ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
In pursuing this objective, the Government of Ghana will develop mechanisms for promoting citizen-­‐based monitoring and evaluation of public policies and programs, as well as providing feedback and suggestions on ways of improving the targeting of social and economic development programmes.
Civil society will continue to have limitless space to participate in our governance system.
It is healthy and allows growth of democratic governance.
Speaker, We will guarantee freedom of worship as enshrined in our constitution and continue to promote peaceful coexistence of all religions in our country.
It is expected that the umbrella religious organizations will in turn implement self-­‐regulation to curb the excesses of some of their members who give the clergy a bad name.
Speaker, the role of traditional institutions, will be strengthened to promote accountable governance.
Working with the National House of Chiefs, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs has been re-­‐aligned to provide more vigorous interface between chieftaincy and tradition.
We will progressively improve the allowances given to Paramount chiefs and Queenmothers to facilitate the execution of their traditional duties.
Speaker, a strong parliament is a strong democracy.
Strengthening Parliament is also a crucial element in managing a successful transition to middle-­‐income status.
This includes ensuring that Parliament has the capacity to play its oversight role effectively.
Speaker, the ‘Job 600’ project, which will ensure that Members of Parliament can operate from descent offices, is almost complete.
MPs can expect to be furnished with laptops with full 19 Internet connectivity to facilitate communication between their offices and constituents as promised in the NDC manifesto.
In my first term, we will seek to strengthen Parliament by: -­‐ Establishing the Democracy Fund proposed by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) to provide sustainable funding for Parliament, Independent Governance Institutions and other pro-­‐democracy governance bodies.
-­‐ Strengthening the Committees of Parliament by ensuring that the Chairpersons and Ranking Members of Parliament are accorded recognition consistent with their status and responsibilities as recommended by the CRC.
-­‐ Commence a feasibility study for the construction of a new Parliamentary Chamber block on the premises of the state house.
-­‐ We will also explore appropriate housing for MPs in order to gurantee their safety and security.
DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE Mr.
Speaker, effective decentralization in governance and decision-­‐making starts with the Presidency.
I have therefore instructed the Cabinet office to ensure that Cabinet meetings rotate between Accra and the Regional capitals.
By this, millions of our citizens outside Accra will have the opportunity each month to witness and participate in the process of decision-­‐making directly.
Speaker, during my first term as President, every effort will be made to ensure that some of the far-­‐reaching proposals emanating from the CRC’s report on decentralization such as the election of Chief Executives at the local level is given the needed impetus.
We will mainstream the concept of Local Economic Development (LED) to facilitate, develop and implement employment creation programmes based on the natural resource endowments and the comparative advantages of every district.
We will continue to strengthen our decentralized local governance system by implementing the programme to establish the remaining seven decentralized Departments of the District Assemblies and identifying new Departments for decentralization whose capacities are needed by the District Assemblies such as the Departments of Women and of Children and the Statistical Service.
We will also commence a phased programme for the provision of administrative, economic and social infrastructure for the 106 new districts created in 2003, 2007 and 2012 and extend the composite budget system to cover the 46 new District Assemblies established in 2012.
THE MEDIA Mr.
Speaker, the Broadcasting Bill has been on the drawing board for a long time.
We must hasten to pass the Bill so that national standards for the electronic media can be established.
The newly established Media Development Fund aimed at improving capacity within the media will be operationalized this year.
20 We shall also support the National Media Commission to enact the needed Regulations that will establish an organizational framework and standards to ensure balance, fairness, access, opportunity and objectivity in the media.
Access to the establishment of Community radio will be improved to allow millions more to benefit from the unique attributes of this medium.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS, JUSTICE AND THE RULE OF LAW Mr.
Speaker, a major governance issue for the year will be the implementation of the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Commission.
For this purpose, an Implementation Committee has been established to be responsible for all aspects of the programme leading to the enactment of constitutional amendments.
Subsequent to the constitutional amendments, which the CRC Implementation Committee is currently working on, we will proceed to transform the Legal Aid Board into an independent constitutional body, implement the recommendation for CHRAJ’s decisions to be made directly enforceable, and introduce the recommended weekend and small claims courts.
COMBATING CORRUPTION Mr.
Speaker, we are proposing to revise the Criminal Offences Act to redefine corruption to include the more expansive definition covered in the UN Convention Against Corruption and the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.
We will give impetus to the fight against corruption by strengthening the anti-­‐corruption agencies and sanctioning culpable persons to serve as a deterrent to others.
The work of the Sole Commissioner into judgement debts will help us bring to order an unacceptable phenomenon that has become a huge charge on the public debt.
We would push for critical reforms in the AGs department.
I will implement the Freedom of Information Act as soon as it is passed by Parliament.
Our commitment to the fight against corruption remains unshakeable.
We would streamline and root out the rot that has become associated with the alienation of public lands.
FIGHTING NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND CONSUMPTION Mr.
Speaker, I am firmly committed in ensuring that Ghana is absolutely insulated from the illicit drug trade.
To this end; we will pursue the programme for the legislative conversion of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) into an autonomous Commission.
We will also continue to strengthen the inter-­‐agency coordination mechanism involving NACOB, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Police, BNI, the Food and Drugs Board, Aviation Security and the Immigration Service and ensure increased international cooperation especially for surveillance.
We shall maintain a zero tolerance for drug trafficking and I request all officials engaged in tackling this menace to maintain a high sense of integrity in order to win this battle.
NATIONAL SECURITY Mr.
Speaker, the security and safety of all citizens will be a priority.
We have been making modest gains as crime statistics show that the incidence of crime is on the decline.
This notwithstanding, we will continue to resource and adequately equip the security services to ensure that no Ghanaian feels unsafe in their lawful pursuits.
21 A worrying trend in our crime indices is increasing cases of rape and defilement.
In many cases families, religious leaders, traditional rulers and sometimes public officials intervene to cover up and resolve these cases at home.
I wish to emphasise that rape and defilement are criminal and must be handled by the criminal justice system.
We must bring to book paedophiles and rapist who prey on our women and rob them of their dignity.
I am instructing the IGP, DOVVSU, GCSP to work together to ensure that all of such cases are brought to justice.
Speaker, we will continue to provide critical support capable of augmenting the developmental service mix of our armed forces while providing adequate security for our citizens.
This strategy involves: 1.
Enhancing the health and logistical infrastructure that enables the security agencies to lead rescue and support missions, step in when we have major disruptions in basic services – water, health, sanitation, floods and natural disasters and also perform their traditional world-­‐acclaimed peacekeeping and development role in post-­‐conflict situations.
Undertake a comprehensive Security Services Health Sector Initiative that will improve basic, primary and referral health facilities within the security services and also make those facilities available for use by the general public.
In this regard we will build a second military hospital in Kumasi and upgrade the medical stations in the various barracks.
Address the critical office and residential accommodation problems facing the military and the Police, Prisons, Fire and Immigration Services as well as NADMO.
Speaker, in collaboration with the National Peace Council, the UNDP, The Otumfuor Committee and other stakeholders, I intend to begin a new round of bringing to closure some of the protracted chieftaincy conflicts in the north.
I call for the cooperation of all my compatriots in these areas to give peace a chance.
We can only succeed in turning around the fortunes of the 3 Northern regions if we have an atmosphere of peace and security.
FOREIGN POLICY Mr.
Speaker, Ghana’s foreign policy of positive neutrality will remain our focus with emphasis on economic diplomacy hinged on our national interest.
Ultimately, our foreign policy will deliver good neighbourliness, peace at home and abroad and economic wellbeing by strategic partnerships.
Speaker, our commitment to
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS 8TH FEBRUARY, 2007 SALUTATION Mr Speaker, the Constitution of the Fourth Republic prescribes that the President of the Republic delivers to Parliament a message on the state of the nation at the beginning of each session.
This is what I have come to do this morning.
Mr Speaker, as I look around the House, I see empty seats on the Minority’s side.
It is a sad day that members of that side have chosen to absent themselves.
It is sad again that they have resorted to this course of action, apparently in reaction to the judgement of a duly constituted court of law.
It is even sadder that they seem to ignore the fact that the due process of going through appeals, as provided for by the Constitution, is yet to be exhausted, in this particular case.
Mr Speaker, I want to use this occasion to ask them to reconsider their withdrawal from the House and come back to play their part to uphold the integrity of the House.
I make this appeal in the light of the sincerity with which government is committed to the reconciliation process it has initiated for healing the wounds of the nation and to make for a fresh start.
Mr Speaker, let me at this point acknowledge Mr Abu Bonsrah, the honourable member for Fomena, who has taken his seat in the House from the recent by-election.
I wish him a very successful term.
About two weeks ago, our own brother and compatriot, Mr Kofi Annan, who has successfully completed two terms as Secretary-General of the UN Organisation returned home to Ghana to a hero’s welcome.
He has since delivered a thought-provoking lecture which is the first in the series of the Golden Jubilee Lectures.
I am sure the whole nation joins me in wishing him a happy return home, after his distinguished service for humanity.
Mr Speaker, later, I shall talk about Ghana’s unanimous election to the Presidency or Chairmanship of the African Union during this very auspicious year.
Let me however thank the many well-wishers from around the country and beyond for their kind sentiments.
The honour belongs to the entire nation.
INTRODUCTION Mr Speaker, when the 2006 budget was read in November 2005, many thought the practice would be a nine-day wonder.
Happily, the tradition is being sustained and this year’s budget was read last November.
As a result, government’s policies and financial plans for the year, as contained in the budget statement, have already been approved by the House.
So, this morning I am addressing: 1.
Key challenges within the socio- economy, 2.
Issues of good governance, and 3.
The on-going Golden Jubilee celebrations and their aftermath.
GHANA ON THE RISE Mr Speaker, my government assumed office in 2001 and had its mandate renewed for a second term in 2004.
All too soon, it has reached the mid-point of this second term.
All over the world, this period is considered critical for governments which are about to end their tenure, in that, they tend to engage in dispassionate assessment of their performance with a view to correcting their mistakes and consolidating their achievements for the time left.
In this respect, this government is no different.
Propitiously, in our case, this critical mid-term analysis is coinciding with the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Ghana’s Independence, as a sovereign state.
This reinforces the need for the government and the entire society to engage in stock-taking and re-setting of national vision and goals for advancement.
Therefore, I expect subsequent discussion of this State of the Nation Address to be conducted in the spirit of candour and sincerity from all sides.
Happily, Mr Speaker, the government’s assessment of the nation’s political, economic and social conditions of the state indicates that, on balance, GHANA, THE BLACK STAR OF AFRICA, IS ON THE RISE AGAIN.
This should make all of us nationals happy about the various contributions and sacrifices we have made, individually and collectively, to bring the nation this far.
The obvious challenge now is how to accelerate the development for the betterment of the entire society.
This appreciation should strengthen our resolve to work together in overcoming existing problems and drawbacks like: • The energy crisis that is plaguing industrial and economic activities.
• The pockets of conflict in the country, arising mainly from chieftaincy disputes, • The low salaries, wages and productivity, with their attendant high unemployment within the economy, • The impact of Globalisation on socio-economic development programmes.
Mr Speaker, it is within our power to overcome most of these challenges in the short to medium term.
This is why we Ghanaians must will ourselves to work harder than we have ever done in the past 50 years.
Fortunately, our path to success is benchmarked by our national vision of attaining a middle income status through a growth rate of 8% GDP annually, which translates to over US$1,000 per capita income within the next decade.
Happily, this vision also coincides with the Millennium Development Goals set by the UN to reduce global poverty by half by the year 2015.
Ghana is therefore not alone, like a long distance runner in search of a better life.
Our task is made lighter in the knowledge that there are other nations around the world being encouraged and assisted by the international community to move alongside us in the same direction in overcoming these challenges.
Mr Speaker, within our category of developing nations, Ghana is being acknowledged as among the leaders in the pursuit of these goals.
Thus, government is determined to consolidate and build on the achievements made so far and to turn the massive tide of goodwill that Ghana is enjoying worldwide to maximum advantage to facilitate this undertaking.
ENERGY AND POWER Mr Speaker, I shall start my message with a report on the current crisis in the supply of energy in the country.
I believe this will go a long way in reducing the anxiety and the fears of the business community and the public in general.
The problem of inadequate energy supply has crept up on the nation since the construction of the Akosombo dam.
With it, the whole nation was lulled into believing that the dam will be an inexhaustible source of power.
The first signs that this belief was naive appeared toward the mid 1980s when the nation suffered the first load shedding from Akosombo.
Alas, the economy was in no shape to support any serious solutions to the problem.
There was a recurrence after the mid 1990s.
It was then that resort was made to thermal plants like Aboadze.
Fuelled by crude oil, these plants have proved extremely costly to run.
On assumption of office in 2001, government decided to find long-term solutions to this problem.
Accordingly, it initiated action to raise US$40million, being Ghana’s equity, for commencement in 2003, of the construction of the West African Gas Pipeline project.
This had been on the drawing board for many years.
The project, which will produce large volumes of relatively cheaper and sustainable source of energy, was expected to be operational by December last year.
Unfortunately there has been some constructional delay and is now programmed to be operational in August this year.
Speaker, in anticipation of this flow of gas, the establishment of gas turbine thermal plants is being undertaken by public and private interests.
In the interim, government has taken short to medium term measures to put an end to the embarrassing and expensive load shedding of electricity to which society and industry have been subjected to over the past six months.
These measures include supply from the West Africa Power Pool arrangement whereby, within the next fortnight, Ghana will benefit from supplies from Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire to the tune of 200 megawatts.
The Volta River Authority is poised to establish a 300 megawatt plant in Tema.
The same company is building another emergency plant to supply 126 megawatts of power by August this year.
The Osagyefo Power barge which has been standing idle will be empowered to produce 120 megawatts in the course of the year.
A private sector Ghanaian-Chinese joint venture company is in the offing to produce, in two phases, up to 600 megawatts of power by the end of next year.
Government has also contracted three American companies to produce up to 110 megawatts by the end of April this year.
This arrangement would altogether provide at least 500 megawatts which is far in excess of the present shortfall to end the outages strategies next month.
I should acknowledge at this point, the consortium of mining companies which has offered to build a plant at Tema, to be completed by June, to supply 80 additional megawatts of power.
Speaker, additional to these ventures, government has initiated action to build another hydro-electric dam, the Bui dam.
As we speak, there is a high powered delegation in China to conclude an agreement with the Chinese Exim bank for assistance towards the construction of this dam which is designed to generate 400 megawatts of electricity in the Brong Ahafo Region.
So, Mr Speaker, government has not been remiss in its responsibilities.
On the contrary, it has taken steps to give both short and long term solutions to the problem.
Within the next five years, the energy level will be doubled in capacity to cater for the industrial and economic requirements of the nation for the next 20 years.
Mr Speaker, I should add that efforts are on-going to find alternative sources like solar, wind as well as biological plants like the jetropha whose seed is used to produce diesel oil.
Mr Speaker, permit me to use this occasion to appeal once again to our entire society to be economical in the use of electrical appliances and also learn to conserve energy within public offices and installations.
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE Mr Speaker, despite the perennial problems of the energy sector, including the highest price ever of crude oil last year, this nation has registered very impressive achievements during the past six years in the management of its macro-economy.
Counting on the support and goodwill of Ghanaians, government has implemented various policies and programmes which have enabled it to transform the macro economy from years of stagnation to the current growth rate of 6.2%.
From 40.5% in 2000, inflation now stands at 10.2%; while the commercial banks’ lending rate which stood at over 50% five years ago is now around 20% and is still falling.
The Cedi has stabilised and maintained its value against major currencies, thus encouraging the Bank of Ghana to initiate a process by July this year, towards its re-denomination.
This is to make accounting procedures and monetary transactions less cumbersome for everyone and also, to reduce the cost of printing money or the burden of carrying huge amounts of money around.
Mr Speaker, this outstanding performance of the macro-economy is boosting the confidence of both domestic and foreign investors, which is already in the upsurge.
Ghanaians no longer feel the need to transfer their money abroad nor change it into foreign currency to preserve its value.
Further, all over the country, there is evidence of vigorous construction work which must be taken as a sign of a growing economy.
Another manifestation of confidence is in increased remittances from Ghanaians living abroad, which totalled over US$4 billion last year.
On the financial front, 4 new banks, Guaranty Trust, Fidelity, Zenith and Intercontinental, have been established within the past 2 years.
Meanwhile, the bill for the establishment of an International Financial Services Centre, a partnership between the Government of Ghana and the Barclays Bank, is ready to be placed before your house.
This is to further the policy of making Ghana an international financial hub.
I encourage Honourable Members to give the bill the necessary backing and ready approval.
In the case of the mining sector, I am happy to announce that I commissioned the operation of Newmont Gold mine at Kenyasi in the Brong Ahafo Region last year.
It has already poured its first gold.
Barry Callebaut Ghana has also installed a new multi-million dollar cocoa processing line to expand its product range.
In the mean time, Cargill International, a US company, which is also a global agro-processing company has started the construction of a new Cocoa Processing Facility in Tema, which involves over US$50 million in new investments.
Golden Exotic Company is the local subsidiary of the world renowned Compagnie Fruitiere of France.
It started its operations in the country in 2003.
From a first export of 3,600 metric tonnes of pineapples in the year 2005, the Company projects to export 17,000 metric tonnes this year.
Such is the high performance which investors are now recording within our economy.
Mr Speaker, in addition to such well-organised Private Sector companies, there is a host of others within the informal section of the sector whose potential is yet to be fully realised.
Government will continue to direct various policies and measures to identify them, to assist them raise their production level and create more job opportunities, using micro as well as small and medium credit lines.
This will not only improve their businesses, but also, help widen the tax net an bring them into the formal sector of the economy.
SECTOR REFORMS.
Mr Speaker, last year, I appointed a Minister to oversee the critical reforms needed in the Public Sector.
The reforms are to rationalise operations in the sector, enhance the capacity of both the agencies and their staff and restore discipline and pride of work among the MDAs of Government.
A well functioning public sector should also become more supportive of the Private Sector, in the spirit of Public- Private Sector Partnership, which should be the cornerstone for the acceleration of the desired socio-economic development.
Last year, government adopted a new wage reform policy to set up a framework to ensure equal pay for work of equal value across the spectrum of the Public Sector.
To operate, this new policy, a Fair Wages Commission has been set up to rationalise the entire sector’s salaries by removing distortions which, in the past caused confusion and disaffection among Public Servants.
The exercise which was preceded by substantial increase of salaries across the Board in this year’s budget has put a strain on government’s financial targets.