‘Hard times’ force Parliament to hold post-budget workshop in-house

Parliament will hold this year’s post-budget workshop on its premises in Accra due to the hard times that have befallen the country.

An earlier decision to hold the annual post-budget workshop at Rock City Hotel in Kwahu, Eastern Region, has, therefore, been abandoned.

This followed strong public opposition and concerns over the country’s financial challenges.

In the past, it has been a tradition to utilize hotels for the Parliament workshop.

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However, the decision to hold this year’s event at Rock City Hotel, owned by Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong, was met with some opposition.

Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin announced that the workshop was to take place from Friday, 17th to Sunday, 19th November 2023.

However, on Monday, November 13, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, intervened, clarifying that the House had not decided on using Rock City as the venue for the post-budget review.

Due to public opposition and the presentation of invoices from Volta Serene and Rock City, which indicated that the latter was too expensive, the Speaker proposed the use of Parliament’s Chamber block as the venue for the post-budget workshop.

The House made it clear that this year’s post-budget workshop will be held using the Chamber for the main conference.