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
-
Africa Development Council urges ECOWAS action amid Togo’s constitutional crisis
2 hours -
Situate power sector challenges within the context of the 4th Republic – Jantuah
3 hours -
Empowering Youth through IT Education: IT For Youth Ghana College leads the way
3 hours -
Trump criminal case: Full 12-person jury seated in Manhattan
3 hours -
Israel Gaza: US again warns against Rafah offensive
3 hours -
Man arrested in Poland over alleged Russia plot to kill Zelensky
3 hours -
Over 100 arrested as US college Gaza protest cleared
3 hours -
Justmoh Construction begins work on dualization of Takoradi-Agona Nkwanta road
3 hours -
MGL visits Dumor family following passing of Mawuena Trebarh
4 hours -
In Pursuit of Peace and Unity: Interfaith Leaders Promote Dialogue – Chief Doli-Wura to Africa Union
4 hours -
TEWU raises concern over quality of food served in SHS
5 hours -
Ghanaian students gear up for Robotics World Championship
5 hours -
Political interference makes public sector managers appear incompetent – Dr Manteaw
5 hours -
Police arrest truck driver alleged to have caused train crash
5 hours -
CAF Confederation Cup: Dreams FC depart to Cairo ahead of semis first leg against Zamalek
6 hours