GRi In Parliament 17-03-99

Accra (Greater Accra) 17 March

Ghana and other developing countries cannot attain food security without resorting to irrigation farming, Dr Kwabena Adjei, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has said. Ghana, he said has less than one per cent of its land under irrigation and stressed the need for Ghana to shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation farming.

Mr Kwabena Adjei said this on Tuesday when Dr Jacques Diouf, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), called on the Speaker and the leadership of the house as part of his two-day official visit to Ghana.

He was accompanied by Mrs Aanaa Enin, Ghana's Ambassador to Italy, Mr Bamidele Dada, FAO Regional Director for Africa and officials of the FAO, as well as Mr J. H. Owusu-Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture and his two deputies.

Dr Adjei attributed the low level of irrigation to the fact that it is capital intensive and appealed to the FAO to solicit funds from the World Bank to assist developing countries to increase their acreage of land under irrigation.

The minister said agriculture and the right to food features prominently in the debate of the house.

This is due to member's concern for food security since agriculture holds the key to youth unemployment in the country.

''FAO's programmes on food security are therefore relevant to our socio-economic development'', he added.

Mr Justice Daniel Francis Annan, said parliament attaches great importance to agriculture and welcomes any assistance to increase food production and food security.

Dr Diouf said FAO is putting much emphasis on co-operation with both the executive and legislative arms of government to ensure increased food production and security.

An Inter-Parliamentary Union has been established within the FAO since the World Food Summit brought together MPs from all over the world to discuss ways to ensure world-wide food security.

Accra (Greater Accra) 17 March

The Ministry of Works and Housing is to spend 39.08 billion cedis to improve water supply in some district capitals in six regions, this year.

The beneficiary district capitals are Konongo/Odumase, Obuasi and Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Dormaa-Ahenkro, Techiman and Berekum in the Brong Ahafo, Fosu, Winneba, Swedru, Ekumfi, and Ojobi in Central Region.

The rest are Begoro in the Eastern Region, Sogakope and Keta in the Volta Region, Ada Foah in the Greater Accra Region and Bibiani in the Western Region.

Mr Isaac K. Adjei-Mensah, the sector minister, said this on Tuesday, when he moved for Parliament's approval for 215.43 billion cedis to run the ministry for the 1999 financial year.

The Minister said 3.80 billion cedis would be spent to rehabilitate and expand the production capacity of water treatment plants at Kumawu in Ashanti, the Akwapim Ridge, Anum-Boso and Osino in the Eastern Region.

Vakpo and Likpe in the Volta Region and Tarkwa in the Western Region will also benefit from the allocation.

The 215.43 billion cedis estimates unanimously approved by the House, is made up of 6.215 billion cedis as personal emoluments, 4.05 billion cedis for administrative expenses and 55.47 billion cedis on service and investment activities.

Mr Adjei-Mensah said 2.17 billion cedis would be used to construct 2,000 boreholes in 1,600 rural communities throughout the country.

To protect the country's coastline of approximately 590 miles from tidal attacks, protective structures have been constructed at most critical points.

There are programmes in sea defence, ecological restoration of lagoons and management of drains, meant to provide security and protection of life and property for economic development and investments, he said.

The Minister informed the House that work has started on the Korle Lagoon restoration project, saying that, detailed designs and tender documents have been completed.

Contractors have been short-listed to tender for the project in the first quarter of this year.

The government, he said, would spend 26.70 billion cedis on the project, this year.

On the Keta sea defence project, Mr Adjei-Mensah said the Exim Bank of the United States has approved the loan requested for the project to commence adding that details of the loan agreement would soon be laid before the House for ratification.

The government has allocated 54.66 billion cedis to the project expected to take off during the second quarter of the year.

On housing delivery, Mr Adjei-Mensah explained that the ministry has always acted as a facilitator by creating the enabling environment for both private and public housing developing agencies to deliver a reasonable number of housing units.

He said, in response to the favourable enabling climate, the Ghana Real Estate Developers' Association (GREDA) and SSNIT are on schedule to deliver 3,000 housing units at Dunkona, near Accra, in the first phase of a gigantic housing programme.

He said the ministry has refocused its attention to seriously addressing the housing delivery process in the country.

The ministry has decided to facilitate the acquisition of about 30,000 acres of land for private sector housing delivery within the medium-term. 70 million cedis have been earmarked this year for land acquisition.

The Select Committee on Works and Housing, recommending for the approval of the estimates, hoped that if the water sector is properly tackled, Ghana's health expenditure could be reduced.

The Committee said this is because more than 80 per cent of diseases prevalent in Ghana today are water-borne.

It is disappointing to know that grants totalling 130 billion cedis made available to the Community Water and Sanitation Division, for last year, could not be received due to the non-availability of counterpart funding.

As a result, the grants had to be reduced to 17 billion cedis, the committee said.

The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace at which work is progressing on the renovation of the Tower Block of the State House, which is to serve as offices for Members of Parliament.

It observed that no where in the Ministry's budget was funds allocated for the renovation and urged that funds should be made available for the continuation of the project to enhance the work of Parliament.

Alhaji Amadu Ali, NDC-Atebubu South, who seconded the motion, appealed to the Ministry to expedite work on water supply project in his constituency to alleviate the water problem facing the constituents.

Mr Yaw Baning-Darko, NPP-Atiwa, cautioned that money made available for the Keta Sea Defence project should not find its way into private pockets but should be used for the intended purpose to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people.

Squadron-Leader Clend Sowu (rtd), NDC-Anlo said it is important for the various committees of Parliament to verify quarterly, the achievement of the various sectors of the economy for which estimates have been approved by the House.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, NPP-Old Tafo/Suame, was happy that at long last, funds have been sought to start the Keta Sea Defence project.

He called for adequate compensation for those, whose houses had been demolished, to make way for the project, saying what had been paid to some of them were "meagre".

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said while no allocation has been made in the ministry's budget for the renovation of the Tower Block, funds have been earmarked for the rehabilitation of the Castle and Peduase Lodge.

He called on the ministry to take drastic measures to tackle the problem of housing delivery and called for the availability of affordable building materials to facilitate housing delivery.

Winding up, Mr Adjei-Mensah assured the House that the ministry would take steps to address the concerns of members.

Accra (Greater Accra), 17 March

Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, said on Tuesday the government will pursue policies that will sustain the relative congenial industrial atmosphere in the country.

The Ministry will, therefore, hold regular consultations with its social partners on pertinent issues and build on this healthy co-existence and mutual trust.

Alhaji Mumuni gave the assurance in Parliament, when he moved for the approval of 14.524 billion cedis, for the running of the Ministry this year.

The house approved the budget after debate.

The Minister announced that a tripartite meeting would be held next month to discuss a draft codified labour legislation.

He said the labour market policy as it exists now, limits growth and is not flexible enough to attract investors.

The review and codification of labour laws is meant to improve conditions on the labour market to enable it to adequately respond to current needs and aspirations.

Alhaji Mumuni, NDC-Kumbungu, spoke of the ministry's efforts to evolve a dynamic co-operative policy aimed at effectively revamping the Department of Co-operatives.

He hoped the National Co-operative Development Policy Framework currently before cabinet will help achieve this objective. The ministry would soon place before Parliament a draft policy on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) currently before cabinet.

The Minister said the policy will not only streamline NGOs' operations but will also re-categorise them in conformity with international standards.

On the proposed double in-take of junior secondary school (JSS) and senior secondary school (SSS) graduates by centres of the National Vocational Training Institutes, Alhaji Mumuni said the ministry increased enrolment by 25 per cent last year.

He blamed this low figure on lack of adequate funds to support vocational training but hoped that with remarkable improvement in funding in this year's budget, "the trend will be reversed".

"The imparting of skills to both literate and illiterate youth will further be boosted."

He said plans are far advanced for the launching this year of the National Productivity Movement, which could not take off last year.

Mr Fuzzy Dapaah Torbay, Chairman of the Parliamentary

Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises, reported that the Ministry will enhance opportunities for disadvantaged groups like street children and people with disabilities to enable them to have access to social services and skill training.

Mr Torbay, NDC-Okere, said the Management Development and Planning Institute could go off government subvention if only it can introduce new courses, for which economic fees could be charged.

He said the Labour Department has plans to issue prospective workers both in the formal and informal sectors of the economy with labour cards and urged the Ministry of Finance to provide the department with the 395 million cedis needed to undertake "this all-important national assignment".

Mr Joe Donkor, NPP-Tano North, who seconded the motion, urged the ministry to come out with a concrete programme to create employment.

Mr Thomas Kweku Aubyn, NDC-Gomoa East appealed to the ministry to strengthen rural co-operative farming service centres and co-operatives in general as a means of increasing employment opportunities for the idling youth.

Nana Asante Frempong, NPP-Kwabre, hoped the ministry would provide the Factories Inspectorate Department of the ministry with logistics to enable the staff to live up to expectation.

Mr Jacob Arthur, NDC-Mfantsiman West, urged the ministry to deal swiftly and promptly with labour unrest.

Nana Akufo-Addo, NPP-Abuakwa, hoped the rights of the working people of Ghana would be safeguarded and not undermined.

Mr Eugene Atta Agyepong, NPP-Abetifi, hoped the ministry would make judicious allocation of funds to train the youth to acquire employable skills.

Alhaji Mumuni said, he appreciated the concerns raised by members, and that the ministry was determined to address them.

Accra (Greater Accra), 17 March

The Ministry of Lands and Forestry will soon introduce a Forestry Service Bill to update obsolete legislation's governing forest and land management.

Current fees and penalties charged for offences under the sector are not relevant to the present times. The Parliamentary committee on Lands and Forestry recommended among other things that fees charged by organisations under the ministry be reviewed. For instance a person found guilty of encroachment on land has to pay a fee of 10 cedis under the present law.

These assertions were made in Parliament during the debate for the approval of 43.554 billion cedis for the running of the Ministry of Lands and Forestry.

This is made up of 29.842 billion cedis from the consolidated fund and 13.712 billion cedis from donors.

The money will be disbursed among 11 subvented, non-subvented and statutory organisations under the ministry.

They include the Survey department, the Forestry Department, the Game and Wildlife Department, the Forestry Commission, the Land Title Registry, the Timber Export Development Board and the Forest Products Inspection Bureau.

Dr Mrs Christina Amoako-Nuamah, sector Minister said the ministry will establish a Savannah Resource Management Centre in Tamale to promote programmes to halt desertification.

Also to be established is the Plantation Development and Wetlands Development Programmes. The Survey Department would be resourced to purchase computers to establish a management information system for the land and forestry sector.

Alhaji Collins Duada, chairman of the Committee on Lands and Forestry, reported that the Department of Game and Wildlife had acquired some lands from chiefs for their activities for which government had not as yet paid compensation.

''The committee recommends that efforts be made to settle all outstanding compensations to the land owners'', he added.

The committee also recommended that action should be taken to appoint two deputy chairmen for the Stool Lands and Boundaries Settlement Commission as stated in the law establishing it.

Alhaji Dauda said the committee had observed that certain companies had been authorised to explore minerals in Forest Reserves.

The activities of such companies should be closely monitored, by the Forestry Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission, to ensure that no environmental havoc is caused to the reserves.

Dr Kwabena Adjei, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, urged members to give the Forestry Service Bill a favourable consideration when it is introduced in the house.

He called on Ghanaians to change their apathetic attitude to forest degradation and land encroachment and to support the ministry to check illegal poaching and logging in forests.

Ms Theresa-Joyce Baffoe, NDC-New Edubiase, said she regretted that while the government was doing everything to conserve the forests, some companies have been authorised to explore minerals in Forest Reserves.

She called for a review of the policy to protect the reserves and urged the ministry to streamline the Abusa and Abunu system of sharing farm produce between tenant farmers and landowners to reduce disputes associated with farming.

''Controversies arising out of this system put our agriculture development into great danger'', she added.

Mr Alex Korankye, NPP-Asante Akim South, called on the government to participate fully in the management of lands and forests.

He welcomed the introduction of the Plantation Development Programme and urged that it should not be politicised.

Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, NPP-Nsuta Kwamang, noted that most of Ghana's land disputes arise from the inability of organisations charged with land management to perform their functions effectively and efficiently.

He welcomed the computerisation programme, saying, that it will make it easier to retrieve information and cases of missing files will hopefully come to an end.

Mr M. A Seidu, the Deputy Majority Leader, commended the ministry for preserving the country's forests despite the odds against it.

He said inappropriate actions by the staff of some of those organisations and the 'unwholesome' behaviour of some chiefs are responsible for the numerous land disputes.

Mr Francis K. Buor, NPP- Offinso South, noted that the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has not caught on well with the people and called on the ministry to encourage people to use LPG to reduce dependence on fuel wood.

Accra (Greater Accra), 17 March

Papa Owusu-Ankomah, NPP Member of Parliament for Sekondi, on Tuesday urged the House to consider whether or not there is the need for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

He said the ministry was superfluous since Leader of Parliamentary Affairs could effectively liaise with the executive without having a ministry created.

Mr Owusu-Ankomah said while the Constitution envisaged close links between the legislature and the xecutive, it was never the desire of the framers of the Constitution to have such a ministry created when "the Speaker is the head of Parliament".

Papa Owusu-Ankomah was opposing a motion for the approval of 385.607 million cedis for the services of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, for the 1999 financial year.

He told the House that since the Constitution recognises the need for a vital link between Parliament and Cabinet, it has a provision allowing the majority of ministers to be appointed from the legislature.

The danger of the present arrangement is that, since the head is the representative of the President and not Parliament, the minister is more likely to see himself as answerable to the executive rather than the legislature.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah invited the House to make its view clear as to the continued existence of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs since it undermines the work of Parliament.

He mentioned for instance that fostering of meaningful, good public relations between the legislature and the public is the work of Parliament and not the executive.

In his motion requesting the House to approve the 385.607 million cedis, Dr Kwabena Adjei, the sector minister told the House that he would in due course, present a mission statement to Parliament.

This will define the role of the ministry, whose objectives include the enhancement of good governance and unity in diversity within a multi-party democracy.

Out of the amount requested for, 137.607 million cedis will cater for personal emoluments and administrative expenses, while capacity-building and staff training will take up 26 million cedis.

Investment will be allocated 131 million cedis while 91 million cedis will be used for service expenditure.

The Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which considered the estimates, noted that the 26 million cedis allocated for staff training, conference cost and capacity building is inadequate, taking into account the role of capacity building in the achievement of the set objectives of the ministry.

It, therefore, recommended that two million cedis out of the four million cedis set aside for refreshment should be used to cater for training and conference costs.

To further boost the ministry's capacity building, the Committee advised that the remaining two million cedis for refreshment be added to the one million cedis allocated for stationery, bringing the total allocation for stationery to three million cedis.

The Committee expressed enthusiasm about the set objectives of the ministry and urged the Ministry of Finance to release all the approved estimates to enable the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry to discharge its obligations creditably to help nurture the country's young democracy.

Mr Alex Agyei-Acheampong, NPP-Bekwai, also opposed the motion for the approval of the estimates and said the ministry is an appendage of the Executive and the money requested for should be added to the estimates of the Office of Parliament.

Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South, supported the motion and said some members do not appreciate the role of the ministry.

He said it is only the President who, under the Constitution, is vested with the authority to appoint ministers.

"If the President is convinced that by appointing a minister the running of the state will be more efficient, then so be it".

Mr Kedem expressed the hope that the money requested for would be put to good use so that Parliament could derive maximum benefit.

Mr Doe Adjaho, Majority Chief Whip said in his view, it is necessary to have such a ministry to serve as a link with Cabinet so that the concerns of the House would be adequately addressed.

In their intervention, both Mr J. H. Mensah, the Minority Leader and Nana Akufo Addo, the Minority Spokesman on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, accepted the assurance of the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs that he would submit a comprehensive mission statement to the House.

Nana Akufo Addo appealed to the Minority side to wait for the mission statement as promised by the minister, saying, "for the time being, we have no choice but to support the motion".

Mr Mensah urged the sector Minister to redefine his role to strengthen communication between the legislature and the executive.

Winding up the debate, Dr Adjei remarked that the two ranking minority members had approached the issue in a non-partisan and objective manner.

He assured the House that the estimates would be judiciously used to achieve the set objectives. The House approved the estimates.

Accra (Greater Accra), 17 March

Mr John Dramani Mahama, Minister of Communications on Tuesday told Parliament that the ministry's policy of not allowing political parties and religious bodies to own radio and television stations is in the interest of national cohesion and unity.

Mr Mahama, who was responding to parliamentary questions, was of the view that, "if these institutions are allowed to operate their own stations, there is the likelihood that some of their programmes will promote conflicts, thereby disturbing the peace and stability that the nation has experienced over the years".

Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo,the Minority chief whip, had asked the Minister why the ministry is not granting permission to political parties and religious bodies to set up their own radio or television stations.

When pressed further by Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, the Minority Leader, to assure the house that the ministry would re-consider this decision, Mr Mahama, NDC-Bole, said the ministry has no intention at the moment to reverse or change its decision on the matter.

Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South, asked the Minister why there is poor television transmission along the country's borders.

The minister said it is the ministry's policy to ensure that all the 200 constituencies have access to good and uninterrupted television reception.

Mr Mahama said he regretted that even though provision was made in last year's budget for the purchase of a transposer to be installed in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo, funds were not released for both the purchase and the installation The minister was responding to a question from Mr Joseph Yaani Labik, NDC-Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo, who wanted to know government plans to extend television reception to his constituency to reverse the current situation, where the people depend on reception from the Republic of Togo.

The Minister hoped that the problem of lack of funds would be solved soonest to enable the transposer to be purchased.

Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, NPP-Afigya Sekyere West, whose question was put for him by Nana Akomea, NPP-Okaikwei South, asked whether Mr Mahama was aware that the GTV Talk-show: "Kwaku One-One" has been discontinued, and if so, why.

Mr Mahama responded in the affirmative, and explained that the programme was a formal contract between GABCOM (the producer) and GBC, but the producer failed to renew negotiations with GBC.

He assured its numerous listeners that "Kwaku One-One" would resurface on our screens when the producer honours its outstanding financial obligations to GBC.

Clarifying what he described as "some erroneous statement made by Mr Sakyi-Addo, the presenter", Mr Mahama said Mr Sakyi-Addo worked for GABCOM.

"The contract for production and screening was to be signed between GBC and GABCOM, and not GBC and Mr Sakyi-Addo."

The minister, therefore, made it clear that GABCOM is the appropriate agency to lodge a complaint against GBC if the terms of the agreement had been breached.

Winding up, Mr Mahama said GABCOM itself concedes the fact that it owes the corporation and needs to settle that debt before any formalisation to the screening arrangement could take place.

He said the rationale for the cessation of the programme is a business decision and not a political one as was being portrayed by Mr Sakyi-Addo.