GRi In Parliament 16-03-99

Six hundred communities to get power - Kena

The Minority disapproves of Ministry's budget

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 March  

Electricity will be extended to about 600 communities this year under two national projects and other bilateral funding arragements.

The projects are the National Electrification Project (NEP) and the Self-Help Electrification Scheme.

Mr Fred Ohene-Kena, Minister of Mines and Energy, announced this on Monday while moving the ministry's request for approval for a budgetary allocation of 133.266 billion cedis for the 1999 financial year. He told Parliament that the rural electrification programme will continue and electricity from the national grid will be extended to targeted communities throughout the country.

During the year, 13 selected communities will benefit from the provision of solar energy to promote renewable energy technologies. He said energy conservation would continue to be a top priority of the ministry. In this regard, public educational programmes and energy audits for industries will form part of an exercise to ensure that electricity is used efficiently and productively.

"Strenuous steps have been and continue to be taken to ensure that the country enjoys a safe and reliable supply of energy", the Minister stressed.

Mr Ohene-Kena said the rehabilitation and expansion of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) will continue while efforts are made to expand production, transportation and distribution in the petroleum sub-sector to ensure an equitable and efficient marketing of petroleum products.

He said a contract has been signed for the residual fuel catalytic cracker (RFCC) project, which will enable the refinery to process its current residue from crude oil into gasoline and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Work on this project is scheduled to begin this year and completed by 2001.

On mining, the Minister told the House that the activities of the Minerals Commission, the Mines Department and the Geological Survey Department aimed at making processed geophysical and other data available to prospective investors to help identify new prospects, will be intensified.

The Ministry intends to encourage investors to go into the exploration and exploitation of other minerals, using environmentally friendly methods adding that value will be added to gold and diamond while the ministry will promote the manufacturing of mining equipment, spares and consumables.

The Geological Survey Department, Mr Ohene- Kena said, would put more emphasis on the seismic zoning of Ghana. It will establish two new seismic stations at Wa and Axim.

The ministry will also organise educational programmes to promote public awareness on seismic risks and other geo-hazards in the country. Out of the Ministry's financial estimates, which were unanimously approved by Parliament, personal emoluments will take up 1.146 billion cedis while 975.82 million cedis will cater for administrative expenses.

Expenditures for service and investment will be 10.40 billion cedis and 120.74 billion cedis respectively.

The Select Committee on Mines and Energy, in its report said out of the amount standing for approval, 26 billion cedis would be provided from the consolidated fund and 107.266 billion cedis from donor funding.

In addition, the ministry will be utilising 26.97 billion cedis from its own internally generated funds.

The committee observed that existing laws on mining are silent on environmental issues and urged the Ministry to undertake a legislative and policy review to address local concerns about the degradation of the environment arising out of mining activities.

It drew the Ministry's attention to the urgent need to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on the health and safety of mine workers.

The Ministry should also address the poor remuneration and conditions of service of staff, especially, qualified personnel of the Geological Survey Department, most of who keep leaving for greener pastures.

The report recommended that the ministry should provide three-phase power lines to all rural communities, particularly under the self-help electrification programme to enable them to establish industries.

The Committee cautioned that for the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) to succeed, delays in releasing funds earmarked for specific outputs, as well as in approving recruitment of staff, should be avoided.

Accra (Greater Accra), 16 March 

Some Minority members Monday urged Parliament to withdraw the motion moved by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Mr Fred Ohene-Kena for the approval of this year's budget estimates for the Ministry.

This is because the ministry failed to include 26 billion cedis from its internally generated fund (IGF) to the 133, 266 billion cedis quoted in the motion.

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, NPP-New Juaben North, said no matter where the 26 billion cedis was coming from, for records purposes and that of posterity, it should have been factored into the original figure on the motion paper.

Supported by Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Minority Leader, and Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, NPP-Asante-Akim North, Mr Owusu-Agyemang said the motion was wrong and therefore urged the house to get it withdrawn.

Before Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, First Deputy Speaker, could rule on the motion, two members from the Majority, moved that the House approves the estimates.

The two were Mr Thomas Yeboah, Chairman of the Committee on Mines and Energy and Mr Edward Korbly Doe Adjaho, Majority Chief Whip.

When the question was put, the motion was carried and the budget estimates totalling 133,266 billion cedis for the ministry was approved.

In contributions supporting the motion, members on both sides of the house underscored the important role electricity and minerals play in the national economy.

The minority leader cautioned that the government's Rural Electrification Project should not be executed along party lines.

Nana Akufo-Addo, NPP-Abuakwa, expressed grave concern about the health and safety of mine workers.

He called on government to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention to ensure the health and safety of workers in the mine industry.

Mr Mumuni Abudu Seidu, Deputy Majority Leader, said electricity supply should be extended to all parts of the country and not only the district capitals.

Mr Emmanuel Baah-Danquah, NDC-Asutifi North, urged the government to implement the recommendations of the select Committee on Mines and Energy on the remuneration of departments under the ministry.

Mr Charles Omar Nyanor, NPP-Upper Denkyira, warned the Geological Survey Department against issuing "faulty, unreliable and misleading information", since this is likely to scare prospective investors.

Mr Nyanor said apart from poor conditions of service, personnel of the department are also grappling with the use of obsolete equipment.

Mr David Yaw Mensah, NDC-Atebubu, North, stated that the supply of electricity to rural areas would make them attractive to the youth and deter them from drifting into the urban centres.

Mr Mohammed Erzuah Siam, NDC-Akwatia, asked the ministry to look at alternative sources of energy supply.

Mr Collins Dauda, NDC-Asutifi South, said government should adequately compensate farmers whose farms are destroyed under the Self-Help Electrification Programme. Winding up, Mr Ohene-Kena assured members that everything possible would be done to address the concerns of members.