Parliament reconvenes with Rashida IBRAHIM - Schedule for the Session
New Beginnings at the Parliament: A Hustle-Filled Agenda Awaits!
marked the opening of the third session of the eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic, after a lengthy adjournment in December 2022. Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin kick-started the session with his customary opening remarks, addressing several topics, including the recent change in leadership of the Minority NDC Caucus.
During this session, the House has an impressive lineup of 61 bills to consider, along with 49 instruments and 230 papers to be presented. The House also expects 827 questions, both urgent and normal, to be admitted, as well as 34 Private Members' Motions and three petitions. The busy schedule ahead was emphasized by the Speaker, who declared, "It will be a busy sitting indeed."
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is expected to present the State of the Nation Address at a date yet to be disclosed.
Parliament Demands Clarity over Domestic Debt Exchange Programme
Parliament has urged the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to provide a detailed briefing on the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) being implemented by the government. Members of Parliament (MPs) are concerned that the lack of transparency surrounding this programme is causing uncertainty among the Ghanaian public.
MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa criticized the government for failing to announce the details of the DDEP as promised in the 2023 budget, resulting in challenges with its implementation, including recent protests by affected pensioners and individual bondholders at the Ministry of Finance.
In support of the call for transparency, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Bawku Central MP emphasized the importance of the Minister for Finance appearing before Parliament to provide a policy brief and address the concerns of the citizens.
The Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin acknowledged the urgency of the situation but maintained that the minister's actions thus far are not unconstitutional. Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin expressed worry over the pensioners' protests and ordered the Business Committee to swiftly schedule a meeting with the Minister of Finance to discuss the DDEP.
The implementation of the DDEP is necessary to restructure Ghana’s public debt, restore macroeconomic stability, and address internal and external imbalances in the economy. Parliament's demand for a briefing highlights their constitutional duty to oversee public finances and ensure that the government’s debt management strategies are effective.
President Submits Seven Nominations for Ministerial Appointments
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has submitted seven nominations for ministerial and deputy ministerial posts following the resignations of Alan Kyeremanten, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and Ebenezer Kojo Kumas. The nominees include Kobina Tahiru Hammond for Trade and Industry, Dr. Stephen Amoah as a deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Brian Acheampong for Food and Agriculture, and Stephen Asamoah Boateng for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
Herbert Krapah, the current deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, has been nominated as a deputy Minister designate for Energy. Mohammad Amin Adam and Osei Bonsu Amoah have been nominated as Ministers of State at the Ministries of Finance and Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development, respectively. The President has urged Parliament to expedite the process of vetting and approving these nominees to fill the vacant positions in government.
With a packed agenda ahead and pressing issues like the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme demanding attention, this third session of the eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic is shaping up to be a challenging yet significant period in Ghana’s political history.
- The busy legislative agenda of this third session includes a focus on investment, as Parliament demands clarity over the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme that aims to restructure the nation's public debt and foster financial stability.
- In the realm of finance and economy, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been urged to provide a detailed briefing regarding the DDEP, due to concerns about the lack of transparency causing uncertainty within the Ghanaian public.
- The parliamentary deliberations encompass policy-and-legislation matters, as Members of Parliament (MPs) scrutinize the government's actions and strategies in trade and agriculture.
- This session also witnesses the submission of nominations for ministerial and deputy ministerial posts, underlining the politics of general-news as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo seeks to fill vacant positions in trade, industry, food and agriculture, energy, chieftaincy, and religious affairs.
- In the domain of policy, the implementation of the DDEP is essential for addressing imbalances within the economy and ensuring macroeconomic stability, falling under the scrutiny of Parliament's constitutional duty to oversee public finances.
- Aside from the DDEP, the parliamentary schedule is filled with questions, Private Members' Motions, and petitions, signifying the commitment to business, energy, agriculture, and other matters that shape the nation's overall development and prosperity.
