The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, says despite the challenges faced by the 8th Parliament over the past four years, the House, under his leadership, has endeavoured to deliver on its mandate.
Speaking ahead of his anticipated retention as Speaker for the new Parliament at midnight on Tuesday, January 6, Mr Bagbin revealed that the House had held a total of 399 sittings during the four-year period.
He noted that 100 bills were presented to the House, and out of these, 60 were passed into law, while the remaining 40 are at various stages of progress.
“We were able to pass 60 bills out of 100 that were presented to the House,” he said.
The Speaker further clarified that “22 bills are still before committees, six are at the second reading stage, and four are at the consideration stage.” He also mentioned that eight bills were withdrawn by their sponsors.
Of the 60 bills passed into law, Mr Bagbin highlighted that some were private members’ bills, noting that “five of these bills were private members’ bills, setting a record for private bills in Ghana.”
He pointed to key legislation passed during the term, including the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity Act, and the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which did not receive the President’s assent.
Other significant laws include the Public Financial Management and Criminal Offences Amendment Bills, a bill against witchcraft, the abolition of the death penalty, and the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
“These are key pieces of legislation that will address many societal ills,” he said. “It is important to bring these to the attention of the people we represent, as they have had a significant impact globally.”
Mr Bagbin commended the MPs for their efforts in passing these laws, noting that they have helped elevate Ghana’s profile on the world stage.
Meanwhile, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, expressed disappointment over Parliament’s inability to complete some key initiatives.
Source: myjoyonline.com