Presenting the Business Statement for the week, last Friday on the floor of the House, Mr Annoh-Dompreh, recommended that the House commenced sitting each day at 10 a.m. and also have extended sittings to ensure that business scheduled for the ninth week, particularly Bills programmed were considered by the House and same passed expeditiously.  

“Mr Speaker, it is hoped that this recommendation, if adopted, will also facilitate the consideration of other parliamentary business that will require the attention of the House,” he said.

Bills

Mr Annoh-Dompreh, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, therefore, urged Committees with referrals to expedite work on the same for the attention of the House.

“Mr Speaker, the House has barely four sitting days left to adjourn sine die and given this, the Business Committee urges all Committees with referrals, particularly the under-listed bills to expedite consideration on same for the attention of the House,” he said.

They are the Grains Development Authority Bill, 2022; Ghana Industrial Property Office Bill, 2023; Rent Bill, 2023; Budget Bill, 2023; and the National Petroleum Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Budget

Touching on the Mid-Year Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the government for the 2023 Financial Year scheduled for today by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, the Majority Chief Whip urged the MPs to take note and avail themselves accordingly.

He said pursuant to Standing Order 70, which allowed MPs to make brief comments on the reviewed budget, the Business Committee had accordingly decided that MPs would be allowed to make brief comments tomorrow, Tuesday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 2, 2023.

Subsequently, he said, the Business Committee had proposed that the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Finance Committee would be allotted 15 minutes each to comment on the statement while all other members would be given 10 minutes.

Mr Annoh-Dompreh said the Business Committee had proposed that comments be structured along specific sectors, that is, governance, including security and Public safety, finance and the other economy generally, energy and other infrastructural sectors, the social sector, local governance, as well as youth, Sports, tourism and the cultural sector.

According to him, the arrangement was to enable a smooth flow of comments.

Conference

The Majority Chief Whip announced that the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference was to be hosted by Ghana from Saturday, September 30, to Friday, October 6, 2023.

"However, considering the fact that the House would be on recess, a decision regarding the participation by members has commenced and members would be duly informed when the discussion is concluded," he said.

Ministers

Also on the bill is for six ministers to appear before the House to respond to questions.

They are the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu; the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery; the Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture, Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister of Energy, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and the Minister of Roads and Highway, Kwasi Amoako- Attah.

They are expected to answer 36 questions in all.