GRi in Parliament 28 - 11 - 2001
Parliament skips Reconciliation Bill
Volta River Authority now in charge of West Africa Gas pipeline project
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 November 2001- Parliament on Tuesday technically skipped the moving of the National Reconciliation Bill, which all members claimed they were committed to in uniting the country, to the consideration stage where amendments would be made to it before its final passage.
The First Deputy Speaker, Mr Freddie Blay on Tuesday told the Ghana News Agency that the House was silent on the Bill although it appeared on the order paper (agenda) because it did not have the numbers to do so.
He explained that for a question to be put for a vote to enable the Bill to move to the consideration stage constitutionally required 101 members of the 200-member Houses. He said the number could not be met.
The GNA asked Mr Blay, who was in the chair on Tuesday, about the fate that awaited the Bill since the Minority walked out of Parliament last Friday when the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was winding up the debate during the second reading of the Bill.
Mr Blay said the alleged position of the Minority that they would not have anything to do with the Bill until Nana Akufo-Addo apologised in the House had not come to the notice of Parliament.
He said he would put the question on Wednesday if the number in the House met the constitutional requirement that would make the House take a decision.
Dr Kwabena Adjei, NDC-Biakoye told the GNA that "if Nana Akufo-Addo did not apologise the Minority would not have any hand in the passage of the Bill".
He said the reconciliation Bill was very dear to the Minority and they were prepared to co-operate in its passage adding, "but if the Majority did not want us to contribute to it we will then boycott it and it will be a law bulldozed by the NPP government".
The Minority walked out of Parliament last Friday accusing the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for using abusive language when winding up the debate on the Reconciliation Bill during its second reading.
The Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, who was in the chair before the incident, was said to have travelled outside the country.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 November 2001 - The Volta River Authority (VRA) has taken over the implementation of the West African Gas pipeline project and the first gas would reach Takoradi by the year 2005. Ghana's equity participation in the project would cost 80 million dollars.
Mr Kwakye Addo, Member of Parliament for Afram Plains South, said this in a statement in Parliament on Tuesday to commemorate VRA's 40th anniversary.
He said an outcome of VRA's recent generation and transmission planning study put the power needs of Ghana over the next decade at additional generation of about 550 megawatts and a corresponding expansion of the transmission system.
Mr Addo said VRA had, therefore, executed a memorandum of understanding with a development consortium led by Brown and Root of the UK to embark on the Bui Hydro-Electric Project.
The project was at present on hold would increase the country's energy supply by about 1,000 megawatts per hour per annum.
Mr Addo said the VRA was established on April 1961 with the mandate to provide electricity for the socio-economic development of the country and the anniversary was launched in Accra on November 21 under the theme: "40 years of Powering Ghana's Development".
He said activities lined up to mark the anniversary included documentary, features, talk shows, fun games and a lecture as well as photo exhibitions in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale and fun games to be climaxed with a grand Durbar at Akosombo.
Mr Addo said the VRA chalked significant landmarks that included expanding the Akosombo Dam to its full complement of six generating units, implementing the Kpong Hydro-Electric Project and the Takoradi Thermal Power Station.
The Authority also established subsidiaries, like the Volta Lake Transport Company, which had promoted the movement of agricultural and petroleum products, Volta Telecommunications Company that offered fibre optic services, a Hotel and a luxury boat for cruising on the Volta Lake.
Mr Addo said VRA's operations were smooth until the issue of cost recovery came up. Before 1985, VRA was exporting 70 per cent of its power.
He said the position had now changed with the domestic demand of energy now constituting over 70 per cent while export including energy consumed by VALCO was less than 30 per cent.
Mr Addo said VRA's proposed Prestea-Obuasi 161 kilovolt Transmission line would reinforce the transmission system and also facilitate the transmission of power between Ghana, Togo, Benin and Cote d'Ivoire.
The 161 kilovolt Sawla Sub-Station Project to be completed this year would enhance power supply to the Upper West Region and facilitate the electrification of additional towns in the Northern and Upper East Regions.
Mr Addo said the VRA expected to overcome the problems associated with uneconomic tariffs through the implementation of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commissions transitional plan by the end of 2002.
The Authority established a VRA Resettlement Trust Fund in 1996 into which it paid 500,000 dollars annually to the 52-resettlement townships along the Volta Lake and its environs.
Alhaji Amadu Ali, NDC-Atebubu in supporting the statement commended the VRA for supporting the NDC government's initiative of extending electricity to all parts of the country.
He said since there was an increase in the demand for electricity by many communities, the VRA had to acquire new transformers to serve the enthusiastic people to enhance their socio-economic development.
Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, NDC- Fanteakwa, commended the VRA for assisting the affected communities with social amenities and added that the Resettlement Trust Fund should also aim at adding value to the primary products of the people.
He said it was regrettable that Ministries, Departments and Agencies owed the VRA about 1.8 billion cedis while domestic consumers were made to pay instantly for their consumption.
Mr Joseph Gidisu, NDC-North Tongu said the VRA was strategic in the development of the country, however, the North Volta Basin, which was affected by the damming of the Volta Lake was not benefiting from the fund as their southern counterparts.
Mr Anthony Boadi-Mensah, NPP-Obuasi, Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South, Mr Michael Teye Nyaunu, NDC- Lower-Manya Krobo, and Mr Dwamena Bekoe, NDC- Asuogyaman all supported the statement and commended the VRA for its dedicated services.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 28 November 2001- Dr Adombila Agambila, a Deputy Minister of Finance on Tuesday told Parliament that 830 new retail traders whose turnover fell within 100 to 200 million cedis threshold had so far registered with the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service as at September 2001.
He said the increase followed the passage of the new VAT Act, which lowered the threshold from 200 million cedis to 100 million cedis.
Dr Agambila was answering a question Mr Jacob Arthur, NDC-Mfantseman West posed to him as how many traders and businesses had so far been registered following the lowering of the threshold of the VAT.
The Deputy Minister said there were about 9,480 traders on the register whose turnover was below 100 million cedis.
Those with 100 million cedis and 200 million cedis turnover were 1,090. He said: "By the end of 1999, the first year of the tax there were 16,106 traders on the VAT register. This increased to 18,125 by the close of 2000.
"By the end of September, this year the number has risen to 18,302. Approximately 700 traders have been de-registered since the beginning of the year mainly because they had ceased to perform taxable activities".
Dr Agambila said the significant role the VAT was playing in the economic life in the country was evident. He said he could not speculate as to whether the VAT would be increased in the immediate or the near future.
When asked by Mr Ransford Yaw Agyepong, NPP-Suhum, about what use would the numerous offices of the Suhum Cocoa Project, which were lying idle be put and if the government had any plans to revive the project Dr Agambila said a pilot scheme to replant 6,000 hectares of cocoa in the Eastern Region under a five-year programme had began at Jejeti and Kibi.
He said some of the unused facilities of the erstwhile Suhum Cocoa Project would be used during the programme. He said some of the buildings and properties of the Suhum defunct project were dotted in 18 towns and villages in the area and were being rented out to workers and district assemblies.
To another question, Dr Agambila said 17.3 million cedis was deducted at source as property rates due to the district assemblies covering 1996 to 2001.
He said ¢5.8 million was collected by the erstwhile Cocoa Services Division from Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District Assembly for 1994 and 1995.
The Deputy Minister said the Pankese Cocoa Station was very much alive and was rendering services to the community that were benefiting from the supply hybrid seeds, distribution of seedlings to farmers and was engaged in selling of cocoa to the Produce Buying Company Limited.
Asked by Mr Kwakye Addo, NDC-Afram Plains South of what his ministry was doing in co-operation with the International Cocoa and Coffee Organisation (ICCO) to ensure the reduction of high tariffs put on cocoa products he replied that a lot of work was going on at the level of International Cocoa Organisation (ICO) to persuade countries, which were not members of the EU and ICO to reduce tariffs for cocoa products from producing countries.
Dr Agambila said with regard to cocoa tariffs it must be noted that Most-Favoured Nation Tariffs (MFN Tariffs) were quite high in certain countries and markets for certain products.
He said in most industrialised countries, the applied tariffs were mostly very low or zero in the framework of preferential arrangements and in particular the general system of preferences and the preferential arrangements of the European Union towards the African, Pacific and Caribbean countries.
He said government would continue to provide the necessary inputs to ICCO at its meetings to carry out such a task. The Deputy Minister stated that the International Cocoa Agreement (ICA) was encouraging the consumption of chocolate and cocoa-based products to increase demand for cocoa.
This, according to him, was one of the major objectives of the ICA, which would come into force in January, next year as a way of providing balanced development of the world cocoa economy.
Dr Agambila said "government is encouraging the consumption of cocoa products locally such as serving of cocoa at official functions and government offices".
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