MP abhors financial mismanagement at GBC
Self Helped Electrification money not
adequate-Asante
Parliament approves estimates for three
ministries
AIDS spread is frightening - Dr Anane
MP abhors financial mismanagement at GBC
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
A Member of Parliament on Monday abhorred financial mismanagement at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), which he said has led to its inability to make profit and stand on its own.
He said GBC, which has five times more resources than the less endowed private FM and television stations in the country, is unable to make profit and yet others do and are able to pay their staff without government subvention.
Mr Emmanuel Adjei Boye, NPP-Krowor contributing to a motion for the approval of financial estimates for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which allocated about 25 billion cedis to GBC for personnel emoluments, said the corporations accounts could not be audited for the past eight years.
Quoting audit reports for 1991 and 1992 on GBC, Mr Boye said the auditors said financial records were improper and there were no authentic records on revenue and other sources of income of the Corporation and that the accounts could, therefore, not be audited.
Mr Boye said since then the Corporation has not been audited, "all these boiled down to financial mismanagement and waste of resources making it unable to pay its staff."
He cited an instance where GBC granted one officer housing, car and personal loans in the same year.
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Self Helped Electrification money not
adequate-Asante
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
Mr Kofi Abraham Asante, NDC-Amenfi East, on Monday said the 10.2 billion cedis earmarked for investment in the third phase of the Self Help Electrification Project 3 (SHEP) is "woefully inadequate."
He said that about 50 billion cedis would be needed to carry through the project for the year, adding, "government has not dealt fairly with the rural dweller."
The Ranking Member was contributing to a debate for the approval of the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Energy, which stands at 206.5 billion.
He said many projects would be frozen because of the low investment thus dashing the hopes of expectant communities.
"I am sure that such projects in West Gonja and Chereponi are threatened. Chereponi has managed to acquire 200 poles and wondering if these poles would be wired at all."
The member criticised government for not channelling resources into hydropower generation.
"The Volta River Authority (VRA) has identified seventeen potential hydro-power sites in the country. The most prominent is the Bui and that site was not mentioned at all."
Mr. Asante urged government to commit itself to the West Africa Gas pipeline idea because its completion would ease some of the energy problems facing the country.
Mr Akwasi Dante-Afriyie, NPP-Atwima Mponua, called for the acceleration and expansion of the SHEP programme to check the high population growth in rural communities.
"In communities where there is no electricity, couple have very long hour of seeking comfort with their bodies."
Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of Energy, promised that he would make public the formula for the pricing of petroleum products.
He said a lot of attention and investment would be made in renewable energy this year.
Later in the day, the house approved the budgetary allocation of 72 billion cedis meant for the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Members asked government to provide more resources to enable the Ministry to live up to expectation.
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Parliament approves estimates for three
ministries
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
Parliament on Monday approved annual estimates for the ministries of Education, Local Government and Rural Development and Transport and Communications but said they were inadequate.
It feared that about 80 per cent of the allocations would have to go into wages and salaries leaving little for training, investment and development.
The Ministry of Education got 1.4 trillion cedis, Local Government had 209.5 billion cedis while the Ministry of Transport and Communications got 37 billion cedis.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu and Mr Felix Owusu-Agyapong, ministers of Education, Local Government and Rural Development and Transport and Communications, in that order, prayed the House to approve the estimates to enable their various ministries to carry on their projects and programmes during this financial year.
Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi announced that the ministry would intensify the distant education programme, bridge the gap between the urban and the rural schools while efforts would be made to narrow the disparity in performance.
Supporting the motion on education, Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South, said 1.4 trillion cedis voted for education appeared colossal but when it is compared to the volume of work it has to do it could be described as inadequate.
He said the money when stretched on more than 200,000 teachers and about three million students in the senior secondary schools and the universities cannot meet the nation's educational requirement.
Mr Kedem debunked the perception that the educational standard has fallen but rather it is the new curriculum, which is deeper in scope and significantly different from the old system.
He called for the intensification of distant learning and the provision of adequate libraries. More financial support should be given to non-formal education and polytechnics as well as the passing of a law on the formula for the disbursement of the National Education Trust Fund.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said the major programme of the ministry are the review of the local government Act 462 and speeding up of the fiscal decentralisation study in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
The other programmes, he said, include training of assembly members, councillors and unit committee members in local policy formulation, stimulate the collection of internally generated revenue, review of the registration of birth and deaths Act and the implementation of the national environmental sanitation policy.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu said the Department of Community Development would also continue its programme of rehabilitation of 18 women's training institutes, three rural training centres and the improvement of socio-economic infrastructure of the water supply systems, markets and public toilet in ten selected districts.
Mr. Enoch T. Mensah, NDC-Ningo/Prampram associating himself with the motion, expressed concern about the laxity of development planning for urban and rural areas in the disposal of solid and liquid waste.
Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (rtd), NPP-Berekum urged district assemblies to enforce the law on provision of water closet in each home in urban areas.
He said he was not happy about the inadequacy of public toilets in the country especially, Berekum in his constituency.
Mr Modestus Ahiable, NDC-Ketu North, urged that urban, zonal and unit committees should be established to ensure that effective decentralisation take roots.
Mr Owusu-Agyapong said the new outlook of the ministry has created additional responsibilities for investment and development in the transport and communication sector.
He said the Ministry is to ensure that the development of information technology and its application to education, agriculture and industry are to be intensified.
Mr Kofi Attor, NDC-Ho Central, called for adequate provision of resources to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to carry on its functions.
He said GBC could generate enough revenue for its own use instead of relying on government subvention.
Mr Attor called for the removal of the Ghana Institute of Journalism to its new site with provision of funds to enable it carry out its degree-awarding programme.
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AIDS spread is frightening - Dr Anane
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 March 2001
Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Health, on Friday told Parliament that HIV and AIDS are spreading at a "frightening pace", especially among the youth.
He said recent scientific data gathered from students of some senior secondary schools and universities indicate a prevalence rate of 12 to 17 per cent.
The minister, who was moving for the approval of his ministry's budgetary allocation of 422.4 billion cedis, said 1.2 billion cedis has been earmarked to fight the disease and other sexually transmitted diseases.
He announced that a national programme to control Buruli ulcer in areas classified as endemic and potentially endemic would be implemented this year.
"Another focus area is the guinea worm menace. The ministry, in collaboration with other sectors and allied agencies, intends to provide potable water in endemic areas to eradicate the worm."
Dr Anane said 45 health centres throughout the country would be rehabilitated at a cost of 5.8 billion cedis.
"Twelve health centres, including Dodowa (Greater Accra), Begoro (Eastern Region), Nkwanta (Volta Region) and Bimbilla (Northern), would be elevated to District Hospital status this year."
He promised to work towards the recruitment and retention of staff through well packaged incentive programmes.
Mr Sallas Mensah, Minority spokesman on Health, criticised the government for allocating a "meagre 12 billion cedis" as exemption package to care for the aged, paupers and other vulnerable groups.
"He said the government, with its concept of positive change, should have given more since the NDC gave out 10 billion cedis last year.
Alhaji Amadu Seidu, NDC-Yapei/Kusawgu, asked experienced doctors in management positions in the ministry to return to the ward.
He requested that non-medical management personnel be made to take over the administration of the ministry.
Earlier, Nana Akufo Addo, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, sought leave of the house to withdraw the High Court (civil procedure) rules, 2001(C.I.33).
The instrument, which was due to come into force on March 28, are new rules meant to govern procedure in the high court.
Nana Akufo Addo said he was withdrawing it for reappraisal since it has to stand the test of time.
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