[ 2009-02-20 ]

The State of the Nation Address - Full Text
Accra (Gh) ? 19 Feb 2009 - The State of the Nation
Address is dubbed: "Rescue Plan for a Better
Ghana".
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY JOHN
EVANS ATTA MILLS, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
GHANA
Madam Speaker,

Thank you for receiving me in this august House to
present my first State of the Nation address to
Parliament as President of the Republic of Ghana.

Madam Speaker,

As the first Lady Speaker of Parliament, you
occupy a unique position in our Nation's history.
It is a position of which you and indeed all women
of Ghana should be justifiably proud. You
exemplify the fulfillment of my wish to see
Ghanaian women rise to assume even more prominent
positions in our land. I wish you well Madam.

I greet you Honourable Members of both sides of
the House, new members as well as returning
members.

Together you constitute a blend of experience and
new perspectives that should inure to the benefit
of this House.

The measure of the accomplishments of this House
must be the degree to which its results benefit
the Nation.

Ghana expects that you will work in the National
Interest.

In a real sense your work meets expectations only
to the extent that it helps us build A Better
Ghana.

Madam Speaker,

Last December, the People of Ghana sat in judgment
and ruled in favour of the NDC and our agenda for
A Better Ghana. And so I remind my Brothers and
Sisters of the Majority in this House of our
obligation to keep faith with the people at all
times. We should never forget the men and women
whose worries stretch from pay day to pay day.

I extend a hand of friendship to our brothers and
sisters of the Minority.

We must work together to fashion the requisite
legislation that will help this country face and
overcome her many challenges in these times of
domestic and global uncertainty.

In this quest consensus-building is vital and time
is very precious.

True collaboration in this House must produce
solutions that address Ghana's challenges in a
qualitative and timely manner.

Madam Speaker,

Permit me to acknowledge my predecessors;
President Jerry John Rawlings and President John
Agyekum Kufuor. Ghana is indeed grateful to them
for their service to our Nation. We are also
grateful to them for moving our democracy further
along the path to maturation. As the third
President in Ghana's Fourth Republic I will play
my part to add to their legacy.

We will learn as a Nation to add to what is
working, and to change course only when it is in
the National Interest to do so. We will depart
from the practice of undoing the valuable
contributions of our predecessors. A house that is
constantly rebuilding its foundation is doomed to
remain stuck to the foundation level, never to
reach completion and decoration, let alone
occupation.

Ghana deserves better.

Madam Speaker,

Let me also acknowledge our first President,
Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, that illustrious
Founder of our nation. His selfless leadership
serves as a point of reference in our
determination to build a better Ghana.

Incidentally, this year marks the 100th
anniversary of Dr. Nkrumah's birth and as a
Country we should commemorate the event in an
appropriate and befitting manner.

Among others, we intend to honour Dr. Nkrumah's
memory with a National holiday to be known as
Founder's Day and we will be presenting
legislation to Parliament to this effect.
GOVERNANCE
Madam Speaker,

All too often, we celebrate successful elections
and cherish the growth and maturity of our
democracy. However, we tend to invest far less in
the development of our democratic governance than
we reap from it. Under my administration, we will
take seriously into account the needs of our
governance institutions.

Our 1992 Constitution established a number of
institutions to foster effective balance of
powers, provide ample expression for the
representatives of people, guarantee access to
Justice, Human Rights, Independence of the media
and the right of the citizens to be empowered with
knowledge about civic education. While these
institutions have performed relatively well, they
are under resourced, their leaders and staff
poorly motivated and their institutions thinly
spread, such that ordinary citizens in remote
areas are unable to access many of their services.
We will engage these independent governance
institutions in a peer review of their conditions
and together with them define the solutions that
will propel them to fulfill their Constitutional
mandates, within reasonable limits of our national
resource endowments.
Madam Speaker,

Transparency in government and the fight against
corruption are cardinal for sustainable
development. During this administration, we will
address transparency through a three dimensional
approach

* Ensuring the passage of the Freedom of
Information Act

* Expediting the passing of a National
Broadcasting Law

* Elaboration of a Code of Conduct in Government
that includes key information disclosure, ethics
and anti-corruption measures.

Together these measures will enable both citizens
and statutory Constitutional bodies to access the
needed information to demand accountability from
office-holders in the public and private sectors.

Madam Speaker,

We promised many things in our Governance Reform
Agenda in our Manifesto and we shall
systematically work to fulfil these. For this
year, we have already delivered on our promise to
establish a lean but effective government by
realigning and reducing the number of Ministries.
For the rest of the year, we plan for the
following areas of our Governance agenda most of
which will actually be commenced next year when we
would have known the true state of the nation that
we have inherited.

Regarding Parliament and Parliamentarians, we will
embark on the following:

* The construction and furnishing of a standard
"Member of Parliament Duty Post Office" in each of
the 230 constituencies and the payment of an
Administrator appointed by the Member of
Parliament to man the office;

* The establishment of a "Member of Parliament
Constituency Development Fund separate and apart
from the District Assemblies Common Fund in order
to release the District Assemblies Common Fund for
the exclusive use of the District Assemblies and
to remove one of the sources of tensions between
the District Chief Executives and the Members of
Parliament ;

* The assignment of National Service graduates to
Members of Parliament as Research Assistants.

Madam Speaker,

Several areas of our governance agenda require
legislative intervention. Fortunately, The
IEA-sponsored "Ghana Political Parties Programme"
which is made up of all the political parties with
representation in Parliament has agreed on several
draft Bills that will respond to this need.
Consequently, the Government will consider these
draft Bills for possible Parliamentary enactment
in order to fill the void. The Bills are:

* Public Financing of Political Parties Bill,
including the creation of an Election Fund for
political parties and guaranteed funding for the
Electoral Commission;

* A new Political Parties Bill; and

* A Presidential Transition Bill.

As promised in our Manifesto, we shall also
introduce a Bill to amend the Public Office
Holders (Declaration of Assets and
Disqualification) Act, 1998, Act 550, in order to
make it more functional and effective in ensuring
probity and accountability.

In our desire to safeguard the guaranteed
constitutional independence of these institutions,
I would urge this august House, through an
appropriate amendment of its Standing Orders, to
consider permitting the leadership of these
important national institutions to appear in
person on the floor of the House at least to
defend their own Budgets. That way, the criticism
of the Executive starving them of funds will be a
thing of the past.

Madam Speaker,

Regarding the Judiciary, we will ensure adequate
collaboration without sacrificing the independence
of the Judiciary and encourage their work such as
to assure expeditious dispensing of justice to
all.

In this vein Government will support such
developmental projects, law reform and
anticorruption initiatives, as will promote the
dignity of our Judiciary.

In preparation for the new District Assemblies to
be established after the District Assembly
elections of 2010, we will implement programmes to
deepen local level democracy, accelerate
decentralization and empower the people for local
development. These will require major amendments
to the Local Government Act, 1993 and the Local
Government Service Act, 2003. To ensure that there
is national consensus on the direction and scope
of these amendments, we will organise a broad
National Stakeholders' Conference on
Decentralization this year to mark the 20th
anniversary of the coming into existence of the
District Assemblies and to make proposals for the
amendments.

We believe also that a National Constitutional
Review Conference is the surest way to ensure that
our Manifesto promises as well as those of some of
the other political parties which require
constitutional amendments see fruition in a
consensual manner. In preparation towards this
Conference, we shall this year establish a
Constitutional Review Committee to collate views
on amendment proposals and to work towards the
Conference.

Madam Speaker,

Law and order, human safety and security and
protecting the people remain the cornerstone of
our internal security policy. For far too long,
Governments have sought to provide for the
security of the people without the involvement of
the agencies responsible for security.

We will be holding a series of durbars with the
officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces, the
Police Service, the Prisons Service and the CEPS
to elicit from them directly and at first hand
what their concerns and needs are.

The feedback will assist in the present conditions
of work for Officers and Men in order to boost
morale and improve efficiency.

Madam Speaker,

I made a firm commitment to stamp out drug
trafficking. In line with this, we will review the
Narcotics Drugs Control, Enforcement and Sanctions
Law of 1990 (PNDC LAW 236). We aim to create a
more potent drug enforcement agency that will
collaborate more effectively with International
drug enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute
offenders. We will bring to closure investigations
into the numerous high profile drug trafficking
cases of recent years and bring to book all those
involved.

The law-enforcement agencies must be
uncompromising in their pursuit of those who
violate the human rights of others. Justice must
therefore be brought to bear on those who took the
lives of the Ya Na and many of His elders, Issa
Molbilla and the over 30 women whose murder still
remains a national mystery to mention a few.

Madam Speaker,

We will continue to respect the diversity and
independence of the media and in shaping opinion
in our democracy. A credible media is reflected in
the quality of information they process for the
consumption of the public and as a Government, we
recognize our responsibility to be accessible to
the media in order to bridge the information gap.
In the course of the year, I will begin a monthly
radio broadcast to the nation as part of measures
to enhance communication with the citizenry.

In as much as we all value accountability of
government and free expression, we expect the
media to look at its own inadequacies and
endeavour to reconnect with the mass of citizens
and to live by the tenets such as its own ethical
code and the constitutional obligations enshrined
in the 1992 Constitution.

CHALLENGING GLOBAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

Madam Speaker,

I have assumed office at a time of heightened
anxiety and insecurity in the global economy. As
we speak, the whole world has been gripped by the
severe global economic downturn and associated
recession. Millions of jobs have been lost in many
countries.

The financial meltdown has defied logic and
economic rationality. As things fall apart,
institutions of global economies and financial
management are under enormous stress. Such is not
the gravity of the crises that no nation can
traverse these hard times alone, nor can we blame
anyone person or government for causing this. The
world needs a radical re-thinking of the rules,
institutions and processes for global, social and
economic management.

For the developing world, the initial impact has
been volatility in commodity prices, reductions in
foreign aid and in remittance flows from citizens
working abroad who have lost their jobs. There is
imminent danger of substantial reduction in
economic growth.

While the exact impact of these changes on our
economies are yet to be determined, it must be
understood that the world as we know it has
changed beyond recognition and we should not, and
cannot, bank on previous arrangements, such as the
generosity of donors, for our national survival.

Madam Speaker,

Over the last one month of assuming office, an
economic management team has been reviewing our
situation thoroughly. The reality as we have found
out calls into question previous assertion that
Ghana is doing well in spite of the global
economic crisis.

Let me highlight the fundamentals of our current
economic status and predicament. * The fiscal
deficit, meaning the excess of expenditure over
revenue, was GH? 2.5 Billion in 2008. This figure
is over 15% of Gross Domestic Product. In layman's
terms, we have spent a great deal more than what
we earned.

* The external deficit or balance of payments for
2008 is estimated at GH?3.42 Billion, or 18% of
GDP. Here too, it means that we owe our foreign
creditors far more than is fiscally prudent for an
erstwhile HIPC country.

* The rate of inflation accelerated from 12.7
percent at the end of 2007, to 18.1 percent at the
end of December 2008.

* In the space of two years i.e. between 2006 and
2008, our stock of external debt increased from
US$2.2 billion to US$3.9 billion. This contributed
to an increase in the overall national debt to
US$7.6 billion in 2008, from US$5.3 billion in
2006. This is in spite of the over US$5.0 billion
debt write off enjoyed by the nation from 2001.

* Over the last few months the cedi has lost
substantial value with respect to the US dollar
which is attributed to the delayed effect of
excessive spending and trade imbalances we have
experienced since 2006. We have used up foreign
exchange resources which have accrued from various
debt relief arrangements to shore up the value of
the cedi.

In recent months as the foreign exchange inflows
have dried up the cedi has come under enormous
pressure. Indeed, the decline in the value of the
cedi is negating benefits which could otherwise
have accrued from low world crude oil prices.

We are resolved to achieve an early restoration of
stability in the foreign exchange market. This
requires that we expand our exports, cut down our
import bill and manage our finances carefully and
live within our means.

Honourable members must join me in managing this
period of economic difficulty. I assure you that
we shall all benefit when the good times come, as
they surely will. I am optimistic that the burden
of sacrifice, if properly shared, will result in
great opportunities and progress for the people of
this country. I am committed to bringing the
fiscal excesses under control. Without it, this
country cannot pursue the aim of creating
prosperity for our people.

We are working on a number of measures and the
Finance Minister will announce in detail the
specific measures aimed at achieving
macro-economic stability in the budget statement
to be presented shortly. The measures will
include:

* Reducing State Protocol budget by half.

* Reducing Official foreign travel budget by
half.

* Reducing Official seminars and workshops budget
by half.

* Close monitoring of targets and dividends of
state-owned companies and enterprises

* Reviewing the exemptions regime.

* Increasing efficiency in revenue collection.

* Negotiating the single spine wages and salaries
regime. And here Madam Speaker, permit me to
commend organized labour, which obviously aware of
the economic realities, is calling for broader
consultation on the implementation of the single
spine salary structure.

I am making sure that expenditure at the
Presidency does not constitute an undue burden on
the Ghanaian taxpayer

I will impose austerity measures throughout the
Government machinery, to ensure that we realize
significant savings. As part of these measures we
will review the decision to purchase two executive
Presidential aircrafts. Ghana simply cannot afford
the expenditure at this time and we certainly do
not need two Presidential Jets.

This is the beginning of a rescue plan for
building A Better Ghana.

PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Madam Speaker,

Whilst we face these challenges our resolve should
be to ensure that we continue to drive economic
growth to provide opportunities for the poor. A
lot of this growth will be provided by the private
sector. A vibrant, globally competitive private
sector must play a key role in the economic
transformation and social development of Ghana

My administration therefore sees the private
sector as an active partner in our development. It
is largely the private sector, formal and
informal, indigenous and foreign, that will be
central in creating jobs and increasing government
revenue through taxation which in turn will fund
the social investments such as roads, schools and
clinics that the NDC Government is deeply
committed to delivering. It is the men and women
in the private sector that my administration
intends to partner, develop and grow, not only for
the near term but in the longer term to secure the
future and well-being of our people.

We want this partnership to be built on a shared
responsibility where Government provides the
conditions necessary for private sector growth and
where the private sector becomes a pro-active
partner in development; is socially responsible
and innovative so that together we can generate
growth and employment and provide incomes
especially for the poor. My pledge to the private
sector is clear. My administration will build a
robust economy and address the challenges which
the private sector faces in investing, growing and
expanding.

In view of the breadth of our challenges, we
intend to build on the multi-sectoral strategic
framework for the development of the private
sector which should provide the vehicle for
driving and delivering the changes so urgently
required in making Ghana's private sector locally
and globally competitive. Given the urgency of
this, the private sector development agenda will
be driven and monitored at the heart of Government
business at The Presidency. This is a promise I
made to the private sector and the Government will
translate it into action.

Madam Speaker,

In my address to the Economic Retreat at Akosombo
a few weeks ago, I argued the concept of
justifiable continuity. This nation must stop the
discontinuities in planning that result from
changes in Governments. Too often new Governments
have stopped without justification, projects or
programmes which previous administrations have
initiated. As a result there is a huge amount of
money to be paid in respect of legal rulings both
local and international against the Government of
Ghana. In conducting the business of Government we
will be guided by these experiences. Whenever we
consider it to be in the national interest we will
renegotiate agreements using laid down
procedures.

Madam Speaker,

The National Youth Employment Program is essential
to Ghana's overall national employment strategy,
and it will be continued. However, the programme
will be revised to extend employment eligibility
to tertiary, vocational and other targeted
groups.

AGRICULTURE

Madam Speaker,

The Government will address simultaneously the
issues of food availability, access to food,
response to crises situations and malnutrition.
The Government will invest adequately to maintain
the production level of those crops for which we
have surplus production and put in measures to
increase significantly the production level of
those crops for which we have deficit production.
We will also put in place measures to increase
significantly the production level of the staple
crops for which consumption demand exceeds
domestic production.

The Aveyime Rice Project will be restored to boost
rice production for internal consumption and for
export.

We will move beyond rhetoric and execute a
programme to rehabilitate existing irrigation
schemes to ensure their efficient utilization.

We will construct additional dams, boreholes and
other water harvesting facilities in areas with
high agricultural potential.

The Accra Plains Irrigation Project will be
vigorously pursued to make it available for all
year round production. It will be the flagship of
the agricultural revolution of this
administration.

Madam Speaker,

Government will pursue a policy of direct
intervention to make available production inputs
for small farmers on credit. In addition to the
credit support, Government will continue the
fertilizer subsidy programme.

To address the situation of cheap poultry and meat
imports, large scale cultivation of maize and
soybeans will be supported to drastically reduce
the cost of feed for poultry production. Tariff
and non-tariff barriers will be used to give local
poultry production a competitive edge over cheap
imports.

Government will review all existing agreements on
fishing within Ghana's territorial waters to
ensure that the livelihood and long-term interests
of our fishermen and the residents of the coastal
communities are guaranteed.

Government will also enforce the prohibition of
the unorthodox fishing methods currently used by
some foreign and local fishing trawlers which are
leading to the depletion of our marine fish
resources.

We will enhance the capacity and capability of the
Ghana Navy and Air Force to enforce the
prohibition.

We will also enforce regulations on pair trawling
and we will enforce the ban on the use of light
and explosives for fishing.

COCOA

Madam Speaker,

Government will aim to increase the yield of cocoa
from 1,250kg to about 1,750kg per hectare through
better farm management application of hi-tech
production systems and better producer prices.

The current mass cocoa spraying exercise will be
intensified and extended to include brushing, pest
and disease control, shade management, pollination
and fertilization.

In pursuance of the objective to process at least
60% of the cocoa produced locally, the NDC
Government will begin negotiations for the
establishment of a cocoa processing factory in the
heart of the cocoa producing area of the Western
Region. This will reduce the burden of
transporting large quantities of cocoa beans to
the ports.

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

Madam Speaker,

Starting with our decision to merge all
transportation-related Ministries except Roads and
Highways under one Ministry of Transport, we are
beginning the process of harmonizing our
infrastructure development towards a common
purpose of accelerating our national development
effort with national unity and regional
integration as twin-purposes.

To this end we propose to fast track

* The West Africa Transport and Transit project
which will improve sections of the Central
Corridor from Kintampo to Paga.

* The Eastern Corridor project which will improve
the Tema - Yendi-Tamale road links.

* Completion of the Bole-Bamboi road and continue
work on the entire Western Corridor Project.

* Implementation of the road projects supported by
the Millennium Challenge Account.

We will also continue with programs such as the
Urban Transport project which aims at providing
mass transit facilities and services in
metropolitan areas. The project will also provide
the framework for better management of urban road
transport services in Ghana.

Government will work to eliminate duplication and
streamline the policy direction for mass transit
to ensure that Ghana obtains the maximum benefits
from these initiatives.

Madam Speaker,

The vehicle population is growing at about 8% per
annum, with cars and buses contributing 30% and 8%
respectively to the growth. In areas such as Accra
and Kumasi, the dominant mode of transport is the
car with occupancy levels of about 2 per car.

The vehicular volumes of about 55,000 per day on
the Airport Road, 20,000 per day on the Spintex
Road and 30,000 per day on the La-Teshie road make
traffic congestion is inevitable.

Consequently, our country is experiencing economic
losses in terms of loss of productivity, high cost
of transport services and high operating costs of
transport services. Collaboration of the road
sector managers, enforcement agencies and the
Metropolitan and Municipal assemblies will be
important in resolving identified congestion
bottlenecks and avoid the creation of new ones.

HEALTH

Madam Speaker,

During the 2008 campaign I made several
commitments to the health sector. I am of the
conviction that the health of our nation is the
wealth of the nation.

The National Health Insurance Program will be
enhanced and expanded. The one-time NHIS enrolment
fee still remains an achievable goal, and we will
work to make the scheme truly national.

In place of the current District Mutual Health
Insurance Scheme to which one must pay an annual
premium, we will seek to implement a Universal
Health Insurance Scheme which will reflect the
universal contribution of all Ghanaian residents
to the Scheme.

Since every person in Ghana contributes to the
NHIS through the National Health Insurance Levy,
the Universal Health Insurance Scheme will allow
for a one-time premium payment to the Scheme.

The National Health Insurance Scheme will be
restructured to respond to the needs of the
population and resolve the issue of claims
management as well as those of portability. We
will also pursue the policy of de-linking children
from their parents and the provision of free
maternal care.

Many of the common ailments and diseases affecting
Ghanaians can be eliminated or controlled through
better sanitation, nutrition and lifestyles.
Accordingly, we will encourage all MDAs to embark
upon major multi-sector collaboration with the
view to improving sanitation and targeting safe
food and water. It will ensure that District
Assemblies, besides developing relevant
regulations and guidelines will also implement and
enforce them.

Madam Speaker,

The Implementation of the following planned
projects will commence:

* Rehabilitation and Upgrading of the Tamale
Teaching Hospital;

* Construction of a 100-bed General Hospital with
a Malaria Research Centre at Teshie;

* Construction of a Regional Hospital with staff
housing at Wa;

* Construction of six (6) District Hospitals with
staff housing at Adenta/Madina, Twifo-Praso,
Konongo-Odumase, Wenchi, Tepa, and Salaga;

* Construction of two (2) District Hospitals at
Bekwai and Tarkwa;

* Construction of Blood Transfusion Centres in
Accra, Kumasi and Tamale

* The second phase for the Rehabilitation of the
Bolgatanga Hospital project.

Preparatory works involving site selection,
feasibility studies, needs assessment, appraisal
and surveys and fund mobilisation for the
following projects would be undertaken in the
course of the year:

* Medical Assistants Training School in the
Northern, Western and Volta Regions;

* Upgrading of the Regional Hospital in Cape Coast
into a fully fledged Teaching Hospital;

* Schools of Allied Health Sciences with emphasis
on the training of Health Care Assistants;

* Further expansion of existing training Schools
and development of new Nursing and Midwifery
Training Colleges;

* Expansion of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicines
Centres in Accra and Kumasi into centres of
excellence;

* Setting up of a New Urology Centre of excellence
at Korle-Bu; and * Construction of Staff
accommodation nationwide.

EDUCATION

Madam Speaker,

A number of critical factors continue to threaten
progress in education delivery.

Some of these are gender disparities, geographical
differentiations, school drop-out retention, poor
transition from primary to junior high school,
poor teacher deployment, and inadequate and poor
school infrastructure. We will address these
concerns.

We will also strive to improve in a more concerted
manner, the situation of second cycle education
especially conditions in many of our high schools.
We will address management inefficiencies which
affect equity and quality in the education system
and take a critical look at the utilization
practices of the GETFUND.

One of the most significant of the challenges
facing education is the recent reform, which
changed the duration of senior high school
education.

I am aware of the different opinions on this
matter, and I am committed to providing a forum
for a very dispassionate discussion on the matter.
I hope this will bring the matter to closure and
chart a more permanent structure that will serve
the interest of learners, parents and the country
at large

The newly enacted Education Act 2008 Act 778 sets
out the new outlook of the education system. The
Act introduces some new components, such as the
establishment of the National Inspectorate Board,
National Teaching Council and the National Council
for Curriculum and Assessment.

The Government will take a second look at the Act
and propose amendments as we may deem necessary
following the outcome of an all-party
consultation. At the same time, we will endeavour
to implement the new structures proposed in the
Act to ensure quality in the teaching and learning
process.

The Government will pay special attention to
pre-tertiary education, particular to Basic
Education including Special Education, in order to
build a strong foundation for learning and
continued education.

Net enrolment ratios in all the stages of basic
education requires intensive effort on the part of
Government, education administrators, parents and
guardians. Together we must aim at ensuring that
all Ghanaian children of school going age are in
school and that Ghana achieves the target of full
enrolment and completion at the basic level.

Government will pay special attention to the
teaching and learning of science (including
environmental science), technology, technical and
vocational education as well as entrepreneurial
skills at this level of education.

The National Apprenticeship Programme proposed for
this level of education will be examined and an
appropriate structure developed for its
implementation. In this regard, the Council for
Technical and Vocational Education Training
(COTVET) will be empowered to perform its
functions to provide the direction for technical
and vocational education in Ghana.

Government will provide funds in the budget to
revamp the Science Resource Centers in some
selected schools during the year. In addition,
mindful of its equity principle, Government will
adopt a phased continuation of the construction
and rehabilitation works started in the Senior
High School.

The teacher will remain at the centre of attention
in the effort to improve on the performance of the
sector. The 38 Teacher Training Colleges, which
are now diploma awarding institutions will be
strengthened to achieve standards required of
them.

The GES will be expected to revise its teacher
deployment programme by focusing attention on the
underserved areas. We will ensure that all
allowances promised to teachers are paid to them.
Besides, Government will support the distance
learning programmes for teachers.

Government will continue to support tertiary
institutions to provide quality education that
would give satisfaction to both graduates and
employers. Government notes the on-going expansion
at this level of education and commends the
efforts of the private tertiary institutions.

The jobs of the future require skilled minds and
products of our tertiary institutions must reflect
this. The National Accreditation Board must
therefore insist on the highest standards of
excellence.

The Non-formal Education Division has contributed
to a reduction in adult illiteracy and Government
will build on the progress made by resourcing it.


ENERGY

Madam Speaker,

The government has directed the GNPC to exercise
its option to acquire a unitized paid interest of
3.75% in the Jubilee field venture. The value of
this share is $161 million. In addition to
establishing a regulatory framework for managing
revenues for the benefit of Ghanaians, GNPC will
also focus on expense management for the Jubilee
project to ensure that development costs are fair
and reasonable. GNPC will enforce local content
policy where Ghanaians will be able to participate
significantly in oilfield support services towards
the development of the Jubilee field and other new
prospects.

Revenues from oil and gas will be used to address
challenges of poverty in Ghana through
expenditures in priority areas of education,
health, rural development, infrastructure, water
and sanitation. Other priorities will include
investment in physical and social infrastructure
within communities close to the oil and gas
production activities, investment in a Future
Generation Fund to ensure sustained well being
into the long-term and investment in technical
training, scientific research and development.

Future Exploration

Further intensification of exploration in the
years ahead will be achieved by GNPC continuing
the active promotion of investment in the
capital-intensive petroleum sector.

In addition to the Tano-Cape Three Points basin
where recent discoveries have been made in
deepwater areas, other sedimentary basins that
GNPC will be encouraged to promote will include
the onshore Voltaian basin which covers a large
part of Ghana's surface area but where very little
exploration has been undertaken to date.

TEMA OIL REFINERY
Madam Speaker,

The TOR has a mountain of debt which currently
stands at GHC1146 million or 11.46 trillion old
cedis. The current debt profile at TOR compares
with a total debt of GHC318.6 million or 3.18
trillion cedis as at December 31, 2000. The
current debt is due to unpaid debts on TOR's
books, interests accumulated on the old debt and
subsequent losses as a result of under-recovery
from the ex-refinery pricing.

The TOR Debt Recovery Fund Levy had up to December
31, 2008 accumulated GHC720 million or 7.2
trillion cedis. The Government will review and get
a full account of the utilization of the TOR Debt
Recovery Fund.
Financial Recovery Plan for VRA and ECG

The VRA also has a mountain of debt total debt
exceeding $800 million. At the insistence of
creditors of VRA and ECG the Ministry of Finance
and Economic Planning (MFEP) had undertaken in May
2008 to conduct a Power Sector Financial
Restructuring and Recovery Study, the findings of
which was to inform the development of a
Comprehensive Financial Recovery Plan for the
power utilities. The study has still not been
completed. Clearly, the current state of affairs
is unsustainable and should not be allowed to
continue under the proposed 2009 Budget. To arrest
this deteriorating financial situation, Ministry
of Energy will work with the Ministry of Finance
to:

* Develop and implement comprehensive remedial
measures, especially re-capitalization, that will
ensure the long term financial viability of the
power utilities

* Complete without further delay, the Power Sector
Financial Restructuring and Recovery Study that is
necessary to inform Government of Ghana budgetary
decisions on re-capitalization of the two power
utilities plus the NED.

* Develop a Comprehensive Financial Recovery Plan
for the three power utilities.

POWER
Ghana's installed electricity generation is about
1800 MW, excluding the emergency power plants. We
will increase generation capacity in the country
to at least 5000MW within the medium term. The
anticipated increase in generation will enable
cost-effective supply to meet the nation's
requirements including that of VALCO.

Our policy outlook for the electricity sector
involves the following: * Generation of electric
power shall be fully open to private and public
investors as Independent Power Producers.
* We shall restore the momentum to the NDC
programme to progressively provide access to
electricity to all parts of the country.

* Regional co-operation and integration in
electricity supply as is being developed within
the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP).

The above measures will enable a lowering of the
cost of producing electricity in Ghana and
therefore a lowering of electricity tariffs to
consumers.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Madam Speaker,

We intend to bridge the digital divide between the
rural and urban communities to complement the
promotion of the attainment of the goals and
objectives of the four thematic areas of
Government.

We also aim to improve telephone subscription in
both fixed and mobile sectors to reach the rural
and underserved areas.

We will encourage development of common telecom
facilities that will enable Telecom Operators
extend their services to many more communities.

We intend to accelerate a programme for common
transparent ICT platform to enhance Government
business and promote transparency and
accountability. Through the use of ICT, Government
will build a reliable database on all Government
assets especially vehicles and landed properties

We aim to improve telephone subscription in both
the fixed and mobile sectors to reach the rural
and underserved areas.

We will encourage development of common telecom
facilities that will enable Telecom Operators
extend their services to many more communities. By
encouraging co-location of facilities and mutual
technical collaboration, telecom service providers
will benefit from economies of scale and improve
communications penetration to rural areas within
the next four years.

Additionally GIFTEL will embark upon a schools
connectivity project and so many more schools
would be provided with connectivity and ICT
equipment to enhance community and distance
learning.
Special Social Interventions

Madam Speaker,

Under my administration, the Ministry of Women and
Children will witness a significant budget
increase and be strengthened to establish Gender
Units in all District Assemblies and provide them
with capacity to function optimally.

At the national level, we will give Cabinet
authorization to the establishment of a Gender
Budget Monitoring Unit in the Ministry of Women
and Children in collaboration with Ministry of
Finance. This unit will be given the mandate of
facilitating the development of gender based
budgets in all MDAs and monitoring the
implementation of such budgets to ensure that the
gender-equity commitments are respected and
adhered to. We will revise, adapt and implement
our affirmative Action Policy for Women of 1998,
making sure that we have incorporated the key
demands of the 2004 "Women's Manifesto for Ghana"
as well as those of other political parties
consistent with our women's empowerment agenda.

Ensuring Equitable Development

Madam Speaker,

By all measure of our national statistics, the
three regions of the north - Northern, Upper East
and Upper West Regions and the Central Region show
unacceptable levels of poverty and deprivation.
Communities in these regions are increasingly
exhibiting worsening trends of infant, child and
maternal mortality. Yet at the same time, these
regions possess enormous potential to propel Ghana
into a more diversified and vibrant economy. In
accordance with a long-standing social contract
with our people, we will undertake rapid efforts
to bridge the developmental gap between the north
and south and re-vitalize the Central Regional
Developmental Commission (CEDECOM)

Specifically, my administration will in 2009
establish the Savannah Accelerated Development
Authority (SADA) as a more holistic development
agency to harness the development of the three
Northern regions and Districts in the Brong-Ahafo
and Volta Regions contiguous to the Northern
Region. Using proceeds appropriated under the
Northern Development Fund and with support from
Development Partners, we will begin urgent
development interventions in the three Northern
Regions to bring the needed relief for farmers and
residents whose livelihoods were destroyed by 2
successive floods. We will also begin the process
of enabling the private sector and civil society
in these regions to accelerate development that
enhances incomes and provide employment for the
youth.

In the Central Region we will revive CEDECOM to
develop a poverty reduction and employment
generation master plan, especially targeted at the
marginalized fishing communities. Seed funds will
be created to enable CEDECOM to become a more
reliable development catalyst for development and
poverty reduction in the Central Region.

SPORTS
Madam Speaker, We have come to meet a draft Sports
Bill from the past administration. We will review
it with various stakeholders and present it to
Parliament in line with our Manifesto of
developing a comprehensive Sports Policy and
related legislation to regulate and guide sports
development in Ghana. Our goal is to move away
from the over-concentration on soccer and to some
extent boxing. We must unearth and harness
potential in track and field by giving
inter-collegiate sports a new impetus

We will also structure management set-up to
maximize returns from the four (4) new stadia
built for the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and
the new Cape Coast stadium that obviously the NDC
Government has to complete.

The immediate preoccupation of Government, apart
from the draft sport bill and the sports policy is
to collaborate with the Ghana Hockey Association
to successfully host the 2009 Africa Hockey Cup of
Nations. Government, in partnership with the Ghana
Football Association will not only ensure a second
appearance at 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,
but be one of the four nations that will play in
the semi-finals and finals.

Our hearts and minds will also be with the Black
Satellites, who will participate in the FIFA World
Cup Youth Tournament in Egypt, come September. The
ultimate target of the Government is to draw up
and and execute a strategic plan that will aim at
Ghana capturing the commanding heights of not only
sports in Africa but the world as a whole.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Madam Speaker,

It is a matter of considerable satisfaction that
Ghana's foreign policy has continued to follow the
principled paths delineated by the Founders of the
Nation, in spite of the occasional changes in
nuances over the years. And so the foreign policy
of this administration will continue to be defined
in its detail by the traditional features of very
strong bilateral and multilateral ties,
international treaty obligations and a firm
commitment to the principles and objectives of the
United Nations Charter.

We will participate in international affairs with
a strong penchant for championing the causes of
economic integration,, continental unity and
Pan-Africanism, causes that our people have
desired for so long.

In that regard, our immediate focus will be on
activities within ECOWAS which are likely to
stimulate a more vigorous interaction at the
people's level. The concept of the free movement
of persons and goods throughout our respective
countries must progress from mere slogans to
result oriented actions that will encourage
integration and economic development in our
sub-region.

Ghana will continue to be engaged vigorously with
the world beyond the African Union. We intend to
maintain an active role in the United Nations and
its specialized agencies as well as in other
multilateral organizations such as the
Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement etc. in
order to shoulder our share of the
responsibilities devolving on us as member of the
international community.

We will honour all our legitimate international
treaty obligations while we seek our objectives
among friendly countries that share our commitment
to good governance, peace and democracy. We make
such a declaration because our governance model
and service to the international community will
continue to be defined by an unflinching support
for world peace as well as social and economic
justice for all. To these ends, Madam Speaker, we
are currently engaged in re-assessing Ghana's
diplomatic representation around the world in
order to make Ghana's diplomacy efficient and
cost-effective
CONCLUSION
Madam Speaker,

All throughout my political campaign, I pledged to
make a difference in the politics of Ghana; to
depart from the vilification, backbiting,
political mischief making and divisiveness which
have bedeviled politics in this country.

Indeed our message of change begins with the
fundamental realization that there is a new way to
look at our problems and use political power as an
instrument to shape our future. I am determined to
restore a sense of community in this country; a
community in which we all share in the
responsibility of shouldering the common good.

I want us to be kind and generous to each other. I
believe it is possible to bring back smiles to the
faces of all Ghanaians, that even if economic
prosperity is slow in coming, Ghanaians will say
of this Government that we are truthful, honest
and sincere.

We will hold ourselves and all other public
officials strictly accountable and that principle
is non-negotiable. I will be an example to the
nation. I will be an example by being
time-conscious.

And because it is hypocritical for those in
political office to exhort people to sacrifice for
the common good when we are not prepared to do
same, I will lead by example.

I believe that all Ghanaians would join me to
elevate Ghanaian politics beyond pettiness, and
aim for something more sublime in the interest of
Mother Ghana.

To this end, I extend a hand of friendship to all
to join us on the path of unity and peaceful
coexistence, even though we may differ in our
political beliefs.

Madam Speaker,

This House should serve as a model to Ghanaians
who should see your teamwork as a prime example of
peaceful and productive coexistence. Our Nation is
faced with economic difficulties and many
challenges.

Can we build a unified country where all citizens
have the opportunity to give off their best to
Mother Ghana while earning a good education and a
dignified standard of living?

Can we all live under the Rule of Law, whereby we
are all governed by the same set of Laws and are
equal before the Law?

Can we build a Better and Prosperous Ghana that
works in the interest of all Ghanaians?

I believe that we can, and I thank you all for the
opportunity to lead our Nation in the process of
finding and implementing durable answers to these
questions.

I invite my fellow citizens to join together in
the process of re-generation of our country. We
have to do it together - the past is gone - let's
together build a better Ghana underpinned by
honesty and integrity.

Working together we can lift Ghana to greatness of
which we all can be proud. There is only one
Ghana, and it must work for the betterment of all
Ghanaians.

Madam Speaker,

I thank you for your attention.
May God Bless Ghana.

Source - GRi

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