Budget 2022: Joint committee to resolve tussle between MPs in Ghana’s parliament

Ghana’s parliament has set up a bipartisan committee to deal with recent tussle between legislators over the passage of the government’s 2022 budget and policy statement.

Modalities as to how the 10-member committee drawn from each side of the House will operate is yet to be known.

However, despite the back-and-forth over the approval or otherwise of the 2022 budget statement, some committees of the house have commenced consideration of the budget estimates for the 2022 fiscal year.

Recently, there have been some disagreements in the house following the rejection of the budget statement by the Minority on Friday, November 26, 2021, and the subsequent approval by the Majority on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

For instance, there was chaos in Parliament after the sit-in Speaker, First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, gave a ruling which didn’t favour the Minority Caucus.

The Minority, through its leader, Haruna Iddrisu, had challenged the approval of the 2022 budget statement and requested that a motion be adopted to set aside the approval of the policy document.

According to the Minority, it was wrong for the Deputy Speaker who chaired proceedings on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, to count himself as part of the Majority while he assumed the speaker position.

However, after a lengthy debate on the matter, Mr. Osei-Owusu, who chaired the sitting in the absence of the Speaker, turned down the motion.

He subsequently suspended sitting for an hour following the confusion that ensued after his ruling.

But upon resumption, the Second Deputy Speaker assumed the Speaker’s seat and subsequently adjourned the sitting until today, Thursday.

Below is the list of the 20-member bipartisan committee:

Majority Caucus

• Dan Botwe( Okere)
• KT Hammond (Adansi Asokwa)
• Patrick Boamah( Okaikwei Central)
• Patricia Appiagyei( Asokwa)
• Lydia Alhassan( MP, Ayawaso West Wuogon)
• Alexander Afenyo Markin( MP, Effutu)
• Habid Iddrisu( Tolon)
• Frank Annor Dompreh ( Nsawam Addoagyir)
• Joe Ghartey (Essikado/ Ketan)

Minority Caucus

• Muntaka Mubarak ( Asawase )
• Rockson Nelson Dafiamekpor (South Dayi)
• Sam George( Ningo Prampram)
• James Agalga( Builsa North)
• Kwabena Mintah Akando( Juaboso)
• Enerst Norgbey(Ashaiman)
• Richard Acheampong( Bia East)
• Ahmed Ibrahim
• Comfort Doyoe-Ghansah

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH

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