As the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s 4th Republic hurtles towards its conclusion, Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has sounded the alarm, urging lawmakers to prioritize pending government business. With time running out, Speaker Bagbin has identified seven critical items that demand immediate attention.
First on the agenda is the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation Bill, 2024, which will enable the new government to operate for the first three months of 2025. This is to be followed by the passage of the Environmental Protection Bill, 2024, the Boundary Commission Bill, 2024, and the Social Protection Bill, 2023.
Two bills sponsored by Parliament – the Parliament Transition Bill, 2023, and the Parliamentary Service Bill, 2024 – are also high on the agenda. These bills aim to refine the processes involved in the peaceful transfer of power from one parliament to another, drawing inspiration from the Presidential Transition Act, 2012.
With numerous private and public bills, tax and financial requisitions, international agreements, and committee reports pending, Speaker Bagbin acknowledges that time is of the essence. He emphasized that the House must be realistic and prioritize its business to avoid abandoning the interests of the people and the nation.
GBC/Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
