533 is in the name of the Hon Member for Nsawam- Adoagyiri. Hon Majority Chief Whip, you may ask your Question.

Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources the estimated land

Mr Speaker, the Trees-on-Farms intervention, is one of three (3) broad landscape restoration approaches we have adopted; the other two interventions being Forest Plantation Development and Enrichment Planting.
The Trees-on-Farms component involves planting eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21) forest trees per hectare within farms or about one hundred and thirty-two (132) forest trees per hectare along the boundaries of farms. The intervention is one of the key planting activities under the National Afforestation and Reforestation Programme introduced by the Government in 2017 and is also fully aligned with the objectives of the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy (2016 -
2040).
Mr Speaker, since 2017, an estimated total area of four hundred and 477,485.5 ha of agricultural landscapes have been planted under the Trees-on-Farms (ToF) intervention through various programmes undertaken by the Government, private sector and Civil Society Organizations (CSO). The breakdown is as follows:
Mr Speaker, I must note, however, that the 2021 figure is only an estimate, based on verified seedlings distributed for planting in farms by the Forestry Commission as at the end of the third quarter of 2021.
Mr Speaker, the area of land, cultivated between 2017 and 2021 is far more than the total area of forest land cultivated since independence to
2017.
Between 1963 and 1987, an estimated area of nineteen thousand three hundred hectares (19,300 ha) was cultivated under the Government Plantation Programme. Also, between 2002 and 2016, an estimated area of one hundred and thirty-eight thousand hectares (138,000 ha) was cultivated under the National Forest Plantation Development Programme, making a total of one hundred and fifty-seven thousand three hundred hectares (157,300 ha).

Yes, Hon Majority Chief Whip?

Mr Speaker my good Friend the Hon Minister has given a breakdown of the area restored and I see a significant 150,307.8 for 2020. Could the Hon Minister tell this House the reason behind this important achievement?

Mr Speaker, as the House may have noticed, the Government is pursuing an aggressive afforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover of our country. As I indicated in my answer, some of the programmes include the Trees-on- Farms, the Green Ghana Programme, the REDD+ programme and several others. The Cocoa and Forest Initiative is also one of them.
Mr Speaker, it is this aggressive reforestation programme which has culminated in the huge increase in the planting of trees on farms. I also indi- cated again that this is a programme we intend to pursue this year and the years to come to ensure that our forest cover which has been depleted by almost 80 per cent since 1900 is restored in our country. Thank you.

Mr Speaker, that would be all for my first Question. If you may, I would want to ask my next Question.

Very well. We proceed with Question numbered 534.
Form of Support for Domestic Market for Lumber and Plywood

Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources the form of support the Ministry has given to the domestic market in terms of lumber and plywood.

Mr. Speaker, Government, under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union, has an obligation to ensure that timber on the domestic market are sourced, processed and traded legally as part of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) requirement. To this end, the Forestry Commission has adopted the Domestic Timber Trade Network (DoTTNet) Process, to effectively regulate and promote trade in legal timber on the domestic market. These interventions are part of regulatory framework envisaged to reverse the current trend and ensure adequate
supply of legal timber to the domestic market, by strengthening the capacity of Small and Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFEs).
In addition to this, there are a number of interventions being implemented by the Commission to support the lumber and plywood domestic market. These include:
1. The introduction of the Domestic Timber Inspection Certificate (DoTIC) as part of efforts to streamline the operations of the domestic market, monitor trading activities as well as help generate reliable data to inform strategic decision-making process.
2. The development of a real time Un-Removed Yield Portal, in the form of an electronic logs trading platform, to address challenges of raw material supply along the domestic market value chain. This platform allows us to trace unremoved wood species left by concession holders, and harvest them for the domestic market. Capacity building workshops have been held for ninety (90) Timber Utilisation Contract (TUC) holders and members of the Domestic Lumber Millers
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Association of Ghana (DoLMAG), on the use of the portal.

3. We have commenced the processes of establishing Legal Wood Depots through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

4. The Forestry Commission, in collaboration with the Kumasi Wood Cluster Association (KWC), has developed a mobile application to help capture and store data on the sale of timber and timber products on the domestic timber markets throughout the country. The App which has been field-tested, is aimed at promoting efficiency in the domestic timber trade. It provides information on what timber species are going on to the market, where and from whom it emanates, and who it is delivered to. It also addresses the challenges of paper waybill used by vendors in the timber market. Through this, the Commission is able to monitor and track wood on the domestic market.

5. The Commission has organised capacity building for Small and Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFEs), in the use of lesser-

used timber species, machine maintenance and trouble- shooting as well as occupa- tional health and safety management to improve upon their efficiency.

These interventions have signi- ficantly increased the volume of legal timber and timber species supplied to the domestic market, from two hundred and eighty-eight thousand three hundred and seventy-six point two-five cubic metres (288,376.25m3) in 2019, to three hundred and fifty-two thousand, nine hundred and fifty-eight point one-seven cubic metres (352,958.17m3), as at the end of third quarter of 2021; with an estimated end of year volume of four hundred and seventy thousand, six hundred and ten point eight-nine cubic metres (470,610.89m3).

The number of plywood manu- facturing companies licensed to operate in the country have also witnessed a significant increase in numbers from 23 companies in 2019 to 29 as at the end of last year. These phenomena are responsible for the steady growth in the volume of plywood supplied to the domestic market from 2019 till date. Currently, the total volume of plywood produced by these companies far exceeds local demand, thereby allowing for overland export to

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ECOWAS sub-regional markets such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Mr Speaker, with the policies being implemented, very soon, we will be exporting to the whole of the sub- region.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon Majority Chief Whip?

Mr Speaker, I do not have any follow up question, so if you permit, I would want to ask my next Question.

Very well. Question numbered 535.
Regional and Satellite Offices established for Monitoring of the
Mining Sector by Mining Commission

Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources the number of regional and satellite offices that have been established as of the year 2020 for the monitoring of the mining sector by the Mining Commission.

Mr Speaker, article 269 of our national Constitution, mandated this august House, to, within six months of its First Sitting after the coming into force of the Constitution, establish Commissions, including the Minerals Commission, to be responsible for the
regulation and management of the utilisation of our mineral resources, and to coordinate policies in relation to them. Pursuant to the dictates of the 1992 Constitution, Parliament enacted the Minerals Commission Act, 1993 (Act 450), which came into force on 6 th July, 1993, to establish the Commission, provide for its composition and functions relating to the regulation and management of the utilisation of minerals and provide for related matters.
Mr Speaker, as a regulatory body, the Commission must have offices closer to the areas where mining activities are taking place, to ensure effective supervision and regulation. Mr. Speaker, as at the year 2020, the Commission had three regional offices in Kumasi, Koforidua and Takoradi; nine district offices in Bibiani, Obuasi, Konongo, Akim Oda, Bolgatanga, Wa, Assin Fosu, Tarkwa and Asanko; and six satellite offices in Daboase, Diaso, Dunkwa, Manso Nkwanta, Prestea and Tongo.
Mr Speaker, from 2020 till date, the Commission has added one regional office in Tamale, four district offices in Kenyasi, Ho, Hohoe and Cape Coast, seven satellite offices in Enchi, Aflao, Bole/Tinga, Kpassa, Akwatia, Antoakrom and Kwabeng, as well as two observatory offices

in Sogakope and Gomoa Akoti. In total, therefore, the Commission, as at today, has, in addition to its head office here in Accra, four regional offices, 13 district offices, 13 satellite offices, and two observatory offices. The classification of offices as regional, district or satellite depends on the size of the office, the personnel stationed there and the kind of duties they undertake, with the regional offices having oversight over the district, satellite and observatory offices.

Mr Speaker, one of the ways of effectively monitoring mining, particularly small scale mining, and making the acquisition of licences easier is decentralisation. This is why the Commission has committed resources, to open more offices to monitor the activities of players in the mining industry. This year, the Commission is committed to further decentralise its services, with the establishment of two additional regional offices in Sefwi-Wiaso and Tarkwa, and four satellite offices in Wassa-Akropong, Dambai, Nkawie and Bongo. We are grateful to the Omanhene of Sefwi Wiaso, Katakyie Kwasi Bumangama II, for donating a building to the Commission to refurbish and use as the regional office.

Mr Speaker, and, I should add that, just yesterday, Wednesday, 2nd February, 2022, I presented, on behalf of Government, 20 pick-up vehicles, 10 blast monitors, 107 desktop computers, 68 laptops, 19 printers, 11 photocopier machines, 102 uninterruptible power supply (UPS), five scanners, three projectors, three survey equipment, two plotters and one backup storage device, to the Commission, to support effective monitoring and supervision of the mining industry.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, through the Minerals Commission, is committed to ensuring that mining is done in a safe, healthy and environmentally sound manner.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for the opportunity and to also say that the Hon Minister has effectively answered all my Questions, hence I do not have any follow-up questions.

Hon Member for Bawku Central?

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much. Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question, but I just want to make some corrections to the substantive Question.
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Mr Speaker, the Question is about “Mining Commission”, but we do not have that. Rather, we have a Minerals Commission so the Hon Member asking the Question could have that corrected.

I would also like to find out from the Hon Minister whether he has any plans to establish a regional office in the Upper East Region? The most recent is the one that has been established in the Northern Region with satellite offices and so, the North East, Upper East and Upper West Regions do not have regional offices. Mr Speaker, is the Hon Minister looking at establishing a regional office for that enclave in the Upper East Region?

Mr Speaker, as my Hon Colleague has rightly indicated, we have established a regional office in Tamale and it is supposed to be a mining office. Therefore, the Upper East Region will fall under that regional office. However, I must admit that he is very right in calling for the establishment of an office in the Upper East Region, and this is a matter that we are seriously considering.
Mr Speaker, I say so because the conventional wisdom was that mineral resources, particularly gold, were found in southern Ghana, but the current occurrences of mineral resources in the
Upper East Region in particular, in commercial quantities, has defeated that conventional wisdom. Therefore, the mineral resources, particularly gold, that has been found in Talensi and several parts of the Upper East Region in huge commercial quantities with large scale mining companies already active in that enclave means in the not too distant future, we would have to establish a regional office in the Upper East Region. I can assure my Hon Colleague that we would work at that.

Mr Speaker, my question is similar to what Hon Mahama Ayariga asked. Considering how wide the previous Volta Region was, we had an office in Ho. Now we have the Oti Region which is very big. It begins from Akpafu all the way to the last town.
Mr Speaker, has the Hon Minister considered opening a regional office to serve the region, instead of a satellite office that the Ministry wants to put up at Dambai bearing in mind the huge discoveries being made, to reduce unlicensed mining activities going on there? Is the Hon Minister considering a regional office in the Oti Region whether in Dambai or Jasikan to serve the region?

Mr Speaker, first of all, the Minerals Commission has an office in Hohoe, and it works

actively in dealing with matters that have to do with mining activities in the Oti Region.

Again, I agree with my Hon Colleague that we need to work to decentralise the services and operations of the Minerals Com- mission, particularly in the Oti Region. Mr Speaker, as I indicated, the settled conclusion, in terms of the occurrence of mineral resources in Ghana, was that places like the Oti and Volta Regions would not have mineral resources, but that has been proved wrong. Today, the deposits of iron ore in our country are found in the Oti Region, specifically in the Akpafu areas where I have visited. Therefore, if we are to regulate iron ore properly, we would require a more robust presence of the Minerals Commission in the Oti Region and we would work at that. Also, the Minerals Commission has to come to grips with the matter of sand winning.

So, I would like to assure my Hon Colleague that we are moving gingerly, and we would get to the Oti Region very soon.

Mr Speaker, I beg to seek some clarification from the Hon Minister. In the second paragraph on page 7 of his response, he indicated that the Minerals Commission currently has
three regional offices in Kumasi, Koforidua and Takoradi. Then in the last paragraph of page 8, the Hon Minister informs this House that the Ministry intends to establish two additional regional offices in Sefwi Wiawso and Tarkwa.
We know that Sefwi Wiawso is in the Western North Region, but Tarkwa is still in the Western Region where we already have a regional office in Takoradi. Is it the case that the Western Region would then have two regional offices? Is that the plan of the Ministry or it is probably an oversight? I would just want the Hon Minister to clarify this item for the benefit of the House.

Mr Speaker, first of all, just like the cocoa industry, the establishment of offices of the Minerals Commission is determined by the occurrences or deposits of mineral resources. This is why the regions, districts, satellites and observatory offices of the Commission are in mining regions.
Mr Speaker, in Ghana, we all know that the Western and Western North Regions are two of the regions where we have the most occurrences of mineral resources in our country. This is why we would have an office in Tarkwa and Sefwi Wiawso. That is the explanation I can give. These are
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judgements made by the experts and technical people, and as I said, they are made based on the occurrences of mineral resources — [Interruption].

We have regional office in Sefwi Wiawso and we intend to establish another one in Tarkwa. As we know, Tarkwa is considered the headquarters of gold in Ghana and so, that must be the reason the experts have decided to set up an office there.

Mr Speaker, for education purposes, I would like to know from the Hon Minister whether salt is not one of the minerals that he considers — he did not include that in the important areas where minerals can be found in the country. That leaves me in doubt, and I would like him to clarify, if he may.

Mr Speaker, salt is a very important mineral, and it is considered as ‘white gold'; there are no two ways about that. We have plans to develop salt. In fact, with approvals from Cabinet and that of this House, we are even contemplating on the establishment of a Salt Development Authority. There is absolutely no equivocation about the importance of salt.
Mr Speaker, that is why we have an office in Ho. It is responsible for the management of the various mineral resources in our country including salt.
I am not too sure that we have neglected salt at all. Salt is a very important component of the mineral resource base of our country.

I would proceed to Question numbered 538 in the name of the Hon Member for Atebubu/Amantin, Hon Sanja Nanja.
Avoiding Possible Clash between APSD and Farmers of Garadima,
Boaya et cetera Communities

Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources what the Ministry would do to avoid a possible clash between African Plantation for Sustainable Development (APSD) and the farmers of the following communities: (i) Garadima (ii) Boayo (iii) Byebye (iv) Yabra (v) Abusiu Akura.

Mr Speaker, in 2007, the African Plantations for Sustainable Development Company Limited (APSD), acquired approxi- mately 40,000 hectares of land in the Atebubu-Amantin Municipality of the Bono East Region, for a term of 50 years, with an option to renew. The company intends to use the land to, among others, establish industrial eucalyptus and acacia plantations for the production of electricity from
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biomass energy. The company has, so far, planted and nurtured over 9,000,000 eucalyptus and acacia tree seedlings, covering an estimated area of 8,337 hectares.

Mr Speaker, one of the biggest threats to forest plantations is the incidence of wildfires, particularly within the transitional zone of our country where APSD's plantation is located. Most of these wildfires are caused by uncontrolled use of fire for hunting, site preparation for farming and cattle ranching.

Mr Speaker, reports to my office is that, during the 2017/2018 dry season, APSD lost over 600 hectares of forest plantations from wildfire that started from a farm outside its concession. The company has, since then, implemented several measures aimed at preventing wildfire on its concession. These measures include:

1. employing a gate-pass system to protect its operational area from unauthorised persons and activities, such as, illegal hunting, charcoal production and logging;

2. setting up of designated roads for transport;

3. blocking of some roads within the concession with fabricated metals;

4. enforcement of speed limits within the concession; and

5. development and maintenance of green fire breaks and fire rides.

While the company claims to have communicated these measures to the adjoining communities which accepted them, the Ministry has observed concerns from some community members who complain that these measures have impacted on their movements and traditional lively- hoods, particularly, in relation to limited access to farmlands, difficulty in getting water and restrictions in their movements.

Apart from these, some members of the Yabraso community blamed APSD for a fire outbreak that occurred on 2nd February, 2020 which destroyed property within the community. However, an investigation by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) found otherwise. These concerns have created some tension between the company and the communities.

Mr Speaker, large-scale forest plantations have enormous socio- economic benefits for adjoining communities, including creating job opportunities, infrastructural develop- ment through corporate social responsibilities, among others.

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APSD has, for example, constructed six (6) dams that serve as source of water for several fringe villages all year round; employed several members of the communities as plantation field assistants, security personnel and drivers; ploughed farms of community members, and constructed a brick kiln and 30 hectares of acacia plantation in Byebye community for charcoal production.

The Ministry is therefore committed to ensuring peaceful co-existence of the company and the communities. The Ministry will therefore, undertake independent comprehensive investi- gations into the issues raised by the communities and fashion out a strategy to resolve them. The Ministry will also facilitate collaborative dialogue between the company and the communities to forestall any possible conflicts between the two parties. In this regard, I hope to count on my Hon Colleague, Hon Sanja Nanja, the Hon Member of Parliament (MP) for the Atebubu-Amantin Constituency.

Mr Speaker, in matters of this nature, dialogue is the best approach, and we will urge all the parties involved to refrain from acts that may increase tension in the communities.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, I would like to commend the Hon Minister for his comprehensive Answer. However, I would want to know from him when the Ministry would initiate the independent comprehensive investi- gation and consultation since we are sitting on a time bomb?

Mr Speaker, having received this Question and also getting the opportunity to provide an Answer, I intend to hold a discussion with the Hon MP since he is a key stakeholder of the community. On that basis, I believe that together, we can fashion out a roadmap which would involve the investigation. I would not take any step until I speak with him.

Mr Speaker, , I would want to know from the Hon Minister whether the GNFS has denied the occu r ren ce o f th e f i r e o u tb reak on 2 nd
February,2020 or that it occurred but it was not as a result of the activities of
APSD?

Mr Speaker, as my Hon Colleague would most likely appreciate and agree with me, the report I have given to the House constitutes the official reports that were furnished to my office. Mr Speaker, the matters that he has put on the table, and the veracity or otherwise of those claims would have to be established
Oral Answers to Questions

through the investigations that would be conducted.

So, if my Hon Colleague would indulge me, he should allow us to go through the process or the consultation I would have with him, almost immediately, then we would constitute the investigation team. I believe the investigations would unravel the matters that he wants me to confirm or deny.

Hon Members, the last Question stands in the name of the Hon Member for Adaklu, Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza.

Mr Speaker, I have the authority of the sponsor of the Question to seek your leave to ask it on his behalf.

Very well, you may proceed.
Government Land and Landed Properties Transferred to Private
Individuals since 2017 and their Cost
Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor on behalf of (Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza) (NDC — Adaklu): Mr Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources which government land and landed properties have been disposed of and transferred to private individuals since 2017, and
the cost of each of the properties transferred.

Mr Speaker, transactions relating to government lands and government landed pro- perties are handled by the various Regional Lands Commissions, which are mandated under article 260(1) of our national Constitution, to perform the functions of the Lands Commission in the regions.
Mr Speaker, prior to 2021, there were only 10 Regional Lands Com- missions, administratively overseeing the 10 regions that existed before the creation of the six new regions in 2018. In 2021, the Regional Lands Commission of all the 16 regions were inaugurated, and this has necessitated the movement of files from some of the mother regions to the new ones.
Mr Speaker, the 16 Regional Lands Commissions are in the process of compiling the records of all government land and landed properties transferred, and I will duly brief the House when this exercise is complete. Mr Speaker, as the House may agree with me, to compile a list on government land and landed properties that have been disposed of and transferred to private individuals since 2017 and the cost of each of them requires time and effort. And in
Oral Answers to Questions

accordance with the highest standards of transparency and candour, I have asked that these records be compiled from 1993 to date and not from 2017. It will give us a better picture.

Mr Speaker, our commitment is to ensure that the public lands of our country are utilised for the benefit of the people of Ghana, the true owners of these properties, and we will do so through the efficient management of these lands, anchored on transparency, integrity and utmost good faith.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, the Question was very specific as to the time limit within which these details were requested. In addition to that, it was not all the 10 regions that were bifurcated into two or three others. The Eastern, Greater Accra, Ashanti Central, Upper West and Upper East Regions are intact. So, I hoped that the Hon Minister would have provided information on those regions, and then inform the House that for those regions that were affected by the creation of the new regions, information would be provided later.
Therefore, Mr Speaker, my question is: could the Hon Minister not have provided information regarding these transfers from the regions that were not affected by the creation of new ones?

Mr Speaker, with respect, a careful examination of the Answer I gave never suggested that I
am unable to provide the Answer to the Question because we now have 16 regions. The matter I referred to relating to the fact that we have 16 regions was to give a background as to the work that has to be done. That is not the excuse.
The point is that we have made that request and it even predated the Question, which has been asked. Since becoming Minister, the President has instructed that we compile an inventory of public lands in our country — what has been sold; what is outstanding and that work has begun a while ago.
Mr Speaker, we should be frank with ourselves. To compile the public lands of our country which have been sold since 2017, their cost and how much is accrued to the State is quite an enormous undertaking. I have expanded it so that we would have a full picture on all the information for the House. Therefore, I have asked the Lands Commission to provide my office with all public lands which have been sold and their cost from 1993 to date. I can assure this House that I would provide that information.

Mr Speaker, it is for that reason that the sponsor of the Question limited the Hon Minister to time, not to make the work enormous for him. But be it as it may, would the Hon Minister tell us when the work that is being done by the various Regional Lands Commission in respect of the compilation would be completed for him to provide to this House?
Oral Answers to Questions

Mr Speaker, respectfully, anybody who has a casual understanding of the workings of the Lands Commission and their records would appreciate that this is really an enormous task that they would have to perform. The records of lands from 1993 to date, the persons those lands have been granted to and how much is accrued to the State is a huge undertaking. Besides, to provide those records to this House, we must be absolutely certain that the records I provide are unimpeachable.
Mr Speaker, respectfully, I would be reluctant to give specific timelines. It would take some considerable time, but what I would also assure the House of is that when the report is ready, I would present it here, and it would cover all public lands granted to private individuals and their cost from 1993 to date.

Mr Speaker, inasmuch as I would want to commend the Hon Minister for his quest for hard work, he said that it is an enormous responsibility. If it is an enormous task and he has been required to just provide information for a short period, why does he want to extend to 1993? The Question assigned him to a brief period, but he wants to extend it to 1993. It looks like he wants to assign himself another question and answer it.

Mr Speaker, the laws of our country, particularly article 257(1) of our Constitution, and the case of Okudzeto vs Obetsebi Lamptey says
it very clearly as to the person who stands in trust with Ghanaians when it comes to public lands. It is the President of Ghana.

Mr Speaker, I just want some education from the sector Hon Minister: on 20th January, 2020, his Deputy Minister in his encounter with the Western Regional Lands Commission indicated that Government has approved the redevelopment project of government estates. In the reportage, it was stated that Government has given approval for the redevelopment of large tracks of land that have small buildings on them. What does that entail? Does that entail trying to carve out these ones for other government projects or for the private sector?

Hon Member, kindly file your question.

Mr Speaker, my supplementary question is double- barrel. First, I would want to find out from the Hon Minister why he has decided to begin from 1993 and not
Oral Answers to Questions

Mr Speaker, in the second paragraph of the Minister's response, he says and I quote:

“In 2021, the Regional Lands Commission of all the sixteen regions were inaugurated, and this has necessitated the movement of files from some of the mother regions to the new regions”.

Mr Speaker, I have been looking at the media reports on the inaugurations. Savannah Region for example was on the 2nd August, 2021; that was six months ago Western North was inaugurated on 15th July, 2021; that was seven months ago. Are they still moving files?

For how many months or years would the files be moved? Does that show that the officials are probably not up to the task and not being as competent as they should be? I am worried that if we are still moving files to new regions after seven months, then God help us.

Mr Speaker, first of all, in the best of worlds, a question of this nature would probably not have been necessary. This is because one could have just gone online and have access to this information which is
being requested for. Mr Speaker, I respectfully submit to the House that we have serious endemic, operational and institutional challenges when it comes to the Lands Commission in particular, and we are working to deal with that situation.

I believe all of us are familiar with the workings of the Lands Commis- sion. For one to even get a record of one parcel of land may be as difficult as anything can be. Therefore, I must say with all candour that the request which has been made of me as Minister requires some time and work.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member asked, why not 1957? Maybe, we should look at that because of the complex nature of our land tenure system and the history of our public lands and its management. It may be a good idea that we work hard and come together with a comprehensive report which gives the House the records of the Lands Commission in respect of how public lands have been granted since 1957 to date.

Oral Answers to Questions

Hon Ayariga, that would be the last one.

Mr Speaker, I would like to commend the Hon Minister for his commitment to transparency, candour and his quest to enable us have a better picture for which reason he intends to begin from 1993 and not 2017.
Mr Speaker, has the Hon Minister sought your permission to vary the Question that you admitted? The Question that Rt Hon Speaker admitted is from 2017, and not 1993. If the Hon Minister wants to go as far back as 1993, he would have to ask for Rt Hon Speaker's permission to vary the Question that has been admitted.

Mr Speaker, the answer which will be given when I have the information will be the records from 2017 to date, but I will provide data from 1993 to 2017 as a background so that we would appreciate the complexities of the issue. [Hear! Hear!] I believe when a Minister is asked a Question, he or she is allowed to give a background. My good Friend, Hon Ablakwa, has even drawn my attention to start from 1957 so that we can get a better background. [Hear! Hear!]

Mr Speaker, I think there was a question to the Minister about personnel. Since the last
one was in August 2021, may I know from the Hon Minister whether his Ministry is liaising with the Local Government Service to ensure that there are personnel available in the newly created regions?

Hon Member, I think this should be a separate question; it does not come out of the Question asked. So, you can file that as a separate question.
Hon Members, that brings us to the end of Question time for today.
Hon Minister, we thank you for attending upon the House to answer Questions. You are discharged.
Hon Members, item numbered 6 — Statements.

Mr Speaker, I have had some consultations with my Hon Colleague, and based on that, I would seek your leave to vary the order of Business for us to go onto page 5 to take the item numbered 11.

Hon Minority Chief Whip, your Hon Colleague says that he has reached an agreement with you that we vary the order of Business and move to page 5 of the Order Paper.

Mr Speaker, he mentioned it to me, so we have no objection.
Oral Answers to Questions

Hon Second Deputy Speaker to take the Chair.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the UK Export Finance Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG (as Agent, Arranger, Structuring Bank, and Original Lender) for an amount of one hundred and thirteen million, five hundred and forty thousand euros (€113,540,000.00 [including UKEF Premium]) to finance the Construction of the Bunso - Adawso Road and specified approach roads to the Adawso Bridge Project;
That this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Tied Commercial Facility Agreement amongst the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by
the Ministry of Finance), Deutsche Bank AG (as Agent, Arranger, and Structuring Bank) and African Export-Import Bank (as Original Lender) for an amount of fifty-one million, four hundred and fifty thousand euros (€51,450,000.00 to finance the Construction of the Bunso - Adawso Road and specified approach roads to the Adawso Bridge Project; and
That this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Atradius Credit Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (as Arranger, Structuring Bank, Agent and Original Lender) for an amount of two hundred and thirty million euros (€230,000,000.00 [including Atradius Premium]) to finance the construction of a Bridge over the Volta River at Adawso-Ekyi Amanfrom.
Mr Speaker, in doing so, I present your Committee's Report. 1.0 Introduction
The
i. UK Export Finance Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG (as Agent, Arranger, Structuring Bank and Original Lender) for an amount of one hundred and thirteen million, five hundred and forty thousand euros

(€113,540,000.00) [including UKEF Premium] to finance the Construction of the Bunso - Adawso Road and specified approach roads to the Adawso Bridge Project;

ii. Tied Commercial Facility Agree- ment amongst the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance), Deutsche Bank AG (as Agent, Arranger and Structuring Bank) and African Export-Import Bank (as Original Lender) for an amount of fifty-one million, four hundred and fifty thousand Euros (€51,450,000.00) to finance the Construction of the Bunso - Adawso Road and Specified approach roads to the Adawso Bridge Project; AND

iii. Atradius Credit Facility Agree- ment between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (repre- sented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (as Arranger, Structuring Bank, Agent and Original Lender) for an amount of two hundred and thirty million euros (€230,000,000.00) [inclu- ding Atradius Premium] to finance the construction of a Bridge over the Afram River at Adawso - Ekyi Amanfrom were presented to the House on Monday 20th December, 2021 by the Hon. Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah on behalf of the Minister responsible for Finance.

Pursuant to article 103 of the 1992 Constitution and Orders 169 and 171 of the Standing Orders of the House, the Agreements were referred to the Committee on Finance for consi- deration and report.

The Committee subsequently met and discussed the Agreements with a Deputy Minister for Finance, Hon. Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Stephen Pambiin Jalulah, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and a team of officials from the Ministries of Finance and Roads and Highways.

The Committee hereby submits this report to the House pursuant to Order 161 of the Standing Orders of the House.

The Committee is grateful to the above-mentioned Honourable Deputy Ministers and the officials for attending upon the Committee.

2.0 References The Committee referred to and was

guided by the following documents inter alia during its deliberations on the Agreements:

- The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

- The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.

- The Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

3.0 Background

The Government of the Republic of Ghana through the Ministry of Roads and Highways recognises the importance of good road infrastructure as a critical facilitator for rapid socio- economic development of the country through the improvement of accesses; reduction in travel times, congestion, vehicle operating costs and accidents.

To ensure the operational efficiency of road transport in moving persons, goods and services both within the country and through neighbouring countries, the Government has already implemented some major road infrastructure projects and continues to source funding for the implementation of additional critical road projects in line with Government's infrastructural development agenda.

The road transport sector is regarded as essential due to the central role it plays in the transportation of people and goods, especially the transportation of farm produce to market centres and for export.

The project areas include Kwahu Afram Plains North, South, and Kwahu South Districts of the Eastern Region and in close proximity the Sekyere Afram Plains in the Ashanti Region of the Republic of Ghana. These areas have great potential to contribute significantly to the improvement of the well-being of the inhabitants and to

food security in Ghana through the significant supply of farm produce to consumers in major cities and towns in Ghana.

The inhabitants of the districts are often almost cut-off from the rest of the country due to limited physical access on three sides of the Afram River and lack of connecting roads to other parts of the country, leaving the ferry as the only means of transport.

The project interventions include the construction of the Adawso - Ekyi Amanfrom Bridge (approximately 3.0kms long) and the road between Adawso and Bunso on the N6 (approximately 128kms) linking the Afram Plains with the comercial, administrative, health and educational centres in the region, boosting the agricultural sector in the Afram basin and fostering internal and regional integration.

3.1 Objective of the Project

The objective of the Project is to improve travel time and reduce waiting times within the project corridor with consequent reduction in poverty and enhanced development of Ghana, The project is specifically aimed at improving transport access and circulation by constructing a bridge across the Afram river, enhancing the capacity of the approach road network and removing bottlenecks so as to

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

improve the movement of people, goods and services to support the socio-economic development of the inhabitants of the project areas in particular, and the country as a whole.

4.0 Terms and Conditions of the Loans

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

A summary of the financing agreements for the road project is as presented below:

5.0 Project Description

The project involves both Bridge and Road components. The Bridge project consists of the design and construction of the approximately 3.0kms (Subject to the topographical survey) of a 2-lane Bridge, including service lanes and walkway on the side to connect Adawso and Ekye Amanfrom in the Eastern Region by BNIP - Janson - Adowso Consortium.

The bridge project include the construction of facilities for weighing, police post, ambulance station and other ancillary facilities.

The road component shall consist of the provision of all survey and investigation, designing of the road alignment and geometry, interchanges, pavements, drainage, bridges and culverts, site investigation and tests, road markings and signage as well as all associated road works in line with

A summary of the financing agreement for the bridge project is as follows:

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

the Ghana Highway Authority's design manual.

The scope of works on the Bridge component shall include:

Construction of approximately 3.0kms length of a 2-lane Bridge, including service lanes and walkway on one side.

Site clearance.

Earthworks.

Construction of various pavement layers inclusive of natural gravel

layers, asphalt surfacing and double bituminous surfacing.

R el o c at i n g an d o r p r o tec t i o n o f ex i st i n g serv i ces w i th i n the road reserv e.

C o nst ruct i on o f v ar i ou s d rai nage st r u c t u r es an d i n f r ast r u c t u r e t o ad eq u at el y m an ag e st o r m w at er d rai n ag e al ong the rou te.

P r o v i s i o n o f r o ad f u r n i t u r e , i n c l u d i n g st r eet l i g h t s, si g n ag es, c r ash b ar r i er s, f en c es an d l i n e m ark i ng along the road, as speci f ied i n the contract draw ings.

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

5.1 Budget Summary for the Bridge

The scope of works on the road component shall include:

Rehabilitation of Obuoho (Begoro) - Kwahu Tafo R34(58.7kms)

Rehabilitation of Kwahu Tafo - Adawso IR3(20kms)

Rehabilitation of Ekye Amanfrom - Donkokrom - R72 (101km)

6.0 Observations

6.1 Deplorable State of the Road

The Committee observed that the current state of the project roads, spanning Obuoho (Begoro) through

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

Kwahu Tafo to Adawso and from Ekyi Amanfrom to Donkorkrom is very deplorable.

The pavements are deteriorated with potholes at various locations hindering the flow of traffic and affecting economic activity and productivity. Sections of the road have virtually become death traps, especially at night as drivers may slam into dangerous potholes without warning. Other challenges currently faced on the road include unnecessarily long travel times, high vehicle operating and maintenance cost, dust pollution and poor road safety.

Again, there is presently no bridge crossing the Afram River, thereby leaving the ferry as the only veritable source of transport from one end of the River to the other.

To help address these challenges, the roads are to be completely redesigned and reconstructed with the necessary bridges, culverts, drainage, road markings and signages to ensure the roads are fit for vehicular and human use. A bridge of approximately 3.0 kms would also be constructed across the Afram River to directly link Adawso to Ekyi Amanfrom.

6.2 Project in line with Govern- ment's Poverty Reduction Strategy

The Committee observed that the project is in line with the Govern- ment's strategy that emphasizes poverty reduction through increased agricultural production, socio-economic develop- ment, and strengthening the foundations of sustainable development through the improvement of the social and economic infrastructure and enhancing the enabling environment for private sector growth.

Furthermore, the project will directly or indirectly complement the government's committed efforts at achieving the Sustainable Develop- ment Goals (SDGs).

6.3 Socio-Economic Impact of the Project

The project is expected to propel greater access to employment oppor- tunities, educational and health facilities, agricultural development, social inclusion and networking by directly or indirectly benefiting approximately 67,260 households in the catchment area. The project inter- vention will support the structural transformation that Ghana is under- going as it moves beyond lower- middle-income status by facilitating the movement of people, goods and

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

services thereby increasing the tempo of economic activities in the project districts.

6.4 Complete Financial Solution

The Committee noted that the cost of the Commercial Contracts is to be fully paid from the proceeds of the loans under consideration.

The financing package provides a 100 per cent financial solution and there will be no additional budgetary requirement on the side of Government to complete the project.

6.5 Debt Sustainability

The Committee observed that this project is on the approved list of priority projects to be financed from non-concessional borrowing as indicated in Appendix 10C of the 2022 Budget.

The project was factored in the assessment which informed Govern- ment's Medium Term Debt Strategy (MTDS) and consequently determined Government's borrowing plan for the medium term.

The Committee was informed that a Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) was conducted for a number of loans (envisaged pipeline loans) taking into consideration the disbursement profile

for the medium term, payment periods, interest rates and other relevant charges which determine Government's debt obligations.

6.6 Expected Benefits of Project

The Committee observed that the successful implementation of the project is expected to result in the following:

Lowering vehicle operating costs, savings in travel time leading to savings in fuel consumption, reduction in accident rates and to generally improve access and contribute significantly to socio- economic activities;

Provision of a bridge crossing over the Afram River to facilitate cross-river transportation and consequently a reduction in the cost of transportation for both passenger and cargo;

Significant improvement and enhancement of the function of the road network by enhancing vehicle flow and improving movement of people and goods;

Enhancement of economic activities and improvement in public transport and standard of living of the citizenry, especially those in the project catchment area,

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

Creation of jobs for the skilled and non-skilled labour in the project catchment area.

Reduction in loss of productive man-hours, air and noise pollution, vehicle maintenance costs, road accidents and incidents thereby reducing loss of lives; and the

Improvement in commuter and pedestrian safety along the project corridor.

6.7 Value for Money

The Committee enquired to know whether a Value for Money (VFM) assessment has been conducted on the EPC Contract. To this, the Committee w as i n f o rm ed that V F M i s a Condition Precedent to the effectiveness of the Commercial Contract.

Thus the Contract will not become effective until VFM has been con- cluded and therefore no drawdown of the loans can be made until this condition precedent has been met.

The Committee was informed that the Ministry of Roads and Highways has commenced processes to subject the Project to VFM.

The Committee hereby notes the importance of VFM analysis in ensuring the efficient use of resources and

recommends to the Ministries of Finance and Roads and Highways to ensure that the VFM is rigorously carried out to ensure proper value for the funds being procured for the project.

6.8 Fixed Term Project

As to how long the Project will take to complete, the Committee was informed that the Project has a fixed term duration of 30 months and that there is no anticipated extension of the project completion period.

The design, engineering, procure- ment and construction of both the Bridge and Road components are thus expected to be completed within 30 months in accordance with the fixed term contract.

7.0 Conclusion

In view of the foregoing, the Committee respectfully recommends to the House to adopt this report and approve by Resolution, the

i. UK Export Finance Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG (as Agent, Arranger, Structuring Bank and Original Lender) for an amount of one hundred and

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

thirteen million, five hundred and forty thousand euros (€113,540,000.00) [including UKEF Premium] to finance the Construction of the Bunso - Adawso Road and specified approach roads to the Adawso Bridge Project;

ii. Tied Commercial Facility Agreement amongst the Govern- ment of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance), Deutsche Bank AG (as Agent, Arranger and Structuring Bank) and African Export-Import Bank (as Original Lender) for an amount of fifty-one million, four hundred and fifty thousand euros (€51,450,000.00) to finance the Construction of the Bunso - Adawso Road and Specified approach roads to the Adawso Bridge Project; AND

iii.Atradius Credit Facility Agree- ment between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (repre- sented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (as Arranger, Structuring Bank, Agent and Original Lender) for an amount of two hundred and thirty million euros (€230,000,000.00) [inclu- ding Atradius Premium] to finance the construction of a Bridge over the Afram River at Adawso - Ekyi

Amanfrom in accordance with article 181 of the 1992 Consti- tution of the Republic of Ghana.

Respectfully submitted.

Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion. In doing so, I would make a few remarks.
Mr Speaker, with reference to the background on page 4, paragraph four, it has been stated that “the project areas include Kwahu Afram Plains North, South and Kwahu South Districts of the Eastern and in close proximity the Sekyere Afram Plains in the Ashanti Region.”

Hon Members, is that Sekyere Afram Plains in your constituency?

No, Mr Speaker, when you go to —

is the Sekyere Afram Plains part of your constituency right? [Laughter] —

Mr Speaker, when we go to the project description, I think that nothing is mentioned about Sekyere Afram Plains. The question that one needs to ask then is: What would be the physical benefit of this
GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

Project for the people of Sekyere Afram Plains? Would there be any road link to Sekyere Afram Plains? All these questions need to be answered.

Mr Speaker, the objective of the Project is to improve the productivity in the agricultural sector of the Afram Plains. Mentioning Afram Plains, we have three of them; two of them are in the Eastern Region and the Sekyere Afram Plains in the Ashanti Region. However, the Sekyere Afram Plains in the Ashanti Region is the objective here.

Mr Speaker, the terms and conditions of the commercial agreement the all in cost is 6.45 per cent per annum. When we come to the amount of €230 million Agreement, the amount of €200 million is for the construction of the bridge, but an amount of €30 million would go into insurance. This means that Government would not have to pay anything, but would just fall within this amount of €30 million that would be used as the insurance cost.

Mr Speaker, I have a problem with the cost component. We also have the engineering design, which includes consultancy and soil investigation. There is no breakdown, so we do not know how much would go into consultancy and soil investigation. When we go to the second item; site

population, we have the same thing. So, in future, it would be appropriate if they can come out with the breakdown so that people would understand exactly what goes into other areas.

Mr Speaker, presently, there is no bridge on the Afram River in the Eastern Region, and for that matter, the Government in seeking to address the problem has proposed for a five kilometre bridge to be constructed. The five kilometre bridge would be the fifth longest bridge to be constructed in Africa when it is completed. It has two lanes with a walk-away and service lane.

Mr Speaker, the value for money audit is a conditional precedent to the contract and therefore, no draw down of the loan can be made until this condition is met. The Project has a fixed term duration; both the bridge and road component, and they are expected to be completed within 30 months in accordance with the fixed loan contract.

Mr Speaker, there are a lot of benefits to this loan. This is because it would improve productivity in the Sekyere Afram Plains. The road network would be improved, and it would create employment for the people of Afram Plains. The Afram Plains is a deprived area, so, if this bridge is constructed in that place, I think that it would improve that area.

GoG /Deutsche Bank AG UK Export Finance Facility Agreement for Construction

Mr Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the Motion, and to say that apart from the infrastructural outlay and the benefits, associated with this Agreement, for me, it is a huge game changer for this country. [Hear! Hear!]
—
2.07 P.M. - [MR SECOND DEPUTY

Mr Speaker, I think that in our quiet lives, we have often lamented the non-existence of an access route that connects the entire Afram region. This is because all of us know it as a fact that the Afram region, apart from the northern part of our country is indeed the food basket of this country. So, for a Government to think about a bridge or an access facility to connect these parts of the country, the little we can do is to support, and we can see clearly from our Hon Colleagues that they are all nodding in approval and in support of this all audacious and important Project, which as I said, is going to be the game changer.
Mr Speaker, it seeks to transform the agricultural lives, not only in the Afram region, but in other adjourning areas. As a former youth organiser for my
political party in the Eastern Region, I know the area very well. The Afram region is a part of Ghana that I visit often, and anytime that we visited that part of the country and we are coming home, the irony of the reality of the matter hits us so hard on the skin. Therefore, I would want to commend Government and commend the leadership of the Finance Committee for the speed with which they have dispensed of this particular Agreement, and I urge the entire House to support it fully for this Project to see the light of day.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity, and I pray that indeed it would come in to serve as the game changer.

Hon Dafeamekpor, let me hear you.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to add my voice in support of the Report that has been submitted.
Mr Speaker, indeed, the Afram Plains as we know it is the bread basket of this country. When one travels from Nkawkaw and gets to Kwahu Obome or Atibie and goes to Mpraeso, Bepong, Asaaka and Tafo, the traffic gets heavy. So, when one gets to Tafo, one would either have to travel to Kotoso to the
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river and go to Ekyinketepa. One would be surprised that sometimes when the existing pontoon bridge breaks down, it takes traders three days to simply cross with their wares to bring their goods to Accra and to other places to sell. This has been the situation for all these years. So, I am indeed in support of the construction of this bridge.

Mr Speaker, it would interest the House to know that it would also improve the traffic to Germeni my base, which has a direct dealing with Ekye, Amanfrom, Donkorkurom, Agodeke and Buroben. Our people travel sometimes three days on the lake just to access market centres, just because we do not have direct access by way of a bridge across the existing rivers which as a result of the creation of the dam and the formation of the lake have become huge water barriers. For instance, the Afram River separates the Afram Plains from Kwahu and also separates South Dayi from the Afram Plains.

Mr Speaker, therefore, with these words, I urge the House to adopt the Report in question.

Hon Members —
Mr Joseph Appiah Boateng —rose
—

Hon Member do you want to contribute?
Very well. Since you are an Hon Member from the Afram Plains, you definitely would have to speak to it. You have the Floor now.

Joseph Appiah Boateng (NDC — Afram Plains South): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.

Mr Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the Government for this huge initiative. They have done so well for the Afram Plains. And when it gets to a point like this, we do not have to politicise it because across the political spectrum, we have to know that the Government is doing well.

Mr Speaker, I would just give a brief background of the Afram River. Afram River has been in existence since 1960s. Prior to the construction of the Akosombo Dam in the 1960s, the Afram River is a principal tributary of the Volta River, and today, it is an equally important tributary of the Volta Lake. The Afram runs roughly in south- western direction. It collects all the drainage of Kwahu plateau.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the good people of the Afram Plains South and my good self, we say thank you to the Government for the bold and huge initiative taken to embark on this project. As we all know, the Afram Plains is a deprived area, and it lacks

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some social amenities such as roads, clean water, health centres, electricity, mobile phone network connectivity and others. Today, I can boldly say the bridge is one of the major problems in the Afram Plains South.

Mr Speaker, I would conclude by saying that the Government has sourced funds from three different countries: the UK, Netherlands and Germany which amounts to €580 million for the construction of the Afram Bridge and the road network.

Mr Speaker, on this short note, I would say we thank the Government for this initiative. Thank you Mr Speaker.

Very well. I will give the Hon Betty two minutes to also say something. She is also from Afram Plains.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Report from the Committee on Roads on the Ekyi-Adawso Bridge on the Afram River.
Mr Speaker, first and foremost, I would like to commend the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways. Indeed, last year when Questions were asked concerning this very Bridge that happened to be one of the major projects that the National Democratic
Congress (NDC) Administration in 2016 captured in their Manifesto, promising the good people of Afram Plains that they were going to connect the Afram Plains to the larger country since the Government then identified and recognised that the Afram Plains in general happens to be the food basket of Ghana. Indeed, when the Question was asked, the Hon Minister assured that he was going to act and facilitate ways and means to ensure that this bridge is constructed. And today, I am happy to witness that the continuity of the NDC Administration, the John Mahama baby, that is the Bridge would come to pass.
Mr Speaker, however, I would like to draw the Committee' attention that unfortunately, one of the oldest districts which happens to be the Afram Plains North, has not been captured in the Report. And therefore, I would like to use this opportunity to plead with the Hon Minister and the Committee on Roads to see how best they could extend this facility so that the good people of the Afram Plains North vis- à-vis the people from Agordeke, Donkokrom would also benefit from this huge project.
We are most grateful for the opportunity. Mr Speaker, thank you very much. — [Hear! Hear!] —
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Question put and Motions agreed to.

Resolved accordingly.

Mr Speaker, we could now take the item numbered 13 on page 5. Mr Speaker, I seek your leave for us to take together items numbered 12, 14 and 16 by the Deputy Minister for Finance.

Yes, Hon Members, let us turn to pages numbered 5, 7 and 9 — Resolution.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minister?

Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Resolution.
Question put and Motions agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.

Mr Speaker, I had earlier sought your leave for the order of business to be varied. We had a Statement — and Mr Speaker, your good self had admitted a Statement so I guess we could now take the Statement.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker. Very well, Hon Members, let us move to the item numbered 6 — Statements. We have three Statements, and the first one stands in the name of the Hon Rockson- Nelson Kwame Etse Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament for South Dayi.
Hon Member, you may take the floor and read your Statement.

Mr Speaker,
I thank you for the opportunity to make this statement on the floor of this House and for that matter, bring to the
attention of this House an important issue of concern to many of my compatriots who wish to study or work abroad.
Mr Speaker, there is a growing concern among a section of our society on the need for one to take the English proficiency test required by the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other parts of Europe from English speaking countries in Africa.
Mr Speaker, the test for English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers, known as International English Language Testing System popularly known as IELTS managed by the British Council among others, costs an amount of about £150 (US$200) for one to be able to take the test.
It is interesting to note, Mr Speaker, that, this test has a duration of 2 years after which it expires. Upon expiration, anyone requiring the test to apply for education or immi-gration purpose, would be required to pay for a new test.
Mr Speaker, in Ghana, aside the local languages that are pursued in addition, all other tests are carried out in English. Indeed, a good pass in English language is a requirement for one to progress from Junior High School, through to the University. This requirement has seen many students re-take exams after their unsuccessful first attempts in order to

meet the pass mark required to either enter the security services, or pursue further studies.

Ghana is a member of the Commonwealth, dating back to 1957 after gaining her independence from Britain. Indeed, Mr. Speaker, there are 19 Commonwealth countries from Africa who are all former British colonies including Ghana, one of the earliest members, South Africa which joined as far back as 1931, exited in 1961 and later rejoined in 1994, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, among others.

From statistics, Mr Speaker, between 2010 and 2019, the number of Ghanaian students in tertiary education abroad, rose from 9,329 to 17,212 (Source: https://www.statista.com). The United Kingdom witnesses a lot of influx of students from Africa and for that matter G h a n a .

In the 2017/2018 academic year alone, Study-in-UK.org estimates that there were 1,475 Ghanaians studying at different stages in UK universities (Source: https://www.studyina-in- uk.ora). From the records, this made Ghana the third country with the largest students from Africa in the UK coming after Egypt which had 2,570 students and Kenya with 2,190 students. Out of the figures, 1,080 of the students were pursuing various courses at the graduate

level with the rest of 395 students, on various pro-grammes at the undergraduate level. These figures have gone up since.

Mr Speaker, according to Mark Robson, Director of English and Exams of the British Council, in 2013, the UK English teaching section for international oppor-tunities added approximately £2 billion to the United Kingdom's Economy annually. This was expected to rise to nearly £3 billion by 2020 (Source: British Council, 2013 - The English Effect, p. 14). The British Council's partnership with the UK Examination Boards generated £60 million in export earnings for UK exam boards per annum by 2013.

In the 2018-2019 year, the British Council was expected to provide exams for approximately 4 million candidates. Between 2015 and 2016, the British Council earned a total of £980 million. Out of this, its English language exams is said to account for 58 per cent, representing some £568 million (Source: British Council Annual Report and Accounts 2015-2016, p. 54).

Mr Speaker, I bring these statistics, not to bore you, but to let us appreciate the fact that these various tests, IELTS, SELT, TOEFL, etc., are not only functioning as a medium of assessing

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students and migrants, but are also avenues for revenue making to these countries through their representative consulates.

What is of concern, Mr Speaker, is for Ghana, like other English speaking countries in Africa, who are former colonies of the United Kingdom, to continue to remain on the list of countries requiring to have results from IELTS before they are admitted into the country for work or for studies or for any other related purpose. What are the benefits for being in the commonwealth?

Mr Speaker, it is important to note that the English test requirements differ from university to university and from undergraduate to post-graduate study programmes. Quite an appreciable number of UK universities accept IELTS results of between 6.0 and 7.0 as minimum requirement for undergraduate programmes while at the postgraduate level, the minimum requirement ranges from between 6.0 and 7.5 which are between the equivalence of A-Level and GCSE English score of B to C.

Mr Speaker, as a former British colony, this remains one of the most unfair conditions that continues to remain between Ghana, former British

colonies and the United Kingdom for citizens who want to pursue studies in the United Kingdom.

Not too long ago, Mr Speaker, Malawians took to petitioning Britain over IELTS exception. The story was carried in July of 2021 in the Nyasa Times, a Malawian online news portal where the petitioners assessed the requirements for IELTS as an extortion while calling on the Kingdom to appreciate their ties with Malawi as a former colony whose academics are defined within the English language.

In a related development, just a couple of days ago, a minimum of 60,000 Nigerians took to signing a petition, and the use of social media to demand from the United Kingdom to abolish the require-ments of IELTS as a condition for schooling and immigration purposes. The position of our compatriots in Nigeria isn't different from those in Malawi. They also hold the view that the test is simply a means to make money from the process, thus, the need to reconsider their status as an English speaking country and a former British colony.

Mr Speaker, I would want to use this opportunity to solicit the support of this House in impressing upon the British

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High Commission, the British Council and the United Kingdom Government to take Ghana out of the list of IELTS required countries.

Mr Speaker, I must concede that there are some educational institutions in the United Kingdom and the other jurisdictions mentioned that do exempt students from Ghana depending on their scores at school, but, that is not enough. To leave such a delicate matter of who should be exempted and who should be required in the hands of individual institutions, is not enough. Ghana needs to be recognised by the United Kingdom as an English speaking country whose entire educational structure requires convincing passes in the English Language.

I invite my colleagues in this very important drive as they can bear testimony to the financial impact of sitting for these exams aside the school fees required to pursue further studies, some of which are twice what citizens of those countries pay.

I thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by my Good
Friend, Hon Dafeamekpor, and to also commend him on this very important topic.
Mr Speaker, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), is organised by the British Council, IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. This is a standardised test which is meant to achieve certain purposes. First of all, it is for study purposes and secondly, for professionals and migration purposes.
Mr Speaker, this very important test has two main components. It has a general ability component and it also has an academic component. So, those who want to further their studies via the university or through the college would do the academic version and those who want to work would do the general ability version.
Apart from the cost that the Hon Member highlighted, we must under- stand that it performs certain important functions in terms of improvement of our listening, reading, writing and speaking skills and these are very important when it comes to comprehension of the English Language. Mr Speaker, because of our dialect, when we travel to the native English speaking countries, they struggle to understand us because of the way we are taught the English Language in our country. So, this test is important based on the purposes I have outlined.
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Mr Speaker, I also want to state that there are certain professional bodies in these countries that demand IELTS so if a person does not have it, that person would not be employed or have access to certain institutions and even migration becomes difficult. If we want to call for a discussion with the British Council or the IELTS Australia, then we must also be mindful of the potential losses that it may bring. So we need to be very careful. I agree with the Hon Member who made the Statement that if the cost is a problem, how do we deal with it? How do we engage with these bodies to ensure that the cost element is dealt with? It is a worthy call but my fear is the opportunity cost. If for example, we are taken off the list of countries that are supposed to write IELTS, would we get the benefits that come with the writing of it? These are questions we need to find answers to before we make any move.

Mr Vanderpuye — rose —

Mr Speaker, he could make his point —

Hon Member, if you have invited him, then we could listen to him.
Hon Member for Odododiodioo, let us hear you.

Mr Speaker, I would want to draw the Hon Member's attention to the fact that Statements are not supposed to veer into the area of debate but he is leading himself into that arena, so I would want to redirect him to his contribution to the Statement.

Hon Member, well, I did not see his contribution as a debate — of course, he has taken his contribution to a different angle.
Hon Member for Kwadaso, please conclude.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member made a very important Statement and I also sought to bring to bear some important issues that need to be brought to the fore. I have not discounted the Statement but I said that IELTS offers some opportunities to those who write that particular examination and that we need to also be mindful of those benefits that accrue to us. We could engage the British Council, IELTS Australia and Cambridge but the bottom line is that if the issue is about the cost, we should talk about it and whatever we would do to ensure that we have a testing system that is non-discriminatory and would not also deny us certain benefits.
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We are all for it. At least, I have brought to the fore, certain things that the Hon Member did not, in terms of the purposes and all that.

Mr Speaker, on this score, I thank you for the opportunity.

Mr Speaker, I would want to associate very strongly with the well- researched Statement ably made by the Hon Member with all the facts and figures which demonstrate that he is on top of the issues he raised with regard to the language requirement for non- native speakers of the English Language in certain developed countries especially, UK and the USA.
Mr Speaker, indeed, the test of English as a foreign language which is administered by the USA and also the English programme by the UK, somehow differentiates us from them essentially.
Indeed, that becomes very difficult because sometimes people apply for programmes and the time to write the examinations is not yet due; mean- while, it is time for that to happen, so the person is denied admission or loses a year and so on. It is a big problem.
Mr Speaker, when we put all the Commonwealth countries together and say that in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh which were also former
colonies — We have all been in classes with some of these people and the ease with which we speak English in West Africa compared to some of these countries differs significantly. Therefore, to lump all of us together and say, if we do not take this test, then we cannot attend school in such places, somehow, it is an unfortunate generalisation and puts us at a certain disadvantage.
As we see, various countries develop tests for common projects. An example is the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) English test. We have our own version here which is the Chartered Accountants (CA) Ghana, and in the United States, it is called the Certified Public Accountants (CPA). There is what we call reciprocity. This enables us to know who is accredited in one union of that organisation to cross borders with the same marks to be able to participate in another country of equal value.
Mr Speaker, as a result, for example, if one passes the ACCA in England, he or she can come to Ghana and transfer those credits and practice here just as our colleagues within the law fraternity do in terms of going to Gambia and Rwanda. When they come to Ghana, they do not have to repeat the law courses except for the necessary ones which anchor their studies in the Constitutional laws of our country.
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Therefore, if this is an essentially English speaking country in which we function within our educational system, from class four all the way to any higher level [Interruption] — In some instances, indeed, they had given concession where, at the University of Ghana, one could go to the Language Centre and get a letter indicating that the course of instruction of one's studies is in English and therefore, they should waive the English requirement for them. However, many schools do not do this because they have a list and it is competitive, so with that standard, it actually puts us at a disadvantaged position.

Mr Speaker, I think the advocacy the Hon Member is putting across is that we should do well for the British High Commission and British Education system as a whole to evaluate the performance of Ghanaians, so as to take us off that list to enable Ghanaians who want to participate in those educational opportunities without hindrance in terms of this standardised test.

Mr Speaker, interestingly, inter- national radio stations such as Voice of America (VoA), which is the radio station of the Americans, and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Africa who focus on us both broadcast in the English language. Do they expect

us to understand what they are saying? Otherwise, why do they put their public money into their propaganda, so to speak, in terms of those radio broadcasts? It is because they want us to understand. When we consider the numbers of those who participate in those radio programmes by way of responses sent to them, it is an indication that indeed, people are listening. However, if we want to take a job or pursue an educational opportunity and all of a sudden, they claim, we do not understand their language, that is quite unfortunate.

Mr Speaker, I would like to say that those tests even have some biases. For example, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), you would find that they have culturally-sensitive things

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in it. For example, they have things on baseball. What is baseball to us? They have things on pizza. Until recently, what was the relevance of pizza to our culture?

So, essentially, it is indeed a problem even within their own culture. In fact, several African Americans in the United States have sued the Educational Testing Center (ETS) for offering culturally-bias examination so that they are excluded from the higher education institutions in the United States of America.

Mr Speaker, putting this together, it really reinforces the notion my Hon Colleague has brought to the fore that, indeed, these kinds of subtle segregation, undermine our learning when, indeed, the standard is set by them, and it becomes very problematic.

I think the call by the Hon Member who made the Statement that those responsible for it should intervene should be extended to the Ministry of Education in Ghana so that we really review that and take a strong advocacy and exception to the fact that we cannot become second fiddle after we have played on the same field with them.

Mr Speaker, with these words, thank you.

Yes, Hon Member for Afadzato South?

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by my Hon Colleague; Mr Rockson Dafeamekpor.
Mr Speaker, I would like to look at the cost aspect of this examination and also to share an experience that we had as a family concerning our daughter who wrote this examinations three times before finally passing on the fourth attempt.
Today, £1 pound is equivalent to GH¢9.8, so if one is paying £150 —

Hon Member, hold on. Can you come again?

Mr Speaker, we need close to GH¢10 to get £1. That is what I mean. It is GH¢9.8 and that is why I used the word ‘close' because one needs that amount in order to get £1. Have I made my point clear?
Mr Speaker, so, it is not easy for families to raise the £150 for a child to write an examination and this may not be just once, but twice or thrice due to the conditions associated with it.
There is something unique about the examination, that is, if the subjects are three and one scores 9.0, 8.0, and 7.0, one has failed all the papers. So, the next time one is going to write, they have to re-write all the papers. The fact that one scored 9.0 in the first paper,
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8.0 in the second, and 7.0 in the third paper does not give one a pass. Automatically, one has to re-sit for the examinations and this makes it very difficult for our children and it is also expensive.

Mr Speaker, whereas parents are making every effort to provide the money for their children to write these examinations, they are making billions of money for their economies from these fees that are charged.

Mr Speaker, as a House, if we could come together to constitute a Committee to work with the Embassy to see what can be done about this, it would help us. At least, if we are even paying more, candidates should be made to re-write only papers they have failed and leave those they have passed, but this is not currently the case.

Mr Speaker, they are making so much money from these examinations from the years 2013 to 2019 that the Hon Member stated in his Statement.

In my view, this tells us that it is not an examination but a means to make money to support their economy. We deserve to work with them if they want us to do so because we also write exams here. We do not just go to school to sleep; we read and pass our examinations here. Mr Speaker, it is

based on the successes in examinations here that makes us to work with them or school with them in their countries.

Mr Speaker, it is a very difficult situation for our children; they are demoralised, especially, those who have written these exams for more than three times because they continue to fail in one paper. I pray that this House would work very hard towards solving this particular issue so that we would find a way for our children to be able to do what they have to do in these countries. However, we also have to call on our children to also learn hard, albeit the cost of these exams must be reduced.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.

Hon Member for Ketu South?

Mr Speaker, thank you very much. I highly commend the research that has been done by my Hon Colleague, Mr Rockson-Nelson E. K. Dafeamekpor.
Mr Speaker, the Statement evokes emotions in me as a Ghanaian woman because I was raised to believe that exea, exegbe ye wo dona, to wit, “The bird speaks the bird's language”, but we are in the Parliament of Ghana speaking a language that we have adopted as a way of communication
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because that is the legacy we have inherited. It is a very sensitive topic but I am glad that it has been presented in an intellectual way with its sensitivity removed, so I would also try to toe the line.

Mr Speaker, as has been indicated in the Statement, the cost of these examinations is exorbitant because the fee of £150 would be about GH¢1,300, so for a person to write the exams about three times, as indicated by Hon Alorwu-Tay is a lot of money. It would be in our interest to take a look at this amount.

Mr Speaker, proficiency has also been mentioned, but with your permission, I would like to read point 5 which reads:

“Mr Speaker, in Ghana, aside the local languages that are pursued, all other tests are carried in English. Indeed, a good pass in English Language is a requirement for one to progress from junior high school through to the university. This requirement has seen many students retake exams after their unsuccessful first attempt in order to meet the pass mark required to enter either the security services or pursue further studies.”

That, for me, is the crux of the matter. If we are assessed in the English Language and we are expected to be

assessed again, then in a certain sense, it looks down on the efforts we have made to use English Language as the medium for teaching and learning in our country. On this score, I think that it is important for us to have a broader look at our engagements with our partners. Mr Speaker, it is not only the payment of these amounts that concerns me, but also the general attitude towards us when we want to visit countries such as the United States of America (US) or the United Kingdom (UK).

Mr Speaker, right from the embassies, if you look at the land space that they have, there is even no place for us to sit with respect — for want of a better word. People are made to stand or queue for hours in the sun just to take a visa to travel. Mr Speaker, someone may quiz that who has asked them to travel, but it works both ways. I think that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration as well as the Committee on Foreign Affairs, which the Hon Ablakwa is a Ranking Member, should take a look at the engagements so that we can, perhaps, remove some of these obnoxious charges and treatments from our international relationships with our partners.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. I support this call with the hope that Parliament would deal with it as a business.

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Hon Ablakwa?

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement which has been delivered eloquently by my good Hon Brother, Mr Dafeamekpor.
Mr Speaker, this is a very important call for the UK to reconsider its requirement for students who have gained admission to study in their country to show evidence of having written the IELTS, which is managed by the British Council. Mr Speaker, as the Hon Member of the Statement said, this Statement comes at a time when other Commonwealth countries like Malawi and Nigeria are agitating that these requirements should be waived. I fully support this campaign and I believe that the time has come for Commonwealth-Member countries to enjoy a waiver, particularly, as all Commonwealth-Member countries have very strong proficiencies in the English Language. Of course, a country like Canada has both English and French proficiency.
Mr Speaker, but we cannot be talking about strong commonwealth ties and full integration because of our colonial and ancestral history, yet we continue to face these barriers. It defeats the purpose of commonwealth integration,
and the multilateral and bilateral cooperation that we want fostered.
Mr Speaker, this Statement is very timely because I cannot understand why this colonial relic should continue to stand when Ghana and many other commonwealth countries have their students participating in the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, which is one of the highlights of the commonwealth and Queen Elizabeth II is very proud of this competition that is launched every year. The last time I checked the participants from Ghana, the number has increased impressively and I think that Ghana was among the best performing nations in the 2020/21 competition.
Mr Speaker, so we cannot have the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition which is written in English and children participate at a very tender age, from primary school through to senior high school, and the Queen is happy to give out prizes, yet when these same students get to the tertiary level or gain admission into universities in the UK, they are required to sit for the IELTS at such a huge cost of £150. Mr Speaker, I believe that the time has come for this to be waived. I believed that it is possible and can be done.

I looked at the history of the IELTS and when the UK was part of the EU, the EU-Member countries were

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exempted. Students from Switzerland and Canada were exempted by way of policy. So, it should be possible that Commonwealth countries can also be exempted even though the good friends to the Brits appear to be a bit insular these days with all of these BREXIT agenda. At least, the Commonwealth remains intact and we should see some progress made in this regard. I concede that there are some universities that exempt their students who gain admission not to write the IELTS, but the point must also be made that there are visa and immigration requirements that would still be an impediment. So even if one is lucky to get a university that has exempted him or her, the kind of visa needed would still then put him or her in a situation where he or she would have to go and sit for this exam. So it negates the gains that could have been made. In the spirit of the commonwealth and multilateralism, and maintaining our strong ancestral ties, we join the campaign, and Mr Speaker, I would appeal to you that you let the Joint Committees of Education and Foreign Affairs take this matter up and engage with the Foreign Ministry and our foreign partners to see how we can push for Ghana to be exempted.

The British Council does so many other things and I believe that they can still generate enough resources to run

the Council. In any case, the fees that we pay, having worked at the Ministry of Education, I know that Ghana is always in the top three of the number of students we send abroad, particularly to the United Kingdom and the United States of America. If we even work out the population dynamics, we are number one because if we are always coming after countries such as Nigeria and Kenya who have a bigger populations than us, then really, it means that we are the number one exporter of education. They do make a lot of money from students who come from here, so their economy would still flourish if they exempt us. We are also proud to say that we host a lot of foreign students masters on this front, that is the avenue I see as making a necessary and significant impact. We do not have to fight alone. Let us get these collaborative efforts and then we can launch an onslaught.

Mr Speaker, I saw you nodding when Hon Ablakwa made the call for a probable referral to the relevant committees of Foreign Affairs and Education. I was also in total agree- ment and I cannot fault you. I would also want to support that we do this appropriate referral and start the crusade, regardless of how tall this order is. I am sure that when we all begin to speak to it and make a case, we should be able to get the hearing ears of our colonial masters.

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Mr Speaker, I think that reading the Statement in context, the Hon Member who made the Statement is not lamenting so much about the cost though he made some passing statements about the cost — the cumulative amount for some number of years. His focus was not about the cost outlay and the burden on the Ghanaian or the Commonwealth citizens, but it is all about how inappropriate the concept and the idea of they having to go through this hurdle before they are taken into consideration for admission. We also concede that there are other univer- sities who are willing and have already waivered these requirements. What it means is that there would be light at the end of the tunnel if the right button is pressed. I hope that this conversation would go unending; academia and university authorities would pick it up and all their narratives and exchanges with the outside — the Commonwealth university and other learning centres — it would come atop as one of the important agenda that has to be taken into consideration.

Mr Speaker, after the BREXIT, the Minister for Trade and Industry has come to this House with a number of agreements and about 90 per cent of these agreements, I stand corrected, go to talk about renewing a certain change in trade agreements between Ghana and

the UK. For me, we should talk about the broader picture where the Commonwealth countries would enhance our engagements. It should not just be about handouts to us. It should be about we leveraging on our trade advantages and other elements we have in our country to propel the continent and other countries.

So, I cannot but commend my good friend, Hon Dafeamekpor, for a well- thoughout and a good observation made.

Mr Speaker, with these words, I want to thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you very much.
Hon Members, I think the Statement is very important. We should not let it just die like that, so I would like to refer this Statement to the Joint Committee on Education and Foreign Affairs.
Please, look into it and report back to this House by the end of this month. Let us hear something from the Committee on what it has done.

Mr Speaker, with respect, I do not want to challenge your referral. From experience, if it pleases you, it should be the leadership
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of the Foreign Affairs Committee and then they could have an extended leadership, maybe, the Committee Chairperson and his Ranking Member and a few co-opted Members. Otherwise, when there is a large number, sometimes, it tends to affect the effectiveness of the Committee.

Hon Member, I am inclined to go with you. So, the leaderships of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Committee on Education should come together and work on this Statement and let the House get their Report by the end of the month.
Hon Members, we would move to the second and final Statement for the day, in the name of the Hon Member for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make this Statement to mark a very important day celebrated by many nations across the globe led by Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
Mr Speaker, World Cancer Day is an international day marked annually on February 4 — tomorrow is supposed to be the day, but for the Business of tomorrow, I decided to take it today —
to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
M r Speak er , the aim of UICC is to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration written in 2008. It is the largest and oldest international cancer- fighting organisation which works with the United Nation's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), World Health Organization (WHO), Inter- national Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance, McCabe Centre, and Impressed Current Cathodic Protection
(ICCP).
Mr Speaker, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and it has statistically accounted for nearly 10 million deaths in the year 2020 alone. An estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases, resulting in nearly 18.1 million infections excluding skin cancer, had been diagnosed with female breast cancer surpassing lung cancer as the most commonly-diagnosed cancer with approximately 2.3 million cases yearly.
Mr Speaker, World Cancer Day of 2022 marks the first year of a new three- year campaign centred on the issue of equity with the campaign theme, “Close the Care Gap” which seeks to recognise
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the power of knowledge and challenges in dealing with the global cancer epidemic.

Mr Speaker, let me further reiterate that apart from the most popular cancers such as Breast Cancer (which forms 15 per cent of all cancers and 40 per cent of female cancers), the Cervical Cancer, a leading cause of cancer related morbidity and death among females in Ghana and other developing countries), mention can be made of;

i. Prostate Cancer (found at any adult age of 31 years but more common in men between 41 and 60 years of age);

ii. Head and Neck Cancer (cancerous tumours that can appear in or around the throat, larynx (voice box), nose, sinuses, and mouth).

iii. Childhood Cancer (neoplastic disorders affecting individuals aged less than fourteen years who constitute approximately 40 per cent of the population of Ghana) and many more.

Mr Speaker, the Cancer Society of Ghana has pledged its preparedness to work with other partners in the sector to improve the quality of cancer data for public health use, increase access to early detection, and accurate cancer diagnosis as stated in their report in

2021.

Mr Speaker, let us all assist the relevant agencies and industry players to outline the importance of early cancer detection to improve patients' survival rates in the country as a way to curb high rising cases, especially, when UICC has a deep connection with Ghana working alongside many of the country's top cancer and grassroots organisations.

Mr Speaker, let us as interested agents and representatives of our people support and seek to further strengthen the commitment of high-level national authorities to increase their support and funding of national cancer control priorities, and strengthen their engagement in increasing equitable access to quality cancer services.

Mr Speaker, let me finally conclude that, in Ghana, as in most developing countries, the burden of non- communicable disease is increasing rapidly whilst infectious diseases continue to pose major challenges to the society.

 Early detection which will mean early diagnosis in symptomatic populations;
 Early detection must ethically be linked to effective treatment;
 Public education which will also seek to increase awareness of the early warning signs and symptoms
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of cancer, including lumps, sores that fail to heal, abnormal bleeding, persistent indigestion, and so on; and

 National or regional screening of asymptomatic and apparently healthy individuals must be enforced to detect the early stage of cancer and arrange referrals.

Mr Speaker, if the above solutions are implemented, I am confident that it will go a long way to save millions from preventable deaths each year.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity, and may this year be fruitful and good for us all as a nation and the people we humbly represent.

Several Hon Members — rose —

Hon Members, I would invite the Medical Doctor, Hon Sebastian N. Sandaare.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the Statement on World Cancer Day ably presented by Hon Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, MP for A s i k u m a / O d o b e n / B r a k w a Constituency.
Mr Speaker, 4th of February every year is dedicated to mark this very important day on World Cancer. It is a
day earmarked to bring to the world awareness on cancer, and the need to take measures that would control cancer in the world. Therefore, it is right for us as a House to add our voice to this day as the world marks cancer day.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who made the Statement has clearly indicated on the theme, which is to close the cancer care gap that we have in the world, especially the gap between developed and developing countries like Ghana. That gap is very wide. In the developed world; if we go to the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and other developed countries, if one hundred people are presented to have cancer, about 95 per cent of them would survive.
However, here in Ghana and in most developing countries, if the same hundred people are presented to have cancer, about 95 per cent of them would die. So, while about 95 per cent out of hundred people would survive in the developed countries, the same 95 per cent of the hundred people would die in Ghana, and that is how wide the gap is.
Therefore, the essence of today is to bring the awareness of this gap to the fore, and to see the measures we can take to close this gap so that people who
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have cancer would survive. It is not a disease that when one gets, should lead him to his early grave; no! There are measures and interventions that can make a person survive the disease, and it is all about early detection and report.

Mr Speaker, the reason about 95 per cent of cancer patients in Ghana would die is because they report about the disease to the hospitals late due to the challenges that we experience in our health system. We have the diagnosis gap, the treatment gap, and generally the care gap that we would have to close, and the Hon Member who made the Statement has clearly indicated these gaps with statistics.

Here, we can find the breast cancers, the cervical cancers, cancers in children, and in men, we have the prostate cancer. As we list these cancers, there is still an awareness gap because mostly when we talk about breast cancers, cervical cancers, children cancers; and the prostate cancers, which are also killing a lot of men, the awareness is not as high as compared to breast cancer or cervical cancer. Therefore, there is the need to continue with the education and ensure that Government takes concrete measures that would build our health system to be able to treat patients that present the various cancers to our hospitals. Therefore, I commend the Hon Member who made the Statement, and I also

thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to add my voice to this very important day on world cancer.

I thank you very much.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to this all important Statement ably put together by the Hon Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, the Hon Member of Parliament for Asikuma/Odoben/ Brakwa.
Mr Speaker, for the people on this side of the world, cancer is a deadly disease. Immediately we hear that somebody suffers an ailment called cancer, we know that it would be a matter of time and the individual would pass on to the other world. I think that it is also baffling to hear from the Hon (Dr) Sandaare that in the western world, individuals who are attacked by cancer have a survival rate of 95 per cent and here, we do not survive at all, with just 5 per cent survival rate. I do not know whether these are matters which are verifiable scientifically and medically?
Mr Speaker, what I would say for now is that half the time, we associate every serious ailment that should attack anybody to witchcraft and matters which are not scientific in nature. So, when somebody is not well and the ailment is challenging, instead of him
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to run to people who have been trained to deal with health issues — the medical doctors, they resort to all manner of things and attributions. They would say that their auntie somewhere is responsible for that breast cancer, and that the intendment of that witchcraft manipulation is to make them unable to have children.

Mr Speaker, sometimes it happens in the church room, and pastors feed congregants with some of these superstitious beliefs. The sad news is that it is when sometimes the people who practice these things are unable to help them and it is terribly late that they ferry them to the hospitals for help, only for the doctors to realise that the cancer has spread to the point that it is without remedy. Therefore, I would add my voice to that of the Hon Member who made the Statement and the Hon (Dr) Sandaare that immediately people find something unusual in their bodies; a small lump or whatever it would be that would be in their bodies or some challenge, their first point of call would be to the hospital.

Mr Speaker, I do not think that God created doctors so that they would work at cross purposes; I do not believe that seeking medical attention is an evidence of unbelief. On the contrary, I believe that we need to seek medical attention first, and when the doctors

have lifted up their hands in the air that the ailment is beyond medical help then they should resort to God. That is my view on the matter. Therefore, God is supernatural and we are natural in most respects. So, until the natural is impotent, we should not resort to God who is supernatural. If every other thing is interpreted as being in the realm of spirituality, I am unable to confirm the statistics of the Hon (Dr) Sandaare. I think he may have spoken off the cuff because I do not know whether what he said has any scientific basis? He said that only 5 per cent of our people who suffer cancer are likely to survive, and that is a frightening statistic.

I am also hearing for the first time that in the year 2020, 10 million people died as a result of cancer worldwide. That is what my Hon Colleague who made the Statement churned out, and that is equally frightening. It means that the COVID-19 pandemic has been kinder to us than cancer. I think that those who are into medicine, pharmacy and the rest of it should really bury their heads in this undertaking so that we would find some very good medicine to fight cancer. This is because cancer is eating the people of the world away.

A number of 10 million people dying of cancer in the year 2020 is a number too large for comfort and our men of science should rise up to the

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occasion. And for all we know, there could also be a vaccine that would ward off this debilitating disease called cancer.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the space to contribute to this Statement which is very opportune, and to commend my good friend, I do not know whether he has scientific orientation, but I think he has put together a thought-provoking State- ment. I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker.

Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Hon Member for Techiman North, let us hear you.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement timeously made by the Hon Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, MP for Asikumah/ Odoben/ Brakwa, to mark Word Cancer Day, a day ahead of time.
Mr Speaker, the theme for this year's Cancer Day is ‘Close the Gap'. The theme alone is very instructive and tells us as a country how we have treated cancers. This life-threatening or better still, life-taking disease in our country has not been handled properly. A publication by World Health Organi- sation Global Cancer Observatory reported that in 2020, about 24,000
people were diagnosed with various cancers in Ghana: 4500 breast cancers; 3500 liver cancers; 2800 cervical cancers; 2100 prostate cancers; about 1900 hoodwink cancers; and close to 10,000 other cancers. Mr Speaker, the same year, Ghana lost 15,802 lives to various cancers, with liver cancer leading and breast cancer following.
Mr Speaker, the result of this reflection is the gap this year's theme talks about. The gap about education, the gap about access to help and the gap about Government's commitment into helping cancer patients. According to a research by Petra Anded in the USA Centre for Biotechnology Information website it says that only about 5 to 10 per cent of cancers are genetic; the rest are through lifestyle and where we live. What has Government done in terms of education, prevention and treatment of cancers? Mr Speaker, the gap is wide.
Mr Speaker, there is also the need to invest more resources in early detection of cancers since early presentation has statistically been proven to reduce patient mortality. What is more is, it is trite that in advanced countries, detection and treatment goes a long way in reducing mortality when it comes to cancers. But in Ghana, Mr Speaker, what do we have? A lot of mortality when it comes to cancers.
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As Hon Ata Akyea said, in Ghana, when somebody is diagnosed of cancer, we know the person's life is coming to an end which is not the case in other jurisdictions where governments have invested a lot of money in prevention, education and treatment of cancers.

Mr Speaker, a lot has already been said; what I would want the conversation to be going forward by closing the gap is that we should not associate cancers to death but the narration would be that with cancers, there would be diagnosis, prevention, recovery and more importantly, survival.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.

Lastly, let me hear from the Hon Member for Salaga — is it Salaga West? — [Pause] — Yes, Hon Member for Salaga South.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement made by my Hon Colleague, Hon Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, MP for Asikumah/Odoben/ Brakwa to mark World Cancer Day, which falls tomorrow.
Mr Speaker, even before we get to look at the whole essence of the day,
tomorrow, I think the President of the United States of America, Joe Bidden has today, taken the wind out of our sail. He has appointed a Ghanaian Doctor, son of Paa Kwesi Nduom, a Ghanaian politician and business man to lead the fight against cancer as he re-lunched the Cancer Moonshot Programme, which was started in the Obama era. So, we in Ghana, have every duty to associate with the event of tomorrow, and to do so knowing that the Cancer Society of Ghana has been handed a ticket to tap into the efforts of our son, Dr Agya Nduom, to see what the fight against cancer could benefit us on this side of the world.
Mr Speaker, seven days ago, CNN ranked Ghana as one amongst the highest countries where women tend to use a lot of skin bleaching materials. If we look at the data on the various types of cancer, report by the British Skin Foundation would tell us that although cervical cancer tends to be leading in morbidity, the most common cancer amongst women is skin cancer. So, the British Local Government Association has taken the fight to ensure that the products that women use on their skins do not contain ingredients that have the potential to harm their lives.
Mr Speaker, it is common knowledge that hydroquinone and mercury are some of the ingredients that
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are said to be in products that women tend to use to whiten their skins. And the British Skin Foundation has therefore, indicated that when women purchase skin products that contain these elements, they must not use them on their skins. Women should not also purchase products whose ingredients are not clearly labelled.

Mr Speaker, as we join the world tomorrow to celebrate the World Cancer Day, I think our Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) should join hands with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to ensure that some of the products that women in this country especially, taking into account, the CNN ranking of seven days ago — it is nothing to be proud of. That these products either do not find themselves onto the shelves in our markets or women who seek to treat any form of skin disease, if they think they have, should be encouraged to speak to their Dermatologists who would advise them on the appropriate skin products to use.

Mr Speaker, for now, as the data speaks, cervical cancer is the highest in terms of death. But if skin cancer is the commonest, we know the consequences of that on our health budget.

It is very easy when we bandy about just saying that prevention is better than cure.

To what extent therefore are we going to embark on an educational awareness, so that our women would know that skin bleaching has consequences and its consequences have a bearing on the national purse?

Mr Speaker, I celebrate my brother, Hon Ghansah for this Statement and I would end by urging all of us to be ambassadors of the fight against cancer. We have just been notified that the Ghana Cancer Foundation has just extended a hand to us and given each Member of Parliament (MP) a band to wear. Let us wear the bands tomorrow and lead the fight against cancer.

Can I hear something from leadership?

I am most grateful, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to add my voice to this very sensitive Statement.
Mr Speaker, the aim of celebrating 4th February every year is to create awareness of the debilitating effects of the various cancers and also to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment. The big question is, how many of our constituents in this country

are even aware of the dangers of cancer and their causes, so that they can even attempt to prevent it? We have a herculean task and it should not just be a talk-shop. The Legislature and the Executive arm of Government must do well to bridge the gap so that we can create access to the people in the rural communities, especially access to the prevention, diagnosis and the treat- ment of cancer.

Mr Speaker, I think that as has been given by the Speaker and Hon Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the statistics are very scary and reflect to how wide the gap is. Therefore, there is the need for us to change the narrative from spelling eminent death to that of survival as has been indicated by earlier speakers. There should be a conscious and deliberate effort to decentralise cancer care. That is the only time I would probably agree that we are winning the fight against cancer in this country.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I am most grateful.

Thank you very much.
Hon Members, we have brought Statements to a close and I would like to thank the Hon Members who made the Statements as well as those who contributed to the Statements. I believe we have done a lot for the day and —
Hon Majority Leader, can we hear something from you? We are about to bring the Sitting to a close. [Interruption] [Laughter].

Mr Speaker, I believe we can take an adjournment. [Interruption] The e- Levy certainly will come when it will come.

Mr Speaker, it is almost 4 p.m., so we are in your hands.

Hon Members, thank you for your indulgence. We have brought today's proceedings to a close. It is almost 4 p.m. and we would go ahead to adjourn the House.