GRi in Parliament 09 – 05 - 2003
Members of Parliament commend workers
Parliament approves eleven nominees
Kunbour spends Common Fund on deprived areas
Members of Parliament commend workers
Accra
Members contended that it was in the nation's interest that the Ghanaian workforce was skilled and healthy to ensure that the labour was competitive on the international market place and to make the nation a more attractive investment destination.
Victor Okuley Nortey, NPP- Ablekuma Central and Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment and Social Welfare, made a statement to Commemorate May Day that fell last week.
The statement though belated received various concerns and support from both the Majority and the Minority sides of the House in solidarity with workers. He said Legislative backing to the minimum wage would make it enforceable by law to ensure that the rights of workers were protected and at this period of Golden Age of Business, the pointers indicated a soon-to thrive agro-industry based economy.
Nortey said the best resource a nation could boast of was its quality of human resource and it was only a highly skilled labour force that could ensure increased productivity for the growth of the nation.
He said he was associating himself with President John Agyekum Kufuor in his May Day call on employers to fund training schemes to train their employees in order to get the required results from them.
Nortey said though the economic decisions taken by government to stabilise the economy brought about hardships to workers, it was in the right direction and that all must appreciate that when the economy boomed, workers, employers and government alike would benefit.
The Vice Chairman said the time had come for the Trades Union Congress to be assured that successive governments would take due cognisance of the issue of participation and consultation with organised labour.
"With a vibrant Parliament, a combative media as well as a dynamic Civil Society, no government can expect to get away with policies that reject consultations with civil society including labour force", he said.
Joe Gidisu, NDC-North Tongu, urged the government to be cautious in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme and to ensure the involvement of workers before their money were deducted at source.
B. D. K. Adu, NPP-Okere, urged workers to change their attitude to work adding that their demands should commensurate with their output and that reporting late to work and closing early that had become the trend of the day must be stopped.
Kosi Kedem, NDC- Hohoe South, said workers were saddled with so many problems and demands such as high medical bills; transportation costs and ever increasing educational cost that were making it difficult for them to cope with.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to do something to improve the salary and wages levels of workers and to cushion them against the hardships so that they could live in dignity and be productive.
GRi…/
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Parliament approves eleven nominees
The Appointments Committee conducted the vetting of the Presidential nominees during Parliament's Easter break. They are: Nana Akomea, Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South Minister of Information; Andrews Awuni, Deputy Minister of Information; Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General; and Charles Bintin Binipom, Deputy Minister of Northern Region.
Others are Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning; Dr (Mrs) Angela Ofori Atta, Deputy Minister of Manpower Development and Employment; Dr Brempong-Yeboah, Member of Parliament for Atiwa, Deputy Minister of Works and Housing; and David Gyewu, Deputy Minister of Communications and Technology.
The rest are Mrs Mercy Bampo Addo, Deputy Minister, Office of the President; Ignatius Kofi Adusei-Poku, Member of Parliament for Bekwai Deputy Minister of Women and Children Affairs and Emmanuel Adjei Boye, Member of Parliament for Krowor, as Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways.
Eugene Atta Agyepong, Vice Chairman of the Committee, said all the nominees distinguished themselves during the vetting especially, during the public hearing session.
They would assume office after President John Kufuor or any other person appointed by him has sworn them in.
GRi…/
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Kunbour spends Common Fund on deprived areas
Lawra (Upper West) 09 May 2003 - Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, Member of Parliament for Lawra/Nandom, has so far spent ¢91m from his share of the Common Fund on a number of projects in deprived areas of his constituency.
¢70m of the amount went into the rehabilitation, renovation
and provision of furniture in a number of schools in the area. Beneficiary
schools included, Tanchara/Kunyukuo, Babile, Baseble, Karbo,
Dr Kunbuor made this known at Lawra when he briefed newsmen on how he spent his share of the Common Fund. ''There is a perception in the constituency that either not much is being done in the use of my share of the fund or not much publicity is being given to the use of the fund.''
He said ¢5m from the fund was given to the Tantuo community to assist in the re-roofing of their primary school that was ripped off, while ¢6m worth of dual desks were provided for the Tom Zendaagangn and Brifor Primary schools.
Education funds established in the Lawra
and Nandom Traditional areas as well as the Babile area were assisted with ¢4m from the fund. Dr Kunbuor also provided six million cedis
from the fund to the Lawra and
Dr Kunbuor explained that the fund could not be used outside what each District Assembly considered to be its development priorities and those priorities varied between assemblies.
GRi…/
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