The debate on the 2008 budget in Parliament Wednesday mainly focussed on the agriculture sector of the economy, with some Members of Parliament suggesting to the government to provide the necessary support for farmers to increase their yields. The MP for Mion, Dr Alhassan Yakubu Ahmed, noted that although about 60 per cent of the country's workforce was engaged in the agriculture sector, its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the economy was on the decline. He attributed the declining yield of various crops to the low application of technology, and expressed the view that the current economic environment did not favour the Ghanaian small-scale farmer. "Mr Speaker, we should provide enough resources for food crop farmers to enable them to reap the benefits of their labour", he said. The MP, who is an agricultural scientist, reminded the government of its promise to cut the importation of rice by 30 per cent when it took power in 200l. He said it was unfortunate that the importation of rice had currently tripled, thereby crippling the local rice industry. Dr Ahmed also bemoaned the gradual decline in cotton production in the country, and said that a little effort by the government would enable the country to derive more revenue from the crop. When he took his turn, the Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Nana Akomea, said in spite of some difficulties, the government's good economic policies had resulted in stabilising the country's micro economic environment. "Mr Speaker, in relative terms, the living conditions of the people have seen improvement since the NPP government took office", he stated. "Nana Akomea explained that the extreme poverty level in the country had decreased from 40 per cent in 1998 to 27 per cent in 2006. He said that the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) was also playing an important role by providing employment for the youth in the country. The minister said as of now about 108,000 people had been employed under the programme. He said other programmes such as the Capitation Grant, National Health Insurance Scheme and Mass Transit System were some of the policies which were impacting positively on the lives of the people. Nana Akomea gave the assurance that discussions were going on to find solutions to the intermittent problems associated with the payment of allowances to beneficiaries of the NYEP. For her part, the MP for Tarkwa/Nsuaem, Mrs Gifty Kusi, gave the assurance that measures had been put in place to forestall a recurrence of the energy crisis which the country went through recently. She said the construction of the Bui Dam, the installation of power plants, the West African Gas Project were some other projects which would provide the country with energy. When the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, caught the eye of the Speaker on a point of order he told the House that the total revenue that had accrued from the operation of the Saltpond Oil Fields was $24,711,467.26 million. He explained that the country's royalties from the operation now stood at $744,735.38. In his submission, the MP for Jomoro, Mr Lee Ocran, alleged that road contractors were refusing to take up contracts because of non-payment by the government. The Minister of Finance, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, however, refuted this allegation and said the government had paid more than the ¢480 billion it budgeted for in the 2007 budget. Source: Daily Graphic