Parliament ready to sit 24/7 to scrutinize 2021 budget – Bagbin

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin; has said parliament is ready to sit all day everyday to debate the contents of the 2021 budget statement which was presented today, March 12, 2021.

Bagbin was responding to concerns raised by lawmakers relating to the short time allotted for debate on the presented statement.

Deputy Minority leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin submitted to the house that instead of the usual one-month period, two weeks had been allotted to debate on the current statement.

“Our capex have been completely taken away from us from the indication that I have been given and it will not happen under my watch. That will not happen,” Bagbin remonstrated in respect to budgetary cuts proposed for the legislature by the executive.

“We are prepared to sit 24 / 7 to go through the budget and pass it. But members will no longer be allowed to use their houses as offices to perform government functions and their duties for the good people of Ghana.

“We have been allowing this for 28 good years and now we are grown. The budget is not only for the executive,” he added.

He further assured members that the house will admit urgent questions for purposes of further scrutiny of the document. He also spoke about other means that will be used to bolster debate on the budget.

“… there will be virtual presentations and so members are not all to be physically present at the venue.”

Majority leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, spent an estimated three-hour period to deliver the budget. He did the presentation in the absence of Finance Minister designate Ken Ofori-Atta who is outside the country for medical reasons.