Debates of 3 Nov 2022

Hon Members, may I respectfully
invite you to the item numbered 4 on
the Order Paper — Correction of Votes and Proceedings and the
Official Report.
Page 1…8 —
Mr Habib Iddrisu — rose —

Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Whip?

Mr Speaker,
thank you. Yesterday, I drew your
attention to leave of absence form
and this is for the records. At the end
of the day, people would say that
these Hon Members did not seek
permission but their permission
forms have been signed: Thus item
numbered 12 on page 7, “Hon Majority Chief Whip,” and the item numbered 38 on page 8, “Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson”.

Mr Speaker, yesterday Mr Kwasi
Amoako-Attah was in the Chamber,
but unfortunately, he has been
marked absent. Equally so, Mr
Kwaku Agyeman-Manu was also
here yesterday. In respect of the Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Afenyo-
Markin, he has also sought
permission. He has travelled with the
Rt Hon Speaker to the same location
and enterprise. Dr Nana Ayew
Afriye, Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, Mr
Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, and Dr
Matthew Opoku Prempeh also
submitted the leave of absence form.
For the item numbered 41, I know the
Hon Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka
is on a mission with the Pan-African
Parliament (PAP). I do not know
whether he has transmitted a leave of
absence form, hence, the items
numbered 40, 41, 48 on page 8 and
then 5, 6, 12, and 13 on page 7.

Mr
Speaker, just to support the Hon
Majority Leader and probably for you
to direct the Table Office to take note.
Even the item numbered 45 on page
8, the Hon First Deputy Speaker, Mr
Joseph Osei-Owusu, has been
marked as absent. We are aware that
he is part of an official delegation to
the PAP, and as the Hon Majority
Leader added, the item numbered 41,
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, I
see that Mr Bernard Ahiafor who also
sought permission has been marked
absent.
Mr Speaker, in fact, maybe, it
has to do with the transmissions. In
fact, you can see I am coming to
minute on this for purposes of referral
to you, but the Clerks-at-the-Table
would have to take note so that Hon
Members who sought permission are
accordingly recorded as such. These
are just the few. At least, for Hon
Members with permission, I see my
Hon Deputy Minority Leader, Mr
James Klutse Avedzi, who is on an
official assignment.
Mr Speaker, the transmission
between our offices, the Table Office
and your office is probably
responsible for these delays in
reporting.

Very well. Clerks-at-the-Table,
kindly take note of all those names.
Yesterday, a similar issue came up
and we discussed to the point that
Leadership would have to take a look
at this leave of absence. When the Rt
Hon Speaker comes, Leadership
would have to meet with him to
discuss the way forward.

Mr Speaker,
for the records, on page 22, the item
numbered 22, Hon Patrick Yaw
Boamah has also sought permission.

Clerks-at-the-Table, kindly take note
of that.
Page 9 —

Yes Hon Member, let me hear you.

Mr Speaker, on page 8, the item numbered 27, “Mr Robert Wisdom Cudjoe,” I was in the Chamber yesterday.

Did you sign the register?

Mr Speaker, yes
I did.

Very well. Table Office, kindly take note of that.

Page 9, 10 —
Dr Kinsley Nyarko — rose —

Yes, Hon Member for Kwadaso?

Mr Speaker, on
page 10, the item numbered 10, “Motion moved by the Hon Second Deputy Majority Whip”, the name
should be “Ms Lydia Seyram Alhassan,” not “Mrs Lydia Seyram Alhassan”. I have sought permission to do this on her behalf.

Hon Member for Prestea-Huni
Valley, you just got up with the
excuse that you were here yesterday.
I asked whether you signed the
register and you said you did.
However, the register has just been
shown me, and you did not sign —I am not saying you were not here, but
you did not sign. I have the register
here. Hon Members, I have been
saying this. Once you come here,
please make it a point to register.

Very well. We would move to

page 11 —

Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah — rose —

Yes, Hon Member for Atwima-
Mponua?

Mr Speaker,
my difficulty is with this issue of
coming and registering or signing.
Can we not have a system that
captures us automatically as soon as

Hon Member, you are —

Mr Speaker,
let us fine-tune this process because it
is affecting everybody. Let us make
sure that as soon as an Hon Member
enters this House, he or she is
captured electronically. Yes! I think
we are indeed behind age in this
system of coming to sign. Thank you,
Mr Speaker.

Hon Member, I think we are in the
process, and as you have said , you
are a known figure. You are a fifth-
timer. Somebody may be a first-
timer, and we might not, straightaway
notice him or her. That is why we ask
that everyone signs.
Until we get there, the process is that one signs once he or she enters the Chamber.
Mr Emmanuel Buah — rose —

Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi
Buah: Mr Speaker, you have made a point, but I would like to add that when the Hon Member stands up and says that he or she was here, that should be enough and we cannot even question that Hon Member.
I get your point that he or she
should sign, but I am saying that the fact that he or she is here today to say it on the Floor, that should not even be questioned.

Hon Member, I do not side with you. I am not challenging the integrity of any Hon Member, but somebody can just come and genuinely say he or she was here yesterday, but was obviously not here. That is why I asked whether he had signed the register.
So, until we get to where we are
all yearning to get to, please just resort yourself to the process. You

Yes, Hon Majority Leader?

Mr Speaker, I think there is wisdom
in the application of Hon Members
that we should fast migrate to the era
of digitalisation of the facilities here,
and I agree with that. However, to say
that any statement that comes from an
Hon Member should be taken as a
given, I beg to disagree.
Many statements have been
made on the Floor which have been
found to be untruths. We cannot say
that to the extent that the person gets
up to say something, it must not be
questioned. I do not know where the
Hon Member is getting his strength
from, but let us digitalise; that would
save all of us.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim — rose —

Hon Member, is it on the same
matter?

Mr
Speaker, I just wanted to add that
now that the new Standing Orders are
being drafted, we must take into
consideration measures to tackle this.
I am not a Member of the Standing
Orders Committee, but I know they
are working on the new Standing
Orders. Attendance records-taking
must be part of the new Standing
Orders that are being drafted.
I know there is a committee on e-
Parliament led by Mr Emmanuel
Bedzrah and Ms Ama Pomaa
Boateng. However, as the e-
Parliament Committee is working,
the Standing Orders Committee must
work together with the e-Parliament
Committee to make sure that they put
a finality to this.
Until that is done, the status quo
still remains. We put a list here, and
another in the mails room. When the
House is adjourned, we would
juxtapose the two, and that serves as
a guide to the Clerks-at-the-Table to
make sure that everyone is captured.
I think that would bring finality to the
much-talked-about issue of Hon
Members being marked absent
although they were in the Chamber.

Thank you very much.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu — rose —

Yes, Hon Minority Leader?

Mr
Speaker, this is just to assure you that the Rt Hon Speaker and Chairman of the Parliamentary Service Board has taken some decisions to improve automation and digitalisation within the Chamber, which process is ongoing. I am aware that some vendors have submitted requests, some of which have been approved, even to change the whole system here for purposes of voting. We could do so using the system here, which would also be responsible for marking our presence within the Chamber with an automated platform of a thumbprint.
I am aware the Board is
awarding a contract in that respect. The problem was the earlier vendor configuring and harmonising what exists today with a new provision which was to come. Hon Members should be assured that before the close of this year, the Board would take decisions appropriate to improve the IT infrastructure generally in the Chamber and in the House.
I am also aware that the Board
has given approval for what we call
the “Last Mile”, for broadband presence to increase within the
precincts of Parliament, so that when
we are here, we can have access and
ready use of the internet beyond what
is provided on our mobile phones.
That, again, the Board has given
approval for, and I am sure very soon,
that would also be deployed. Thank
you.

Very well. We would now turn to
page 11… 22 —

Mr
Speaker, with regard to page 22, the
item numbered (iv), the designation
of “Mr Justice Dwamena”, should read “Co-ordinator, Public Interest and Accountability Committee” and not “Co-ordinator, Public Interest and Accountability Committees”. It should be “Committee” and not Committees”.

Yes. Clerks-at-the-Table, take note of
the correction.
Page 23 … 30?

Mr Speaker, I have her permission to ask the Question on her behalf because she is on an official assignment in Egypt, so I would want to seek your permission to do so.

Very well.
The Hon Minister is available, so
you may ask the Question.

Hon Member, is there any supple- mentary question?

Yes, Mr Speaker, may I know from the Hon Minister where the funding would be sourced from, because in his statement he said that the contractor was on site and funding would be sourced. Did they not secure the funding before the award of the contract?

Mr Speaker, we
managed to secure some funding through the lobbying of the Municipal Assembly and with our good selves, we have secured about GH₵2 million to start the first phase of the resettlement programme.

Yes, Hon Member
for Ho West.

Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Volta Region said that they have secured GH₵2 million and they have given assurance to this House that the second quarter of next year, the project would be completed. We are in the last quarter of 2022 and by the end of the second quarter of 2023, about 110 houses would be completed. I would want the Hon Minister to assure this House that at the end of the second quarter next year, we would go and commission those houses.

Urgent Questions

Mr Speaker, I would like to assure the Hon Member that by the end of the first quarter of next year, we would have completed 15 houses. The 110 is the land that we have acquired which are building plots, but the first phase is 15 two-unit bedroom apartments.
The project was delayed because
of the heavy rains which filled up the lagoons and delayed the work of the contractor. However, the contractor is expected to complete the job by the end of the first quarter of 2023, and I would want to assure the Hon Members that it would be done.
Some Members — rose —

I
would like to give the opportunity to the Hon Members from the Volta Region.

Mr
Speaker, looking at the affected number of people, does the Hon Minister not think that the number of houses that they planned to construct is woefully inadequate?

Mr Speaker, I admit
that the first phase would not be able to accommodate all the displaced
victims because we had about 1,096 displaced individuals which is made up of 227 adult males and 287 adult females. With the tents that have been erected and the first phase of the project, we expect that we would be able to resettle about 300 to 400 of the 1,096. Moreover, we are working with other government agencies to help us raise funds to enable us to resettle the rest of the displaced persons. So, this is just the first phase. We have completed the erection of the 20 tents that can take 150 to 200 people. Also, we are going to construct 15 two-bedroom apartments to also take care of some of the people. We will still have some more, but fortunately, all the displaced persons have either settled with their family members or they have gone back to their houses, to the extent that even the tents erected have not been fully occupied as at now.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr
Speaker, the Hon Minister has told us
that he has GH₵2 million for the first phase. What is the cost per housing
unit that he is to construct?

Hon Minister, do you have the
figures? If you do not have them —

Urgent Questions

Mr Speaker, I have been advised that the GH₵2 million can complete the 15 number two- bedroom units. That is the assurance I have received from the engineers of the Ketu South Municipal Assembly.

Thank
you Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister said in his Answer that he is raising funds. I would like to find out if the Government has also contributed any funds towards the project.

Mr Speaker, I can say
on authority that we have managed to get some government agencies, through the Ministry of Works and Housing and other relevant Ministries to get the government agencies to support the resettlement of the victims and we are still in the process of getting more to come on board.

Thank you,
Mr Speaker. The Hon Volta Regional Minister did say that the Red Cross Society has mounted 20 tents meant for 120 people. This means that the tents are 10-man tents. I know what a 10-man tent is. If the tents are 20, and we are talking about 120 people, it means they are 10-man tents. He did also say that the tents are empty. May I know from him how the tents are
mounted and what they have put in them that people are refusing to occupy them?
Also, he mentioned the Red
Cross Society. What about the
National Disaster Management
Organisation (NADMO)? I would
like to know from him. He made no
mention of NADMO.

Mr Speaker, as the
Hon Member said, I mentioned that
temporary structures have been
erected with the support of the Red
Cross Society at Agavedzie. Those
are 20 tents, and we have managed to
extend water to the tents and we have
also managed to provide toilet
facilities. What we are yet to do is to
connect electricity from the national
grid to the tents, but we are in the
process of doing that as well.
However, it is important to
recognise that resettlement is not an
easy thing. Sometimes we get the
facilities for the people, but then they
are comfortable with where they have
lived all their lives, so, moving them
from wherever they are to another
place is quite a difficult task. We are
using the appropriate government
department and the assembly
members to educate the people to

Urgent Questions

relocate. They always go back when

the tides go down. When they have

high tides and they are displaced,

they go and live with family

members, and as soon as the tide

recedes, they are more comfortable

going back to their homes. So, a lot of

work needs to be done to convince

them to relocate, but where we have

for them now is on a higher ground

and we believe that when they move

there, any future tidal wave troubles

would not get to that high level.

Hon Member for Anlo, I will give
you the last slot. Let us hear you.

Thank
you, Mr Speaker, I would like to draw
the Hon Volta Regional Minister's attention to one thing. When he came
to Keta to sympathise with the tidal
waves victims, he never mentioned -
only Ketu South victims for support.
I remember he also mentioned the
people of Kporkporgbor, Fuveme and
Atitetsi. I am surprised he is feigning
attention towards only the people of
Ketu South. I would like to know
from him what he has for the people
of Kporkporgbor, Fuveme and
Atitetsi.

Hon Minister, did you understand the
question?

Mr Speaker, the
Question from the Hon Member for
Ketu South was quite specific. She
asked the Question in relation to what
we were doing to resettle the people
of Ketu South. That is why my
Answer did not include the Keta and
Anloga Districts.

Very well.
Some Hon Members — rose —

Let me give an opportunity to one
Ashanti Regional MP, who
incidentally is the Hon Deputy
Minister for Local Government,
Decentralisation and Rural
Development. Hon Minister, let us
hear you.

Thank
you so much, Mr Speaker. I would
like to find out from the Hon Volta
Regional Minister when the effects of
the tidal waves on the good people of
Ketu South began.

Urgent Questions

Mr Speaker, this has
been an old age-long problem that we
have had, we have been trying to deal
with it all these years, and we would
continue to deal with it as a country.
It has been an age-long challenge we
face as a country and I believe that we
would solve it together.

Thank
you Mr Speaker. I would like to ask
the Hon Volta Regional Minister that
— When the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy was presented
to this House, the Hon Minister for
Finance came to this House and
modified one of the five strong points
of concern raised by the Minority
Caucus in the Budget Statement and
Economic Policy by saying that an
amount of GH₵10 million was provided in support of the tidal
waves.

Now, the Hon Regional Minister

is here saying that it is rather the

district assembly that has been able to

secure only GH₵2 million. What happened to the GH₵10 million that was budgeted for in the 2022 Budget?

Yes, Hon Minister?
Hon Minister, did you get the
question?
All right, Hon Leader, please
repeat the question.

Mr Speaker,
this is just a simple question.
The 2022 budget was modified.
An amount of GH₵10 million was allocated for the tidal waves when the
Hon Member for Ketu South, Ms
Dzifa Gomashie, raised concerns
which were factored into the Budget
— [Interruption] — and the urgency of that made the Hon Minister for
Finance come to this honourable
House with an amount of GH₵10 million in the 2022 Budget. So, this is
a project that has been budgeted for,
so, I wonder why the Hon Minister is
now saying it is rather the district
assembly. I would like the Hon
Minister to tell this honourable House
what has happened to the GH₵10 million allocated for the tidal waves.

Hon Minister?

Mr Speaker, I cannot
remember if it is GH₵5 million or GH₵10 million, but I am aware that some money was in the 2022 Budget

Urgent Questions

for feasibility studies towards the

tidal wave and not for the

construction, and this amount was not

released to Coordinating Councils.

So, this is as far as I can remember.

Thank you.

Very well.
Hon Leader, no you have one
slot. [Interruption]— No!

Thank you, Mr
Speaker.
Mr Speaker, is the Hon Minister
for the Volta Region telling this
honourable House that the GH₵10 million allocated for the tidal waves
had been used for feasibility studies
on the project? Is this what the Hon
Minister is telling us? — [Laughter] —

No, but Hon Member, that money
was assigned for that particular
purpose.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu — rose —

Yes, Hon Majority Leader?

Mr
Speaker, please, let Hon Members
refresh their memories. The approval
that was given was in respect of the
conduct of feasibility studies. The
House has already approved of it. So,
this question that the Hon Leader is
bringing — has the Hon Member forgotten the approval that Hon
Members gave in this House? So, the
Hon Minister has little to do with it.

Very well.
Hon Minister, we thank you for
attending upon the House to answer
an Urgent Question. We are grateful
to you, and you are hereby
discharged.
Do we have the Hon Minister for
Environment, Science, Technology
& Innovation in the House?

Mr
Speaker, we are trying to establish
contact with the Hon Minister.
The Hon Minister for Environ-
ment, Science, Technology &
Innovation we know is one of us, and
is a very diligent Member of the
House. Unfortunately, we have not
been able to establish contact with

Urgent Questions

him now. I do not know what is

happening. So, Mr Speaker, if you

could stand those Questions down

and do other matters. I guess by the

time we finish, he might be here, so

we could go back and deal with the

Questions. Let us step down

Questions numbered 1316 and 1317

for the time being.

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim — rose —

Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Whip?

Mr Speaker, we
have a very short Meeting and a very
tight workload ahead of us. Even
though in deference to the Chair and
the Hon Majority Leader, we might
not have too much problem with the
Hon Minister for Environment,
Science, Technology & Innovation.
We just want to send a note of caution
that Hon Ministers must put a second
eye on the workload that is ahead of
Parliament. Very soon, Hon
Ministers will bring their budgets,
and we have to take this pre-budget
week period to work on all the
outstanding Questions that Hon
Members have.
I know that the Hon Leader of Government Business would be
presenting the Business of the House tomorrow. There was an excuse yesterday as well as today. From next
week, Hon Ministers must take the work of this honourable House seriously. I know the Hon Minister
for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation is always with us here and that is why today, we are
accommodating his absence, but we are not going to entertain this absenteeism from Ministers in this
House from next week onwards.
Thank you Mr Speaker, for the
opportunity.

Hon Majority Leader, any indication?

Mr
Speaker, I think to be fair, the Hon Dr Kwaku Afriyie is one of the most diligent Members of Parliament, as
well as, one of the most responsible ministers. I just informed this honourable House that, unfortunately,
I am unable to establish contact with him. That is why I am requesting that we stand the Questions down. If he
gets the message and is able to come here — [Pause]—
Mr Speaker, my attention has just been drawn to the fact that the Hon Minister is outside the country

Urgent Questions

for an international conference on climate change. He informed me about it last week, and I guess this

explains why the communication to him has not been responded to and I am saying for the records that he is

one of the most responsible ministers. So, we can stand the Questions down and re-programme them for next

week, even though we completed the Business of the House this morning, we could repackage and re-

programme them for maybe, next week Thursday.

So, Mr Speaker, we can now

enter Public Business and deal with

it.

Are we laying the Papers? We can do
that?
Hon Members, let me invite you
to page 2, the item numbered 8,
Presentation of Papers, that is at the
Commencement of Public Business.
We would begin with the item
numbered 8 (a).
Yes, Hon Minister for Education?

Mr Speaker, I seek your indulgence to allow the Hon Minister responsible
for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to present these Papers on behalf of the listed Ministers. So, the Hon Minister would present Papers numbered 8 (a), (b) and (c).

Yes, we would begin with 8 (a) (i).

Yes, Hon Majority Leader?

Mr
Speaker, I would like to appeal that
for the item numbered 8 (c) (i), you
add the leadership of the Committee
on Mines and Energy.

Very well. Hon Members, As regards
the referral of the item numbered 8
(c) (i), we are asking that the
leadership of the Committee on
Mines and Energy be joined to the
Committee on Environment, Science
and Technology to look into this
particular referral and report to the
House.

Papers

Mr
Speaker, we have made these
referrals, but I would like to point out
that these Audit Committee Reports
are supposed to be brought to this
House by the various Hon Ministers.
As we do know, they are supposed to
accompany the Auditor-General's Report that goes to the Ministries,
and the Hon Minister interrogating
the Report would have his own
comments, which are supposed to
come to us.
Mr Speaker, all these annual
statements cover the year 2020. In
reality, we are supposed to be dealing
with the Audit Reports of the year
2021, so I would like to urge that the
Hon Ministers facilitate the
transmission of these Audit
Committee Reports to the House
expeditiously and that we are able to
deal timeously with such Reports so
we do not reduce them to mere post-
mortem exercises.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.

I
think that is on the spot, and it is true.
Are we taking the Motion
numbered 9?

Yes,
Mr Speaker. I believe we can take the
item numbered 9.

Very well.
Hon Members, I invite you to
page 3, the item listed 9 — Motion. I guess the Chairman of the Committee
is not around, so the Vice Chairman
of the Committee may move the
Motion on behalf of the Chairman.

Profitability measures the ability of an entity to generate enough
income (profit) in excess of its revenue, assets, operating costs, and shareholders' equity during a specific period of time.
Performance Outcome 2018 2019 2020 2021
Gross Profit/(loss)Margin(%) 77 79 66 58
Operating Profit/(Loss) Margin(%) 38 43 35 23
Net Profit/(Loss) Margin (%) 35 34 31 22
Return on Equity(%) 13 11 10 6
Return on Capital Employed(%) 16 15 14 8
Liquidity or Shor-term Solvency Measures: Liquidity assessment is concerned with the
ability of the business to meet its short-term financial obligations as they fall due as well as
short term emergencies.
Performance Outcome 2018 2019 2020 2021
Current Ratio(Times)=Current Assets/Current
Liabilities
2.9 3.1 2.9 2.5
Quick Ratio (Times) 1.3 1.6 1.9 1.2
Cost of Sales Ratio(%) 23 21 34 42
Operational Efficiency Measures: Operational efficiency assesses the efficiency with
which particular resources are used within the business for the period under review. It is a
measure of Management's ability to generate sales and other resources from capital employed or assets it currently has.
Performance Outcome 2018 2019 2020 2021
Inventory Turnover 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.2
Fixed Asset Turnover 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3
Accounts Receivables Recovery Days 156 295 363 265
Accounts Payables
Solvency Assessment Measures: Solvency assessment measures the proportion of capital
employed which is accounted for by long-term fixed-interest debt.

Report on the Audited Financial Statement of the TDC for 2019 and 2020

Performance Outcome 2018 2019 2020 2021

Capital Gearing Ratio(%) (0.34) 0.00 0.00 0.00

Debt-to-Equity Ratio(%) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Interest Cover(Times) - - - -

Shareholder Value Measures: Measures is how well a company is performing

in relation to share price and dividends.

Performance Outcome 2018 2019 2020 2021

Dividend Pay-out Ratio - 5 - -

Dividend Yield

Earnings Per Share 24 26 28 19

Going Concern Measures: Going Concern assessment is conducted to determine the

overall financial risk of the entity and the prospects or otherwise of survival in the

foreseeable future.

Performance Outcome 2018 2019 2020 2021

Multiple Discriminant Analysis(MDA)

X1=Working Capital/Total Assets 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6

X2=Retained Earnings/Total Assets 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

X3=EBIT/Total Assets 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2

X4=Market Value of Equity/Total Liabilities 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.2

Ranking Member of the

Committee (Dr Kwabena Donkor):

Mr Speaker, I beg to second the

Motion ably moved by the Hon Vice

Chairman of the Committee on behalf

of the Committee, and in doing so, I

would like to dwell on an issue that I

believe this House should take note

and find a way of cleaning up.

Mr Speaker, TDC happens to be

one of those corporations converted

into a limited liability company. The

objects of the company, the articles of

incorporation, and others go with the

conversion to a limited liability

company, yet, if you look at the TDC,

they still derive their mission, so to

say, from L.I. 469 and 1468.

Legislative Instruments underpin a

parent Act, so having converted from

a corporation to a company, what the

two L.I.s captured when it was a

corporation, ought to have been

transferred or modified in one way or

the other into the objects of the company

or the articles of incorporation at the

Registrar-General's Department. We

still have a company registered as a

limited liability company, but still

depends on an L. I; an L.I. that

underpins a parent's act which is no longer operational. That is one of the

issues arising out of these

conversions that I believe the

appropriate Ministries and this House

must clean up to bring consistency.

Mr Speaker, having said that I

also want to draw the attention of the

House to the question of dividends.

The State sets up businesses. If we go

through the Seven-year Development

Plan, some of its objectives include

the State setting them up initially, and

when these companies stand on their

feet, the State privatises or transfers

them to indigenous Ghanaian

interest. It was one of the objectives

of Plan, but some of these companies

are set up as commercial organi-

sations with a profit motive. Those

that are set up with commercial bias

are expected to pay dividends to the

share holder that happens to be the

Ghanaian State.

The TDC happens to be one of

the very well-run State-Owned

enterprise in this country, and I am

proud of the good work the

management has done. However, The

TDC, as profitable as it is, has not

paid dividends to the Ghanaian State.

Companies pay dividends, unless the

shareholder decides to reinvest and if

they decide to reinvest in the

company, there should be a

resolution by the shareholder. This

has not happened, and I believe the

Minister for Public Enterprises and

this House should take a cue and

ensure that companies — particularly when the nation is in such dire needs,

companies that are profitable and

have huge cash mountains, as we say

in finance, pay appropriate dividends

to the Ghanaian State.

Mr Speaker, your Committee has

noted with great concern on page 6,

paragraph 25 and again in our

conclusion of the Report. There is the

question of the cash mountain. When

we have huge sums of moneys sitting

in bank accounts, in normal business,

that is not an efficient way of using

cash. It is therefore not surprising that

your Committee raised this issue, and

we believe the management of the

TDC should take due cognisance of

this and invest in short term

securities. Their explanation is that

they need the cash reserves available

so that should some property become

available, they would not be found

wanting when they want to buy it.

Having this huge cash reserves and

earning very little in bank interest is

not the most efficient way of using

the state resources.

Mr Speaker, I would also want to

applaud the management of the TDC.

In paragraphs 22 and 23 of your

Report, the TDC, as a going concern,

is assured, looking at the financials

that we examined. It has strong

financials and we are happy to see a

State-Owned company with that.

Mr Speaker, our Committee only

looked at the financials; we limited

our authority to the audited

financials. In terms of operations and

policy, I believe the appropriate

Committee would look at that. The

TDC is well-run, but there can be

further improvement, particularly in

the management of cash reserves, and

also the urgent need to pay dividends

to the shareholder who happens to be

the state of Ghana.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the

opportunity.

Question proposed.

Mr George Kwabena Obeng

Takyi (NPP — Manso- Nkwanta): Mr Speaker, thank you for the

opportunity to contribute to the Motion.

Mr Speaker, looking at the

accounts and performance of the TDC, it shows that the company is outstanding in dealing with its resources. If I may look at its background and make my case, paragraph 9 of the Report states, among other things, the objective of the corporation:

i. “To acquire land for real

estate, development and management.

ii. Planning, development, and

construction of towns and cities in and outside Ghana.

iii. Development and manage-

ment of commercial and industrial areas.

iv. Consultancy services”

Mr Speaker, the TDC has shown

that it has the capacity to make profit, and when you look at the revenues in paragraph 14 of the Report, it shows that over the years, the company has been making good revenue where its revenue increased at good rates. At the same time, its liquidity is very dynamic and efficient. They are

making good use of their current assets and current liabilities which shows that the company is efficiently managing its working capital to sustain its operation for a good period of time.

It also has a good solvency

position because the company is not indebted to anybody. It does not have any debt over burden, and is therefore of itself to carry all its activities and be in a good shape, so its going concern is also assured.

However, one area that is very

important, linking it to their objectives, is the huge accumulation of cash as observed by the Hon Ranking Member. The TDC has a very huge amount of money in its cash account, but their objectives show that they have to acquire land and develop cities and towns in and outside Ghana. On that note, the performance of the TDC would not be complete if they are sluggish in making good use of their cash resources. It means that the company has not been effective enough in turning round its cash resources.

The TDC can make good use by

establishing other hostels, residential areas, and cities that could earn them

more, and they would also pay more to the Government in terms of dividends and taxes. Therefore, if they are sluggish in making good use of some of these financial resources, then it means that management, in this case, is not showing signs of how dynamic it is to turn things around and diversify the company's operation in other areas. It should not be that the company limits itself to only Tema; it should also look at other areas.

Mr Speaker, ending on this note,

I would like to urge the House that even though the TDC is doing well, we should not pamper them with this limited area. Rather, they should go ahead and diversify their operations and get to other areas. Even if they have to go outside Ghana, they should diversify, extend their tentacles, and do more for Mother Ghana so that Ghana would also see that we have a star.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the

opportunity given me to contribute to this Motion.

Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami

Dafeamekpor (NDC — South Dayi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the chance to add my voice regarding the Motion on the Floor for the adoption of the Report in question.

Mr Speaker, in doing so, may I

draw the attention of the Committee's leadership to some corrections. I have

discovered that the information

contained in paragraph 9 to 12 was

taken from the website of the entity,

TDC. In line 3, after the word “land”, it should be “uses”, not “cases” so that it reads: “… about 63 square miles of public land for various land

uses”.

We see in paragraph 10 that TDC

was given a 125-year lease term. Mr

Speaker, statutorily, no entity can

have more than a 99-year leasehold,

so that information is inaccurate. It is

stated on their website like that, but

as a House of record, we have

enacted the law to say that no interest

in land can be held for more than 99

years, even for indigenous people; so,

we need to amend that information.

Mr Speaker, it is interesting that yesterday, this matter cropped up in respect of GIHOC Distilleries and has also come up in respect of TDC. The Committee noted correctly that in 2017, TDC was converted into a limited liability company, but I was hoping that the Committee would have told us the process because the process of the conversion is very important. It appears that even

though it is on paper that the company has been converted, every other document relative to TDC still appears to be a corporation: Therefore, it is important that, like the Hon Ranking Member of the Committee intimated, we put our house in order in respect of this matter.

I also find it very interesting that

as part of the mandate of TDC, they are to acquire land outside of the country and build real estates, and so I was hoping that the Committee would interrogate whether indeed TDC owns some property outside of the country, and whether those landed property have houses and estates in the name of TDC.

Mr Speaker, may I further state

that the Hon Member for Manso- Nkwanta, Mr Obeng Takyi, sought to praise TDC pursuant to the information in paragraph 11, but I am worried. TDC has piled up money in excess of GH₵163 million, and yet, we have people in Tema looking for low-cost accommodation to occupy while the mandate of TDC is to acquire or put up residential accommodation for workers. Why then does the company pile up money and renege on its mandate while people go round looking for simple

accommodation to lay their heads? The Committee's Report indicates clearly that they have a very comfortable bank balance; so, they should, as a matter of urgency, apply those funds and put-up low-cost housing facilities for workers in and around Tema and Ashaiman. In any case, that is their mandate.

I am also interested in the fact

that apart from its core mandate, TDC is also supposed to engage in planning the development and construction of towns. The informa- tion now is that Tema has lost its beauty and shine as arguably the most planned city in this country, in addition to Akosombo. What has happened to that aspect of TDC's mandate in maintaining the planned nature of Tema? Today, structures spring up anywhere within the municipality of Tema. The company should not only be interested in working and making profits, but the core mandate of making sure that the physical nature and plan of Tema remains intact because that is what brings the ambience of the industrial city.

Mr Speaker, may I conclude by

saying that TDC, indeed, is doing well, but we would want it to keep helping the country in the provision

of other facilities, including assistance to the Ministry of Health. During this critical era of managing the COVID- 19 crisis, the company should be able to support.

I did not see any information on

their corporate social responsibility. I do not know how much budget they have devoted to that. Mr Speaker, although I am not the Hon Member for Tema West, I have a few constituents who are residents of Tema West. I hear that the Tema General Hospital, which should be one of the focal landmark structures in Tema, is not in the best of shapes and TDC, being the parent company that manages Tema as a city, should pay attention to and assist the hospital by extending financial assistance so that it can play its proper role within the Tema-Ashaiman enclave.

Mr Speaker, with these words, I

urge the House to adopt the Report as presented.

I thank you for the opportunity.

Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten

(NDC — Tema East): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to

contribute to the Motion before us.

Mine is just to add to what the Hon

Member for South Dayi, Mr

Dafeamekpor, mentioned relating to

the mandate of the TDC supporting

corporate social responsibility or

being corporately responsible in the

Tema enclave. That sits well in the

item numbered (v) of paragraph 11,

“the consultancy services”.

Mr Speaker, we have a lot of developmental projects going on within the Tema enclave, and we expect that the capacity that TDC has would reflect in the projects that we see under both education and health, with a special mention of the Tema General Hospital. What we see in the Tema General Hospital is a haphazard planning of the hospital, and I think that the call by the Hon Member for South Dayi is in place, except to add that with the conversion of TDC into a company, we cannot hold TDC as wholly accountable for the management of the city of Tema. As it is in our laws, it is the District Assembly or the Metropolitan Assembly that has political and administrative jurisdiction or oversight over Tema. I say this because, now that TDC is a company, what we expect is that TDC must advance its core business as enshrined in its new legislation to

cede the administration of the city to the relevant authority, which is the Metropolitan Assembly.

Mr Speaker, again, the key responsibilities of TDC, including maintenance of street lights, some road works, drainages and sewer, have shifted to the Metropolitan Assembly. Howbeit, the funds that must follow these responsibilities are not moving because TDC still receives ground rent, which must support the administration of the city and must also help in maintaining the sewer and other utility services in Tema. If we juxtapose this with the performance of TDC, we could then say that the company is earning from the old Tema city, yet it does not contribute to the maintenance of the city.

Mr Speaker, I would like to put on record that once TDC is a company, it ought to function as a company, go to where it can compete, and leave the administration of the city, as well as the resources that inure to it for the administration of the city, to the Metropolitan Assembly.

Very well.

Hon First Deputy Minority

Whip, let us hear you.

First Deputy Minority Whip

(Mr Ahmed Ibrahim): Mr Speaker,

thank you for the opportunity.

I must commend the Committee

on Employment, Social Welfare and

State Enterprises for embarking on

this good job. Before then, most of

the State enterprises were sleeping on

the job and it was sending the

erroneous impression that the State

itself could not enter into any

business and make profit. However,

ever since the Hon Member of

Parliament for Kumawu, Mr Philip

Basoah, and the Hon Member for Pru

East, Dr Kwabena Donkor, became

the leaders of this Committee, they

have given the State enterprises a

good run for their money.

Mr Speaker, going through the

Report before us, it is obvious the

Committee did a very diligent job, yet

there is much to be done. The

Committee has given us the

establishment and conversion dates

of TDC. It has also gone into the

financials of the company, and has

done the revenue analysis, profitability

and liquidity, liquidity and efficiency,

solvency, going concern, and

everything is in the positive.

Mr Speaker, however, on page 6,

and with specific reference to

paragraph 24, the Committee

observed that since the year 2018, the

company has accumulated huge cash

reserves. If we come back to page 3,

paragraph 11, in the year 2017, TDC

was converted into a limited liability

company. The good job I expected

the Committee to do was to tell us

about the financials prior to 2017. If

we could get the financials of 2015,

2016 and 2017 and what the cash

balances were, then we would

juxtapose those with 2018, 2019 and

2020. We could then make a

meaningful conclusion from the

conversion: for instance, when we

converted TDC into a limited liability

company in 2017, what has been their

accumulated cash balances; and prior

to the conversion, what were their

accumulated cash balances?

Therefore, I would like to say to

the Hon Vice Chairman and the Hon

Ranking Member that the Committee

needs to do a very good job for this

House. They should go back into the

financials. We could make TDC a

case study, so that in the future when

a company is going to be converted

into a limited liability company, we

could say that when we converted

TDC from a public corporation to a

limited liability company, these were

the advantages. Until then, we cannot

make a meaningful conclusion from

the accumulation of huge cash

balances because we do not know the

past prior to the conversion.

Mr Speaker, secondly, I do not

know the kind of personalities who

head TDC. The mandate that was

given to TDC was not to make it a

bank. If the appointing authority

wanted to make TDC like a bank,

they would have appointed them to

go and head National Investment

Bank (NIB) or GCB Bank Ltd. The

TDC is a company with a mandate to

develop real estates. What is the

value of accumulating cash balances

in banks and what are the rates of

returns that would accrue to the

investment that has been done?

Mr Speaker, as a surveyor, you

are in the best position to tell us the

appreciative role of land and landed

properties. Mr Speaker, if you are

given cash and the opportunity to

develop real estate, given your

personality and all your skills, would

you go and put this cash balance in

the bank and write good figures on

paper that you are good when it

comes to solvency, profitability and

others? What is good about that? The

mandate of TDC is to build houses. If

the company is not building houses,

then it means it is not efficient on the

job.

Mr Speaker, I believe that this

House must recommend — and the Committee must include as part of its recommendation that the GH₵75 million that the TDC has in the bank must be used for its mandate. I have just been corrected that the right figure is GH₵163 million. The former Hon Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, and the current Hon Minister, Mr Francis Asenso Boakye, have been complaining to the Government to support them to build houses for Ghanaian workers to reside in. Meanwhile, a company within this enclave has about GH₵163 million. What was the value in dollars in those days, and today? Clearly, we are losing focus, and this is the case that the company is not even given dividends. So, it is like the TDC has been converted into a limited liability company and the management is enjoying while the shareholders are not given dividends and the Ghanaian State is also not getting anything. Meanwhile, the money that has

accrued to TDC is even losing its value.

Mr Speaker, what was the cost of

a bag of cement or an iron rod six months ago, and what are their values today? Clearly, we must not commend TDC that because they have accumulated GH₵163 million in the bank, they have done well. Also, TDC must not allow that money to be in the bank. I believe that after this debate, as I have already said, the Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises, together with the Committee on Works and Housing, would do a joint work to put TDC on the right path.

Mr Speaker, with these few

words, I would like to commend the Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises, as well as the TDC. However, that notwithstanding, TDC must convert the money into real estate. We need further TDC companies in the other regions.

Thank you very much, Hon First Deputy Minority Whip.
Hon Majority Leader, you may
kindly speak.

Mr
Speaker, I initially gave the
information that the Hon Minister for
Environment, Science, Technology
and Innovation had travelled outside
the country. Our calls did not get
through to him, so I thought that was
a confirmation that he had travelled.
Indeed, he indicated to me last
Thursday that he would travel. He has
just come to inform me that he could
not travel and that he would rather be
away next week. What it then means
is that we cannot do the repro-
gramming next week. Fortunately, he
tells us that he is ready to answer the
Questions. So, if the Hon Members
who filed the Questions are in the
House or even if they are not in the
House and other Hon Members could
seek permission to ask the Questions
on their behalf, then kindly allow the
Questions to be asked because the
Hon Minister is ready to respond to
them.

Very well, Hon Majority Leader but
before we go to the item numbered 6
on the Order Paper — Questions, I would have to put the Question on the
Motion that the House just debated.
Question put and Motion agreed
to.

Hon Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, you may kindly take your rightful seat.
Hon Member for Keta, Mr
Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, the Hon Minister is available, so you may kindly ask your Question numbered 1317 on the Order Paper.

Mr Speaker, I beg to ask the Hon Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation whether proper Environmental Impact Assessment was conducted before a licence was issued to Kensington Industries Limited of India.
Minister for Environment,
Science, Technology and Innova- tion (Dr Kwaku Afriyie) (MP): Mr Speaker, in response to the Question
posed by the Hon Member for Keta, Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, I wish to submit as follows:
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) issues environmental
permits and certificates after the Hon
Minister for Lands and Natural
Resources has granted a mining
licence or lease to a mineral rights
holder. Kensington Industries Limited
(now Seven Seas Salt Limited since
2017) has two separate projects
registered with the EPA. The first is
located in Adina with a proposed
expansion to the Adafienu/Agavedzi-
Blekusu areas.
The Adina project has satisfied
the permitting requirements of the
Environmental Assessment Regula-
tions of 1999 (LI 1653), which
includes the submission of an
Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) dated 14th December, 2012,
after conducting an Environmental
Impact Assessment.
An environmental permit was
first issued on 10th September, 2014,
which expired on 9th March, 2016.
The company submitted its environ-
mental management plan for the
Adina concession on 15th April, 2016,
and an environmental certificate was

Oral Answers to Questions

subsequently issued on the 11th

January, 2019. The certificate is valid

for a period of three years. Mr

Speaker, with regard to the Adafienu

and Agavedzi-Blekusu Expansion

Project, the company initially

submitted a separate EIS on 7th July,

2016. The process was halted

following some disruptions at the

company's site in June 2017 by some community members. However, the

company resubmitted its application

for the now Adafienu and Agavedzi-

Blekusu Project on 9th June, 2021. An

EIS of the project was submitted on

25th November, 2021.

(1) The EPA subsequently issued public notification of the EIS

of the proposed Adafienu and

Agavedzi-Blekusu Project in

the following print media:

Ghanaian Times of 14th

October, 2021; 18th October,

2021; 19th January, 2022; and

20th January, 2022.

(2) Daily Graphic of 14th October, 2021; 18th October,

2021; 18th January, 2022;

and 20th January, 2022.

Mr Speaker, the EIS is currently

under review and an environmental

permit has not been issued yet.

Hon Minister, thank you very much.
Hon Member for Keta, do you
have any supplementary questions?

Mr Speaker, I
would like to find out whether there
is any monitoring system put in place
to always check all the activities of
Kensington Industries Limited. This
supplementary question is based on
the fact that a lot of lives are perishing
recently based on the advancement of
the work of the company. Therefore,
I would like to know whether the
EPA has a system that monitors the
company. Although the EPA does
impact assessment, I would like to
know whether they do any follow-up
to ensure that the company does not
advance with their work.

Mr Speaker, I did
not hear some parts of the
supplementary question. However,
what I heard and what I could infer
was whether I have made sure that the
company has not continued with its
activities as it has not been issued a
permit.
Mr Speaker, well, I have not had
any reports to that effect.

Oral Answers to Questions

Mr Speaker, I
would like to find out from the Hon
Minister whether the Environmental
Impact Assessment includes the
livelihood of the people in that
community. This is because as
Kensington Industries Limited has
taken over the Keta Lagoon, the
livelihood of the people who depend
on the lagoon is no more. During the
Minister's impact assessment, is there any way that he would actually
factor in the livelihood of the people
in terms of their fishing activities?

Yes, Hon Minister?

Mr Speaker, yes. As
I said, it is under evaluation, and one
of the parameters is what the Hon
Member has flagged. Eventually, the
EPA and the Board, did not do all
these things, but if there is any
dissonance or objection in that
direction, it would finally come to my
attention. I assure the Hon Member
that this is one of the key parameters
that is taken into account in these
assessments. However, in the event
that they had not taken that into
account, it would finally come to my
attention.

Hon Member, your last supple-
mentary question.

Mr Speaker, in
terms of the environmental impact
assessment, I would like to find out
from the Hon Minister whether local
content issues are included. This is
because the industry accepts that
expatriates come and do the work
while the indigenes do not benefit
from the programme.

Mr Speaker, I would
be a bit careful on this question.
However, using all the experience
that I can muster, I do not think that
this is within my domain, but as the
Hon Minister, I should be cognisant
of that fact. So, I would contact the
EPA and ascertain whether they have
taken that into cognisance. However,
this last question that the Hon
Member asked is within the remit of,
either the Ministry of Trade and
Industry or some other body.
Certainly, it is not with the Ministry
of Environment, Science, Technology
and Innovation.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Very well.

Oral Answers to Questions

The Question numbered *1317

which stands in the name of the Hon

Member for Kumbungu, Dr Hamza

Adam.

Hon Member, you have the Floor

now.

Measures to Stop the Exodus of

Scientists from the Research

Institutes in the Country

Mr Speaker, I beg to
ask the Hon Minister for
Environment, Science, Technology
and Innovation what measures are
being put in place to stop the exodus
of scientists from research institutes
in the country.

Yes, Hon Minister?

Mr Speaker, I would
like to thank Dr Hamza Adam, Hon
Member for Kumbungu, for asking
this Question which I believe should
be of interest to all Ghanaians.
Mr Speaker, before I go to the
substantive response, let me elaborate
on some challenges faced by
scientists working at the various
research institutes of the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR). There are four key areas
among others:
1. Relatively Poor Conditions of Service
Mr Speaker, in fact, the Research
Scientists at CSIR unlike their
counterpart lecturers in the public
universities, have comparatively
lower remuneration in terms of
salaries and allowances.
2. Inadequate Research and Development Infrastructure
Mr Speaker, they are contending
with obsolete laboratory equipment
and inadequate modern ICT tools to
support research and development
(R&D). R&D activities in research
institutes tend to demotivate
scientists in the execution of their
duties.
3. Insufficient Government of Ghana (GoG) budgetary allocation
for Research and Development
activities
Mr Speaker, the persistent
insufficient GoG budgetary support
for research and development activities
is retarding scientific advancement in

Oral Answers to Questions

the country. Currently, most R&D

activities nationwide are being

supported by foreign donors and the

consequences are that they tend to set

the research agenda against the local

R&D priorities. Indeed, if I may add,

it may even have some security

implications. However, I would come

to that, maybe, on a different

platform.

4. Lack of Fellowships and

Scholarships for Training Young

Scientists at Masters and PhD

Levels

Finally, young Scientists are

denied training in emerging areas

such as Nano Technology, Artificial

Intelligence, and others due to lack of

scholarships and fellowships to pursue

further training.

Mr Speaker with this as the

background, the following measures

have been proposed to curb the

exodus of scientists from the research

institutes under CSIR:

1. Comparable conditions of

service with lecturers in the public universities being pursued to reduce the exodus of Research Scientists into the universities. Scientists at the research institutes should

have the opportunity to do research and development activities full-time and also lecture on a part-time basis.

2. Efforts are being made by

Central Government to support a rigorous retooling of all the R&D laboratories by procuring modern ICT tools for scientists. It is expected that scientists would also be motivated when they have the necessary and modern tools to work with, to achieve their set targets and come out with tech- nologies and/or products.

3. Government is doing every-

thing possible to implement the African Union Executive's Council declaration to vote one per cent of GDP to support research and development activities in the member countries. We believe that the implementation of this policy should be able to turn things around for Ghana to rely heavily on Science Technology & Innovation (STIs) for job and wealth creation.

4. Government indeed passed the National Research Fund

Bill in 2019 to support

Oral Answers to Questions

national research in tertiary

and research institutions.

The implementation of this

Bill will provide Scientists

with a reliable source of

funding for their research

work.

5. Finally, discussions are ongoing for research institutions to

be given adequate slots on

Government Scholarships for

the training of research

scientists. Engagements are

also ongoing with Embassies,

High Commissions, and

other funding agencies to

attract fellowships for

research projects.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Dr Hamza Adam, any supplementary
question?

Hon Minister,
thank you very much for your
response. Mr Speaker, the Hon
Minister indicated in his submission
that they are taking steps to improve
the conditions of scientists just like
lecturers. Some of the scientists who
leave the research institutes go to
universities because comparatively,
they believe that the lecturers are
getting better conditions of service,
and the Hon Minister has just
confirmed that in his submission. I
would want to know from the Hon
Minister, what specific steps he
intends to take to improve the
conditions of the scientists such that
it would be comparable with that of
their colleague lecturers?

Yes, Hon Minister — specific steps.

Mr Speaker, there
are several things that the Ministry is
doing. I must qualify the first
response, in the sense that, in certain
specific areas, scientists in the CSIR
and certain institutes, are relatively
comfortable — it is not an omnibus thing. However, because we are
talking about policy, the overall trend
is that the scientists domiciled in the
universities are better off compared
to those in other agencies.
However, one of the reasons I
came late is that I am just coming
from a launch of a policy document
— Intellectual Property Rights Policy with regard to the CSIR, and they
intend to review their policies and do
Internet Protocol (IP) registry with
the national registry.

Oral Answers to Questions

In that policy, financial arrangement, which will even accrue benefits to individuals who discover something or make significant contributions which will bring in economic benefits, but these are early days yet. So, we are taking steps to ameliorate that condition. Also, the Government — I do advocacy so that there would be harmonisation among all public agencies but that has not yielded results yet, so I would pursue it.

Mr Speaker, I think when scientists heard about the one per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) support to them, it was good news but it appears that money has since not been made available. In other words, researchers or lecturers have not started benefitting from that and the Hon Minister did explain in his response that it is one of the steps that will serve as a panacea to the challenges we have with respect to the funding of research in Ghana.
I would like to find out from the Hon Minister, what is delaying the implementation of that 1 per cent GDP to support science and development?

Mr Speaker, that is
true. I would admit that we have been
a bit tidy on this matter but actually,
it is an institutional problem. There is
a co-mandate between the MESTI
and the Ministry of Education, and
under that law, which was brought to
Parliament, one of us either the
Minister for Education — in fact, the President should appoint one
Minister to have oversight responsi-
bility for the Fund and that has not
been done. The Minister for
Education and I who have this co-
mandate, have written a joint
memorandum to the President about
this very critical and important step.
So, we are awaiting the outcome from
the President.

Mr Speaker,
during institutional visitations by the
Committee on Environment, Science,
and Technology in some of the
research institutes, one of the issues
that was seriously raised by the
researchers is the policy that they
would have to generate their own
resources to complement their
budget; that has to do with
commercialisation of research
outcomes. This is a very serious
problem that the research institutes
are facing. They feel that their effort
to carry out research is being diluted

Oral Answers to Questions

based on the reason that they would

have to find other moneys to

complement their budget. They are

not comfortable with the comer-

cialisation of the research.

I would like to know whether,

during the Hon Minister's interac- tions, he has heard from these researchers

that they are not comfortable with the

comercialisation, and what steps is

the Minister taking to ensure that the

commercialisation is de-coupled

from the research, so that they can

focus on their research.

Mr Speaker, this question is a bit loaded and there are several aspects to it — I do not know. The CSIR's mandate is to comer- cialise research; so, there is an interphase between industrialisation and commercialisation. In fact, they are not to do basic research; they have to take what is possible. So, most scientists in there can be against commercialisation. Indeed, they have commercial centres and I do not know whether the Hon Member is referring to the idea that I have given a directive that the commercial wing of the CSIR should be strengthened to the extent that the commercial wing, which is a single entity, should coordinate all the commercial
activities so that they get more resources and finance and that is something that has gone from me. Today, I just had a meeting with them and it seems to me that they are happy with that. So, I am very surprised that he seems to imply that some of the researchers are not happy. Yes, we do pure research but the research is applied research and the CSIR's whole mandate is geared towards industrial and commercial application of science, technology and innovation. Research for its own sake lies within the domain of the universities and other agencies. If one is in the CSIR, he or she is doing research to help - apart from operational research, the lower research is applied and is geared towards commercialisation — maybe, I do not understand the Hon Member's Question.

Very well.

Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the Hon Minister — The Question reads: “to ask the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation what measures are being put in place to stop the exodus of scientists from research institutes in the country.”

Oral Answers to Questions

Hon Minister, can you confirm

whether there is an exodus of

research scientists from the research

institutes in the country? If yes, do

you have the data to support it?

Mr Speaker, my
understanding of the question is that
there is an exodus of research
scientists from the CSIR, but if it is
from the country to other countries,
then it is not my mandate alone. In
fact, the main mandate would then be
with other entities but, I believe that
the Question emanates from the idea
of the salary disparity so that there is
exodus from CSIR institutes to local
institutes like the universities. Be that
as it may, yes, there is an exodus - I will not call it an exodus but scientists
invariably, cross boundaries; so I do
not know whether that could be
designated as exodus.

Very well.
On that note, we bring Question
time to an end. Hon Minister for
Environment, Science, Technology
and Innovation, on behalf of the
House, I will like to thank you for
attending upon the House to answer
Questions. You are hereby
discharged.
Leadership, any indication?

Mr Speaker,
I think we have done a lot of Business
today and Hon Members are tired.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move that
this House be adjourned until
tomorrow, 10 o'clock in the forenoon.

Mr
Speaker, once you have done so
many referrals, Committees would
still have to meet, and because of that
I second the Motion for adjournment.
Question put and Motion agreed
to.