State of the Nation Address
“RAISING GHANA TO THE NEXT LEVEL”
BY H.E. JOHN EVANS ATTA MILLS
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011

Part Two

Part One

Madam Speaker, I know that the majority of Ghanaians accept that the policies and priorities of this government are in the right direction.

I am also aware of the expectations for Government to act to lessen the economic burden especially following the increases in prices of some petroleum products.

A social democratic Government such as ours gains nothing politically by increasing petroleum prices.

It is our duty however to find a real and lasting solution to the TOR debt even as we watch with some trepidation, the rising crude oil prices on the world market.

I am not interested in interminable arguments over the issue of the TOR debt.

What I know is that the debt must be settled for the sake of a healthy, sustainable economy and for the sake of ensuring that we can adequately cater for our development needs.

Madam Speaker, this Administration has been bold and courageous in taking steps toward the implementation of the single spine salary regime.

The new salary structure goes a long way in bringing equity and improvement in salaries especially in the public sector.

My appreciation goes to the leadership of organized labour and its rank and file for the patience and maturity they continue to show at various stages of implementation.

Negotiations on a new minimum wage have been completed and the result is likely to influence collective bargaining negotiations.
My appeal is for moderation in wage demands because large wage bills means less money for investment in needed infrastructure and provision of social amenities.

GOVERNANCE

Madam Speaker, in the sphere of governance ,the Constitution Review Commission has since its inauguration last year employed a consultations strategy which is geared towards ensuring that Ghanaians within and outside the country get the opportunity to make inputs into the review process.

I am informed that it has targeted the 1st – 5th March for the National Constitutional Conference that will finalize the amendment proposal to the Constitution.

Our objective is therefore on course.

Madam Speaker, It is the intention of Government to ensure that relevant completed and on-going policy reforms will be duly merged with the constitution review exercise to ensure a product that is holistic and reflective of our common heritage as Ghanaians.

These other initiatives include the new Decentralization Policy Framework; the proposals from the Presidential Committee on Emoluments; and the revised legislation on the Oil and Gas Sector.
In that vein, I will urge Honourable Members to join in sustaining the review process by encouraging a “yes” vote at any referendum that may be required and by supporting the passage of any amendment bills that come before the House.

Madam Speaker, the performance of the Electoral Commission in the District level elections has been a matter of public concern especially with the next Presidential and Parliamentary elections around the corner.

I hope what happened in the District level elections was a one-time mishap and for the 2012 elections the EC will live up to its acclaimed reputation as one of the best in the world.

Government will continue to support the EC and ensure that we come out of the 2012 election with additional high flying democratic credentials.

WOMEN AND GOVERNANCE

Madam Speaker, we indicated our general acceptance of the objectives of the 2004 “Women’s Manifesto for Ghana” which are based on the achievement of the gender equality and equity in national development in our own Manifesto of 2008.

This year, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs will work with the sponsors of the Women’s Manifesto and other stakeholders to incorporate its key demands in a revised “Affirmative Action for Women” which we hope to finalise by the end of the year.

ENERGY

Madam Speaker, I have already made reference to the commissioning of oil from the Jubilee field.

It is important to conclude the passage of the Petroleum Commission Bill which is before Parliament in order to give legal backing to issues of local content and participation in the petroleum sector.

Madam Speaker, this Government remains committed to providing adequate and reliable supply of energy to households and industry.
The supply of natural gas from Nigeria through the West Africa Gas pipeline project commenced in March last year.

This fuels two 100 megawatts gas turbines of the VRA as well as the Ho Asogli Thermal Plant.

Last year, the Aboadze to Volta transmission line was synchronized to the National Grid.

The construction of a 132 megawatts thermal power station in Takoradi also began last year and is scheduled for completion at the end of this year.

In the course of this year, we will be seeking Parliamentary approval for financing arrangements for the Takoradi International Company for the expansion of their capacity from 220 to 330 megawatts.

High capacity new power transformers have been installed in Kumasi, Ho, Anekpe, Techiman and Takoradi to increase transmission capacity and ensure reliable supply at these stations.
The ECG is also undertaking construction of primary substations in Accra, Tema and Kumasi. Over the past two years 705 towns have been connected to the national electricity grid.

As part of the continuous exercise of extending electricity to rural communities, in 2011, more communities especially in the, Western, Volta, Central, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions will be connected to the national electricity grid to close the regional distribution gap.

AGRICULTURE

Madam Speaker, modernization of agriculture, enhanced food security and creating job opportunities along the entire agricultural value chain are priorities of this Administration.

There have been notable increases of maize, rice, sorghum, plantain and yam production.

The goal of this Administration to make locally produced food more abundant and affordable is on course.

The implementation plan for the National Irrigation Policy will be completed and launched during 2011.

The first phase of the Accra Plains Irrigation Project, covering an area of about 5000 hectares will be implemented to promote double and where possible, triple cropping of vegetables and cereals.

The Youth in Agriculture Programme has chalked some degree of success and its scope will be expanded this year.

The National Buffer Stock Company will this year improve its storage capacity of 34,000 metric tonnes to at least 60,000 metric tonnes.

The Company will also acquire a modern rice mill to enhance the processing of local paddy rice.

The Export Development Investment Fund (EDIF) will be converted to the Export Development and Agriculture Investment Fund (EDAIF).

This will enable the Agency to support entrepreneurs and investors with needed credit in the agricultural sector as well.

FISHERIES COLLEGE

In fulfillment of a promise in our manifesto, the Ministry of Agriculture will collaborate with the University of Cape Coast to establish a Fisheries College at Anomabu in the Central Region.
The satellite campus is expected to train professional technicians who will help to modernize Ghana’s fishing industry.

HEALTH

Madam Speaker, in order to achieve the health related MDGs by 2015, Government will continue to concentrate on improving health outcomes by targeting resources towards the health of women and children, and prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will continue to provide financial risk protection against the cost of basic quality health care for all citizens in Ghana.

Madam Speaker, even though there are geographical hotspots in the country, we have continued to reduce our national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate which currently stands at 1.9% and we aim to achieve virtual elimination of mother to child HIV transmission within the next 5 years.

Ghanaians will be happy to note that we are on the verge of once again eradicating the guinea worm disease in Ghana.

Since May 2010, when the last case was reported, we have not seen any case of guinea worm in Ghana.

Madam Speaker, in the area of health infrastructure, the construction works on District Hospitals will continue.
Regional Hospitals and staff housing at Wa, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tema will commence.

Other projects include the ongoing refurbishment of the Tamale Teaching Hospital and the expansion of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine centres at the Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals.

Madam Speaker, following the passage of the Mental Health Act, Government will adopt a community mental health care strategy to facilitate the implementation of the Act.

The required Legislative Instrument to operationalize other aspects of the Act will also be laid before Parliament.

EDUCATION

Madam Speaker, this year, we will further intensify our commitment to free exercise books, free school uniforms and turn more schools under trees into brick and mortar classroom blocks.

We will also expand the Capitation Grant as well as the School Feeding Programme support.

The latter program has been restructured in such a way that the development partners which earlier pulled out on account of poor financial and procurement audit reports are considering resuming their financial support for the programme.

Government will continue to provide incentives and motivation packages for teachers, especially those in deprived areas.

Madam Speaker, in the co-ordinated programme of economic and social development policies I referred to earlier, we have noted the rate at which the computerized placement mechanism is blocking access to second cycle education by pupils from basic schools in the catchment areas.

It has therefore been decided that from the 2011-12 academic year, the policy of selecting 30% of first year students from within 10-mile radius of where schools are situated will be restored.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology has already begun distributing computer notebooks to brilliant but needy science students.

In line with Government’s vision to expand ICT infrastructure development, this Administration has also put in place a Tertiary Institutions Internal Access Programme (TIIAP) of institutions to benefit from a discounted laptop scheme.

The first batch of beneficiaries of the Mathematics, Science and Technology Scholarship Scheme as promised in our manifesto will be awarded scholarships before the end of March.

The scheme covers needy but brilliant science biased students in second cycle and tertiary level institutions.

Madam Speaker, Government will continue to support the expansion of especially tertiary education including those in the private sector but will not allow a mushrooming of institutions without the appropriate accreditation.

As you are aware I have already cut the sod for work to begin on the promised two additional public universities in the Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions.

Madam Speaker, the sod-cutting for the commencement of works on the construction of the University of Health and Allied Sciences in the Volta Region, as well as the University of Energy and Natural Resources in the Brong Ahafo Region, is ample testimony to our commitment to breathe life into our manifesto pledges.

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