MPs urged to attend to business despite elections

Accra, Jan. 22, GNA- Parliament reconvened on Tuesday with a call on members to be punctual in the House despite the fact that this was an election year.

Mr Ebnenezer Sekyi Hughes, the Speaker of Parliament, welcoming members back from the Christmas break, said the year promises to be exciting with the General Election in sight but said there was work for Members of Parliament (MPs) to do in the chambers as part of their constitutional duties.

He acknowledged that MPs would be busy in their respective constituencies but asked them to always show commitment to business in parliament and be punctual (at 1000 hours) for sitting to commence.

Later, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Minister of Water Resource, Works and Housing, told the House that there was a general demand and supply deficit in water supply in the Accra-Tema Metropolis. "The immediate action plan to improve water supply embarked upon by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), is to ration the available water to communities in the Accra metropolis."

The Minister was responding to a question on steps being taken to address the problem of water shortages in Mamobi East and West, Nima East and others parts of Accra, in parliament.

Alhaji Boniface said "The medium term plan is that GWCL is undertaking the east-west interconnection pipeline transfer 15 million gallons a day capacity expansion project in Weija."

He said when the projects were completed in November 2008, it would significantly improve water supply in communities in the metropolis. The Minister said the long-term plan was to embark on the Kpong expansion water supply project.

He said two firms from China and Malaysia have expressed interest in executing the project to offer 186 million gallons a day plant which would ensure uninterrupted water supply to many areas.