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HIGHLIGHTS OF PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS IN THE FIRST MEETING OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE NINTH PARLIAMENT
The First Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana commenced on Tuesday, 7th January 2025, and ended on Saturday, 29th March 2025.
The House held Forty-Three (43) Sittings within eleven weeks, performing its deliberative, representational, oversight, and legislative functions, among others.
This Meeting of the First Session was quite long and characterised by many parliamentary-related activities. This article highlights some of the activities during the Meeting under review.
Presentation of Business
Some parliamentary Businesses were carried out, including the presentation of Papers, reading of Bills, presentation of Regulations, Constitutional and Legislative Instruments, referrals to Committees, reports from Committees of the House, Ministries, Departments, and other agencies.,
Bills
A total of 18 Bills were presented to the House during the First Meeting, namely Electronic Transfer Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025; Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Revenue Administration (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Special Import Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Emissions Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025; Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Ghana Gold Board Bill, 2025; Energy Sector Levy Bill, 2025; Ghana Gold Board Bill, 2025; Public Financial Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Minerals Income Investment Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Ghana Cocoa Board (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Public Procurement Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Appropriation Bill, 2025. Out of the 18 Bills read, 16 were passed by the House during the Meeting. The passed Bills are the Electronic Transfer Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025; Revenue Administration (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Emissions Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025; Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Special Import Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Energy Sector Levy Bill, 2025; the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Public Procurement Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Minerals Income Investment Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Public Financial Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Appropriation Bill, 2025; and the Ghana Gold Board Bill, 2025.
Regulations
One Regulation, the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025, was presented to the House and referred to the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation.
Annual Reports
Four (4) Annual Reports from different Government agencies were presented to the House during this Meeting. They were Annual Reports on the Petroleum Funds for the 2024 Fiscal Year, the Collection and Utilisation of the African Union Import Levy for the 2024 Fiscal Year, the District Assemblies Common Fund for the year 2023, and the Staffing Position of the Office of the President for the Period 1st January to 31st December 2024.
Committee Reports
Seventy-two (72) Committee reports were submitted to the House by various Committees of the House for consideration and adoption. All the reports that were submitted were duly debated and adopted by the House.
Auditor-General’s Report
The House considered one (1) Auditor-General’s Report. The report was on the Statements of Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) for the half-year ended 30th June 2024.
Leadership Reports
One report from Leadership on the Formula for the Composition of Parliamentary Delegations, and other Parliamentary Groups and Associations was presented to the House on Tuesday, 25th March, 2025.
Message on the State of the Nation
On Thursday, 27th February, 2025, and in accordance with article 67 of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Order 72 (1), the President of the Republic, H. E. John Dramani Mahama, presented to Parliament a Message on the State of the Nation. Members had the opportunity to make comments in support of the Message of the President.
Ministerial and other Appointments
During the First Meeting, the President nominated 56 persons for appointment as Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Members of Cabinet. The Appointments Committee held public hearings to vet all the nominees, and they were approved by the House even though the Minority Caucus abstained from some of the approvals. During the public hearing of the Appointments Committee, there were a lot of misunderstandings that led to disruptions. The Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin suspended four (4) Members of Parliament for two weeks and set up a Committee to investigate the chaos during the vetting. The suspended MPs were the Majority Chief Whip and MP for South Dayi, Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, the Minority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyri, Mr Frank Annoh Dompreh, the MP for Gushiegu, Mr Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana, and the MP for Weija-Gbawe, Mr Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
Presentation of Budget Statement and Economic Policy
In line with article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, presented the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Tuesday, 11th March 2025.
Members of Parliament from both Sides of the House took turns to comment on the Budget Statement and later passed the Appropriation Bill.
Motions
One Hundred and Thirty-four (134) Motions were moved and adopted by the House during the Meeting. The Motions were mainly on the following: Adoption of the Annual Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government for 2025, adoption of Committee reports on the 2024 Annual Budget Estimates, motions for Second and Third Reading of Bills, motion to adopt His Excellency the President’s nomination of Ministers and Deputy Ministers.
Questions
A total of fifty-two (52) questions were asked by Members of Parliament and answered by Ministers of State on the floor of the House. Hon Members were further allowed to ask supplementary questions relating to the subject matter.
Statements
Ninety-four (94) Statements were made by Ministers and Members of Parliament to commemorate important national and international events, draw the attention of the House to issues of public importance, and Government Policies.
Communication from the President
The House received a total of fourteen (14) Communications from the Office of the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, during the Meeting. These communications were to inform the Rt Hon Speaker and the House of the absence of H. E. The President from the country, the nomination of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, and other appointments.
Committee Sittings
The House recorded seventy-three (73) Committee meetings. These meetings were held to consider Bills, vet ministerial nominees, consider budget estimates, and other issues of public concern.
Change in Leadership
On Thursday, 23rd January 2025, the Rt Hon Speaker, pursuant to Order 67(1)(r), informed the House of a communication from the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), designating the following Hon Members to leadership positions on the Majority Front Bench in the Ninth Parliament. Hon. Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader; Hon. George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, Deputy Majority Leader; Hon. Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, Majority Chief Whip; Hon. Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, First Deputy Majority Whip; and Hon. Richard Acheampong, Second Deputy Majority Whip.
Similarly, there were changes in the Minority front bench, with the following Hon Members assuming leadership positions in the Ninth Parliament. Hon. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader; Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Minority Leader; Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Minority Chief Whip; Hon. Habib Iddrisu, First Deputy Majority Whip; and Hon Jerry Ahmed Shaib, Second Deputy Majority Whip.
Adjournment
The Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Majority Leader, Mr Mahama Ayariga, and the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin made their closing remarks to thank the First and Second Deputy Speakers, Mr Bernard Ahiafor and Mr Andrew Asiamah Amoako and Hon Members for working hard and contributing to the Business of the House during the Meeting.
Even though the First Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament was scheduled to adjourn sine die on Friday, 28th March 2025, the House was officially adjourned sine die by the Rt. Hon. Speaker on Saturday, 29th March, 2025.
MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
PARLIAMENT OF GHANA
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Prioritise affordable treatment of sickle cell treatment —Health Expert
Health experts have urged Ghana to prioritise affordable and accessible treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) as advanced, but costly curative therapies remain out of reach.
SCD, an inherited blood disorder, affects about three in every 100 newborns in Ghana.
Globally, around 1,000 babies are born with the condition daily, with three-quarters in sub-Saharan Africa.
The disease causes severe complications including chronic pain, anaemia, infections, strokes and organ damage, often leading to shortened life expectancy.
In recent years, gene therapy has been developed as a potential cure.
However, its cost—running into millions of dollars per patient—makes it financially and technically inaccessible in Ghana.
According to Dr Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a Sickle Cell and Childhood Cancer Expert at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, “the country must instead focus on practical, lower-cost interventions such as hydroxyurea”, a decades-old cancer drug proven to reduce painful episodes, hospitalisation and life- threatening complications in SCD patients”.
Taken orally, the medicine improves red blood cell function and is considered safe and effective.
“Hydroxyurea therapy is as good as the cure and a low-hanging fruit to pluck, we must bring a cure to our sickle cell warriors, but do so sustainably.” he urged.
In a chat with The Spectator here, he said to create awareness on the disease, the expert noted that despite its benefits, “hydroxyurea is not widely accessible in Ghana.”
Stressing that, “many patients either cannot afford it or struggle with irregular supply through the health system.”
Moreover, he argued that scaling up access would provide immediate relief while the country builds the infrastructure, trains specialists and secures funding needed to support curative therapies in the future.
With an estimated 15,000 babies born with sickle cell disease annually in Ghana, Dr Osei Tutu cautioned that “failure to improve access to effective treatment will leave many patients vulnerable to preventable complications and early death.”
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
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Let’s reintroduce Cultural Studies to complement educational reforms — Tourism Minister
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has emphasised the importance of reintroducing Cultural Studies in schools as part of Ghana’s broader educational reform agenda.
She said Cultural Studies would complement existing efforts to reposition Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote digital literacy and expand Creative Arts education.
Speaking at the 2025 Homowo Festival of the people of Ningo-Prampram, held on the theme: “Education: The Best Legacy for our Children,” Madam Gomashie said cultural education was critical to national identity and development.
She noted that the festival’s theme aligned with the Government’s vision to transform education in Ghana and encouraged the youth to embrace it not only as a means of personal development but also as a way of preserving traditional values.
These values, including patience, wisdom, and hard work, were at the core of the Homowo celebration, the Minister said.
“Cultural festivals like Homowo are vital instruments for strengthening cultural identity, preserving historical memory, and fostering national unity. Additionally, festivals serve as platforms for educating the youth through storytelling, music, dance, and other traditional practices, while also providing opportunities for community engagement.”
Madam Gomashie highlighted the strong foundation that Ghana’s tourism was built on, which included culture, traditions, and the creative industry, collectively contributing to over GH¢4.8 billion to the economy.
“Festivals give tourists reasons to visit our country. Therefore, with the right infrastructure and the development of all the domains, the sector can do more than what has been recorded,” she added.
Mr Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, commended the community for their vibrant participation in the festival. He announced plans for the construction of a new nursing training school in Ningo, aimed at expanding access to healthcare education in the area.
Nene Osroagbo Djangmah XII, Paramount Chief of Great Ningo Traditional Area; King Dr Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse; Nene Tetteh Wakah III, Paramount Chief of the Prampram Traditional Area; Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III, Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area; Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II, Paramount Queen Mother of Great Ningo; and Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Special Envoy on Religion and Inter-Faith Affairs, who represented the Chief of Staff, were among dignitaries at the festival. -GNA
