Fireworks in House next week as three Ministers appear

Three ministers are to appear before parliament to brief the House on the Tertiary Education Crisis, state of the Ashanti Goldfields Company, and purchase of the presidential jet next week. They are the ministers of Education, Mines and Energy, and Finance. Dr. Kwabena Adjei, leader of the house, disclosed this on Friday when he presented the Business Statement for the coming week.

He said the ministers of Roads and Transport, Education, Tourism, Trade, Health and Northern Region would also appear before the House during the week to answer parliamentary questions. The House will also consider a motion for the adoption of the report of the Legal, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Committees on the ratification of the Statute on the International Criminal Court.

Two papers and two loan agreements will be laid. They are the annual reports of the Free Zones Board (1998) and Fisheries Commission (1997). The first agreement is a 10 million-Deutsche Marks loan by Germany to government for the purchase of 51 Mercedes Benz Neoplan Buses for the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Association of Travel and Tour Agents (GHATTA).

The other covers an increase in loan amounts for electrification in the Greater Accra and Volta Regions (Amendment NO. One) between the government and Nordbanken of Sweden. The amounts involved were not disclosed. Dr. Adjei said further that the business committee had agreed that all loan agreements should be laid by or on behalf of the Minister of Finance and the Speaker may refer such agreements to the Finance Committee and any other select committee.

Earlier in the week when a loan agreement to finance technical and vocational training was laid and referred to the Finance Committee, Mr. Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South, said the Education Committee should join the Finance Committee to examine it.

Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, NPP-Asante Akim North, disagreed on the issue of loan agreements being laid on behalf of the Minister of Finance. He said the constitution states that loan agreements are to be laid only by the Minister of Finance and insisted that the correct thing should be done.

"The Business Committee has no right to change the laws; the leader or any member can only do so upon a written notice to that effect by the Minister of Finance. Mr Speaker ruled that the chair would take up the issue and solve it.