Page 15, Dec 2, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
CABINET has given approval for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to launch a National Forest Plantation Development Programme (NFPDP) in January next year.
The objective of the programme is to increase the tree cover of the country through massive recruitment of reafforestation work gangs to improve environmental quality and reduce the wood deficit situation in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Henry Ford Kamel, told Parliament in an answer to a question that the new expanded NFPDP was unique and distinct from previous plantation programmes since it would involve the establishment of plantations in all district assemblies in the country.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima Nwabiagya, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, who posed the question wanted to know what plans the ministry was initiating to further expand the over 100,000 acres of forest plantations established under the Presidential Special Initiative on afforestation by the previous government.
Mr Kamel explained that in 2010, the programme would be implemented in 100 districts and 300 jobs would be created in each district, thus creating a total of 30,000 jobs.
He said that in 2011 and beyond the programme was expected to cover all the 170 districts in the country and thus create a total of 51,000 jobs.
The Deputy Minister further explained that the plantation development strategy would include woodlot establishments; planting of fruit trees, rehabilitation of mangrove forests and urban forestry and fire management.
He said the programme would be carried out in both degraded forest reserves and outside the reserves, explaining that in the degraded reserves, over 400,000 hectares of land area had already been identified and mapped out by the Forestry Commission.
Mr Kamel added that since the programme had been designed to cover all districts in the country, negotiations would be made with landowners in districts which might not have forest reserves for off-reserve areas to be planted.
The deputy minister stated that the programme would be funded from mining levies, HIC, District Assembly Common Fund, Plantation Development Fund and Mining Development Fund, among others.
He called on the MPs to fully participate in the programme when it was launched since it had a great potential for job creation, improvement in rural incomes, restoration of forest cover and maintenance of environmental quality
The MP for Zabzugu/Tatale, Mr John Bennam Jabaah, also asked the minister when government would start mining the iron ore deposit at Sheini in the Zabzugu/Tatale District.
Answering the question, Mr Kamel informed the House that a private company, Inland Ghana Mines Limited, had been granted a six-month non-exclusive Due Diligence Permit over the area, adding that should the due diligence confirm the suitability of the grades and tonnage available, the company would prepare a feasibility report to the ministry.
He said until a feasibility report had been received from the company, no definite timelines could be given for the commencement of the mining of the iron ore.
Meanwhile, the debate on the government’s financial policy and budget for 2010 continued in the House yesterday.
The NDC MP for Ashiaman, Mr Alfred Agbeshie, who was the first to catch the Speaker’s eye called for more effort to equip Parliament to make the work of the House easy.
The NDC MP was not happy that the government had not taken steps to renovate the Job 600 for use as offices by MPs as promised during the campaign.
He expressed concern about the office building of the former Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs which had been taken over by the Castle, and said that it would have been proper for the government to have allowed MPs to use the building.
Mr Agbesi commended the Minister of Finance for the budget, which he described as having a lot of promises, and called for more efforts to ensure the number of programmes and policies outlined in the document to improve the lot of Ghanaians.
For his part, the NPP MP for Tano North, Mr Enerst Akubuor Debrah, pointed out inconsistencies in the budget on targets set out by the budget to increase cocoa production in the country by 2012.
He explained that while in one breath the budget stated that government would double the current 750,000 tonnes by 2012, in another breath the budget predicted an increase of the current production level to one million tonnes by 2012.
While calling for an increase in the current producer price of cocoa to curb smuggling of the commodity to nearby countries, the MP also advocated the provision of credit facilities to farmers in general to enable them to increase their yields.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thousands of bags of cocoa locked up
Backpage lead, Dec 2, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
MORE than 30,000 bags of cocoa are locked up in villages in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region following the collapse of some bridges and the road network in the area.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyetuah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, told the Daily Graphic that the biggest setback to the movement of cocoa and other agricultural produce in the area was the deplorable state of the 68-kilometre Samreboi-Prestea road which had become unmotorable as a result of years of neglect.
He added that the bridges spanning the River Fuli and the River Bisaa on the road had been damaged, making it difficult for vehicles to use the road to cart cocoa to the marketing centres.
Mr Gyetuah said although the district assembly had made an effort to rehabilitate the road, it had not been successful because of the huge amount involved in the work.
The deputy minister said a damaged bridge across the Kwaabisaa-Ohiampeanika, which was awarded to a contractor about two years ago, had still not been repaired.
He said the contractor had explained that he was finding it difficult to get components of the bridge for the repair work.
He added that the Sureso-Samreboi road had also not seen any major repairs for years and commended a timber firm, Samatex Timber Company, for its efforts at keeping the road in shape.
He expressed worry over the fact that even though the bulk of the country’s cocoa was obtained from the area, it had not had its fair share of the national cake.
Mr Gyetuah also called for urgent measures to save houses at Samreboi, Asankragua and Asankra Breman from being damaged as a result of severe erosion.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
MORE than 30,000 bags of cocoa are locked up in villages in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region following the collapse of some bridges and the road network in the area.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyetuah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, told the Daily Graphic that the biggest setback to the movement of cocoa and other agricultural produce in the area was the deplorable state of the 68-kilometre Samreboi-Prestea road which had become unmotorable as a result of years of neglect.
He added that the bridges spanning the River Fuli and the River Bisaa on the road had been damaged, making it difficult for vehicles to use the road to cart cocoa to the marketing centres.
Mr Gyetuah said although the district assembly had made an effort to rehabilitate the road, it had not been successful because of the huge amount involved in the work.
The deputy minister said a damaged bridge across the Kwaabisaa-Ohiampeanika, which was awarded to a contractor about two years ago, had still not been repaired.
He said the contractor had explained that he was finding it difficult to get components of the bridge for the repair work.
He added that the Sureso-Samreboi road had also not seen any major repairs for years and commended a timber firm, Samatex Timber Company, for its efforts at keeping the road in shape.
He expressed worry over the fact that even though the bulk of the country’s cocoa was obtained from the area, it had not had its fair share of the national cake.
Mr Gyetuah also called for urgent measures to save houses at Samreboi, Asankragua and Asankra Breman from being damaged as a result of severe erosion.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Salaga Market to be reconstructed
Page 29, Dec 1, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Salaga Market, which was closed down about 11 years ago, is to be reconstructed next year under a joint venture between the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and a private investor.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, who announced this in Parliament, added that the assembly was assessing the current status of the structure in order to come out with a comprehensive plan towards rebuilding the market.
The market was closed down about 11 years ago, when it was realised that the old structure, which was built about 80 years ago, was in a deplorable state and there was a need to refurbish it.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, told Parliament that there had been plans to refurbish the market some years ago, but that did not materialise due to a lack of funds.
He was answering a question posed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodioo, Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie-Komme, who complained that closure of the market 11 years ago had forced the market women to trade on the periphery of the road.
Mr Chireh further explained that in 2006, the assembly contracted Messrs Kpodo Tay and Associates to prepare a proposal for the maximisation of the land as a modern market.
He said that proposal was submitted to the Government for funding when the idea was mooted to build jubilee markets within each of the 10 regional capitals during the Ghana @ 50 celebration.
Mr Chireh said the Mallam Atta Market was, however, considered by the Government and that was approved instead of the Salaga Market.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Salaga Market, which was closed down about 11 years ago, is to be reconstructed next year under a joint venture between the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and a private investor.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, who announced this in Parliament, added that the assembly was assessing the current status of the structure in order to come out with a comprehensive plan towards rebuilding the market.
The market was closed down about 11 years ago, when it was realised that the old structure, which was built about 80 years ago, was in a deplorable state and there was a need to refurbish it.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, told Parliament that there had been plans to refurbish the market some years ago, but that did not materialise due to a lack of funds.
He was answering a question posed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodioo, Mr Jonathan Nii Tackie-Komme, who complained that closure of the market 11 years ago had forced the market women to trade on the periphery of the road.
Mr Chireh further explained that in 2006, the assembly contracted Messrs Kpodo Tay and Associates to prepare a proposal for the maximisation of the land as a modern market.
He said that proposal was submitted to the Government for funding when the idea was mooted to build jubilee markets within each of the 10 regional capitals during the Ghana @ 50 celebration.
Mr Chireh said the Mallam Atta Market was, however, considered by the Government and that was approved instead of the Salaga Market.
MP for Tano South cautions NPP members
Page 17, Dec 1, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano South in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Andrew Adjei-Yeboah, has cautioned members of the New Patriotic Party against petty internal squabbles and the tendency to clash over personalities in the party.
He said it would be better for members of the party to learn lessons from the results of the 2008 elections and make amends to enable the NPP to recapture power in the 2012 general elections.
“Although Ghanaians have now come to realise the difference between the governance of the NPP and the NDC, we have to fight hard to repackage our message in order to win the hearts of Ghanaians in the next elections”, he said.
Mr Adjei-Yeboah told the Daily Graphic after supervising the Tano South Constituency elections of the NPP at Derma that although most party faithful were ready to bury their differences, there was the need for more sensitisation programmes to be organised to ensure total unity in the party.
“There should not be any bad blood between us”, he said advising that “it is only unity that can propel us back to power”.
The MP called for measures to rehabilitate roads in the constituency to enable farmers transport their produce to marketing centres.
He promised to use his GH¢20,000 share of the National Health Insurance Fund to facilitate the operation of the Community Health Improvement Programme in the constituency.
In the keenly contested elections, the incumbent, Mr Asare Antwi, retained his chairmanship position with 392 votes as against 146 obtained by his challenger, Nana Opoku Buabeng.
Mr Thomas Anhwere was elected unopposed as the First Vice-Chairman while Nana Opoku was elected as the Second Vice-Chairman with Mr Kofi Amo Amoako being elected unopposed as the Secretary.
Mr Kwabena Adjei, alias Flash, was elected as the constituency’s Organiser, while Mr Abdul Karim won the contest for the constituency Youth Organiser position.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano South in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Andrew Adjei-Yeboah, has cautioned members of the New Patriotic Party against petty internal squabbles and the tendency to clash over personalities in the party.
He said it would be better for members of the party to learn lessons from the results of the 2008 elections and make amends to enable the NPP to recapture power in the 2012 general elections.
“Although Ghanaians have now come to realise the difference between the governance of the NPP and the NDC, we have to fight hard to repackage our message in order to win the hearts of Ghanaians in the next elections”, he said.
Mr Adjei-Yeboah told the Daily Graphic after supervising the Tano South Constituency elections of the NPP at Derma that although most party faithful were ready to bury their differences, there was the need for more sensitisation programmes to be organised to ensure total unity in the party.
“There should not be any bad blood between us”, he said advising that “it is only unity that can propel us back to power”.
The MP called for measures to rehabilitate roads in the constituency to enable farmers transport their produce to marketing centres.
He promised to use his GH¢20,000 share of the National Health Insurance Fund to facilitate the operation of the Community Health Improvement Programme in the constituency.
In the keenly contested elections, the incumbent, Mr Asare Antwi, retained his chairmanship position with 392 votes as against 146 obtained by his challenger, Nana Opoku Buabeng.
Mr Thomas Anhwere was elected unopposed as the First Vice-Chairman while Nana Opoku was elected as the Second Vice-Chairman with Mr Kofi Amo Amoako being elected unopposed as the Secretary.
Mr Kwabena Adjei, alias Flash, was elected as the constituency’s Organiser, while Mr Abdul Karim won the contest for the constituency Youth Organiser position.
China-Africa relationship
Page 27, Nov 30, 2009
By Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Back from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
THE just ended Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) in the Egyptian tourist resort city, Sharm El-Sheikh, was described by some of the participants as “a stimulant that will cement the existing relationship between China and African countries”.
They were not far from right since proposals made by the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Wen Jiabao, which were adopted by the forum will go a long way to enhance the partnership between China, an emerging economic superpower, and African countries.
FOCAC is one of the three-high level meetings established by the Chinese and African leaders at their inaugural summit at the Chinese capital, Beijing, in 2000 to enhance co-operation between the two sides to ensure development for their people in a win-win situation.
At the last FOCAC Summit in 2006, attended by 48 out of 53 members of the African Union (AU), China and African countries adopted a number of resolutions which proclaimed the establishment of a new type of partnership.
Priority was placed on different areas of the economy such as agriculture, infrastructure, industry, fishing, information technology, public health and personnel training to draw on each other's strengths for their mutual benefit.
At that summit, China and Africa pledged to increase their trade to volumes of about US$100 billion by 2010 with the then Chinese President, Mr Hu Jiabao, announcing a package of aid and assistance to Africa, including US$3 billion of preferential loans and the exemption of debt owed by some African countries.
The Sharm El-Sheikh summit, held from November 8 to 9, 2009 on the theme “Deepening the new type of China-Africa partnership for sustainable development”, aimed at the overall review of the implementation of various cooperative agreements since the Beijing Summit and charting the course for the development of China-Africa relations. It was jointly chaired by the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Wen Jiabao and the Egyptian President, Mr Hosny Mubarak.
It was attended by 49 member countries of the African Union with Ghana, which included the Foreign Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, and some senior officials from the ministry, being led by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama.
According to Premier Jiabao, significant achievements had been made since the 2006 summit with China-Africa trade exceeding the 2010 target of US$100 billion last year while the number of African countries trading with China grew to 53.
Again, nearly 1,600 Chinese enterprises have started businesses in African countries with a direct stock of US$7.8 billion while project contracting and labour services cooperation between the two sides have been expanding with financial cooperation gaining momentum.
China's assistance to Africa, despite the impact of the international financial crisis and many difficulties it faces at home, has also been doubled with a plan to cancel 168 debts owed by 33 African countries nearing completion.
So far, exchanges between China and Africa have grown from strength to strength. By the end of the year, China is expected to have trained 15,000 people from African countries in different professions.
To show how it cherishes its relationship with Africa, China announced eight new measures to assist African countries during the just-ended fourth FOCAC meeting in Egypt.
First, China proposed to establish a China-Africa partnership in addressing climate change under which 100 clean energy projects covering solar power, biogas and small hydro-power would be embarked on.
Second, China has the given assurance that it will enhance its cooperation with Africa in science and technology by launching China-Africa science and technology partnership under which 100 joint demonstration projects on scientific and technological research would be carried out.
China will also provide US$10 billion in concessional loans to African countries and support Chinese financial institutions in setting up a US$ 1billion special loan for small and medium-sized African businesses.
It will also open up its market to African products by phasing in zero tariff treatment to 95 per cent starting with 50 per cent of products within 2010 while in the agricultural sector a number of measures including the training of 2,000 agricultural technology personnel would be done to strengthen Africa's ability to ensure food security.
In the health sector, China also proposed during the forum to provide medical equipment and anti-malaria materials to the 30 hospitals and 30 malaria prevention and treatment centres already built by China, and train 3,000 doctors and nurses in Africa.
A number of measures including the building of 50 China-Africa friendship schools and the training of 1,500 school principals and teachers in Africa by 2012, have also been proposed in the education sector, while the number of Chinese government scholarships to African students will be increased to 5,500.
The Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, was right when he stated in his address to the forum that “as long as China and Africa go hand in hand with the enterprising spirit and cooperate on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, we will seize opportunities and overcome challenges to take the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership to a new level, and make China-Africa friendship and cooperation even more fruitful”.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who led Ghana's delegation to the summit, rightly indicated in his address at the forum that since its inception in 2002, FOCAC had provided a veritable channel for the incremental enhancement of Sino-African relationship, adding that the architects of the strategic partnership were motivated by the lessons of history, the realities of today and legitimate aspirations of the millions of people of China and Africa.
He noted that in spite of the difficulties that had characterised the global economic and financial environment, China had shared the virtues of true partnership and was well-placed to deepen this new strategic engagement.
“China is indeed a true friend of Africa,” he said and noted that China's post-FOCAC interventions in Ghana's socio-economic development had been remarkable and visible.
China’s cooperation with its African counterparts is a clear example of south-south co-operation that had been drummed home since time immemorial. The success of FOCAL will, therefore, clear the way for developing countries to look up to themselves for their economic survival rather than looking up to the west.
It is the hope of this writer that FOCAC will not be a nine-day wonder but grow to become a force in the international development agenda that would enable most African countries to rub shoulders with countries anywhere on the globe.
By Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah, Back from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
THE just ended Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) in the Egyptian tourist resort city, Sharm El-Sheikh, was described by some of the participants as “a stimulant that will cement the existing relationship between China and African countries”.
They were not far from right since proposals made by the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Wen Jiabao, which were adopted by the forum will go a long way to enhance the partnership between China, an emerging economic superpower, and African countries.
FOCAC is one of the three-high level meetings established by the Chinese and African leaders at their inaugural summit at the Chinese capital, Beijing, in 2000 to enhance co-operation between the two sides to ensure development for their people in a win-win situation.
At the last FOCAC Summit in 2006, attended by 48 out of 53 members of the African Union (AU), China and African countries adopted a number of resolutions which proclaimed the establishment of a new type of partnership.
Priority was placed on different areas of the economy such as agriculture, infrastructure, industry, fishing, information technology, public health and personnel training to draw on each other's strengths for their mutual benefit.
At that summit, China and Africa pledged to increase their trade to volumes of about US$100 billion by 2010 with the then Chinese President, Mr Hu Jiabao, announcing a package of aid and assistance to Africa, including US$3 billion of preferential loans and the exemption of debt owed by some African countries.
The Sharm El-Sheikh summit, held from November 8 to 9, 2009 on the theme “Deepening the new type of China-Africa partnership for sustainable development”, aimed at the overall review of the implementation of various cooperative agreements since the Beijing Summit and charting the course for the development of China-Africa relations. It was jointly chaired by the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Wen Jiabao and the Egyptian President, Mr Hosny Mubarak.
It was attended by 49 member countries of the African Union with Ghana, which included the Foreign Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, and some senior officials from the ministry, being led by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama.
According to Premier Jiabao, significant achievements had been made since the 2006 summit with China-Africa trade exceeding the 2010 target of US$100 billion last year while the number of African countries trading with China grew to 53.
Again, nearly 1,600 Chinese enterprises have started businesses in African countries with a direct stock of US$7.8 billion while project contracting and labour services cooperation between the two sides have been expanding with financial cooperation gaining momentum.
China's assistance to Africa, despite the impact of the international financial crisis and many difficulties it faces at home, has also been doubled with a plan to cancel 168 debts owed by 33 African countries nearing completion.
So far, exchanges between China and Africa have grown from strength to strength. By the end of the year, China is expected to have trained 15,000 people from African countries in different professions.
To show how it cherishes its relationship with Africa, China announced eight new measures to assist African countries during the just-ended fourth FOCAC meeting in Egypt.
First, China proposed to establish a China-Africa partnership in addressing climate change under which 100 clean energy projects covering solar power, biogas and small hydro-power would be embarked on.
Second, China has the given assurance that it will enhance its cooperation with Africa in science and technology by launching China-Africa science and technology partnership under which 100 joint demonstration projects on scientific and technological research would be carried out.
China will also provide US$10 billion in concessional loans to African countries and support Chinese financial institutions in setting up a US$ 1billion special loan for small and medium-sized African businesses.
It will also open up its market to African products by phasing in zero tariff treatment to 95 per cent starting with 50 per cent of products within 2010 while in the agricultural sector a number of measures including the training of 2,000 agricultural technology personnel would be done to strengthen Africa's ability to ensure food security.
In the health sector, China also proposed during the forum to provide medical equipment and anti-malaria materials to the 30 hospitals and 30 malaria prevention and treatment centres already built by China, and train 3,000 doctors and nurses in Africa.
A number of measures including the building of 50 China-Africa friendship schools and the training of 1,500 school principals and teachers in Africa by 2012, have also been proposed in the education sector, while the number of Chinese government scholarships to African students will be increased to 5,500.
The Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, was right when he stated in his address to the forum that “as long as China and Africa go hand in hand with the enterprising spirit and cooperate on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, we will seize opportunities and overcome challenges to take the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership to a new level, and make China-Africa friendship and cooperation even more fruitful”.
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who led Ghana's delegation to the summit, rightly indicated in his address at the forum that since its inception in 2002, FOCAC had provided a veritable channel for the incremental enhancement of Sino-African relationship, adding that the architects of the strategic partnership were motivated by the lessons of history, the realities of today and legitimate aspirations of the millions of people of China and Africa.
He noted that in spite of the difficulties that had characterised the global economic and financial environment, China had shared the virtues of true partnership and was well-placed to deepen this new strategic engagement.
“China is indeed a true friend of Africa,” he said and noted that China's post-FOCAC interventions in Ghana's socio-economic development had been remarkable and visible.
China’s cooperation with its African counterparts is a clear example of south-south co-operation that had been drummed home since time immemorial. The success of FOCAL will, therefore, clear the way for developing countries to look up to themselves for their economic survival rather than looking up to the west.
It is the hope of this writer that FOCAC will not be a nine-day wonder but grow to become a force in the international development agenda that would enable most African countries to rub shoulders with countries anywhere on the globe.
Debate on budget turns chaotic
Page 55, Nov 26, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
CHAOS and confusion characterised the atmosphere in Parliament yesterday as the House began debate on the 2010 Budget and Financial Policy of the government which was presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, to the House last week Wednesday.
So rowdy was the situation that it became very difficult for the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, to control the debate, since members from both sides of the House would not keep quiet for the listening public to make their informed judgement.
The presence of a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fiifi Kwetey, also seemed to have rekindled the bad blood that existed between him and the Minority, as his explanation of a statement he had made on an Accra-based radio station seemed to make the already charged atmosphere worse.
In his submission, the Ranking Member of Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, was not happy with Mr Kwetey’s description of the 2008 GDP growth of 7.3 per cent as cocaine-induced growth.
When he was given the chance to explain his assertion, the deputy minister explained that what he had said on the radio station was metaphorical.
He said he had compared the 2008 growth rate to an athlete who had taken cocaine and steroids to assist him to ran a race, explaining that such growth was not sustainable.
In his bid to explain himself, Mr Kwetey wondered why Dr Akoto Osei, who is also the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, could not understand such a metaphorical statement.
That assertion inflamed passions and brought all the members on the Minority side to their feet. It took tact on the part of the Majority Leader and Mr Adjaho to prevail on Mr Kwetey to withdraw and apologise for his statement, which was deemed “unparliamentary”.
Even after the House had adjourned and the First Deputy Speaker was being led out of the Chamber, the Minority back benchers were still banging their desks and shouting, “We want Madam Speaker; we want Madam Speaker.”
Their counterparts on the Majority side responded with shouts of “Shame! Shame! Shame!”
In the end, only two people, one from each side, instead of the expected three from each side, were able to contribute to the debate during the first day.
Contributing to the debate, Dr Akoto Osei accused the government for failing to provide end-of-year figures of the 2009 budget in the 2010 budget, explaining that that had deliberately been done.
He also referred to revenue figures in the 2009 budget and said it was unfortunate that revenue targets had not been achieved and asked Ghanaians to inquire from the government whether that was the better Ghana that had been promised them by the NDC during the 2008 electioneering.
Dr Akotoi Osei’s contribution, which was expected to have lasted for 15 minutes, lasted one hour due to heckling and the noisy atmosphere in the House.
When he took his turn, the NDC MP for Anlo, Mr Clement Kofi Humado, accused the past government for running down the economy and leaving a huge deficit behind.
He said the NDC put in a lot of measures this year to enable it to make meaningful gains, compared to those of the previous government.
Mr Humado’s description was also met with a lot of heckling and he could not complete his submission before Mr Adjaho adjourned sitting.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the sitting, the Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, described the situation in the House as not the best and stated that measures would be taken to ensure a lively debate today.
He said the leadership of the House would prevail on the Speaker not to allow points of order during subsequent debates, in addition to ordering the marshal to drive away members who disturbed outside the chamber.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
CHAOS and confusion characterised the atmosphere in Parliament yesterday as the House began debate on the 2010 Budget and Financial Policy of the government which was presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, to the House last week Wednesday.
So rowdy was the situation that it became very difficult for the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, to control the debate, since members from both sides of the House would not keep quiet for the listening public to make their informed judgement.
The presence of a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fiifi Kwetey, also seemed to have rekindled the bad blood that existed between him and the Minority, as his explanation of a statement he had made on an Accra-based radio station seemed to make the already charged atmosphere worse.
In his submission, the Ranking Member of Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, was not happy with Mr Kwetey’s description of the 2008 GDP growth of 7.3 per cent as cocaine-induced growth.
When he was given the chance to explain his assertion, the deputy minister explained that what he had said on the radio station was metaphorical.
He said he had compared the 2008 growth rate to an athlete who had taken cocaine and steroids to assist him to ran a race, explaining that such growth was not sustainable.
In his bid to explain himself, Mr Kwetey wondered why Dr Akoto Osei, who is also the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, could not understand such a metaphorical statement.
That assertion inflamed passions and brought all the members on the Minority side to their feet. It took tact on the part of the Majority Leader and Mr Adjaho to prevail on Mr Kwetey to withdraw and apologise for his statement, which was deemed “unparliamentary”.
Even after the House had adjourned and the First Deputy Speaker was being led out of the Chamber, the Minority back benchers were still banging their desks and shouting, “We want Madam Speaker; we want Madam Speaker.”
Their counterparts on the Majority side responded with shouts of “Shame! Shame! Shame!”
In the end, only two people, one from each side, instead of the expected three from each side, were able to contribute to the debate during the first day.
Contributing to the debate, Dr Akoto Osei accused the government for failing to provide end-of-year figures of the 2009 budget in the 2010 budget, explaining that that had deliberately been done.
He also referred to revenue figures in the 2009 budget and said it was unfortunate that revenue targets had not been achieved and asked Ghanaians to inquire from the government whether that was the better Ghana that had been promised them by the NDC during the 2008 electioneering.
Dr Akotoi Osei’s contribution, which was expected to have lasted for 15 minutes, lasted one hour due to heckling and the noisy atmosphere in the House.
When he took his turn, the NDC MP for Anlo, Mr Clement Kofi Humado, accused the past government for running down the economy and leaving a huge deficit behind.
He said the NDC put in a lot of measures this year to enable it to make meaningful gains, compared to those of the previous government.
Mr Humado’s description was also met with a lot of heckling and he could not complete his submission before Mr Adjaho adjourned sitting.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the sitting, the Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, described the situation in the House as not the best and stated that measures would be taken to ensure a lively debate today.
He said the leadership of the House would prevail on the Speaker not to allow points of order during subsequent debates, in addition to ordering the marshal to drive away members who disturbed outside the chamber.
MPs engage in decorous debate
Page 14, Nov 28, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE chaos, confusion and acrimony that characterized the first day of the debate of the 2010 Financial Statement and Budget in Parliament gave way to a decorous debate today with Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the House paying attention to their opponents as they make their submissions.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo had no difficulty in controlling affair of the House as the MPs minimized their hecklings and only came in with their points of order when it became necessary.
Making his contribution, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi and former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Professor George Yaw Gyang-Bafffuor noted that the growth target of 6.5 for the 2010 budget would not be attained.
He described some targets in the 2010 budget as outrageous and urged the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to tread cautiously.
Professor Gyang-Baffour noted that it was unfortunate that an economy which was buoyant was now at the doldrums with only 4.7 growth for t2009.
He said the Ghanaian economy recorded less than five per cent growth for 10 years continuously until the NPP administration took over before measure were put in place to record above five per cent growth rate.
Professor Gyang-Baffour said it is unfortunate that the NDC had reverted the country’s growth rate back to the days when the growth rate was below five per cent for a long time.
He noted that the re-imposition of taxes on some imported items such as rice was not the best simply imposing taxes on such commodities would not deter consumers from patronizing such commodities.
“What have Ghanaians done to deserve such hardships being visited on them by the government”, he said adding that the economic theories underlying the 2010 budget was outmoded.
He accused the government for allowing the economy to be ran through a remote control system by the IMF and the World Bank.
When he took his turn, the MP for Mion, Dr Alhassan Yakubu said “my assessment of the budget is that it is a good one” explaining that it was a departure from the economic public relations that had been the lot of many budgets in recent times.
“The budget set into motion the basic building blocks for real economic growth. It does so by putting resources into areas that will sustain economic goals to achieve poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth, employment and technology transfer”, noted.
Dr Alhassan said it was good that the government included the oil and gas industry and further development of the information, communication technology industry as a tool for the modernization of the economy and employment generation.
He said the budget recognized agriculture as the base of the economic and more sustainable way of growing the economy, adding that it was, therefore not surprising that key elements of the budget delivered proposals meant to support the sector.
Dr Alhassan buttressed his point by explaining that in the 2009 season some significant increases in rice, maize, sorghum, millet, groundnut, soya bean and cowpea production were made, while in the poultry sector, 25,000 improved chicks were distributed to farmers at subsidized prices to boost local poultry production.
That programme, he said, would be continued in 2010 and would include the provision of incubators to hatch keets in the Northern regions.
He called for an independent agency to handle the sheanut the industry which he described a s gold and a potential foreign exchange earners for the nation adding that the industry must be taken away from the COCOBOD and given the opportunity to grow.
On the policy of restori8ng taxes on imported rice and poultry, Dr Alhassan stated that the growth of local agriculture had always thrived on technology, investment and market adding that any weak link in that chain would undermine growth of the sector.
He noted that there was the need to protect local producers and make them competitive and called for measures to discourage dumping while advising Ghanaians to eat what was produced in the country.
Other contributors of the debate included, the Minister of Communications and MP for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu.
He assured Ghanaians that a lot of infrastructure would be build to boost the communication industry and encourage the establishment of FM stations in districts capitals and communities to boost information flow in the country.
The NPP MP for Kwabre West, Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu-Ansah accused the President of violating the provisions of the Constitution by slashing the budget of the Judiciary.
The Speaker, Mrs Bamford-Addo, however said that during the consideration of fiscal budget estimates, the proper thing would be done.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE chaos, confusion and acrimony that characterized the first day of the debate of the 2010 Financial Statement and Budget in Parliament gave way to a decorous debate today with Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the House paying attention to their opponents as they make their submissions.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo had no difficulty in controlling affair of the House as the MPs minimized their hecklings and only came in with their points of order when it became necessary.
Making his contribution, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi and former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Professor George Yaw Gyang-Bafffuor noted that the growth target of 6.5 for the 2010 budget would not be attained.
He described some targets in the 2010 budget as outrageous and urged the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to tread cautiously.
Professor Gyang-Baffour noted that it was unfortunate that an economy which was buoyant was now at the doldrums with only 4.7 growth for t2009.
He said the Ghanaian economy recorded less than five per cent growth for 10 years continuously until the NPP administration took over before measure were put in place to record above five per cent growth rate.
Professor Gyang-Baffour said it is unfortunate that the NDC had reverted the country’s growth rate back to the days when the growth rate was below five per cent for a long time.
He noted that the re-imposition of taxes on some imported items such as rice was not the best simply imposing taxes on such commodities would not deter consumers from patronizing such commodities.
“What have Ghanaians done to deserve such hardships being visited on them by the government”, he said adding that the economic theories underlying the 2010 budget was outmoded.
He accused the government for allowing the economy to be ran through a remote control system by the IMF and the World Bank.
When he took his turn, the MP for Mion, Dr Alhassan Yakubu said “my assessment of the budget is that it is a good one” explaining that it was a departure from the economic public relations that had been the lot of many budgets in recent times.
“The budget set into motion the basic building blocks for real economic growth. It does so by putting resources into areas that will sustain economic goals to achieve poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth, employment and technology transfer”, noted.
Dr Alhassan said it was good that the government included the oil and gas industry and further development of the information, communication technology industry as a tool for the modernization of the economy and employment generation.
He said the budget recognized agriculture as the base of the economic and more sustainable way of growing the economy, adding that it was, therefore not surprising that key elements of the budget delivered proposals meant to support the sector.
Dr Alhassan buttressed his point by explaining that in the 2009 season some significant increases in rice, maize, sorghum, millet, groundnut, soya bean and cowpea production were made, while in the poultry sector, 25,000 improved chicks were distributed to farmers at subsidized prices to boost local poultry production.
That programme, he said, would be continued in 2010 and would include the provision of incubators to hatch keets in the Northern regions.
He called for an independent agency to handle the sheanut the industry which he described a s gold and a potential foreign exchange earners for the nation adding that the industry must be taken away from the COCOBOD and given the opportunity to grow.
On the policy of restori8ng taxes on imported rice and poultry, Dr Alhassan stated that the growth of local agriculture had always thrived on technology, investment and market adding that any weak link in that chain would undermine growth of the sector.
He noted that there was the need to protect local producers and make them competitive and called for measures to discourage dumping while advising Ghanaians to eat what was produced in the country.
Other contributors of the debate included, the Minister of Communications and MP for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu.
He assured Ghanaians that a lot of infrastructure would be build to boost the communication industry and encourage the establishment of FM stations in districts capitals and communities to boost information flow in the country.
The NPP MP for Kwabre West, Mr Emmanuel A. Owusu-Ansah accused the President of violating the provisions of the Constitution by slashing the budget of the Judiciary.
The Speaker, Mrs Bamford-Addo, however said that during the consideration of fiscal budget estimates, the proper thing would be done.
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