General News of Tuesday, 3 August 2010

Source: GNA

Parliament Okays STX deal

Accra, Aug. 3, GNA - Parliament okayed the STX Housing Agreement after long hours of debate late Tuesday during which the Minority walked out.

The House had earlier suspended its sitting for three hours to allow the Committee to look at the Report but it again ran into difficulties when it reconvened at 1800 hours.

Mr. Doe Adjaho, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, suspended the House again because the earlier Order Paper did not capture the Off-Taker and the Joint Venture Agreement, which were to be laid before the Agreement could be carried.

Also, a report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Works and Housing on the restated and amended Off-Taker Agreement between the Ghana Government and STX together with the Joint Venture Agreement that should have been ready, still had some technical and legal problems with them.

The STX Loan Agreement would enable the Government to provide 30,000 units of accommodation for the Security Services.

The House deferred the debate on the Agreement on Monday to allow the Joint Committee ample time to take a further look at it.