Debates of 30 Jun 2022

MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:55 a.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon
Members, item numbered 4 - Correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official
Report. Shall we begin with the correction
of the Votes and Proceedings of
Wednesday, 29th June, 2022?
Page 1…10 —
Dr Kingsley Nyarko 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
page 10, the first line of the item numbered
8 reads: “The Hon Member for Saula/ Tuna/Kalba…”, but in the third line it is spelt as “Sawla”, so I do not know which of the two is correct?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Very
well. Thank you. Clerks-at-the-Table,
kindly take note of it.
Page 11…14 —
Dr Nyarko 11:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 14,
the third line of item numbered 7 reads the
“the context otherwise reauires”. It should be “requires”, not “reauires”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Thank
you very much. Clerks-at-the-Table,
kindly take note.
Now, the Hon Member for Kwadaso is
overtaking the Hon Member for North
Tongu. [Laughter].
Page 15…25.
Hon Members, in the absence of any
further corrections, the Votes and
Proceedings of Wednesday, 29th June,
2022, as corrected, is adopted as the true
record of proceedings.

Hon Members, we have the Official

Report of 2nd June, 2022. Any correction?
Dr Nyarko 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, column 105,
paragraph 3, line 2, reads “…what happened, it was very was very sad”. I suspect it should be “it was very sad” or “it was very, very sad”. We need to take out one “was very” so that it becomes “it was very sad”, or else, that line would not make sense.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
The
Clerks-at-the Table would kindly take note
of that.

Votes and Proceedings and theOfficial Report
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa 12:05 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, paragraph 3 of column 114
captures the Hon Western Regional Minster
Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, as
stating:
“This is because we have seen some of those — my own friend died during the COVID-19 period because we did
not get some of the facilities to take
care of them in the Western Region.
My own Chief Executive, Dr K. K.
Sarpong, had to be transferred all the
way from Takoradi to Accra. This is
because we do not have the capacity to
be able to take care of them in these
instances.”
Mr Speaker, it is not clear whether he
is talking about the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of GNPC, Dr K. K.
Sarpong, or the Chief Executive of the
Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly.
That paragraph should be clarified because
when he says his own Chief Executive, I
assume that he is talking about the
Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of
Sekondi-Takoradi, not the GNPC CEO. Mr
Speaker, the Department of Official Report
should just listen to the proceedings again
and clarify it.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
The
Clerks-at-the Table would kindly take note
of that.
Hon Members, in the absence of any
further corrections, the Official Report of
Thursday, 2nd June, 2022, is adopted as the
true records of proceedings —
Mr Ablakwa 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have
observed that columns 160, 161 and 162
are omitted. In the Official Report I have,
page 160 is blank, and I do not also have
pages 161 and 162. I am sure those pages
cover the Report of the Committee of
Selection on the recomposition of the
Committees.
Mr Speaker, I have just been handed
another Official Report with all the pages
intact so we might just have to check for
the omitted pages so that they can be
corrected.
Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I remember clearly that on
that day, the Hon Minority Chief Whip,
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka
corrected the spelling of my name in the
table captured in column 167 of the Official
Report. My name has been captured as
“Hon Adama Ramadan” in the list of Hon Members of the Business Committee.
In column 142, it clearly says:
“Mr Speaker, lastly, there is this correction on the Business Committee.
The item numbered 20, ‘Hon Adamu Ramadan' is spelt ‘Adama'. So, if that could be corrected.”
However, it appears that correction
has not taken effect.
Mr Ablakwa 12:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would just like to confirm that we effected a number of corrections on that day, but I have noticed that they do not reflect. Even at column 167, with the item numbered 19, we corrected the spelling of the name of Hon Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings. It should be “Zanetor”, not “Zenator”, and “Agyeman” is also omitted from “Agyeman-Rawlings”; it is a compound name. We also effected quite a number of other corrections so, the Clerks-at-the-Table should kindly take note of it and present the corrected version.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Very
well. The Clerks-at-the Table would kindly effect all the changes that have been raised today and earlier.
Hon Members, in the absence of any
further corrections, the Official Report of Thursday, 2nd June, 2022, is adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we would take the item
numbered 5 on the Order Paper - Urgent Questions.
I respectfully invite the Hon Minister for Health to take his rightful seat, and the Hon Member for Keta, Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey would ask his Urgent Question.
URGENT QUESTIONS 12:05 p.m.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH 12:05 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, any further questions?
Mr Gakpey 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank the
Hon Minister for the Answer to the
Question. I would like to find out from the
Hon Minister, if there is any policy
underway with regard to certification and
standardisation of palm oil in the Ghanaian
market with regard to the FDA?
Mr Agyeman-Manu 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the Ministry, in collaboration with the FDA
have actually developed a general food
health policy that has been approved by
Cabinet, and launched about three weeks
ago. We are just about commencing the
implementation of that policy and that
would include the policy that my Hon
Colleague is talking about.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, let us hear your last question.
Mr Gakpey 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have two
more supplementary questions to ask.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, you do not determine whether
you have two more questions. Your last
supplementary question.
Mr Gakpey 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is food
safety issue that we are discussing and it
has health consequences —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, just listen to me. After the main
Question, you have two supplementary
questions and you have already asked one.
Please ask the second one.
Mr Gakpey 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like
to find out from the Hon Minister — you know, the FDA has a national office and
regional offices, but they do not have
offices in the districts.
I would like to find out from the Hon
Health Minster, if there are any plans to
have FDA offices around the country,
especially in the districts for the ease of
evaluation and then market surveillance
with regard to food safety?
Mr Agyeman-Manu 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
there are plans for offices to be opened in
the districts, but due to scarce resources,
these are medium to long term plans. In the
interim, the regional offices of the FDA

Urgent Questions

actually engage in market surveillance in

the districts for the regions where they are

situated. So, we continuously engage in

market surveillance across the country.
Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from
the Hon Minister, given the mandate and
the sensitive nature of what the FDA does,
would it not be appropriate, as they are
currently capped at 70 per cent, and would
the Minister consider removing the cap so
that the FDA could retain everything to
enable it be more efficient and effective in
what it does?
Mr Agyeman-Manu 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
could not hear my Hon Colleague clearly.
I would like him to go over his question.
Mr Ramadan 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what I
said was that the FDA is currently capped
at 70 per cent, but given the mandate and
the sensitive nature of what they do, would
it not be appropriate that we ask them to
retain a 100 per cent of their IGF to ensure
that they are able to do more than they are
doing currently?
Mr Agyeman-Manu 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
from where I stand, I would say that that
should be the situation, but circumstances
beyond my control would not enable me to
direct that that should be done. I would
want to rely on Parliament to support my
quest for that sort of capping to be stopped.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
All
right.
Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare 12:15 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I would like to ask the Hon
Minster for Health, when the FDA would
come to the new regions especially Bono
East?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon
Member, I did not understand the question.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
inquired when the FDA would come to the
new regions that have been created,
especially the Bono East Region, because
the FDA does not have an office in the
Bono East region even though it is a region
now.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Unfor-
tunately, the question — Anyway, Hon Minister, are you minded to respond to the
question?
Mr Agyeman-Manu 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
this is not a simple question as some of my
Hon Colleagues feel it is. Already, FDA is
present in the Bono East Region. Before
the creation of the Region, we had an office
in the entire Brong Ahafo Region located
in Sunyani. After the creation, work in
terms of surveillance of markets and what
FDA does in the three regions have not
ceased. We would make efforts to see how
best we can create an FDA office in the
Region. Just as we are trying to create
offices for other Ministries and Depart-
ments in the new regions, lack of resources

Urgent Questions

would not make us move very quickly to

do that for all the regions that we have

created. So probably, after the regional

hospitals, Regional House of Chiefs,

Regional Coordinating offices, and some

other offices, we would look at how best

we can get FDA to be situated, in the Bono

East Region.

Mr James Klutse Avedzi — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Minority Leader, hold on. Let me
give the opportunity to the Hon Member at
the back.
Mr Joseph Kumah 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
Mr Joseph Kumah, Hon Member of
Parliament for Kintampo North. From the
Answer of the Hon Minister, the FDA has
no resources to be situated everywhere in
the country as we would like them to be,
but because of how important they are - I would like to find out from the Hon
Minister, whether it is the Ministry of
Health or the FDA that undertakes sensi-
tisation or education about the activities of
FDA in the various constituencies or
districts?
Mr Agyeman-Manu 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
think I have just mentioned that the FDA
was working to cover the entire regions
before the creation of new regions. The
office in Sunyani is actually catering for
places like Kintampo, Techiman North and
South, Nkoranza, and all the other places in
the Bono East Region. So our offices in
Sunyani are doing all that.
When we are engaging in sensi-
tisation, we go around all the three regions
that used to be part of the old Bono Ahafo
Region, so we are doing the best we can. I
never said that we would never create
offices there, and that we do not have the
resources to do that. I said we do not have
resources now, but going forward, it is in
our plans to extend our offices to all places.
Meanwhile, there is some good
presence in the areas where we do not even
have offices in terms of sensitisation,
advocacy, and market surveys.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Member for Ketu South?
Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie 12:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Questions by Hon Gakpey are
very dear to my heart because apart from
the palm oil that seems to be contaminated
or undergoing some new kind of process
that scares people like me who love to
cook, there is also the issue that, perhaps,
the FDA needs to pay particular attention
to even our fruits and vegetables.
As a child, we could buy tomatoes and
it would stay for three days. Now, even
though it is in the fridge, it starts going bad
by the following day. You keep saying that
the FDA is not resourced but our lives are
at stake.
Would the Hon Minister consider bringing FDA to Parliament, for us to understand them clearly and see how we

Urgent Questions

could help them do their work better? Honestly, it is really scary these days.
Mr Agyeman-Manu 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
have taken note of the advice from my Hon Colleague but I would want to inform the House that we have just launched a revised Food Safety Policy which was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, FDA, and the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development. In the policy, we have activities that we are going to implement, and some parts of it are even shedded off to the Assemblies where they would enact by- laws to do certain things in their areas with jurisdiction to monitor the safety of our vegetables and some agricultural products from our farms. So we would soon see activities on the field in the areas that the Hon Member is talking about, for monitoring. Now, we are very particular about food safety, especially with the use of weedicides, fertilisers and what have you, so we are working on it.
Apart from that we did the Antimi-
crobial Resistance Policy, to look at the situation where antimicrobial residues in some types of meat we eat - like chicken and so on would not be brought onto the market. We have researched, and the University of Ghana College of Public Health, is going round some areas where these things are produced, and monitoring and researching to make sure that they are conforming to the standards that we have set for ourselves. So we are on course trying to make sure that food safety is actually guaranteed.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Now,
the final question by the Hon Deputy
Minority Leader.
Mr James Klutse Avedzi 12:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, in answering the question on
when new regions would have offices of
the Food and Drugs Authority, the Hon
Minister for Health tried to explain that it
is because of scarcity of resources that they
do not have it now.
I would want to find out from the Hon
Minister, now that the Electronic Transfer
Levy has been passed - because we were made to understand that the Electronic
Transfer Levy would solve all the
problems -—
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Minority Leader, respectfully, you
are deviating —
Hon Deputy Minority Leader, I have
shot him down.
Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin 12:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, but the Official Report has
captured him saying that “we were told Electronic Transfer Levy” - So at least, it has to be expunged.
Yesterday, it was his rule that such
matters must be expunged from the
records. The Electronic Transfer Levy was
never mentioned as going to be used for a
thing like this, so Mr Speaker, let it be
expunged from the records.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, that is why I did not allow the question.,
Mr Afenyo Markin 12:25 p.m.
Alright.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon
Members, the item numbered 174 stands in the name of the Hon Member for Bongo - Mr Edward Abambire Bawa.
Mr Edward Abambire Bawa 12:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, it is “A-bam-bi-re”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Abambile Bawa.
Mr Bawa 12:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, kindly repeat
it.
[Laughter] —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Mr
Edward Abambire Bawa, let us hear you.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 12:25 p.m.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH 12:25 p.m.
Mr E. A. Bawa 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, could
the Hon Minister tell me the names of the
companies that were awarded this contract
and whether they were registered with the
Public Procurement Authority (PPA) as
per the law?
Mr Agyemang-Manu 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
this would be a very difficult question for
me to answer now because we have dealt
with several numbers of companies to
supply these PPEs in large volumes. As to
whether they were registered with the PPA
or not, so far as we got approval from PPA,
I would like to assume that they were
approved and registered by the PPA. Mr
Speaker, thank you.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Yes,
your last supplementary question.
Mr Bawa 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, before I ask my last question, it is important that the Hon Minister makes this information available to us because of the transparency nature of it. Just to say there were large numbers that he gave means he does not know whether they were registered as per the law, these are things — because he is quoting the law as the basis which they are awarded. So if he is quoting the law, it means that they have satisfied all the provisions. This is the directive I want before I move to my second question, else we would be evading questions that are
being given by Hon Members of Parlia- ment to the Hon Minister to answer. I just would want to put that on record before I ask my question.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Very
well, ask your second question.
Mr Bawa 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is a Non-
Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as the Community Development Alliance. They conducted a risk assessment of our COVID-19 pandemic procurement titled “Strengthening COVID-19 Accountability Mechanisms (SCAM): Corruption Risk Assessment” — [Interruption] —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Order!
Order!
Mr Bawa 12:35 p.m.
In that particular report, it
is stated and Mr Speaker, with your permission it said that:
“A contract was awarded to four Ghanaian garment manufacturing companies who had been given loans of US$10 million through the Ghana EXIM Bank to produce PPEs, face masks, medical scrubs, hospital gowns and headgears without tender and that the companies were not registered with the PPA as per the law.”
Could he reconcile the findings of this
report and what he has just told us this morning?
Mr Agyemang-Manu 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the information that he is putting here has not been validated by any institution, by

Oral Answers to Questions

my Office or by the PPA. I would need to do some checks to find out the validity of the assertions and allegations that he is putting across. This was prepared by an NGO which was not consulted by me or anybody.
Mr Bawa 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I know that I
do not have the right to another supple-
mentary question but just two days ago, we
were in the House talking about the Right
to Information (RTI); when we have
situations where Hon Ministers just come
to give us answers, just because they would
like to give us something to show that they
have appeared before the House undermines
our role as an institution that superintends
over the Executive. There should be some
directive from you to give us those
Answers.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, before this question, you
requested that I should make sure the Hon
Minister provides certain information that
he has promised to give to the House; so,
we would deal with it.
Meanwhile I would like to stress on
this; we do not bring the Hon Minister to
the House to provide certain information
you have not asked him originally to come
and produce.
Mr Bawa 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, for this one, I
asked. I asked the Hon Minister how they
were procured —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, you were quoting from a certain
information that you have on your lap and
he is saying he does not have that infor-
mation so he would go back and check.
Personally, I think this is the right answer
because it would be better for him to come
back and give us the right information than
to guess.
Some Hon Members — rose —
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we
are in the Chamber and we know that this
is a House of Records. Mr Edward
Abambire Bawa would not take kindly to
any submission on this Floor which may
impugn improper motive against his
image, name, reputation and for that matter
his constituency.
My point here is, for him to submit
that Hon Ministers of State come here
merely to give answers, to just give
something for the sake of it — Mr Speaker, with the greatest respect, this is unaccep-
table. He cannot say that. If an answer
given to a question is not satisfactory to
him, it is for him as an Hon Member of
Parliament, to use other tools available to
further explore to get what he wants for his
constituents. However, he cannot use that
to attack [Interruption].
He is supposed to listen quietly; this is
a virtue I would like him to have.

Oral Answers to Questions
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, let us allow the Hon Deputy
Majority Leader to finish and I would give
you the opportunity.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:35 p.m.
He has not been
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, address me.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would not be surprised if people capture
what he is doing. I would not be surprised
if the cameras capture what he just did.
What I am saying is that, if Mr Emmanuel
Armah-Kofi Buah has any disagreement,
he should catch the eye of the Speaker so
he should not do what he is doing; it is
never done.
Mr Speaker, back to the main issue,
my point is that, if an Hon Member
disagrees with an answer, it is for him to
explore other means of getting what he
wants but we cannot bring the Hon
Minister here and while the Hon Minister
is answering a question, then, the Hon
Member would impugn improper motives
trying to attack him. It happened yesterday,
it is happening today and it is time we told
them that this is unacceptable.
Mr Speaker, I rest my case.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Very
well. Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Leader,
let me hear you. [Interruption]. Please you
do not have any right of reply.
Mr Avedzi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my
Colleague, the Hon Deputy Majority
Leader says that if anyone has any
disagreement with his submission, the Hon
Member should catch the eye of the
Speaker; that is the rule and we all agree.
In the same way, the rule does not
permit an Hon Member to speak to the
other directly like he has been doing. He
would go directly and point to an Hon
Member without speaking to the Speaker,
that is his style. He should also take note,
that, it is also against the rules of the
House. If he does that, the Hon Member
would definitely react so my Hon
Colleague should take note and not to
speak directly to the Hon Members; this
would provoke them and they would like to
react.

Mr Speaker, secondly, if you read the

Question of the Hon Member very well, it

says that;

“…to ask the Minister for Health how the services of contractors were procured

to produce personal protective

equipment (PPEs)…”.

Mr Speaker, the Question is “How”? Now, the Hon Minister brought the Answer

to say that it was done through sole sourcing

procurement, and we all know the rules

under which sole sourcing procurement

could be done.

Oral Answers to Questions

So, if a follow-up question is asking

what are the names or companies that we

procured from through the sole sourcing

procurement, I think it is appropriate for

the Hon Minister to arm himself with that

information because definitely, the Answer

the Hon Minister would provide, a follow-

up question would flow from it. We should

not have a system where an Hon Minister

comes to answer questions and says that I

do not have that information. Hon

Ministers should be prepared all the time

knowing very well that a follow-up

question would come from Hon Members

who are asking the questions.

This is because these questions that

Hon Members ask as follow-up questions,

are fully from the answer he provided.

Some Hon Members — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon
Members, please be on your seats. For the
second supplementary question, the Hon
Member read from his mobile phone citing
certain companies and the Hon Minister
said he had to check. For me, that is right.
With the previous one, the Hon Minister
himself said that he would supply the
information to the House.
I would direct that the Hon Minister
brings that information to the House but if
the Hon Member is quoting from his
mobile phone that certain companies were
procured and so on and so forth; and the
Hon Minister says he is not fully aware, he
would have to check; obviously, we would
have to allow that. On that note, Hon
Minister, the first one you said you would
provide information to the House, please
do well and let us have that information by
next week.
Mr M. M. Ibrahim and Mr Bawa — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon
Member, is it supplementary question? Are
you asking a question or?
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
seek your guidance on something which is
very important. Your guidance determines
how we even run this House and that is
why it is imperative.
I would want to know whether, Hon
Ministers can appear before this House and
when questions are put to them, they tell us
that they do not have the answer readily, as
and when they get it, they would bring it. I
ask this question because about three or
four months ago, I asked a question to an
Hon Minister, the Hon Minister gave the
same response and as we speak today, I
have not had the answer and that answer
bothers on certain issues in my
constituency.
Do we not think it would be
imperative for Mr Speaker, to ask the Hon
Minister when he would provide that
information, because the information is
critical? But if it is a get-off-my-back
response — all right, I would provide the Answer as and when I get it and it is in

Oral Answers to Questions

perpetuity. I really do not think it augurs

well for this House and for our

responsibility as people who play the

oversight. So, the Hon Minister needs to

tell the House when he is providing that

Answer.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Very
well. Hon Member, I have already directed
the Hon Minister that that information he
intends to supply to this House should be
supplied to the House by next week. I have
already given that directive that it should
be supplied by close of next week, very
well.
But, I would want to stress on this, let
us allow Hon Ministers to give information
that is available. If we force them to give
information based on guess work, I do not
think it would place the House in a good
position, because the House is a House of
records; and the Hon Minister would come,
he is not prepared to give certain answers,
but based on the kind of pressure, he would
guess and give certain information which
may turn out to be something else. So, if
the Hon Minister says he is not— especially when it comes to supplementary
questions, if the Hon Minister says he is not
prepared for that particular answer, let us
allow him and probably, direct him to bring
that information as I have directed him to
do.
On that note — you finished with your two supplementary questions, please.
Mr E. A. Bawa — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
No, you
do not need— Hon Member please, let us move on.
Hon Minister, on behalf of the House,
I would like to thank you for attending
upon the House to respond to Questions
from Hon Members. You are hereby
discharged.
Let me invite the Hon Minister for
Transport —
We begin from the Question numbered
543 and it stands in the name of the Hon
Member for Tema East Constituency, Mr
Isaac Ashai Odamtenn.
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT 12:45 p.m.
Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten (NDC — Tema East) 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the
Minister for Transport the operational effective-
ness of sailors and crew recruitment, their
safety and general welfare, having regard
to the Ghana Maritime Authority Act and
international best practice.
Minister for Transport (Mr Kwaku
Ofori Asiamah): Mr Speaker, the Ghana
Maritime Authority (GMA) in pursuance
of its statutory objectives have domestic-
cated several international maritime instru-
ments to ensure the training, recruitment

Oral Answers to Questions

and welfare of Ghanaian seafarers are in

line with international best practices.

Mr Speaker, the GMA constantly ensures

that Ghana continues to stay on the Inter-

national Maritime Organisation (IMO) list

of countries that have given complete and

full effect to the International Maritime

Convention on the Standards of Training,

Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW)

for seafarers. This Convention sets out the

minimum standards required to work on

board any ship. The latest approval by the

Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO

was in May 2021. This means that

seafarers holding certificates issued by the

Ghanaian Administration meets inter-

national standards.

Mr Speaker, it will interest you to

know that a Memoranda of Understanding

(MoU) has been signed with over thirty-

five (35) major ship owning countries per

Regulation 1/10 of the International

Convention on the Standards of Training,

Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).

By this MoU, Ghanaian seafarers can be

employed on any of these ships of signing

parties.

Mr Speaker, the welfare of seafarers is very crucial in the shipping industry, as it is closely related to the safety of navigation and property. The Maritime Labour Law Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006), which establishes seafarer welfare including minimum working and living standards is implemented domestically through the

Ghana Shipping Maritime Labour Regula- tion 2015 (LI 2226). Under this Regula- tion, a number of companies have been licensed as Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Agencies (SRPA). Their licences are renewed annually upon an audit to verify, if any, of the provisions in the Regulation are adhered to. It must be noted that not all seafarers are employed through this medium.

Mr Speaker, in summary, the GMA by

its statutes ensures that the training, recruitment and welfare of seafarers are done in conformity with national and international standards.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member for Tema East, any further question?
Mr Odamtten 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker —
[inaudible] —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member for Tema East, do not allocate three supplementary questions to yourself. If you have observed, today, I have allowed only two supplementary questions, so you do not have the right to allocate three supplementary questions to yourself. Only two supplementary questions are allowed.
Mr Odamtten 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, very
well.
Following from the Hon Minister for
Transport's response, my follow-up questions would be on safety and welfare which are

Oral Answers to Questions

found in paragraphs 2 and 4, respectively, of his Answer.

Mr Speaker, I would like to know how

the Hon Minister for Transport and the

Ministry are ensuring the safety of sailors

under the industrial fishing and trolling

crews. I ask this because the Answer

provided appears to work for cargo vessels,

but the safety of crews in industrial fishing

and trolling crews is what I would want

him to elucidate.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, per
the regulation, which the Hon Member for
Tema East is very much aware of, we have
inspectors and surveyors at our ports. The
IMO has come up with standards which we
have domesticated, so when the port docks,
before take-off, we go into it, tick to ensure
that all those safety measures are in place.
If we find out that any docked ship has
none or is flouting some of the rules, they
are fined and they have to pay a penalty for
it. So, we ensure that before the ship sails
off, they meet those international standards
which per the IMO regulation, we are
supposed to follow. So, we are doing that.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Very
well.
Yes, Hon Member for Tema East, your
last supplementary question?
Mr Odamtten 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, again, the
Hon Minister for Transport highlighted the
safety of navigation and properties. What
is conspicuously missing in the Answer is
the welfare of personnel. As he would
recall, about two years ago, a staff of the
Fishing Commission who was supposed to
observe activities at sea died and until now,
nothing has been done, which goes to the
core of the safety and welfare of crew
members.
I would like to know what the Hon
Minister for Transport is doing in terms of
remuneration, medical provisions, retire-
ment, industrial relations, and accidents of
crew or sailors in the sector.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is
not my doing. There are standards set in the
IMO regulations which must be met and
we ensure that they are met. That is why we
signed an agreement with various ships to
ensure that salaries, remuneration, and
welfare are all met. However, he alluded
that somebody died. I do not know whether
the person died as a result of the job he was
doing or the person was sick and he was not
taken care of. I may not know the cause of
death because death is inevitable and
bound to happen. Since the cause of the
death was not alluded to, I would not be
able to speak to that. However, I can tell
him that we would ensure that the
minimum standard they are supposed to
pay the seafarers are met and those things
are being are enforced.
Mr Yao Gomado — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Member, are you a Member at a
coastal area?

Oral Answers to Questions

All right. Let us hear you.
Mr Yao Gomado 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank
you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I am an Internal Auditor
for shipping companies - Under the Memo-
randum of Understanding (MoU) regulations,
International Shipping Management (ISM),
International Ship and Port Security (ISPS),
and International Maritime Labour
Convention, 2006/2010.
I often visit the fishing harbour and
what I have observed is that all these
regulations I have mentioned are not being
followed by the ship owners. The fishing
vessels we have in the ports are mostly
owned by foreign companies and they do
not comply with these regulations.
I would like to find out from the Hon
Minister for Transport or suggest to him
that, contrary to what he is saying, the
standard wages for the crew on board the
fishing vessels, as well as the safety
regulations, are never met.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Minster for Transport?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we
have employed qualified people to work
and my expectation is that they ensure that
the standards are met. The Hon Member
for Akan has just brought to my attention,
today, that those things are not being done.
Mr Speaker, I can assure him that I would
follow up and ensure that the right thing is
done with regard to the complaints he has
made.
Mr Odamtten — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member for Tema East, you were the
owner of the Question. After asking it, you
were given the opportunity to ask
supplementary questions. What else do you
want?
Mr Alexander K. Afenyo-Markin — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, you are a
Member for a coastal area; is that right?
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes.
Mr Speaker, I would like to, first,
associate myself to the Question asked by
the Hon Member for Tema East, Mr Isaac
Ashai Odamtten. I say so because, as a
practitioner, I have had a number of cases
where —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member, what are you a practitioner in?
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we
are in the same profession. It is a notorious
fact that I am a barrister-at-law and a court
room practitioner, for that matter.

Oral Answers to Questions

Mr Speaker, as a practitioner, I have encountered a number of cases where Ghanaian crews were mistreated. In fact, in 95 per cent of the cases, there were no contracts. I remember I petitioned Hon Sherry Ayittey those days. If we look at the contract they have for the foreign crew, they ensure that all areas are covered: they pay their insurance and pay them properly into their accounts, but when it comes to our Ghanaian sailors, they do on-the-table payment and there is no insurance, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), or tax.

Mr Speaker, a lot of these boys have

deformities; some of them have been hurt by ice blocks in one way or the other, and others are in mental homes. When they recount their experiences, we would feel sorry for them, so I am happy about the approach that has been taken by the Ministry. What I would want to emphasise is —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, it is Question time. Are you asking a question or you are —
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
am supporting my Hon Colleague. I thought with national issues like this, we — [Interruption] — Mr Speaker, I am being heckled by my own Hon Colleague from the opposite Side, the Hon Deputy Minority Leader —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, he has not heckled you. He just wants you to ask the question.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he
is talking, but not into the microphone. He
is speaking across the aisle and that is not
the practice.
Mr Speaker, all that I was trying to put
across is that the Ministry should empower
the Authority to really protect Ghanaians,
and from what the Hon Minister for
Transport has just told us, what assurances
could he give us by way of practical steps
to achieve this within the shortest possible
time?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Minister for Transport, we would like to
have some assurances.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is
our responsibility to protect our people and
whatever it is that we need to do within the
ambit of the law to protect them, we would
do; we are not going to relax. However, the
unfortunate thing is that not all seafarers
are employed according to some of these
arrangements we have in place.

Some of them find their own work

outside the companies that we have signed

this Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) with to make sure they go strictly

according to the International Maritime

Organisation (IMO) Regulations, but we

would make sure that we bring all of them

under the body of the organisation that we

have.

Oral Answers to Questions
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
We
would now move to the Question numbered
549, which stands in the name of the Hon
Member for Pru East, Dr Kwabena
Donkor.
Policy Trajectory on the Development
of Inland Water Transport
Dr Kwabena Donkor (NDC — Pru East) 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the
Minister for Transport the policy trajectory
on the development of inland water
transport.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
inland water transport system has been
identified as a cost-effective option for the
transportation of bulk cargoes and
passengers. Government, therefore, seeks
to promote safe and efficient inland water-
ways transport system with particular
focus now on the Volta Lake.
Mr Speaker, the key focus areas are as
follows:
• Development and rehabilitation of the necessary infrastructure including
landing sites and reception facilities;
• Charting of the Volta Lake to improve safety of navigation;
• Provision of navigational aids;
• Retooling of the Volta Lake Transport Company Limited; and
• Capacity building of informal boat operator to ensure safe boat operations.
Mr Speaker, we have already presented a
request to this august House to approve a
facility that would support the revitali-
sation of the Volta Lake Transport System.
It is my hope that the request would receive
the support of this House.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon
Member for Pru East, any supplementary
question?
Dr Donkor 1:05 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, since the Hon Minister
mentioned the Volta Lake Transport
Company, would he consider making the
appropriate policy approach to Cabinet to
make the Volta Lake Transport Company
an autonomous company fully owned and
funded by the State as against its present
status of being a subsidiary of the Volta
River Authority (VRA)?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
thank the Hon Member for this.
Mr Speaker, this is one area we are
trying to see how we could re-adjust the
system because if one looks at it, the Volta
Lake, apart from the transport we operating
on it, it is a national asset and the Ministry
of Energy, which is in charge of the Lake
and the National Security, think that there
must be some collaboration between the

Oral Answers to Questions

original owners, that is, the VRA and the

Ministry of Transport, to see how we could

re-align some of these operations. But it is

something that we are talking about. I have

had a number of discussions with the Hon

Minister for Energy and we are trying to

present a paper to Cabinet and I believe

that it is something worth considering.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, your last supplementary
question. This week, we have restricted
ourselves to two supplementary questions,
but you have spent more than one hour
already.
Dr Donkor 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would take
the cue from you.
Mr Speaker, I would want to ask the
Hon Minister whether there are any
concrete plans to remove the rock, the
projectiles at Debre on the Volta Lake,
which make the movement of badges
almost impossible during the latter part of
the year. In considering this, would the
Hon Minister also consider promoting the
use of inland waterways by deliberately
moving cargo off the roads onto the Lake,
since water transport, everywhere in the
world, is deemed to be the cheapest mode
of transportation?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, is it because I said you have the
last slot that is why you have combined so
many questions?
Hon Minister, anyway, let us hear from you.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
have no option than to answer the Hon Member because he is my uncle. If I do not answer the question, I would have a problem.
Mr Speaker, the issue of Debre Rocks
is a major problem as far as the Lake's operation is concerned because of north- south operation. So, it is an issue that we are looking at.
Unfortunately for us, under the EXIM
Bank facility that we are trying to acquire, it only deals with cross pay services. We are also talking to other partners; we must have a whole year operation as far as the badges are concerned. Unfortunately, when we have lean season because of the rocks, we are not able to cross over to Yapei and Buipe. So, it is major concern.
Mr Speaker, as the Hon Member said,
water transport is the cheapest means of moving cargo from north to south or south to north, so we are talking to partners and I am one person that, if I have not reached any concrete decision, I would not just talk about it, but it is something that we are considering. If we are able to remove it, it would serve us better. It is something that we need to consider, so we are looking at it. By the end of the year, I am sure we would have a positive response.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Mr
Gidisu?

Oral Answers to Questions
Mr Wisdom Gidisu 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister indicated in his Answer that they presented a request to Parliament to approve a facility to take on board all these good initiatives that he has mentioned. I would want to follow up to see where it has got to in terms of timelines for the approval of the facility because this is a very important thing we are all yearning for.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
happy to tell the Hon Member that the Ministry of Finance has brought the loan agreement to this House, and in fact, this morning, the Finance Committee met on the issue. They had a deliberation and I am hoping that they would present a response to this House so that the loan may be approved; then, when it is approved, we would be able to access and move ahead to do the actual construction and other facilities that the loan is requiring us to do.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Very
well. Let me take the last question.
Mr Gomado 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, talking
about the Volta Lake transport as mentioned by the Hon Minister, I would want to find out from him what measures the Ministry of Transport is undertaking to improve the badges system. The badges were built in 1989 when I was undertaking my national service with the Germans. Today, I found out that most of those badges are leaking. One badge could take a load of 17 containers. I would want to find out from the Hon Minister what measures are being undertaken to improve or repair those badges at the moment.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minister?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we
have a system called rehabilitation. We are repairing some of the badges, like the Hon Member rightly said and also, under the EXIM Bank programme. We are also going to acquire new badges which would help us.

We have also hired a consultant to

look into the rampant breakages or the breakdowns of these badges and he would present a report to us, so that going forward, we would know how to maintain some of these badges.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Thank
you very much. Hon Member for Tamale Central, let me attend to you. You cannot ask your Question from the Leadership table. Please, go back to your seat and ask your Question.
Mr Murtala Muhammed Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, no! You want to graduate into the Leadership — [Laughter] You would have to take your time.
Hon Member, you may ask your
Question, which is the Question numbered
554.

Oral Answers to Questions

Contract between GoG, Frontier

Health Services, and First Atlantic

Bank for COVID-19 Test Charges at

the Airport

Mr Murtala Muhammed Ibrahim

(Tamale Central): Mr Speaker, I beg to

ask the Hon Minister for Transport whether

proper procurement laws were followed in

the award of the contract between

Government of Ghana and Frontier Health

Services, as well as the contract between

Frontier Health Services and the First

Atlantic Bank for the purposes of

collecting the charges for the COVID-19

tests at the airport.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
Ghana Airport Company Limited strictly
followed its established procedures in
awarding concessions to our clients. —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Order!
Order!
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
The Company
sought and secured approval from the
Public Procurement Authority before the
award of the space to Frontier Health
Services group was done.
Mr Speaker, Ghana Airport Company
Limited is not privy to the contract between
Frontier Health Services and the First
Atlantic Bank for the purpose of collecting
charges for Covid-19 tests at the airport.
Concessionaires at the airport are free to
engage any appropriate legal entity to
partner them to deliver their services.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, note that you have two supple- mentary questions. You may ask the first one.
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in
response to the Question, the Hon Minister indicated that Ghana Airport Company Limited was not interested in finding out the contract that the Frontier Health entered into with a private bank. Hon Minister, is it not strange that the airport is a security installation that entered into a contract with one company, which also entered into a contract with another private entity and you were not interested in that? Could the Hon Minister explain to this House and the people of this country why he showed absolute disinterest in the contract that Frontier Health entered with that private entity knowing very well that the airport is a security installation?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, per
the legal regimes, Ghana Airport Company has its limit. There are other statutory agencies who are responsible for some of these regulatory inspections. A legally constituted bank in this country doing business with an entity at the Ghana Airport Company, of which we have no legal authority— Frontier Health Service is not the only client we have. We do not go to our clients to check the specific banks that they are doing business with.
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my question was not answered. I understand that Ghana Airport Company do not check

Oral Answers to Questions

to find out which banks its clients operate with, but that particular bank is operating at the airport. It is not that they operate in their branches anywhere and that is why it should be of tremendous concern to the Hon Minister and the Hon Minister of State. That bank operates at the airport and I premised my question on the basis of the fact that the airport is a security installation. So, if you tell me that because the airport company is not interested in which private entities they do business or engage with, for me, that is completely unacceptable. The reason that question is important is that the bank operates at the airport. Therefore, my question was not answered. If you have a different explanation, it is understandable. —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, could you ask your question? All
that you are saying is not a question but
rather a commentary. Just ask your
question.
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
asked a question and it was not answered.
Per the response he gave, my view is that —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Are
you sure the question was not answered?
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it
was not answered.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, say that it was not answered to
your satisfaction.
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, was
it to your satisfaction?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, that is the information he has
given us.
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
can see that you were not satisfied with the
Answer he gave.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Well,
that is your — Hon Member, ask your second supplementary question.
Mr M. M. Ibrahim 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with
your guidance, could the Hon Minister
furnish this House with the contractual
agreement between Government of Ghana
through the Airport Company and the
Frontier Health? I asked this question
because when the Hon Minister appeared
before the Appointment Committee during
his vetting, he stated palpably that, that
company operated at the airport initially
without a license. Therefore, could the Hon
Minister furnish this House with the con-
tractual agreement between the Government
of Ghana or the Ghana Airport Company
and the Frontier Health?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
Ghana Airport Company is not a licensing
agency for any health institution. What we
do is to grant space for people who want to
do business at the airport. Ghana Airport
Company is in possession of the conce-
ssional agreement between Ghana Airport
Company and Frontier Health Services.

Oral Answers to Questions

Mr Speaker, at my vetting, I presented that particular document and if given the opportunity, I would bring it before this House.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
So, do
you promise to furnish the House with the agreement? Hon Minister, is that what you are saying?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would do that because I have presented that document before this House as part of my documents for vetting. That document is in this House but if you request from me, I would also bring it again.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Very
well. On that note, when do you think you can furnish us with that information?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if
you instruct me, — I am before you, so whenever —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
So,
could you provide us with the information next week?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, next
week, I would —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Very
well. I would go to the Hon Member for Salaga South?
Ms Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. I beg to ask the Minister for Transport whether the Frontier Health Services still operates at the Kotoka International Airport
and if so, would he be able to furnish us with the number of positive test that they have done from January to now?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, it is obvious that the Hon Minister was not brought here to tell the House about the number of tests that have been conducted over there. I mean I do not think — it is a deviation from the original Question. The first Question would have been okay but the subsequent one, I do not believe —. Please let us understand the situation because if the Hon Minister was brought here to talk about certain things and you now give specific information with regard to details of numbers, I do not believe it is right. Hon Minister, are you minded to answer the first part of the question?
Hon Member for Salaga South, may
you repeat the first part of your question.
Ms Ibrahimah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to
ask the Hon Minister for Transport whether the Frontier Health Services are still operating at the Kotoka International Airport.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, they
are still operating at the Kotoka International Airport.
Mr Yusif Sulemana — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, I will come to you. You are the available Leader of the Minority Side. All right, let us hear you.

Oral Answers to Questions
Mr Yusif Sulemana 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we all know that this is not the practice in this House, that when a Question is filed, and it is not an Urgent Question, the Answer is always provided so that Hon Members have access to their Answers in order to ask questions relating to the Answer that has been provided.
Now, that is not what is happening. Yet, when an Hon Member gets up to ask a question, the Hon Member is told that the question he or she has asked does not relate to Order 70(1). Meanwhile, the Answer is not in the Order Paper.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Member, you are fond of asking so many questions. Yesterday, I think, when the Hon Minister was here, he answered about three questions from you. When you are filing the Question, you have the option to indicate whether the Question requires an Oral or Written Answer. If you did not indicate that the Answer should be in the written form, then I do not think that the Hon Minister would be obliged to provide the Answer —
Mr Y. Sulemana 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have the Order Paper with me, and it has Urgent Questions and Questions listed. The Hon Minister has come to answer the ordinary Questions. What I am saying is that the practice here is that the Answer is always in the Order Paper. It is not there, so the questions the Hon Members are asking are based on what they have heard here.
It would have been very important if the Answer was captured in the Order Paper so that Hon Members could make reference to it and ask relevant questions relating to the Question that has been filed. That is a fact.
Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-
Mensah-Bonsu): Mr Speaker, I think that this is a challenge of the system, and we cannot attribute it to the Hon Minister. The Hon Minister supplied his responses. Unfortunately, for some technical reasons, one or two of them could not find expression on the Order Paper. We cannot attribute that to the Hon Minister. I am saying that for a fact.
We have a challenge. Let us see how
we can deal with it. I would not want to blame the Clerks-at-the-Table because if there is a challenge with publication, we cannot also place it at their doorstep, so let see how to resolve it.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon
Member, have you asked your question?
Mr Edward A. Bawa 1:25 p.m.
No, I have not.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
We will
come back to it. Let us hear the Hon Member for North Tongu.
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 1:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I rise to draw attention to Order 68(4) on the matter that we are discussing, to situate how important the issue that the Hon Member for Bole/Bamboi has raised is. Order 68(4) provides that:

Oral Answers to Questions

“The answer to any such Question shall, whenever practicable, be printed

and a copy thereof supplied to the

Member asking it not less than fifteen

minutes before the time fixed for the

Sitting at which the Question is to be

answered, and such answer shall be

read by the Member to whom the

Question is addressed or by the

Member acting for the Member to

whom the Question is addressed.”

Mr Speaker, our Standing Orders

provide that these Answers ought to be

printed, and so, I do not think that the

concern of the Hon Member should be

dismissed. It is a legitimate concern; our

Standing Orders provide that. I heard the

Hon Majority Leader trying to say that we

cannot blame either the Hon Minister or the

Clerks-at-the-Table. Who do we blame

then? Somebody must be responsible for

making sure that this is printed. We must

know exactly what the challenge is, so that

we can address it.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon
Member, I understand that there is an
omission with respect to this particular
Question, so the Clerks-at-the-Table have
noticed that. So, please, it was not
deliberate. Very well.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think the point that has been
made by the Hon Member is important.
The Leader of Government Business has
indicated that this is neither a problem of
the Clerks-at-the-Table nor the Hon
Minister. It is obvious that the Leader of
this House must follow up and address the
issue because he himself has admitted that
it is a problem. Thank you.
Mr Bawa 1:25 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr
Speaker. My question to the Hon Minister
is whether the contract that involves
Frontier Health Services went through
tender, whether the Company was
registered by the Public Procurement
Authority (PPA), and whether the Health
Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA)
licensed the Company.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
have said, and I would repeat, that our role
as Ghana Airport Company was to grant
the space. We do not license health
operators in this country. Thank you very
much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Bawa 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon
Member, that is the best way the Hon
Minister can answer the question, so if —
Mr Bawa 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry is
granting space —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon
Member, this issue has been raised, and the
Hon Deputy Majority Leader said that if
the Answer given by the Hon Minister is
not satisfactory, you should find a way of
soliciting the answers. At the moment, that
is the best the Hon Minister can do, so
adopt another means of soliciting the

Oral Answers to Questions

information from the Hon Minister. At the

moment, that is the way he thinks he can

answer the question.

Hon Member, let me give you the last

slot.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Mr
Abambire Bawa —
Mr Bawa 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am pleading
with you. When an Hon Minister of State
who has been given a facility to look after
comes to tell us that — If I get up from my house and just come to the airport and I do
not meet the required conditions, and he
releases space for me to operate, then the
Hon Minister is reneging on his respon-
sibility.
As a Ministry, they should know
whether the person who is coming there to
offer that service meets all the other
criteria. The Hon Minister cannot just
come to the Floor of Parliament and say his
duty was just to provide space, and so he
cannot answer the other questions. With all
due respect, it is simply unacceptable —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon
Member —
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
Questions in this House are guided by our rules. A Member gets up and is arguing his case instead of asking a question. Mr Speaker, with respect -—[Interruption]— Mr Speaker, the issue raised by the Hon Member who just got up really offends our
rules - Standing Order 57(1)(b). He cannot start arguing with the Hon Minister. The Hon Member should just ask his question. That is how the Business in this House is conducted.
Mr Williams Okofo-Dateh 1:25 p.m.
—
rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon
Member, let me take the last question from you.
Mr Williams Okofo-Dateh 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
thank you for the opportunity. I would like to find out from the Hon Minister, since he says Frontier Health Services is still operating at the airport, if he is able to explain what actually Frontier Health Services is doing at the moment. Is their operation now different from what they were doing previously?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Government had come up with measures to reduce COVID-19 inspection but within it, there are some limited occasions that when people who are not vaccinated get to our airport, they need to go through the vaccination. I am sure that is why the company is still there and operating. However, it is not as massive as it used to be everywhere.
An Hon Member — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
The last
question, please. Hon Member, no. Fine, I

Oral Answers to Questions

could give it to the Hon Minority Leader and not - Hon Minority Leader, we would want to hear you.

Minority Leader (Mr Haruna

Iddrisu): Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Minister whether Frontier Health Services is being paid for those limited services they are providing, and so far, how much has been paid to them?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Very
well. Hon Members, I would want us to turn to the Question numbered 556, which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Adaklu, Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza.
Steps Taken to Develop an Aviation Training School - Ho Airport - as
Promised
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza
(NDC — Adaklu): Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Transport what steps have been taken to develop an aviation training school for pilots, engineers, and cabin crew at the completed Ho Airport as promised in the 2019 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
there may be a mix up in the Question that
the Hon Member asked. Per what I have, the Question numbered 556 reads:
“Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza to ask the Minister for Transport what steps the Ministry is taking to construct an airport in the Upper East Region and an international airport at Takoradi as promised in the 2019 Budget Statement.”
Mr Agbodza 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that
the Hon Minister is right; that is not the Question. The Question I asked is what has been printed, but when I read the Answer provided, it sounded like an Answer to another Question. I am happy for the Hon Minister to take a second look at the Question as I have asked it and probably come another day to give the Answer.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Very
well. Clerks-at-the-Table, kindly take note of that. We move to the Question numbered 674, which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Madina, Mr Francis- Xavier Kojo Sosu.
Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have his permission to ask the Question with your leave.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Let us hear you.
Specific Measures in Place to
Rehabilitate Trotro Stations in Madina
Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan
on behalf of Mr Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu (NDC — Madina): Mr Speaker, I

Oral Answers to Questions

beg to ask the Minister for Transport the specific measures put in place to rehabi- litate the various trotro stations in Madina.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
development and rehabilitation of various
trotro stations in Madina is under the
mandate of the La-Nkwantanang Muni-
cipal Assembly.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, we would like to hear you.
Mr Ramadan 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have no
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
There
is no further question but Hon Minister, I
think that this Question should relate to all
the trotro stations in the country. They are
all crying for rehabilitation. The Question
relating to Madina should be replicated in
the country. Most of the trotro stations we
have are crying for rehabilitation so, you
could look at it holistically.
Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei-
Mensah-Bonsu): Mr Speaker, as much as
I agree with you that there are many trotro
stations that are crying for rehabilitation,
maybe, from the Answer of the Hon Minister,
the Question was wrongly directed. I
would want to plead with the Hon Whips
to have a look at the Questions which are
filed by Hon Members.
Also, the Clerks-at-the-Table, once
they have a second look at it, they would
be able to advise the Speaker so that
Questions would be properly directed, and
then, we would save ourselves from any
embarrassment. I think it is a legitimate
Question, except that it was wrongly
addressed.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
I would
want us to turn to the Question numbered
987, which stands in the name of the Hon
Member for Bunkpurugu, Mr Abed-nego
Bandim Azumah.
Mr Adama Sulemana 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
have his permission to ask the Question,
with your leave.
Why GMet Does not Receive Share of
Aviation Levy from GACL
Mr Adama Sulemana on behalf of
Mr Abed-nego Bandim Azumah (NDC
— Bunkpurugu): Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Transport why the Ghana
Meteorological Agency (GMet) still does
not receive its share of aviation levy from
the Ghana Airports Company Limited.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Airport Tax Act, 1963 (Act 209), as
amended, imposed Airport Passenger
Service Charge (APSC) on departing
passengers. The receivables from the
APSC have historically been the main
source of revenue for the management of
airport operations. Under a special
arrangement, the Ghana Airports Company
Limited (GACL) has been paying some
amount to GMet to cover their services at
the airports.

Oral Answers to Questions

Mr Speaker, following the passage of

the Ghana Civil Aviation Amendment Act

2019, (Act 985), the Ghana Meteorological

Agency (Amendment) Act 2019, (Act 1002),

and the Aircraft Accident and Incident

Investigation and Prevention Bureau Act,

2020 (Act 1028), 7.5 per cent, 5 per cent

and 1.5 per cent of the APSC were

allocated to the agencies, respectively.

Mr Speaker, the management of GACL

and GMet have had series of engagements

resulting in GACL making payments to the

tune of GH₵5.2 million to GMet from the year 2017 to date. The parties are in further

discussions for a workable payment plan

for the outstanding amounts.

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Adama Sulemana 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
in the Hon Minister's Answer, paragraph 3, he states that GH₵5.2 million has been paid since the year 2017; how much is the
total amount of money owed GMet by
GACL?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon
Member, you may speak up - Mr Samuel George, you just came in and want to
announce your presence!
Mr Samuel Nartey George 1:35 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I was here for a long time, and
you were just watching me; that is why.
Mr Adama Sulemana 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would want to find out how much is
outstanding?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, to be
honest with you, this is a very legitimate
question, and because this is a House of
records, I always want to be careful.

GACL owes GMet substantially, but I

would not be able to state the particular

amount so I would plead with the Hon

Member — It is not difficult for me to find out, but this is a House of records and I

need to be very careful.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon
Member, your last question.
Mr Adama Sulemana 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
hope you would give the same directive
you gave to the earlier Questions about the
timelines for the submission.
The Hon Minister states that it is an
Act that mandates the GACL. He stated in
his Answer that the Ghana Meteorological
Agency (Amendment) Act 2019, (Act
1002) stipulates that five per cent of
resources from the amount realised from
the APSC should be given to GMet. I
would like to find out whether the Hon
Minister is aware that these non-release are
jeopardising the lives of aviation travellers
because the money has not been released
and it is affecting their operations.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
non-releases to the agency may be a problem, but as to whether GMet not performing its functions would jeopardise

Oral Answers to Questions

aviation services, I would be able to say no because we do recognise that there are some obligations we have to offer to GMet, and there is no compromise about that. However, although we owe GMet, they are still performing their services creditably because they know that we would make good delivery on our promise or indebted- ness to them.
Alhaji Bashir Fuseini Alhassan 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me commend the Hon Minister for making —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Member, I believe your Hon Leader has warned you that there should be no proverbs.
Alhaji B. A. F. Alhassan 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me commend the Hon Minister for making an attempt to get the huge arrears that GACL owes GMet. On the authority of being the Hon Ranking Member on the Committee on Communications, we have sat on this matter on a number of occasions, and this has been a bothersome issue as far as the operations of GMet is concerned. Mr Speaker, it is not just about the ordinary operations of GMet, but it is also about lives and the ranking and status of Ghana at the Kotoka International Airport.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Ranking Member, please ask your question.
Alhaji B. A. F. Alhassan 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you would indulge me, one must be
strong enough to be able to chew corn. [Laugher] With your indulgence, I just want to build a premise. As we speak, there is a law, which the Hon Minister alluded to that provides a framework for payment within which period those moneys deducted are supposed to be paid to GMet. Mr Speaker, you would agree with me that
—
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
So
what is the question?
Alhaji B. A. F. Alhassan 1:45 p.m.
You would
agree with me that if a lion is fond of
patronising the market, he would be treated
like a puppy. If we persistently violate the
law, we would make it useless. While I do
not place the blame squarely at the doors of
the Hon Minister, but as the one who has
oversight responsibility, would he not put
in place steps to ensure that as soon as these
deductions are made, they are timeously
paid to GMet to enable it improve upon its
operations in order to protect us? Mr
Speaker, if they do not give a weather
report, flights cannot take off, and if they
take off without one, Ghana's status as a first-class international airport would be
downgraded.
Mr Speaker, I would want the Hon
Minister to give us the assurance that from
here, even though he does not directly take
part in the day-to-day administration of the
institution, he would ensure that whoever
has that responsibility takes steps to ensure
that that is done. I commend him for the
payments that they have made in the

Oral Answers to Questions

arrears but I am sure we need to go further

because one does not bury a corpse without

the legs; we do not bury it and leave some

of the parts out.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Let me
hear from the Hon Member for Ningo-
Prampram, Mr Samuel George, so that we
would end it.
Mr Samuel Nartey George 1:45 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, there is an Act of Parliament that
mandates that an agency the Hon Minister
oversees transfers moneys that are deducted
to another. That Act of Parliament was
passed based on the challenges that existed.
What steps is the Hon Minister taking to
ensure that GACL complies with the Act of
Parliament to transfer five per cent of the
APSC to GMet on time after deductions?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
acknowledge the enormity of the whole
situation because it is a thorny issue that I
have been working on as an Hon Minister
to resolve. Before the Act was passed, there
had already been a challenge with the
APSC in terms of its commitment to other
institutions. Hence, although the law is
there, GACL is not deliberately refusing to
abide by the directive of Parliament. It is
because of the challenges that confronted
them before the law was passed. I do not
want to downplay the situation that, maybe,
when the Bill was being looked at, the
problem was there but they did not look at
it. Whatever be the case, it is now an Act,
and we must make sure that we certify it.
Mr Speaker, GACL is, therefore,
engaging GMet, and I could tell you on
authority that though they may not be in a
position to regularly fulfil their commit-
ment, they are doing their best under the
circumstances. We would try to resolve
both matters to give them some space to be
able to go by the directive of Parliament. It
is a challenge, but I would make sure — For now, we have a good relationship with
GMet, and they recognise the problems
that confront GACL.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Let me
give the last slot to the Hon Minority
Leader.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would want to thank the Hon Minister for
Transport for answering the Question, and
also for assuring this House.
Mr Speaker, I would plead with you to
indulge me because the matter we are
discussing is a serious one so the assurance
by the Hon Minister to this august House is
important. On 7th March, 2022, the Emirates
flight from Dubai could not land in Accra
at a very tragic level. That is how much the
unavailability of good and reliable weather
forecast means to an airline. I am sure the
Hon Minister's records would tell him of this.
The airline had to divert the flight at
the point of landing to Abidjan in La Côte
d'Ivoire. GMet is inadequately resourced to provide adequate weather forecast for
the aviation industry. Is the Hon Minister

Oral Answers to Questions

happy to supervise a breach of law by the

GACL by not releasing money to GMet as

required by law to avert an air accident in

Ghana?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would thank the Hon Minority Leader for
his position on this matter and the Hon
Minority Leader knows that diverting
planes at the time of landing to other places
would not only be attributable to weather
and even if it is the weather, at the instance,
I have been in a plane where landing has
been diverted from London to Paris. I am
sure that they have proper weather systems
to monitor them. However, circumstances
may dictate that you cannot land at a
particular time.
Mr Speaker, I want to assure the Hon
Minority Leader that I do not want any of
my agencies to break the law and he knows
that I would be the first person who would
not give them the chance to do so, once
there is a policy directive. However, if
there is a problem, it must be diagnosed to
see why they are unable to religiously give
that five per cent to them. This is the
particular problem that I am trying to solve
and I can assure this House that it would
not be long for that issue to be resolved.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Hon Members,
we would take the Question numbered
1099 which stands in the name of the Hon
Member for North Tongu, Mr Samuel
Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Steps the Ministry of Transport is
Taking to Address Regulatory Breaches
by McDan Aviation
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC
— North Tongu): Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Transport steps the
Ministry is taking to address purported
instances of regulatory breaches by McDan
Aviation as contained in official communi-
cation from the Ghana Airports Company
Limited.
Mr K.O. Asiamah 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL)
has held series of meetings with McDan
Aviation Handling Services Limited
(McDan Aviation) to resolve the instances
of regulatory breaches. The Parties
considered and agreed on the following:
Safety & Security Issues
a. McDan Aviation to present its Safety Management Manual and
Airport Security Programme to
GACL.
b. GACL to re-train McDan Aviation's staff under the directive of Ghana
Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Status of Implementation
i. McDan Aviation has submitted its Safety Management Manual
and Airport Security Programme
to GACL.

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ii. GACL has organised training for McDan Aviation's staff.

Financial Issues.

a. GACL to reconcile McDan Aviation's outstanding debts and provide

feedback.

Status of Implementation

i. Reconciliation completed and payment plan reached by both

parties.

Mr Speaker, these are the summary of

the issues and actions taken to address

these regulatory breaches. Thank you.
Mr Ablakwa 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I listened
to the Hon Minister carefully and have read
his response but there is no indication that
McDan was sanctioned for all the litany of
breaches. I have the various publications
from the Ghana Airport Company dated
28th January, 2022, “Proceeding without the construction, operation, approval”. I have another one dated 31st January, “Failure to comply with a directive from Kotoka
International Airport (KIA) not to Proceed
with their Operations”. There is another dated 24th January, 2022 on their financial
obligations that they are not meeting.
There are so many infractions and
breaches but it does not appear that any sanctions have been taken against McDan Aviation. Can we know why this is so? Is it the case that the removal of Mr Yaw
Kwakwa, the Managing Director, serves as some indication that he is rather being held responsible by Government for this communication and the various letters pointing to the infractions that I referred to?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would answer the latter part of the Hon Member's question.
In my communique to relieve Mr Yaw
Kwakwa of his position, the reason for his relieve was clearly stated. It has got nothing — and I think the Hon member knows that none of these things is attributable to his dismissal or removal. So, I do not know why the Hon Member is trying to attribute the removal of Mr Kwakwa to anything relating to McDan.
Mr Speaker, I do not know why the
Hon Member is talking about sanctions. Maybe, the specific infraction does not necessary demand that the person be sanctioned. It may be a correction process that he needs to go through and once they can sit with him to correct those breaches, I do not see the essence of sanctions. Unless the law specifically says that if one does not do a particular thing, one would be sanctioned.
Mr Ablakwa 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my last
question is from the item numbered 2 (a) of the Hon Minister's response which relates to financial issues.
The Hon Minister indicates to us that
GACL and McDan Aviation have reconciled the outstanding financial obligation to

Oral Answers to Questions

GACL. Is the Hon Minister able to tell us the amount involved? This is a House of records — the amount involved and specifics on the payment plan so we can track and monitor it, as a House, to know if GACL which belongs to us all is being treated fairly.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Hon Minister, before you respond —
Hon Members, please, the time is 2 o'clock, so, kindly indulge me to extend Sitting beyond the normal hours.
Hon Minister, let us hear you.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is true that Ghana Civil Aviation Authority or the Ghana Airport Company or the aviation industry belongs to all of us but they also have their own business transactions they do with their clients. So sometimes, it is difficult for certain information to be put out if one does not have permission from their client.
However, I can confidently say that an agreement has been reached between both parties and like the Hon Member said, this is a House of records. So, I need to be sure about the sort of amount he owes but they have indicated to him and I know that an arrangement has been made for those debts to be paid. So, the Hon Member can be rest assured that an agreement has been reached with him — a period which is satisfactory to both parties because at the same time too, we must ensure that we do not put much obligation on their client.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Minority Leader, you may ask the last
question.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would want to find out from the Hon
Minister how much McDan owes the
Ghana Airport Company, how much of it
has been paid and how much is
outstanding.
Mr K.O. Asiamah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
McDan has a contractual obligation with
the Ghana Airport Company Limited.
Within the contractual obligation is a
limited time within which some of these
debts have to be paid and like I said, an
agreement has been reached that those
debts would be paid within the time agreed
by both parties.
Specifically, I know the Hon Minority
Leader is interested in how much is owed.
I could say GH₵2 or GH₵5 but I do not have the — I would get the specific amount and furnish this House. This would not be
a problem but the Hon Minority Leader
wants — Yes, I need to be very candid with the Hon Minority Leader.
I know that McDan Aviation owes
and the parties have reached an agreement
for the debt to be paid. That particular
amount has never been disputed. I can
easily find that out and tell him. I do not
want to conjecture. I do not want to tell the
Hon Minority Leader something that
tomorrow he would say his good Friend
has not been truthful to him.

Oral Answers to Questions

So, if the Hon Minority Leader can

give me some time. It is not rocket science.

I can easily find out from them and

furnish this House with the specific amount

McDan Aviation owes the Ghana Airport

Company Limited.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Leader 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Minority Leader?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
hear the coach helping the Hon Minister
“one man, one machete.” Are we in a tomato farm? — [Laughter]— The Hon Member for North Tongu, Mr Samuel
Okudzeto Ablakwa served a notice to the
Hon Minister: “McDan Aviation owes GACL”. The Hon Minister talked about an agreement for settlement. How can they
have an agreement for settlement when the
amount is not known? We would like to
know how much McDan Aviation owes
GACL? Is it US$4 million or US$24
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would be happy to read the Question to the
Hon Minority Leader, so that this issue
would be settled once and for all. It reads:
“To ask the Minister for Transport steps the Ministry is taking to address purported instances of regulatory breaches by McDan Aviation as
contained in official communication from the Ghana Airports Company Limited.”
The Hon Member who asked the
Question did not ask how much McDan Aviation owes GACL.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Very
well.
Hon Members, the Hon Minister has
answered the Question. We would take the Question numbered 1272, which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Akan, Mr Yao Gomado.
Cadetship for the Graduates of the
Regional Maritime University
Mr Yao Gomado (NDC — Akan) 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for Transport what measures the Ministry is taking for the graduates of the Regional Maritime University (RMU)to undergo cadetship.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
as has been the practice, the Regional Maritime University (RMU) collaborate with shipping lines to provide cadetship training for its graduates. Currently, Bernhard Schulte, a shipmanagement company, takes cadets from RMU on- board its vessels every year and has a permanent office complex at the University. Also, discussions are ongoing with a Greek Ship Management Company known as Danaos Shipping Company Limited in the same respect.

Oral Answers to Questions

Mr Speaker, we are also pursuing an

aggressive programme to modernise the

Regional Maritime University with support

from the Korean Exim Bank under the

Economic Development Cooperation Frame-

work Agreement between the Government

of Ghana and the Republic of South Korea.

As part of the project, a training vessel will

be provided to the University for On-board

Practical training. This will ensure that

cadets would go through the cadetship

programme at sea for the minimum number

of months required for practice after they

graduate.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Member for Akan, do you have any
supplementary question?
Mr Gomado 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would
like to seize this opportunity to commend
the Captain Joshua Nii Addo of Bernhard
Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), and
other shipping companies for the good
work they are doing.
The Hon Minister stated in paragraph
1 of his Answer that:
“Also, discussions are ongoing with a Greek Ship Management Company
known as Danaos Shipping Company
Limited in the same respect.”
I would like to know when we should
expect this to come to effect.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, even
last month, they came back, and we had a
preliminary discussion followed with
another management decision, and they are
supposed to get back to us by the end of
September. I hope that we get a good
response from them by then.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, you may ask your last supple-
mentary question.
Mr Gomado 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, also, in
paragraph 2, the Hon Minister said:
“As part of the project, a training vessel will be provided to the University for
On-board Practical training. This will
ensure that cadets would go through
the cadetship programme at sea for the
minimum number of months required
for practice after they graduate.”
I would like to ask the Hon Minister
what the timeline is.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Hon Minister for Finance put this
particular facility in this year's budget. The kick-off meeting has started; the consultant
from the Korea Exim Bank came last week
and they met representatives from the
Ministry of Finance for further discussion.
We hope that the consultant will be hired.
Today, the first loan facility agreement is
in this House. When they bring the final
report, we would bring the loan agreement.
I do not envisage that this project would go
beyond the middle of next year. Looking at
the pace at which we are working, buying
all time, and all things being equal, I hope

Oral Answers to Questions

that by the middle of next year, we should

be able to access this facility.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Member for Amenfi Central, Mr Peter
Yaw Kwakye Ackah?
Mr Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah 2:05 p.m.
Mr
Speaker. I beg to differ, from the Answer
given by the Hon Minister that it has been
the practice that the Regional Maritime
University collaborates with the shipping
lines.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, you are to ask the Hon Minister a
question.
Mr Ackah 2:05 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker. From
my experience, we had a shipping line
which was a special vessel for training,
called the “NV Nakwa River” where I was trained as a cadet on that vessel. So I would
like to know if the Hon Minister is
considering having a similar capacity for
the cadets, rather than collaborating with
other shipping lines to — [Interruption]— The Hon Minister is not listening to me. It
is not my fault that he cannot hear me.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, ask your question instead of —
Mr Ackah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he is
gesticulating that he cannot hear me.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, the prefix to your question is a bit
problematic.
Mr Ackah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is not.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Why is
it not problematic?
Mr Ackah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my question
is a follow up to inquire whether the Hon
Minister has got any plans to go that way,
because he said that has been the practice,
and I am saying that no, that is not the
practice. The practice is that — I was trained on the “NV Nakwa River” which belongs to the Black Star Line, so is he considering
something similar to help our students?
Also, the aim of the students at the
Regional Maritime University is not to be
—[Interruption]— Mr Speaker, could the Hon Minister please pay attention?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, this is a supplementary question,
and you are not the owner of the Question.
Mr Ackah 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he is not
paying attention; he is disturbing.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Who is
disturbing?
Mr Ackah 2:05 p.m.
The Hon Minister. He is
gesticulating — [Laughter]— Could you please let him keep quiet for me to ask the
question?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hold
on, Hon Member.

Oral Answers to Questions

Yes, Hon Majority Leader.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
with respect, Hon Members ought to be
guided on how to ask questions. When an
Hon Member rises to ask a question, which
the Hon Minister proffers and answers, if
there is a supplementary question, it should
be asked.

We do not have to argue with the Hon

Minister that “I beg to differ,” and then go on our own frolic - that is not how Questions are asked in this House. So, please, ask the

supplementary question ensuing from the

original Question or the Answer given by

the Hon Minister. That is how questions

are asked.
Mr Ackah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I quoted the
Answer given by the Hon Minister.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, please, you are just to elucidate
information from the Answer that the Hon
Minister gave.
Mr Ackah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what if the
Answer is wrong or I do not agree with it?
The Hon Minister's Answer was that it is the norm to collaborate, but I am saying
that it is not the norm because I was trained
in the school —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, so, you think the Answer is
wrong?
Mr Ackah 2:15 p.m.
Yes. The Hon Minister
said that it is the normal practice, and I am
saying that it is not; I was trained
differently.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, the mere fact that you have gone
through the walls of that school does not
mean that you know everything. The Hon
Minister has come with the information
and so if you do not agree with him, just
ask your question, please.
Mr Ackah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, are you telling
me that I do not have the opportunity to
correct that Answer?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Kwakye Ackah, you do not seem prepared
to ask your question. Therefore, I would
give the opportunity to —
Mr Ackah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the question
is, does the Hon Minister have any plans of
going to the actual training session where
we have the shipping line; that is, NV
Nakwa River, which was the normal
practice we had?
Secondly —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
No, you
do not have the opportunity to ask a second
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
happy to know that the Hon Member was
trained under the Black Star Line system.
Unfortunately for the Hon Member and me,

Oral Answers to Questions

we do not have the Black Star Line today.

That notwithstanding, we cannot leave our

cadets untrained, so the only available

option to us, is to partner with shipping

lines to take our cadets on board.

However, I would like to assure the

Hon Member that as part of the Korean

Exim Bank facility, there is a training

vessel at the Black Star Line that he is looking

for. Therefore, once this Parliament approves

that particular loan, the Black Star Line

would come back.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
I would
give the opportunity to the Hon MP for
Tema West.
Mr Kingsley Ahenkorah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
I come under Standing Order 60(2), and
request your guidance with respect to the
fact that the Hon Minister has been on his
feet for more than one and a half hours.
I think that under the normal rules of
engagement, by this time, the Hon Minister
should be discharged, unless you want us
to continue asking Questions. He has been
answering Questions for close to two
hours, and I do not see why the Standing
Order 60(2), should not be used to
discharge him from this responsibility.
Mr Speaker, I would be guided by
your direction in this matter. I thank you.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Anyway, I am fully aware of the time, and
I know what I am doing. The Hon Minister
is left with one more Question to Answer,
and I just want to allow him to go through.
He should have been here, some weeks ago
and Hon Members were not happy that he
was unable to come to the Chamber.
Therefore, let us allow the process to
continue; I think he is left with only one
more Question to finish.
Hon Member for Tema East, your last
supplementary question for this particular
Question.
Mr Odamtten 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as a
follow up to the Hon Minister's response, where he assures us that through the
cadetship programme, cadets would be
trained, we know that the institution, which
is Ghana Maritime Authority serves the
West African Coastline with maritime
academic and research items.
Currently, the Ghanaian head of the
institution has been on interdiction for
more than a year and a half and I think that
could impede the programmes of the
Ministry of Transport. How is the Hon
Minister ensuring that leadership of the
institution would be in place so that the
programmes he is enumerating would be
implemented?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Minister, do you have the information? I
know what I am doing, please — it is not part of the Questions.
Mr. K. O. Asiamah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
although it may not be part of the

Oral Answers to Questions

Questions, I can tell the Hon Member that

RMU is governed by a board, and it is

taking steps to make sure that the University

gets a substantive head. Whatever action

the board took was in the interest of the

University, so the Hon Member should be

rest assured that everything would be fine.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Very
well.
Hon Members, the item numbered
1273, in the name of Mr Yao Gomado.
State of the Draft Bill on Cabotage
Mr Yao Gomado (NDC—Akan) 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Minister for
Transport the state of the draft Bill on
cabotage.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
Cabotage Regulations was presented to
this august House for consideration and
approval. It was subsequently approved
and gazetted on 16th December, 2021. The
regulation is now referred to as The Ghana
Shipping (Cabotage) Regulations 2021,
L.I. 2438.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Member, any further questions?
Mr Gomado 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think, my
Question is not well answered. I am asking
of a draft Bill, and the Answer here is on
Regulations. I would like clarification in
this regard: is it into law or regulations?
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what I presented to this House was Ghana (Cabotage) Regulations, not Ghana (Cabotage) Bill, which Regulations have been passed.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon Member, your last supplementary question.
Mr Gomado 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to know when these Regulations would be implemented.
Mr K. O. Asiamah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, once it is passed — we are taking the steps because we would need to go through some administrative processes to start the implementation of the Regulations.
Some Hon Members — rose—
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Mr Kwakye Ackah, I would not invite you because you have spoken at length today.
Hon Minority Leader, are you asking
any question?
Mr Ackah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is my area — I am a marine ship engineer so please allow me to contribute; it would help us —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon Members, I would like to thank the Hon Minister for attending upon the House to Answer nine Questions. You are hereby discharged.
Hon Majority Leader, we have so
many Statements.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
respectfully, I would like to plead with you
to vary the order of Business to enable the
Hon Minister for Finance to present a
Paper to the House, which has to do with
item numbered 8(a). Hence, we can deal
with the Presentation of Papers.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Members, let us turn to page 4 - At the Commencement of Public Business, item
numbered 8 - Presentation of Papers. We would begin with the item numbered 8(a),
by the Hon Minister for Finance.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the Hon Minister for Finance is at Cabinet
at the moment and if you would permit me,
I would present the Paper on his behalf.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon
Members, Order! Order! We cannot hear
anything, let us have some silence.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the application is to lay the Paper listed as
item numbered 8(a) on behalf of the Hon
Minister for Finance. If you would indulge
me then I would do that.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
So, Hon
Majority Leader, which one specifically?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
item numbered 8(a).
PAPERS 2:25 p.m.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
there are other Papers listed under item numbered 8 (b) and the Hon Chairman is here.
Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza 2:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, it is item numbered 8(b) (iv).
By the Chairman of the Committee —
Report of the Finance Committee on the Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and the Government of the Republic of Korea (acting through the Export-Import Bank of Korea [Government Agency for the Economic Development Coopera- tion Fund {EDCF}]) for an amount in Korean Won not exceeding the equivalent of one hundred and forty-seven million, one hundred thousand United States dollars (US$147,100,000.00) to finance the implementation of the Improve- ment of Volta Lake Transport System Project.

Papers
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Member for Ho Central?
Mr Benjamin Komla Kpodo 2:25 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I would like to find out from the
Hon Chairman of the Committee if the
Report is ready because we just met this
morning and he is already laying the Paper.
What type of laying is that?
Chairman of the Committee (Mr
Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng): Mr Speaker,
it is important for the Hon Member for Ho
Central to ask for information if he does
not have it. The Report is ready, if he
would like a copy, he would get a copy.
Has he spoken with the Hon Ranking
Member for the Committee? In the end, we
are not taking it today. We are just laying
it. [Interruption] — If we do not lay it, we cannot distribute it. I only laid it. I have
copies.
Mr Avedzi 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon
Chairman of the Committee should just
admit that he is doing a Kangaroo laying
because they only met this morning. If the
Report is ready, he should bring us copies.
Mr Kwarteng 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is
legitimate but I do not know the strange - [Interruption].
Mr Avedzi 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, they met this
morning and even the draft Report has not
been done for him to look at, and he is
laying the Report. The Standing Orders
says that as soon as copies of the Report are
ready - So we want copies of the Report
now because we need to read it before we
make contributions. He should not do this
Kangaroo laying.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon
Chairman, I believe it is belated now
because we have already laid it. Are you
following the rest?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
understanding I got from the Hon Majority
Leader is that he would probably be atten-
ding Cabinet. Given the state of affairs, his
wish as he communicated to me, was for us
to look at the Ghana Hydrological Authority
Bill, 2021 at its Consideration Stage but he
was going to rely on Mr Bernard Ahiafor,
the Hon Ranking Member and the Chairman
of the Committee but regrettably, Mr Ahiafor
is not here. The Hon Majority Leader got
the indication that we could take a
Statement and adjourn. That was the
understanding I got from the Hon Majority
Leader.
If the Statement from the Hon Chairman
of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal
and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Kwame
Anyimadu-Antwi on Parliamentarism is
ready. Probably, if there is a Statement on
Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education
(FCUBE) from the Hon Member for
Kintampo, we could take one or two and
then we adjourn.
Mr Speaker, that is the understanding.
Alright, Hon Habib Iddrisu says we could
take just one but since admissibility of
Statements is yours, you may decide which

of them you would want us to take and then

after the Statement, we could take just one

contribution from each Side and adjourn.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon
Minority Leader, thank you very much.
Hon Members, item numbered 7 on
today's Order Paper - Statements. We would begin with the Statement on the Inter-
national Day of Parliamentarism by the
Hon Member for Asante-Akim Central, Mr
Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, who is the Hon
Chairman of the Committee on Consti-
tutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
This is a Statement on Parliamentarism.
I understand that the Hon Member for
Sunyani East is reading that Statement on
his behalf. Let us give him our attention.
Hon Member, you have the Floor now.
STATEMENTS 2:25 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:45 p.m.
Hon
Members, kindly keep your contributions
and comments brief.
Hon Member for North Tongu, you
may kindly speak.
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa (NDC —
North Tongu): Mr Speaker, I am grateful to you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement which has been very

Statements

eloquently delivered on behalf of Mr Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi. The Statement comme- morates the International Day of Parliamen- tarianism, which is observed on 30th June, of every year.

Mr Speaker, it is important to note that

the day is now so important and crucial on the United Nations (UN) calendar of commemorative events since 2018. By a UN resolution, A/RES/72/278, the UN unanimously adopted this day to be commemorated to celebrate Parliaments across the world.

Mr Speaker, the Inter-Parliamentary

Union (IPU), must be celebrated on this day for centuries of advocacy that led to this very important UN commemoration. As we all know, the IPU has been in existence since 1889, and it now has 179 members.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who

made the Statement has brilliantly shared his thoughts on the Parliament of Ghana and what we could do to improve, particularly, our anaemic gender credentials. We are nowhere near the international benchmark, which is at least 30 per cent. Therefore, we must really commit as a country to do more to encourage more female participation in our parliamentary democracy.

Mr Speaker, having said that, the

Eighth Parliament has also presented a very historic opportunity for our country. For the first time, we have a hung Parliament and a Rt Hon Speaker, who is not from the party of H. E. the President.

Many people have been quite hesitant and even scared sometimes about what that means for nurturing and strengthening our democracy. However, I see it more as positive, and I think that we should embrace it boldly. It has so far served us well and we could agree in these unchartered waters to work together to be more conciliatory and focus on the matters that are of national interest, and not of extreme partisanship.

Mr Speaker, there are so many things

that bind us together than what divides us. At the end of the day, we have a common destiny; we are the same people who would love to live in a prosperous society that has eliminated or defeated poverty, diseases and ignorance. So, we could really pool resources and work together with the very historic Parliament that we have now.

Mr Speaker, having said that, I note

that the Hon Member who made the Statement, is also focusing on the theme for this year's celebration which is on civic engagement, ensuring that Parliaments are brought to the doorsteps of the people. Mr Speaker, that is really the essence of Parliament. Parliament is a House of the people, and we must always be in touch with the people, and carry their hopes and aspirations. We must not distance ourselves from the people, and that is why the commemoration for this year would be very well appreciated by the people who elected us and who we serve.

Mr Speaker, we know that in the Report

of the Constitution Review Commission,

Statements

the matter relating to article 78(1) of the Constitution 1992 where a majority of Hon Ministers are appointed from Parliament has come up, and it has been discussed as one of the issues that make the Ghanaian Parliament a bit weak and beholding to the Executive. I think the time has come for us to revisit the Constitution Review Report and see if we could implement the recommendations.

Mr Speaker, I recall that they made

very far-reaching recommendations about

freeing the hand of H. E. the President to

appoint as many people as he wants, to

appoint from wherever, not necessarily

from Parliament so that we would build

career Parliamentarians. People should

come to Parliament because they want to

be Parliamentarians, and because they

want to carry out parlia-mentary oversight,

not because they want to catch the eye of

H. E. the President or because they see

Parliament as a stepping stone. When that

happens and their party is in power, and

they do not get appointed, they get

demoralised and do not give off their best,

which causes the work of Parliament to

suffer.

Mr Speaker, therefore, I am of the

view that we should really take a second

look at article 78(1). I am on all fours with

the Constitution Review Commission that

we should really remove that provision,

amend it, and allow Presidents to appoint

whoever they want to: whether a few from

Parliament or exclusively from outside, and

let us strengthen and resource Parliament.

Mr Speaker, looking at the rankings, we do not do very well in terms of support for Parliament, regarding their offices, salaries, remunerations, staffing, constituency offices and all of that. The Kenyans and Rwandans are far ahead of us. I know it is a sensitive matter but if we situate it within how to make sure that Parliament serves the people well and very responsibly, I am sure that the Ghanaian people would come along with us. Ultimately, it is about them having a presence and getting close to us, so that with all these, the people would get employment opportunities.

Mr Speaker, hence, I think that we should

really look at strengthening Parliament and building career Parliamentarians. Elsewhere, there are Parliamentarians who have served for 30, 40, and even 50 years; yet, nobody calls them “Mugabes”; nobody is in a hurry to get rid of them. The experience that Hon Members gather over the years is also helpful. When they bring it to bear, it helps the institution.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I commend

the Hon Member who made the Statement, and I hope that we would all rededicate ourselves to serving the people and promoting the principles of parliamentarianism, which is central to democracy. Anytime there is a coup d'état, Parliament is the first institution that is dissolved by the makers of the coup d'état. Parliament has suffered so many interruptions, so we should cherish this longest sustained democratic dispensation in our history, and make sure that our democracy and representation inures to the benefit of the people.

Statements

Mr Speaker, with these words, I thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Hon Members, we would now have the Hon Member for Abuakwa South. Let us kindly keep our comments very brief.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (Abuakwa
South — NPP): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement on the Floor. It seems to me that the commemorative Statement to mark the International Day of Parliamentarianism really affects us and the future of this country.

Mr Speaker, the theme for this year's

Commemorative Day is “Civil Engage- ment”, where we need to explain to the majority of our people the roles of a Parliamentarian - what a Parliamentarian is supposed to do.

Mr Speaker, I really wonder whether

some people are really interested in what Members of Parliament are supposed to do, because I always say that we are at the end of the suffering. One is elected to make laws for the entire nation; he or she is here to provide oversight and a watchdog over the exchequer, and to ensure that the Executive does not abuse its power in terms of the Constitution. If this is what the role of an Hon Member of Parliament is, then we do not have problems. In trying to bring people to understand our roles, they sometimes think that we do not matter.

Mr Speaker, Members of Parliament

are now involved in poverty alleviation.

When one is a Member of Parliament, the

amount of money that people expect that

person to dole out to alleviate poverty — I do not want to go there. Members of

Parliament buy coffins, and help people to

go to school. They also give out funeral

donations, and many others which people

might want to call entitlements. Well —

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member said

divorce donations. —[Laughter] — In fact, during naming ceremonies, — for a child that one did not father, somebody

expects that we come and dole out moneys

so that the child could be named.

Sometimes one begins to wonder whether

Hon Members are not being oppressed. In

educating the public— I am afraid they know our roles but they do not permit us to

go scot free because they believe that there

is a stash of money that Members of

Parliament have, so they should dole out

the money. It is a very interesting and

important issue that we would want to look

at.

Mr Speaker, I do not believe that we

are getting the best as the fulcrum of

democracy. I have heard stories that

Members of Parliament approve the budget

of the nation, so our role in trying to ensure

that there is money in the system — you can never wish it away, but it is also a fact

that the one who approves the money, half

the time, begs for releases of his own

money to run the system. It should never be

said, that we want to approve money for the

Statements

entire nation, by way of the budget, but

what we need to make us effective, we

need to cry for it.

Mr Speaker, I would like to stress that

in trying to do the civil education, it should

also be clear that Parliament is an arm of

government and not an appendage of

government. The day this wisdom would

dawn strong in our political journey, the

attitude towards this House would change.

We are an arm of government and not an

appendage of government. This is so

significant and, that is, what it takes to do

our work very well should not be taken for

granted.

Mr Speaker, I heard a very interesting

dimension of our work — that there is a high attrition rate. I had a conversation

with an Hon Member of the Majority Side

of the House as to whether he would want

to contest as a candidate at the political

party primaries, and he looked at me and

said:

“Atta I do not think I have to spend GH₵8 million so that I would come back to serve the very people who

believe that without a huge

donation to them, I am not qualified

to serve them.”

What a contradiction in terms! To

serve people, we waste a lot of energy and

they disturb our peace. One could even

have a phone call at 4.00 a.m. because

somebody believes that an Hon MP should

pay for something that he is entitled to.

Before one contests for that office, the

monetary blackmail is sufficient punish-

ment, and that is what is causing the high

attrition rate. There are many more brilliant

and powerful people who do not want to

enter this House because of that dimension

of the electorates taking everything which

is theirs, because they are the people's representatives, but those in the Executive

could have a field day as nobody would

come and tackle them in that respect.

Mr Speaker, until such a time that the

education would percolate that we do not

have to treat Hon Members of Parliament

the way they are treated, many more people

would leave the House very early. We are

talking about the problem of staying here

for long. Some people would not stay here

for long for the very reason that even the

so-called gratuity they make noise about is

already mortgaged. If the moneys that the

Hon Members dole out is measured as

against the so-called gratuity, we would

realise that they are rendering free service

for the nation, yet many people say that

Hon Members of Parliament should retire

early. If somebody should sit here for five

terms, you could see that he is already

fatigued. That is why a lot of people run for

two terms and they are out.

Mr Speaker, the issues are deeper than

we think. We say that we want parliament-

tarianism, which is also the essence of

democracy; where we are, we are sandwiched

between the Executive and the Judiciary.

This is because when this august House is

moved from the whole equation of democracy,

Statements

there would be no democracy. We should

have this clear understanding and that

would encourage people to come and serve

this nation well. What is the alternative?

Without this House, there would be chaos;

without Members of Parliament being in

Parliament to look at how moneys of the

state are spent, the problem would be deeper

than we think, so it is very opportune that

this Statement has been made, and I believe

that there is a whole warfare that we need

to wage — the warfare of changing the mentality of the ordinary Ghanaian that the

Member of Parliament is a source of

money that they should draw from. If that

is not done, this whole business of civic

education would not aid democracy and

prop-up democracy.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me

the opportunity to make a contribution to

this very important Statement.

Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Hon
Member for Ketu South, Ms Gomashie, let
me come to Leadership, but I hope you are
not offended?
Ms Gomashie 2:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am
offended — [Laughter] —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:55 p.m.
Then,
let me give you two minutes.
Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie (NDC — Ketu South) 3:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I had to go all
the way over to the maker of the Statement,
Hon Member for Asante Akim Central, Mr
Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, because I found
the Statement very educative. I would like
to thank him sincerely for taking the
trouble to write about the International Day
of Parliamentarianism.
Mr Speaker, in the sixth paragraph, he
commends Parliament for the strides we
have made in the increase in the number of
women in Parliament. I read the
Parliamentary debate and the fact that even
today in 2022, the Committee of Privileges
has 25 members, yet there is only one
woman on that Committee.
Seeing that issues that could go to the
Committee of Privileges may have women
coming there, it brings to mind the fact that
if there is only one woman on the
Committee, it is very likely that what
would be discussed there would be skewed
towards men.

If we are celebrating ourselves for

making strides in bringing 40 women to

this House, it is important that we let it

reflect in the ways in which we do things.

Of course, in contesting, women have to

put themselves forward, but forming

committees in this Parliament must be

gender sensitive.

Mr Speaker, there is also the fact that

what I thought, as a former Hon Deputy

Minister of State, and what I experienced

here are truly very different. It is important

Statements

that in the last but one paragraph, the maker

of the Statement reminded us of an activity

that Parliament is going to have, which is

named, “the Knowledge Exchange Forum”. It would be very useful for us to have the

opportunity to be a part of this, so that we

could learn more and impact that knowledge

to Ghanaians who are not in Parliament.

Mr Speaker, it surprises me sometimes

that we know what the law says about our

role as Hon Members of Parliament (MP)

and yet, we also contribute to muddying

the waters with the kinds of promises and

ventures that we get into, which ensnare us

in the process. In celebrating this day and

preparing for the Knowledge Exchange

Forum, it is hoped that we would be guided

by this and inform our constituents to know

the roles of an Hon Member of Parliament.

Hopefully, the demand would not be as

high as it is.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the

opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Minority Leader, I hope you are aware
today is Martyrs' Day?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 3:05 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
I would address it when I am concluding —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:05 p.m.
I would
have wished that something was said about
it.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we
have to solidarise with the Judiciary of our
country in whose hands the power to adjudicate and administer justice is vested.
Mr Speaker, when I am concluding my contribution to the Statement, I would revisit the need for us to solidarise with the co-equal arm of government, the Judiciary, to assure them that never again do we want those dark moments in our country's history. We have adopted a democracy, and we must all contribute to its future by nurturing and building it, because it is built on the foundations of justice.
Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon Member who made the Statement, a very experienced Hon Member of Parliament, Hon Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh.
He has been in Leadership and proudly represents us at the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). For reading this Statement on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, who is another experienced Hon Member of Parliament of good standing, in observing today, 30th June, as the International Day of Parliamentarianism, I would like to join him in congratulating each and every one of us for making it to the Eighth Parliament. To those who were proudly associated with the Seventh, Sixth, and Fifth Parliaments, their glory is even higher.
Mr Speaker, in commending him for making this Statement, let me raise a number of issues that must necessarily

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occupy our attention as an institution of Parliament. I would like to ask the Hon Member of Parliament (MP), whether Ghanaian MPs especially, are loyal to their parties, constituencies, nation, or themselves. What do they seek political offices for? Is it for the purpose of power, prestige, vanity, or public service? We are lost in it — even the honour of Members of Parliament. We engage in conducts that are certainly not acceptable. We all abandon the good of the electorates for our good, yet we pretend that we are serving them.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who made

the Statement raises fundamental issues,

and I could not agree more with Hon

Okudzeto Ablakwa, when he asked what

we are doing with the Eighth Parliament

and its composition, opportunity, and challenges.

In addition to what he suggested, I believe

there is no better period in the history of

our country for us to embark on Consti-

tutional Review implementation. I would

move further from where he is; we do not

need a Constitutional Review again. The

Professor Fiadjoe Committee essentially

did a good work. What we need now is to

put an Implementation Committee in place

to review the work of the Constitutional

Review Committee, and where necessary,

review and make additions to the Professor

Fiadjoe Committee Report.

Mr Speaker, as the Hon Minister

observed, there is the role and the conflict

of an MP/Minister in article 78 of the 1992

Constitution. One of these days, I think you

should sponsor some MPs who are Ministers.

I would encourage the Hon Atta Akyea to

lead the delegation together with some of

our Colleagues at the Bar to Kenya. In

2010, Kenya amended its Constitution - wanting to separate Ministers from MPs. We

need to go and learn whether it has served

them well or not. I do not want to prejudice

what my position is on the matter, but we

can learn from best practice.

Mr Speaker, in the last paragraph, the

Hon Member talked about focusing on

youth empowerment. To what extent has

this Parliament contributed to ameliorating

the suffering of the Ghanaian youth? To

what extent have we contributed in

addressing the growing unemployment

crisis of our country? Where University

and Polytechnic graduates do not know

where to turn to, and are still looking up to

a choked public sector which needs

reforms. There is no better opportunity

than employment when we talk about

youth empowerment. In fact, I have moved

away from the Keynesian economics

where standard of living is measured by

Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Hon

Avedzi and other Hon Members who know

finance, like economic growth and GDP,

the best measure of standard of living is

employment, and nothing more. When

one's father has a job, one knows where breakfast would come from, at least.

Mr Speaker, when we talk about youth empowerment, I cannot agree more with you, but this Parliament must do more to create the opportunities that would lead to

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the empowerment of the youth. Many of our universities are losing it; they are still concentrating on generic general academic training. They are not even moving into the Sciences; all of them are interested in Marketing and the Social Sciences, and not doing that which would be able to clothe them.

Mr Speaker, the recommendation of

the Hon Member who made the Statement talks about representation of women. Probably, that calls for a major Constitu- tional reform. In Ghana, one cannot increase the number of women; unless of course those of us who have friendly seats are able to seize those seats for women. So maybe, Hon Habib could leave the Tolon District for a woman, then I would leave Tamale South for a woman, and Hon Ameyaw-Cheremeh, leaves Sunyani East for a woman.

Mr Speaker, the reason the East

African countries have been successful is because they have proportional represent- tation. So maybe we should contemplate a second Chamber in Ghana which should be dedicated to chiefs, women, and the youth. At least, if for nothing, after the Third Reading of a Bill, we could put it in the Constitution that it must go to that body before the President assents to it. We should consider that or say that if one wants to increase women representation, then it must be regional. We could say that each region must, either through competitive election, make a determination of five women to represent them at the National Assembly. That could fit into the current

constitutional architecture of the 1992 Constitution. Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and other countries are all successful because of the advantage of proportional representation.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who

made the Statement talked about what Mr

Atta Akyea has built, which is attrition.

Ghana's democracy now is on sale to the highest bidder; that is Ghana today. When

you have Chief Executives who come and

sweep out seasoned Hon MPs because they

are poor or they do not have enough money

to, pardon my choice of words, bribe their

way into becoming MPs, then we sit in the

House and say that we are proud. What

kind of pride? Our democracy is simply on

sale to the highest bidder; we are now

auctioning. If one has many, one should

come and run. This is why quality is no

longer an integral part of this august

House, and we need to do something about

it.

Mr Speaker, maybe, the political parties

must have a way of reforming the deter-

mination of candidates to contest elections

on their ticket, and I believe that some roles

could be given to the parliamentary

Leadership if the Hon Members would be

honest and impartial enough to do an

assessment of the Hon Members.

Mr Speaker, do you remember those

days when we had to lose some of our

experienced Hon Members? Even today, it

is evident on the Floor; especially, when

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we get to the Consideration Stage of a Bill,

not too many of us are enthusiastic.

Parliament, as an institution, must train a

few Hon Members to go out of the country

to learn modern day drafting and come

back. While we in Ghana use the word

“despite”, they use “notwithstanding”, and tell us that our English is colonial English;

so, we need to train ourselves.

The monetisation of our democracy

must be of concern to our political parties,

and we should not just take it lightly. It

remains the greatest threat to the

sustenance of a multi-party constitutional

democracy in Ghana. Other than the threats

that were aligned to vigilantism and other

matters, we must take it seriously. I am not

surprised what Mr Atta Akyea said. We

could have a candidate who could tell you

that he spent GH₵8 million to get to the House of Parliament; how would this

person recoup that money? It would be

through illicit and unlawful ways like

corruption. That is why researchers are

determined in Ghana —

Mr Speaker, I would like to commend

Mr Atta Akyea for making two important

points — the blackmail. In our democracy, because one has money, they are elected to

the House, and they spend time trying to

recover it. The question is, how much is

their ex-gratia for them to spend GH₵8 million to come to the House of

Parliament? When they retire, they would

like to take that paltry sum of money. How

would they cope and not die early

considering the stress of blackmail? People

would die early because the amount of

money they spent cannot be recovered — [Laughter] This is why Hon Members

come to the House and engage in

questionable things that could embarrass

the honour of being an MP.

Mr Speaker, let me conclude by

thanking the Hon Member who made the

Statement, who is an experienced MP. I

would want to also express worry about the

fact that the United States of America

(USA) Congress and House of Repre-

sentatives are still not part of the Inter-

Parliamentary Union (IPU) which has 186

Hon Members of the global Parliament.

We must find out the reason, and make sure

that appropriate decisions are taken,

probably at the US General Assembly,

because the global Parliament cannot meet,

and one of the democracies that has given

birth to world democracy itself would not

participate.

Mr Speaker, I believe that it is about

time we have a Constitutional Implemen-

tation Review Committee. I am reminded

that today is Martyrs Day. The Chief

Justice and other Justices of the Court of

Judicature are observing this day. It is only

proper that the co-equal organ of State, the

Parliament of Ghana, stands in solidarity

with them, and we dare add that never

again should we allow that to happen to

any citizen of our country, let alone, a

person entrusted with the power to

administer justice. Therefore, we would

continue to demonstrate respect to the

Judicial Service of Ghana, but we demand

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fairness and justice from them; that is

equally important even in attracting

investment into our country and bolstering

citizens' confidence in the work they do. We remain committed to our democracy

with them playing their part. May the souls

of those justices and those other persons

who died innocently rest in perfect peace.

Thank you.

First Deputy Majority Whip (Mr

Habib Iddrisu): Mr Speaker, thank you

for the opportunity to contribute to the

Statement ably made by my Senior

Colleague, and to use this opportunity to

congratulate all Hon MPs and myself for

being part of the Eighth Parliament of the

Republic of Ghana. My name would be in

the history of this country for being part of

the Eighth Parliament of Ghana.

Mr Speaker, I cannot say much, but I

would want to associate myself with our

able Minority Leader for the revelations

and observations that he has made on our

democracy. I happened to get the

opportunity to visit the Parliament of

Tanzania to see what they do differently.

While Kenyans say that MPs should not be

Ministers, it is a different story in

Tanzania. In Tanzania, every Minister

must be an MP, but there is a caveat that

the President is given 10 opportunities to

appoint MPs. In that regard, if one is not an

MP and the President wants to make him a

Minister, the President makes the person a

Minister and appoints him to Parliament so

that he would be an MP.

With women representation, they have

a different scale where they have about 40

seats which have been reserved for women.

They have about 262 constituencies that

are battle grounds, and when elections are

over and they do not have enough women

in the Chamber, there are then some 40

specific constituencies where only women

would contest. I think Ghana needs to learn

this. Both political parties, especially my

political party, the New Patriotic Party

(NPP) has tried to help women come to

Parliament either by reducing the filing fee

or motivating them. I still think this is not

enough. If we are able to adopt the model

of Tanzania where we could have specific

constituencies, for instance, in Tamale

South, both NPP and the National

Democratic Congress (NDC) and any other

political party present women to contest

the seat. This would actually help us to

have equal representation of women in

Parliament.

In the same vein, what the Hon

Minority Leader talked about on the

Constitutional Review Committee looking

at the issues that have to do with whether

Hon Ministers need to come from

Parliament needs to be looked at properly.

Like my Senior Colleague said, our

democracy is now for sale. We could resort

to other forms of democracy; guided and

guarded democracy is still a choice. We

would be able to identify people with equal

potentials to be in the House. There is no

denying the fact that many a time, we lose

experienced people in Parliament who

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could help in drafting of Bills and laws that

we lack now in Parliament.

Mr Speaker, if you look at Ghana now

and this Parliament, it gives us an

indication of what could happen in the

future. At the moment, we have a

Parliament where both political parties

have equal representation, but it does not

mean it is a hung Parliament; we still have

a slim majority on our Side. It is just that

both political parties have equal numbers,

but there is majority on our Side. Through

the able support of the Hon Second Deputy

Speaker, we are Majority by one Member.

Whether it is Majority by half or three-

quarters, it is still a Majority — [Uproar] —

Mr Speaker, to conclude, I just want to

also add my voice to the issue of the Judiciary.

I would like to assure them that the time of

darkness is over. It was a regrettable

moment, and under the watch of the

Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed

Forces and President of the Republic of

Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-

Addo, such moments would never happen

in this country again..

Mr Speaker, I thank you and the Hon

Member who made the Statement.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:25 p.m.
Hon
Members, I still have 12 more Statements, and casting my eyes around, I could see that the owners of the Statements are all
sitting around. I can see Mr Akwasi Owusu Afrifa-Mensa, Mr Akwasi Konadu, and others. On the Minority Side, I can see Mr Kofi Iddie Adams, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu- Adjare, so Leadership, let me, at least, get direction from you. How many are we taking?
Mr Habib Iddrisu 3:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as
indicated earlier, I think today, we have been able to do a lot. We can take adjournment, and consider the rest of the Statements tomorrow. We are in your hands.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:25 p.m.
All
right, Hon Second Deputy Majority Whip, I would take two Statements, but I would not take comments from any Hon Member because the point is — [Uproar] — Another person has come and his Statement has also been with me for — [Pause]
All right, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-
Adjare, let us hear you.
STATEMENTS 3:25 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
Hon
Members, I would take one more
Statement from the Majority side then we
continue with the contributions.
Is the Hon Member for Berekum East,
Mr Nelson Kyeremeh here?
Some of these Statements have been
with me for quite some time.
Mr Kyeremeh Nelson 3:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would like to make my Statement
tomorrow.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
You would
like to make your Statement tomorrow? All
right.
Hon Member for Amasaman, Mr Akwasi
Owusu Afrifa-Mensah, your Statement is
like a thesis. Hon Member for Manhyia
North, Mr Akwasi Konadu has also got ten up.
All right, let me take one comment.
Mr Emmanuel Buah — rose --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
Yes,
Hon Member for Ellembele?
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
(NDC — Ellembele): Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this
important Statement made by the Hon
Member for Techiman North, Mrs Elizabeth
Ofosu-Adjare, on the growing cyber
related crimes and the internet fraud in
Ghana.
Mr Speaker, though the Statement was
very brief, the third paragraph was so
striking. It reads: “Despite the passage of the landmark security act by this august
House and the creation of the Cyber
Security Authority, little has been done to
check identity theft, internet and credit card
fraud, business scams, lottery scams, and
so many others”.
Mr Speaker, this issue is a very serious
one. As I speak, I can point to a lot of both current and past Hon Ministers and Hon Members of Parliament who struggled with all sorts of accounts, including Facebook accounts. I had somebody who called to say that I had given him a contract in GNPC and that he was made to pay a

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registration fee of GH₵1,000. However, he is supposed to pay another GH₵5,000 because they claimed the contract was ready. Mr Speaker, I am in the opposition. Now, he called to thank me and to confirm if he should pay that. I asked him who told him that an MP in opposition gives contracts?

Mr Speaker, the scams go on and it is

even getting worse. As has been pointed out, this period of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has even exacerbated the problems. We need to address this problem because it is a real national security issue that affects everything we do as a country, especially, in our financial and banking sector. Reference has been made to the current registration of Ghana Cards and how thousands of innocent Ghanaians are being scammed because the banks are calling to ensure that they register with their Ghana Cards, so if anybody calls to say that they are from Cal Bank for instance, and asks them to basically enter their bank information, they do that; at the end, their monies are withdrawn. I have heard so many stories.

Just two weeks ago, a man used a

Facebook account to lure a young girl from Brong Ahafo to Ellembele. Luckily, this young man has been arrested. When he was captured, the gadgets that were found in his room included almost 14 phones; all sorts of laptops and computers, and all sorts of identification cards. — [Interruption] — He had basically scammed so many people. So this is an issue that must be addressed and the issue of punishment must also be serious. We must do something about it.

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the maker of the Statement for bringing this very important national issue to the atten- tion of this House. I call on Government to take steps to invest to make the sophistication of how we can really grab bad guys in doing this very seriously. The data around the world is that the cost to the economy around this globe would be in trillions and in Ghana, it is also going to get worse. So we must act now.

Mr Kofi Adams and Mr Richard

Acheampong — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:35 p.m.
Hon
Members, we bring Statement time to a close.
Hon Member for Buem, Mr Kofi Iddie
Adams, thank you.
Hon Member for Bia East, Mr Richard
Acheampong, you just came in. I have sat here for more than five hours and I have not got up; I am tired.
Hon Members, on that note, we bring
today's proceedings to a close. We are coming back tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the forenoon to continue with the Parliamentary work that has been entrusted to us.
Hon Members, once again, I thank you
very much.
ADJOURNMENT 3:35 p.m.