By Edzorna Francis Mensah
Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has proposed to the House seven (7) key items as the most important government business to prioritize during the limited period remaining before the 8th Parliament concludes its term.
The first item on his agenda is the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation Bill, 2024, which will cover the first three months of 2025 for the incoming government. This is to be followed by the passage of the Environmental Protection Bill, 2024 and the Boundary Commission Bill, 2024.
Other critical items include the Social Protection Bill, 2023, the Parliament Transition Bill, 2023, the Parliamentary Service Bill, 2024, and a few Public Accounts Committee reports.
The two bills sponsored by Parliament—the Parliament Transition Bill and the Parliamentary Service Bill—are deemed essential for refining the processes involved in the peaceful transfer of parliamentary administration and management.
The Speaker emphasized the importance of enacting a law that clearly outlines the procedures for transitioning from one Parliament to another, to avoid a repeat of the challenges experienced at the inception of the 8th Parliament. He cited the Presidential Transition Act, 2012, as a shining example for the Executive arm of government to follow.
In his welcome address during the Seventh Meeting of the 4th Session of the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana, on Monday, December 16, 2024, the Speaker highlighted that several critical private and public bills, tax and financial requisitions, international agreements, and committee reports remain pending at various stages of consideration.
However, he acknowledged the constraints of time, stating: “Unfortunately, the season and time are not in favor of a heavy work schedule as detailed on the Order Paper.” He further noted:
“We are compelled, in the circumstances, to be realistic and to prioritize the business. Unless we abandon the interest of the people and the nation, there is no way the long list of government business on the Order Paper can be completed within this limited period of time before the term of the 8th Parliament ends.”
