Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Vice Chair, Business Committee of Parliament, Tuesday outlined the business framework of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
He said 61 Bills may be laid before Parliament, 49 Instruments being processed to be delivered to the House, and 230 Papers to be presented.
He said about 827 questions, comprising both urgent and normal, have been filed for the Meeting.
Mr Afenyo-Markin disclosed this when presenting the Business Statement for the first week ending Friday, February 10, 2023, when Parliament reconvened on Tuesday.
He said the First Meeting of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament was expected to be demanding since several Bills and other important parliamentary businesses would be considered.
Presently, there are 34 Private Members’ Motions, 13 Public Bills before Committees, five Private Members’ Bills, and three petitions before Parliament.
He urged the Committees with those referrals and other Bills to expedite work on same for consideration in the House.
“Mr Speaker, there are about 827 questions that have been filed and indications are that the number would climb up since Members have returned from their constituencies and, as usual, after their interactions with constituents, would want to reflect their needs at Question time.”
“For this reason, the Office of the Leader of Government Business has been consulting and conferring with Ministers to determine their respective prioritised agenda for the Meeting. It is hoped that by this joint effort, the House would be assisted to make judicious use of the limited time that is available to the House,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader, told the House that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was scheduled to deliver a message on the State of the Nation and the date would be communicated to Members in the fullness of time.
He, therefore, entreated Members to brace themselves for the task ahead.
The third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic would resume sitting on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
This was after the House adjourned sine die, on Thursday, December 22, 2022, for the legislators to take a break for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
GNA