Category: General

Deputy Minister of Finance Kwaku Kwarteng has said if the Minority goes ahead with their threat not to support any financial allocation that would go to the Special Initiative Ministry, they would be neglecting the powers to do proper monitoring to ensure funds are put to proper use.

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu in his closing remarks to conclude debate on the 2019 budget raised objection to funds being allocated to the Special Initiative Ministry and advocated that funds should rather go to the districts directly for development.

According to the Deputy Finance Minister, the Minority would do a good job if they monitor and trace the path of money to the Special Initiative Ministry and the purpose for which it was use.

“Simply because they disagree with the exercise of the President’s powers, I think they are neglecting their responsibilities”.

In an interview when it was pointed out to the Deputy Finance Minister that people are complaining that they do not see development, he responded by saying that if the Minority goes ahead with their threat it would become worse.

Again funds are not disbursed from the Minority’s office, to say you would not monitor it is free for all, government should go ahead and do anything, “I am appealing to them to rethink their decision.

“Government has the power to create a Ministry that would deploy its policies, people should feel free to comment on what the President’s decision is, so that the President himself in making future decisions would be minded.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has assured persons with disability that Parliament is very much concerned with their plight and would look into the Disability Act 2006 to make it more achievable.

According to the Speaker, Parliament as an institution has a duty to look into matters affecting persons with disability as part of its steps to tackle issues affecting them and the leadership of the House had agreed that the new Parliament to be built would be friendly to persons with disability.

The Speakers who was addressing the Speakers’ breakfast meeting further added that this would enable persons with disability to be able to access the chamber. “Parliament has also included sign language in its effort to help people with hearing disability be involved with proceedings in the chamber”.

Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye indicated to persons with disability that they have been invited for a good reason; “Making the law is one thing, what are the gaps, what are the issues inherent in their implementation thereof”.

The Executive arm of government, Parliament and relevant bodies and persons must be advised from time to time to see if it is really fulfilling the intentions for the law that was enacted.

“To be a person with disability is nothing strange at all, we are told statically speaking 15 percent of the world’s populations are person with disability. But, it is how far it is allowed to go unchecked, you never know tomorrow”, the Speaker noted.

He further added that, there should be a close look at a framework for the inclusion of the disabled for the United Nations Convention of the Right of persons with disability (UNCRPD) and look at what is happening.

Persons who came for their service in Parliament, the institution has decided to recruit her on a temporally bases, “I love for us to open our does to others to get an understanding what they feel to shape policy”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Only 16 out of a total number of 1,080 Zongo Communities in the country are currently benefiting from development initiatives under the Zongo Development Fund established as a result of the creation of the Inner-City and Zongo Development Ministry.

Minister of Inner-City and Zongo Development, Dr Mustapha Hamid disclosed this when he appeared before Parliament Tuesday morning to respond to a question filled by Member of Parliament for Garu, Albert Akuka Alazuuga on what programme the Ministry has put in place to improve livelihood in Zongo Communities in the country.

According to the Minister, the  Ministry has initiated a number of socio-economic programmes that are aimed at developing the human capacities of the people in Zongo communities, empowering them to be economically productive and supporting the promotion of their indigenous businesses in order to improve household incomes.

He stated that the Ministry is working with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to train selected women across zongo communities who have businesses in especially Zongo cuisine like “waakye,” “sobolo,” “tubaani,” “kooko,” “wasawasa” and the rest, first of all, to improve the development and packaging of these foods in order to add value and increase incomes associated with these businesses.

The NBSSI also aims to accredit some of these women who shall become ready sources of provision of these foods to conferences, meetings and hotels.

He said, there is also the Zongo Coders Programme, which is to train, improve and redirect the ICT skills of the youth in Zongo communities into productive ventures.

Dr Hamid indicated that, in collaboration with the Ministry of Business Development and Access Bank, the Ministry is in the final stages of a collaboration that will allow Access Bank to provide capital to businesses in Zongo communities. This programme should be rolled out in the first quarter of 2019.

This he said President Akufo Addo believes the country as a whole must develop its human resource.

By Christian Kpesese/ghanamps.com.

Local Zongo cuisines such as Waakye, kubaani, wasawasa, sobolalo, kooko among others will soon become the number one choice of dishes at conferences and hotels as they Ministry for Inner-City and Zongo Development ensures their branding through excellent packaging.

He disclosed that, the Ministry is working with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to train selected women across zongo communities who have businesses in especially Zongo cuisine like “waakye,” “sobolo,” “tubaani,” “kooko,” “wasawasa” and the rest, first of all, to improve the development and packaging of these foods in order to add value and increase incomes associated with these businesses.

The Board he said is also aimed at accrediting some of these women to become ready sources of provision of these foods to conferences, meetings and hotels across the country.

The Minister, Dr Mustapha Hamid told parliament that it is President Akufo Addo’s vision for Zongo communities as encapsulated in the Coordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development Policies (2017-2024) to support the provision of critical infrastructure in education and training, health and sanitation, local businesses and centres of culture, as well as improve security.

He was responding to Parliamentary question field by the Member of Parliament for Garu, Albert Akuka Alalzuuga seeking to know what programmes the ministry has put in place to improve livelihood in Zongo communities in the country.

He said, there is also the Zongo Coders Programme, which is to train, improve and redirect the ICT skills of the youth in Zongo communities into productive ventures.

Dr Hamid indicated that in collaboration with the Ministry of Business Development and Access Bank, the Bank will provide capital to businesses in Zongo communities by the first quarter of 2019.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Former Volta Regional Minister during the erstwhile President John Dramani Mahama administration has stated that the time has come for the men and women of the Ghana Immigration Service to be armed.

According to her if the country is serious about protecting its boarders, then the Immigration Officers especially the border patrol team to be armed with the adequate resources in the conduct of their lawful duties.

Madam Adjoa Ntoso who is the Member of Parliament for the Krachi West constituency in the Volta region explained that section 24 of the Ghana Immigration Act (2006), Act 908 provides for the arming of officers in the performance of the duties.

Debating the 2019 Budget statement on the floor of Parliament, the MP argued that the Officers who patrol Ghana’s boarders face difficult challenges in fighting crime without arms hence the urgent need to ensure that they are armed in order to carry out their duties in the general interest of the country.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye has urged the need to shift national discourse away from irrelevance to matters affecting the total wellbeing of the citizenry.

He emphasis focus on politics of issues which is very important for National growth whiles urging the need for experts to always speak on topical issued to enhance development rather than same people who claim to know it all.

Speaking at the Speaker’s breakfast meeting which discusses Disability Inclusion in Ghana at Parliament House, the Speaker calls for a complete overhaul of the existing legal regime to make them relevant to the current needs of Persons living With Disabilities (PWDs).

Parliament he said is committed to the people through responsive governance and urged he need for attitudinal and behaviourial change to ensure inclusion.

The meeting he said was to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to know what has happened since the promulgation of the Disability Act, Act 715 in 2016.

The breakfast meeting was sponsored by Starr Ghana foundation.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Minister for Inner-city and Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Hamid has said his Ministry in collaboration with Access Bank and Ministry of Business Development are at the final stage of providing capital to businesses in Zongo communities.

According to the Minister the programme would be roll out in the first quarter of 2019 and we have a programme with an association of residents in the United States of America NGOs to provide books to schools in Zongo communities as a way of improving learning.

He further pointed out that next year the Ministry would embark on a programme to provide classroom blocks and furniture to schools in Zongo communities as a way of improving access to education.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu, Albert Akuka sought to know what programmes the Ministry is putting in place to help improve livelihood in the Zongo communities in the country.

And as a way of improving the socio-economic aim at developing the human capacity of people in the Zongo communities, the Ministry is working with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to train selected women across Zongo communities.

In addition, the NBSSI also aims to provide accreditation to some of the women who shall become ready sources of provision of foods to conferences, meetings and hotels.

Mr. Speaker, there is also the Zongo coders programmer, which is to train, improve and redirect the ICT skills of the youth in Zongo communities into productive ventures.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Ranking Member on the committee of Defense and Interior, James Agalga is advocating for the scrapping of the National Security Ministry.

According the former Deputy Interior Minister the 2019 budget statement does not say anything about the Ministry in terms of policy direction.

He further contended that the move amounts to placing the Ministry above Parliamentary scrutiny and in view of that called for its scraping.

In addition, he challenged the deputy Defense Minister, Major Rtd. Derek Oduro who said “no country exposes its national security strategies”.

Deputy Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee, Collins Owusu Amankwah said government has made provision for the Ministry and it is captured.

He made this remarks when he was contributing towards the debate of the 2019 budget on the floor of the House, and added, “Under John Mahama there was nothing like Ministry of National Security”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said the Minority would continue to put pressure on government to reduce the huge number of Presidential staffers.

According to the Ranking member of Foreign Affairs Committee, he is glad that the budget debate is not over and the estimates had not yet been approved, “there is still window of opportunity to correct the wrong”.

“We are going to continue the campaign, form a coalition to mobilize civil society groups to bring pressure to bear on government to amend the huge number of staffers of personnel’s working with government machinery”, he lamented.

He further added that whiles Ghanaians were not happy with the nine hundred and ninety-eight (998) in 2017, going forward government has increased the figure to one thousand six hundred and fourteen (1,614).

Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made this remarks during question time at a press conference when ghanamps.com sought to know actions that they indicated in their press conference they would be taking to ensure that the huge numbers working with government machinery is reduced to save the taxpayer.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

As part of ensuring that there are reforms in Parliament and the institution works efficiently, Speaker Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has set up a working committee to see to the process of establishing Parliamentary Assurance Committee.

At a press briefing in Parliament, Majority Chief Whip, Kwesi Ameyaw Kyeremeh who is heading this working team indicated to the media that, they are mindful that the House already has a Government Assurance Committee.

According to the Chief Whip, with the Parliamentary Assurance Committee, what it seeks to do is to take on assurance given by Parliament and ensure that, Parliament works efficiently and also correct the mix conception some Ghanaians have about MPs and the workings of the House.

“We want to have introspection into the workings of the House, as to what is working well for us as a Parliament and what is not working well for us. Which areas can we improve to make Parliament effective and responsive to the needs of Ghanaians”.

Mr. Ameyaw Kyeremeh further pointed out that Parliament is instituting reforms to restore public confidence and enhance the dignity of the House as well as revising its Standing Orders to address the challenges of today as part of the reforms
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He further pointed out that so far the working committee is consulting to get ideas on board with civil society, stakeholders like CDD, Ghana Integrative Initiative and the National Commission for Civic Education which have been consulted so far.

Members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC), the Majority Whip indicated would be consulted in the coming days.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com