General News of Friday, 28 November 2003

Source: GNA

Parliament To Consider Appointment Of Auditor

Accra, Nov. 28, GNAA Committee set up to advice Parliament on the appointment of an Auditor to check the accounts of the Office of the Auditor-General of Ghana would present its report to the House for consideration next week.

Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs announced this in Parliament on Friday when he presented the Business Statement for the seventh-week ending, December 5, 2003.

He said the appointment of the Auditor is in accordance with Article 187 (5) of the 1992 Constitution.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said there would be extended sittings during the week due to the volume of outstanding business and the observation of Farmers' Day, celebration as a statutory holiday, which falls on 5th December, 2003.

According to the agenda, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill would be taken through the first reading while the Reports on the Judiciary (Retention of Revenue) Bill, Trade Marks Bill and Layout-Designs (Topographies) of Integrated Circuits Bill are to be laid before the House.

The Payment Systems Bill, Central Internal Audit Agency Bill, Patent Bill, Geographical Indications Bill and the Industrial Designs Bill have been programmed to go through the consideration stage.

The Ministers of Communications, Roads and Transport, and Energy have been slated to answer questions in the course of the week.

Mr Godfried Ako-Nai, NPP- La-Dadekotopon and Mr Samuel Johnfiah, NDC- Ahanta West, would each ask the Minster of Roads and Transport Urgent questions.

The House would move a motion to adopt a Report of the Finance Committee on the loan agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Government of Italy for an amount of 10 million Euros for the financing of the Ghana Private Sector Development Fund (GPSDF) and the setting up of a Project Management Unit.

The House would also adopt the Report of the Delegation to the African-Canadian Parliamentary Strengthening Programme Meeting held in Accra and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.