GRi in Parliament 17 - 11 - 2001
Some District Assemblies gave CASHPRO loans - Baah-Wiredu
Parliament expresses concern about disposal of water sachets
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 November 2001 - Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), on Friday said CASHPRO, a private company, took loans from the portfolio of the Poverty Alleviation Fund of certain District Assemblies contrary to laid down regulations.
He mentioned the New Juaben, Sefwi Wiawso, Atwima, Amansie East and Aoawin Suaman Districts Assemblies as those he was aware of.
Answering an urgent question in Parliament, he apologised to Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan and Bole District Assemblies, their former and present officials, whose names were published as having given out the loans.
Mr Seidu Paakuna Adamu, NDC-Bibiani, had asked the Minister whether the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly, among other district assemblies, ever gave loans to CASHPRO, out of the Poverty Alleviation Fund. "I have already apologised to the assemblies and the affected people," he said.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said regulations covering the fund allowed District Assemblies to draw 20 per cent of it into a credit line to help local small- scale industries that had no access to loans.
He quoted Act 462 section 126, which allowed the publication of an "interim report of the Auditor-General" at any given moment.
Meanwhile, Nana Akufo Addo, Attorney - General and Minister of Justice and Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health are scheduled to answer urgent questions next week.
Papa Owusu Ankoma, Leader and Chairman of the Business Committee, said Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of Mines, Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Health are to take question from members.
He said the Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, Mrs Cecilia Bannerman was also scheduled to answer questions.
GRi../
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Parliament expresses concern about disposal
of water sachets
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 November 2001 - Members of Parliament on Friday called for sustainable strategies geared towards re-using, recycling and reducing the impact of disposal of empty water sachets on the environment.
The members were contributing to a statement made by Dr William Boakye Akoto, NPP- Birim North, expressing concern about the disposal of empty water sachets and its effect on the environment in Parliament.
Dr Akoto said the contributions of water packaging companies to the society could not be overstated, however, its health implications were far reaching.
He said appreciating the efforts of the companies "we must also not lose sight of our responsibility towards protecting the environment. It almost appears as if it is normal for people to litter empty water sachets anywhere, mindless of the environmental and health implications".
Dr Akoto said it was an eye sore to see these empty sachets scattered everywhere, which said a lot about the peoples' consciousness towards sanitary practices.
He said the littering of water sachets not only distort the landscape, including gardens, parks water bodies and the neighbourhood but also contribute to health hazards since they choke gutter and stagnate water thus providing fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Dr Akoto said water packaging companies owed the country and posterity a duty to clean up after making their sales and added that he would support a law that would make companies responsible for the cleaning up of the containers they used.
He suggested that the bottling companies should be made to employ some of the youth roaming the streets to pick up the empty sachets for a fee while the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies also employed people to go round to pick up the garbage and surcharge the companies accordingly.
Mr Gershon Kofi Gbediame, NDC - Nkwanta in supporting the statement said the attitude of the people towards waste disposal was appalling and called on vehicles owners to provide refuse bins.
He said the Environmental Protection Agency should also mount a special educational programme to educate the public on the effects of indiscriminate waste disposal since the dropping of waste into gutters led to flooding in the urban centres.
Alhaji Amadu Seidu, NDC- Yapei/Kusawgu, said it was not only water sachets which posed a danger but companies engaged in packaging beverages and plastic bags were also guilty.
He said their collective irresponsibility was the main cause of death of ruminants because they ate these plastics that blocked their alimentary canal.
Alhaji Seidu said it was important for the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to reactivate their bylaws on disposal of waste since it not only affected soil fertility but also created a lot of mess and health hazards to the society.
Nana Asante-Frempong, NPP - Kwabre, said the prevalence of malaria could be traced to improper waste disposal in the country and the unhygienic habits of the people.
He suggested that how clean a district was should be factored into the allocation of the District Assembly Common Fund.
Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, NDC - Fanteakwa said it was necessary to include the quality of water bagged before it was sold to the public since most of the water sachet companies did not abide by strict quality control regulations.
He called on the Food and Drugs Board to be vigorous in their monitoring activities to check the numerous companies engaged in plastic packaging. Dr Daniel Kwame Ampofo, NDC - South Dayi said the problem needs a holistic approach it to be solved.
Mr Berrick Namburr, NDC - Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo said the issue of waste disposal should be critically looked at since it was the circumstance of poverty that was the cause and not ignorance.
GRi../
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