The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has said Parliament is broke, thus lacks adequate funds to run its operations.
He attributed this to the delay in the disbursement of funds by the Finance Ministry.
Addressing the House on Thursday, May 26, Mr. Bagbin cautioned the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, against treating Parliament like a Ministry or a District Assembly.
“It’s not easy. So, sometimes we see your requests for me to approve for you to do some things I had declined. It’s not because I love declining your requests; it’s because we don’t have the wherewithal to fund those operations.
“I think the Minister of Finance should not treat Parliament like a Ministry or MMDA – I will emphasise this again,” he said.
According to the Speaker, the situation can halt activities of the House if not checked and addressed immediately.
He revealed that the Ministry has written to leadership of the House, asking for a 50% reduction in budgetary allocations.
“This is an arm of government; we are not part of the MMDAs. We have even been written to, to reduce our budget in some areas, by 50% and so if they want Parliament to run aground, they should let us know.
“The Speaker is not ready and prepared to be blamed for inability to get Parliament work going on just because we are not getting the necessary funds. Others will have some hesitation saying this; I don’t have,” he stated unequivocally.
In a quick response to this, the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, assured Parliament of government's commitment to release the necessary funds for the effective running of the House.
Latest Stories
-
Yaw Nsarkoh: Bit by bit we will understand China
6 hours -
Looted and returned: Asante royal artefacts on display for public viewing at Manhyia Museum
6 hours -
Suspected killer in Kasoa land dispute shooting not a National Security operative
6 hours -
Ghana appoint four Para Athletics coaches in Preparation for Paris 2024
7 hours -
Kumasi Cheshire Home decries inadequate equipment; seeks public support
7 hours -
UCL: Niclas Fullkrug hands Dortmund first leg advange over PSG
8 hours -
GPL: Accra Lions beat Hearts of Oak to go third
9 hours -
Seek higher grounds as rains intensify – GMet warns
9 hours -
May Day: Sam Ankrah promises to prioritise welfare and well-being of workers if elected president
9 hours -
Bawumia plans door-to-door campaign for 2024 polls
10 hours -
GAF condemns ‘unprovoked’ fatal shooting of soldier in Kasoa land dispute
10 hours -
OSP’s request for money laundering probe against Cecilia Dapaah baseless – AG advises EOCO
10 hours -
Obofour Raphael releases ‘Asem Yi Di Ka’ EP
10 hours -
‘Operation Clean Your Surroundings’: Popular Kenkey joint and public toilets in Takoradi shut down
11 hours -
GFA boss Kurt Okraku graces Dreams FC’s dinner to celebrate CAF Confederation Cup exploits
11 hours