Parliament reconvenes today for third meeting

The Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic reconvenes tomorrow, Tuesday, October 25, 2022.

A statement issued by the Office of the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, has said.

It said: “In pursuance of Standing Order 37 of the Parliament of Ghana, I, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, hereby give notice that the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic shall commence on Tuesday, the 25th day of October 2022, at ten o’clock in the forenoon at Parliament House, Accra.”

In a related development, a statement from the Public Affairs Directorate of Parliament, Monday, said Sixty-six Bills, including the Affirmation Action Bill, 2022, Ghana Housing Authority Bill, 2022, Minerals and Mining (Amendment), 2022, Small Scale Mining Bill, 2022, Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment Bill, 2022 and the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Bill, 2021 were expected to be laid before the House.

It said a Private Members Bill, which was referred to the Council of State would also be laid before the House.

Eleven Bills are currently at the committee level, out of which seven are Public Bills and four, Private Members bills.

Among them are the Intestate Succession Bill, 2022, at the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2022, at the Committee on Defence and Interior, the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and the Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, at the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021, at the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.

According to the statement, there were also Instruments at various stages to be laid before the House.

“The Speaker is expected to admit Papers, Petitions, Motions for Debates and Questions to be answered by sector ministers during this meeting,” it said.

Other events during the meeting will be the presentation of the annual budget for 2023 and the festival of nine lessons and carols.

The House adjourned sine-dine on Thursday, July 28, 2022.

“Mr Speaker, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Hosue is expected to resume the third week in October,” Mr Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader said.

Members of Parliament (MPs) go into recess thrice in a Session – the first recess is from March to May, the second, from July to October with the last being December to January.

The MPs use the recess for committee meetings, visiting their constituencies and other Parliamentary-related works.