This video captures Ghana's Parliament proceedings on June 2nd, 2026, featuring the Speaker's formal statement on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025, highlighting concerns about procedural integrity and the need for bipartisan consensus. The session also includes a heated debate on Ghana's economic recovery following the IMF Extended Credit Facility program, with opposition members challenging the government's claims of economic stability by presenting data on rising youth unemployment (49.3% in Greater Accra), inflation, and unfulfilled public service commitments. The proceedings demonstrate how parliamentary democracy facilitates public scrutiny of government economic policies and legislative processes.
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Parliamentary Proceedings || 2nd June 2026Added:
On behalf of the Panaffrican Parliament and in my personal capacity, I extend my sincere congratulations to your excellency, the government and the people of the Republic of Ghana following the election of honorable Dr. Zanet Ajiman Rollins as vice president of the Panaffrican Parliament.
The African Parliament appreciates your excellency's support to honorable Dr. Ajiman Rollins and to the entire delegation of Ghana to Panaffrican Parliament referred to usually as pap.
We hope that your excellency will continue to support honorable Ajiman Rollins to enable her to effectively fulfill her duties as vice president.
In this regard, I would like to bring to your esteemed attention the rights associated with the elevated status of honorable daughter Rollins.
In accordance with the constitutive act, the statutes and protocols of the African Union, Honorable Dr. Aman Rollins enjoys ministerial status, >> not only in the host country South Africa, but also across the African continent.
This status comes with the following benefits among other courtesy measures.
One, an appropriate official vehicle.
>> Two, Two, VIP protection.
>> Three, state protocol services.
>> Four, financial support.
Five, >> an official office and six support staff.
In this context, the Panaffrican Parliament respectfully requests your excellency to facilitate the provision of the aforementioned benefits at national level to honorable Dr. Ajiman Rollins, thereby enabling her to effectively fulfill her responsibilities as vice president.
The Panaffrican Parliament also wishes to take this opportunity to reaffirm to your excellency its highest esteem and consideration. Signed, His Excellency Fatty Boot Bake, President of the Panaffrican Parliament.
Honorable members, I direct the clerk to get in touch with the Panaffrican Parliament to get the details of this requirements and to proceed.
to ensure that they are provided to the vice president to enable her perform official duties as vice president of the Panaffrican Parliament not just for Ghana but for the whole of Africa. On your behalf I want to congratulate her my own daughter honorable Dr. Zanetto Aiman Rollins. Congratulations honorable members.
In addition to this, our delegation to the Panaffrican Parliament distinguish itself to the extent that apart from her being elected as the vice president of the Panaffrican Parliament, Other members of the delegation were equally given very key important positions.
We had the first deputy speaker honorable Bernard Afor who led the delegation being made a member of the rules committee of the Panaffrican Parliament.
We also have the honorable Frank Anoro Dumpre, the minority chief whip being made the chairman of the health committee.
>> Again, the honorable Roxson Nelson The majority chief whip has also been made a member of the finance committee.
And finally, our veteran member here, the honorable Collins Da was also made the member of the trade committee.
Please honorable members, the delegation excelled in the deliberations of the Panaffrican Parliament and has honored our country with all these positions. It's important that we convey our greatest congratulations to the delegation and to encourage others to follow the good example of the Panaffrican delegation.
I'm told that my good friend the honorable minority chief really for good reason opted from being a member of the committee on environment science and technology to that of the health committee where he's not just a member but the chairman of the committee. So on your behalf I want to congratulate members of the delegation and to assure them of the support of not only our parliament but that of the whole country. Once again, congratulations honorable members.
And now move to the next item which as I indicated is a formal communication from me and this communication is on the passage of the human sexual rights and family values bill 2025.
Please I need your outmost attention.
Honorable members, you have to read the standing orders again.
Read it carefully about use of telephones in the house and note in particular the periods when the speaker is communicating.
You are lowering your own esteem and that of the house.
Honorable members, I decided to make this statement on the passage by the House on Friday 29th May 2026 of the human sexual rights and family values bill 2025.
At the outset, I wish to commend Ghanaians for the broad support to the effort of our traditional, religious, and civil society leaders to introduce a more comprehensive law capable of addressing the changing dynamics of human sexual rights and family values.
In particular, I commend all the bipartisan sponsors of the bill in the House, members of the committee that considered the bill and all persons who have contributed to the legislative process.
The bill addresses matters that touch deeply on the moral convictions, cultural values, constitutional principles and social aspirations of our nation.
It is therefore not surprising that it has attracted widespread public attention and significant parliamentary interests.
Honorable members, the records of the House of Friday 29th May 2026 indicate that the bill was taken through the consideration stage and thereafter read the third time and passed by the House the same day.
Although I wasn't the preciding officer that day, as the speaker, I remain by virtue of my office the custodian of the institutional integrity, procedural sanctity and dignity of parliament.
In that regard, I consider it my duty to draw the attention of the house to certain concerns which have since arisen regarding the manner in which the final stages of the bill were conducted.
Honorable members, order 24 of the standing orders requires the speaker of parliament to uphold the honor, dignity and sanctity of the house to promote consensus on matters under consideration in the house.
be impartial, fair and firm in every matter in the performance of the functions of the speaker and to protect and preserve the rights of members.
It is in the discharge of these responsibilities that I make this statement.
Honorable members, concerns relating to the application and effect of orders 170, 171, and 172 of the standing orders of the House have been raised.
Order 172 requires that amendments agreed to during consideration stage of a bill be captured accurately, appropriately, and incorporated into the bill.
Order 173 further proise that at the end of the consideration stage of a bill, the cler shall cause to be incorporated in the bill the amendments agreed to by the house where practicable and make available the amended bill to members before the third reading of the bill.
Order 171 provides a further safeguard by permitting a member immediately before third reading to move that the bill passes through a second consideration either wholly or in respect of a particular part or parts of the bill or some proposed new clause or new schedule.
Order 172 SAP order one also states that and I quote where a bill has passed through the consideration stage the third reading shall not be taken until at least one sitting day has elapsed.
Honorable members, while the house possesses the power under order three to suspend any standing order with the leave of the house, it did not do so this time.
The purpose underlying orders 170, 171, and 172 is clear.
These provisions exist to ensure that members are afforded a meaningful opportunity to know with certainty the exact text of a bill upon which they are called to take a final legislative decision and to permit adequate reflection before the house finally commits itself to a legislative position in the aftermath of the proceedings of the house on Friday.
Concerns have been raised as to whe the final test of the bill, incorporating all amendments agreed to during the consideration stage was available to members in a manner that enabled them to fully appreciate the exact form of the final bill before the T reading and ultimate passage into law.
I have also taken note of concerns expressed by some honorable members that amendments adopted during the consideration stage did not reflect the position taken by the committee as stated in the conclusion of the committee's report to which and I quote the committee having carefully considered the bill unanimously recommends unquote his passage to the house unanimously recommends his passage to the house.
Neither did the proceedings of that day convey the unanimity nor bipartisan understanding upon which the bill was initially promoted and deliberated upon.
Whether or not these concerns raised on the floor and in the public discourse are ultimately justified is not for the speaker to determine.
There are however concerns that go to the heart of parliamentary consensus and the confidence of the people and members in the legislative process.
Honorable members, the human sexual rights and family values bill 2025 and its implications on the LGBTQ plus issue is a global concern.
Therefore, the eye of the world upon this parliament, the parliament of Ghana.
What we do here must be able to withstand any legal and constitutional challenges that are sure to come.
The bill has from its inception been presented to the nation as a bipartisan legislative initiative.
Such bipartisan cooperation represent parliament at its finest.
It demonstrate to the people of Ghana that notwithstanding political differences, members of parliament are capable of uniting around matters which they consider to be of national importance.
It is therefore my considered view that a legislation of this magnitude ought as far as practicable to command not merely the numerical support of a majority of members but also the broad confidence of the house regarding both its sustenance it substance sorry and the process by which it was adopted.
What is right must be done rightly.
Honorable members, I call on parliament to rely on the provisions of motions and the conventions of this house to go back to this historic and important bill and reconsider it in the way that is truly bipartisan to conform with the convictions and confidence of our people. the initiators of the bill for the avoidance of doubt.
My concern is that legislation of such profound national importance should proceed on a foundation of broad parliamentary support by partisan cooperation and scrupulous adherence to procedures established by the constitution and the standing orders of parliament.
The legitimacy, credibility and enduring authority of any law depend not only on the objective sought to be achieved but also in the integrity of the process by which the law is enacted.
Procedural law is as equally important as substantive law. Honorable members, converse and go out and on TV and radio misinform Ghanaians again. I'm taking note of all that.
That's why I initially said read the standing orders on when the speaker is making a statement. You listen the speaker in silence.
You don't form groups and be making conversations.
CL be indeed this statement is consistent with my obligation under order 24B of the standing office to promote consensus on matter and the consideration in the house.
It is with this conviction that I invite honorable members to reflect on whether further consideration of this matter may better secure the confidence, unity, collective ownership of the bill and respect of our faith, laws and passion of the nation.
Accordingly, I respectfully appeal to honorable members to reflect carefully upon the issues raised and to consider in the larger national interests, the bipartisan character of the bill, the unity of the House and the nation, and the need to maintain the highest standards of procedial integrity to revisit decision on the third reading of the bill to permit a reconsideration of the final text of the bill and any amendments there too.
Such a cause if adopted by the house would not be an abandonment of the bill nor a rejection of its objectives.
Rather, it will represent a reaffirmation of Parliament's commitment to due process, fidelity to the constitution, consensus building, transparency, and legislative certainty.
It will ensure that any final decision taken by the house reflects not only the will of parliament but also the fullest support of Ghanaians in the law that is ultimately enacted.
Honorable members, I remain confident that honorable members will approach this matter with wisdom, patriotism, mutual respect and a shared commitment to the integrity of our parliamentary democracy and the dignity of this house.
With this, I thank you for your attention.
Honorable members, we now move to item four.
This is a formal communication, so there are no comments.
I've just been handed over a message and that message is from his excellency the president.
It was dated 28th May 2026.
It reads, "Right honorable speaker, absence from Ghana, in accordance with article 59 of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana, I write to formally notify you of my intention to travel outside the country on Friday, 29th May 2026 to participate in the Ghana Investment Summit and 12 Africa debate scheduled to take place in London.
from 31st May to 3rd June 2026.
Following this engagement, I'll depart London on 5th June 2026 for Minsk, Belarus for an official state visit at the invitation of his excellency Alexander Lucas Shenko, President of the Republic of Belarus from 5th to 9th June 202. 26.
I'll return to Ghana on 9th June 2026.
In my absence, the vice president, Professor Nana Oppoku Aiman shall perform my duties in accordance with article 68 of the constitution. Signed, John Dramani Mahhamad.
May we now take correction of votes and proceedings and official reports.
members, we'll start with the votes and proceedings.
You think station.
Honorable members, we start with the votes and proceedings of Monday 1st June 2026.
Page one.
Page two.
Page three.
Page four.
Page five.
Page six.
Page seven.
Page eight.
Members, in the absence of any corrections, the rules and proceedings of a safe sitting dated Monday 1st June 2026 is adopted as a true record of proceedings.
I have copies of two official reports dated Friday 2nd May 2026 and Tuesday 26th May 2026.
Members, any corrections?
Honorable members, in the absence of any corrections, the official reports of Friday 22nd May 2026 and Tuesday 26th May 2026 are hereby adopted.
as a true records of proceedings.
I will now acknowledge the presence of our guests at the public gallery.
We have as usual.
a number of people who have decided to honor us with their presence.
The first is from the Ajuman constituency.
is a delegation of 53 members led by Mr. Benjamin Aban an accountant by profession.
The 53 members you may please rise to be recognized.
Honorable members on your behalf I welcome the members from particularly from be alabi school.
You are welcome.
This is your house and anytime our doors are opened for you to come learn and share your knowledge of us and get the experience of what happens here. More importantly to observe your representatives and how they function in the house to represent your interest. So you may resume your seats.
We also have 73 member delegation from Kum Katamanso led by the head of the science department from the Ebeneza Hill 2 basic school.
The headmaster is by name Mr. Dixon Titricu.
There they are 73 in number.
Once again on your behalf I welcome them too and the same goes to the delegation as I just stated in connection with the delegation from SCM constituency. So please kindly resume your seats.
We also have 49 visitors from Ningo Pram Pram Central University Law School Union.
They are led by their general secretary at the name Justice Ch.
Please on behalf of parliament you're also warmly welcome law students you are very relevant to what we do here and this is part of the law making and part of the profession in which you are aspiring to join.
So anytime you are welcome as individuals not just as a group to observe what is taking place here.
Please you may kindly resume your seat.
The last group is made up of two members from Tinad and Tobago.
They are visitors to our country and they come from the as you know Tridad and Tobago is in the Caribbean.
Um they are visitors so they are not led and they are only two and you can see them straight ahead of me.
More importantly, they are ladies.
The galance gender is not balanced. But uh we can't blame them because they are visitors.
So you have Elizabeth Gabriel and Kemba Brooks.
They are our ast visitors today. On behalf of the House of Parliament, I warmly welcome you to the House and also to Ghana and thank you for taking all the trouble, the time, the resources to visit us. And I hope that will not be the first and last. You keep on coming and who knows you may end up settling here.
You are warmly welcome.
You may resume your seats.
We now take item six.
Honorable members, my attention is drawn to the fact that I have to receive some of the abdos visitors coming to join us in the conference tomorrow and my colleagues, speakers coming from various countries. will have to be received by me. That is the the courtesy, the protocols involved in this matter. They've been doing the same to me when I visit them.
So with your kind permission, I will call on the first deputy speaker to take the chair.
There are a few things that he has to do with you, particularly taking questions and some papers if any.
Honorable members, please you can see that Mammu today is not as usual.
I expect us to take our business more seriously than we've been doing.
That's why you may not find my smiles again these few days because we have to inject strict discipline.
Even if it means that you refer to me as a dictator.
Sometimes it's very good to dictate.
Please, we should take our business more seriously than we are doing because of its impact on the lives of the people who represent.
The same should be extended to my deputy speakers.
They represent me when I'm unable to take the chair.
Don't take it as a joke.
So please fair deputy speaker take the chair.
Yes. Majority leader, any indication?
>> You know, I can never be sad.
So don't be worried about me. Be worried about other people.
Um Mr. Speaker, um we have some questions scheduled for this afternoon. Unfortunately, the ministers wrote to the house communicating to us their inability to come and answer those questions.
In essence, they are absent and so we can go to um presentation of papers after commencing public business.
I have a paper to to lay and um the chairman of the roads and transport committee also has a paper to lay after which we can commence commentary on the statement made by the minister for finance. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
>> Yes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Majority leader, I don't think it's enough to say that the minister responsible for communication uh is not available or uh he communicated to parliament. His deputy was here this morning, the deputy minister for communication, he was in the chamber. Why can't he tackle the question? Why can't he answer the questions on behalf of his minister? And these questions are more than one year now. These questions that is scheduled for today they are more than one year now majority leader yesterday we we we sat we could not and the reason was because of the backlog of questions but the minister too was unavailable and we could not tackle that and today the minister who has a deputy the deputy was in the chamber and we are saying that the minister wrote to parliament that he's unable to answer the questions Mr. Mr. Speaker, and where is the letter, Majority Leader? Where is the letter?
Where is the letter that the major the minister wrote? And and and Mr. Speaker, when we continue rescheduling some of these questions, it looks relevant. Some of the questions are agent in nature.
Some of the questions are to address uh pertinent h matters. But these questions that those especially the first three questions filed by honorable the member of parliament for Panda. It's over one year now since he filed that question and we continue to reschedule. Majority leader the explanation your ministers are giving is enough. It's not enough and they are giving us a lot of pressure from our members those who are asking the questions and now if this one is reschedled yesterday one was rescheduled so when and we are aware that the whole of this week parliament might not sit until next week Tuesday. So when and we'll be adjourning when we expect the media uh budget. So Mr. speaker this is not enough and I think that the deputy minister is here the deputy minister should come and respond to the question because he's here and I think he's capable unless it is the case that you are saying the deputy minister is not capable to respond to those questions then we will say that then we have a deputy minister who cannot respondse to questions I thank you >> yeah Mr. Speaker, >> I mean ministers can write to this house to request for their questions >> and the timing to be rescheduled and the chief director of the minister ministry did write to um the cler of parliament uh I think dated 29th of May indicating the unavailability of to the minister to answer the question for us. If a deputy minister is authorized by the minister to come and answer, we will be glad to have that happen. But if the minister directs that he is unavailable and wants to be here to answer the questions himself, I don't believe there's anything that we can do about it. The situation that we have is that the ministers have obligations here and they have obligations out of the jurisdiction.
And we cannot say that when they are called upon to perform an international assignment, we should say because they have a question to answer to this house, they cannot go and perform that international assignment. Indeed, Indeed representing us at those international platforms enable the country to benefit from resources that the various international bodies tend to disperse to to countries.
And so it is important to be at the meetings and then we will uh we will we will we will the the I don't want to say certain things because if I said certain things if I said certain things you will discover that it is absolutely not the fault of the minister that he is unable to come and answer the presence. In fact, and let me say it then because the letter from the chief director says that parliament communicated the questions with them the day before after the minister had already scheduled his international travel.
So if parliament communicated to the minister a day before >> to appear today or even uh today and then the minister says no I'm unable to come. How is the minister at fault in this matter?
So let's be careful some of the things that we say about ministers. Our own institutional challenges sometimes account for ministers being unable to come uh as requested. But this minister we know is always here answering his questions. That's the minister for health. And so I don't think that uh we need to be worried. He will come back and I know him when he returns he will immediately make himself available to the house to answer the questions. But I take note of your concerns that we should get ministers who have deputies to try as much as possible if they are unable to come to delegate their deputies to come to this house and answer those questions so that we can deal with the backlog of questions that we have. But I want to assure you that in spite of the unforeseen events that threaten us being able to meet our agenda this uh this meeting, we will find ways of making sure that every question that is asked is answered by the relevant ministers. So Mr. Speaker, I plead with our colleagues that let's move to the commencement of public business. uh vary the order of business and then lay the virus papers and engage in the commentary that we agreed on to start today.
>> Yes. Um thank you Mr. Speaker. I just want to draw my majority leader attention to something. This today's question is for the minister responsible for communication, digital technology and innovation. Parliament is a house of records. The minister was on his feet here and he said he had appeared before parliament to answer questions and if he doesn't answer those questions that day he will never appear here to answer that the minister is on record in parliament saying that now the questions are rescheduled he is not here today and majority leader you want us to take your word that he'll be here because the minister was on his feet here and he said if I don't answer those questions today I'm sorry I I might not appear to answer the Again, that was what the minister told us on the floor of parliament. The minister, yes, the communication minister said that on the floor of parliament that he he had appeared to answer those questions and that day parliament was so busy to the extent that he could not answer those questions and if he does not answer those questions that day, he cannot appear here to answer the questions again. That was what HE SAID AND TODAY HE'S not here. So, Majority Leader, you should give us a a a definite uh uh date that the minister will be appearing to answer the question. And Majority Leader, as the leader of government business and the chairman of the business committee, you told us in this house that to schedule questions, you wanted to reach out to the various ministers to get their availability before you scheduled the questions. That was what you told us majority leader. So it cannot be the case that it is a communication lapses from the cler table to the ministry because that was your words that you will contact ministers get their availability before it's scheduled. So Mr. Speaker continue scheduling when we heard the minister on his feet telling us that that day if he doesn't appear to answer those questions it will be difficult we are at loss. So majority leader we don't have a problem varying the order of business but you should tell us when will the minister come and answer those questions so we'll be able to know.
>> Yes majority >> speaker uh humbly we are in leadership and some of these things it goes to the integrity of this house.
The ministry has communicated formally to this house pleading that the minister who who is who is supposed to appear today and answer the questions is unavoidably absent because the questions were referred to him the day before when he had already departed.
So it should be rescheduled. is contained in the letter and that's for the records and yet my brother is referencing a matter that was said perhaps not even for the record me I was I didn't hear the minister say so but you are speaking to the records it means that you are saying you alleging that the minister is saying that he won't come back which cannot be because the man the ministry please the ministry has today sent a letter saying that risk me I will come Even if it so happened does the letter not override what you are alleging him to have said so please we it's it's not necessary I think the most important thing is that we want to make progress and get the minister to be brought back to answer but in the meantime we have other businesses to do but litigating this matter won't help us yes majority leader Yeah, Mr. Speaker, I have looked at the questions that are scheduled for today and they are all questions scheduled for the Minister for Health and then one Yeah, the Minister for Health. So, what I have yesterday.
>> By item numbered six, all questions are for the minister responsible >> for communication communication digital.
>> Yeah. But the letter is from the ministry. The letter is from the ministry of communication explaining that the minister the letter came uh just a day before and therefore the minister is unable to um to come and then answer the question.
As for what the minister is alleged to have said or not said, I want to assure him that I recall that day when the minister came and sat through the entire day and then ultimately were not able to ask the questions. He was upset. He was upset that you know he had come based on uh our request and we were not asking him the questions and etc. But we managed the situation and then we pleaded with him that we couldn't ask the question that day. So we reschedu the question. I believe that in resetting the question we should have given uh a reasonable notice but the letter from the ministry is saying that they just got notice a day before by which time the minister was unavailable to come and then answer the questions.
But I don't know if as you indicated that there is a deputy minister who was in this chamber.
>> I didn't I didn't see the deputy minister. But in any case, I mean, if the minister wants to come and answer the question himself, we cannot deny him that uh uh right. So again, let's let's let's make progress and then let's move to uh item number eight. and then lay the vious papers and return to statements and start the commentary on the statement made by the minister for finance.
>> Yes, honorable members.
Honorable Habib asks where is the letter?
Under the letter, the whips have been copied.
But in the events he doesn't have a copy, I will ask the cler at table to furnish him with a copy of the letter.
There's an indication that the whips have been copied, the majority and the minority.
So this is a copy of the letter.
I admit questions.
One year members, this is a house of record.
>> Honor members, 8 months and 9 months are not one and the same.
They cannot be the same.
So honorable members the application is to vary the order of business and do presentation of papers at commencement of business. I have not heard any opposition to the application. So honor members at commencement of public business presentation of papers item numbered eight one and two.
Majority Leader, >> reports on the participation of the Parliament of Ghana in the 152nd Interparliamentary Union Assembly.
Performance audit report of the Auditor General on implementation of inmate support program by the Ghana Prison Service.
Honorable members, the report in item numbered 8A one and two have been duly presented and they are for distribution to honorable members.
Yes. Item numbered B.
Mr. Speaker, the minister who is acting as Minister for Environment Science and Technology is item number 8B.
And uh yes.
8 first.
>> Honorable members, the item numbered 8 A I I is rather referred to the public accounts committee for consideration and reports and then I is for distribution to honorable members.
>> Yes, there is an application minority leader.
>> Um Mr. Mr. Speaker, we have the acting minister here, but I don't know whether he can bow from where he seated. He's a member of parliament. He should go and take his seat and take the bow, proper bow. So rather than that, we don't have a problem. He can go to his seat, but he can't bow from that seat.
>> Yes, honorable minister for lands and natural resources.
framework agreement for cooperation on climate change between the government of Republic of Ghana and the government of the Republic of Korea.
Honor members, report numbered item 8B has been duly presented. It is referred to the committee on environment, science and technology for consideration and report. Item numbered C 8 C.
Uh Mr. Speaker, the chairman of the roads and transport committee is not here.
So we ask for leave for a member of the committee, Haja Ladi. I am about to lay the report on behalf of on behalf of um the chairperson but the ranking I'm told is also in the chamber >> ranking is there >> ranking is there if you are minded and you want to lay it otherwise IG will lay the report on on on behalf of your chairperson.
>> Yes Mr. Mr. is right that the ranking uh is here an experienced ranking member who has been a chairman before. My indication is that the committee haven't met on this. So this report cannot be laid. You know they haven't actually met the committee haven't met on this matter. So a report is not even available. So it cannot be laid at the moment. Mr. Speaker, >> yes members of the committee, is that the case?
Yeah, Mr. Speaker, as um two weeks ago, I learned that they hadn't met that I I called the chairman and urged him to convene a committee meeting and expeditiously consider the uh the bill. So I will not be surprised if they still have not met and therefore the report is not um ready. So Mr. Speaker, we can go back to uh seven and then commence the commentary on the statement made by the minister for finance.
Honorable members item number seven comment on the statement made by the minister responsible for finance Dr. Atoba Forson statement on Ghana's new engagement with the International Monitoring Fund IMF and the progress made by the government in restoring microeconomic stability and depth sustainability made on Thursday 28th May 20 26.
Honorable members, I'll proceed to give the floor to honorable Kuang Kuma.
Timekeepers, are you ready? It is 5 minutes keepers.
>> Yes.
>> Yes. M speaker I think the practice have been the majority sides starting so if they can start that has been the practice honor members we are doing so because the statement is emanating from this side and normally when a statement is made by this side I take contribution from this side if it is from this side I take contribution from this side >> Mr. speaker. So they should start commenting on their statement first and then before we also come in. Adongo is ready. Adongo is ready to start. So Mr. Speaker, >> honorable start.
>> I have explained the circumstances based on which I am giving the floor to Kuonga.
You have the floor. You are speaking for 5 minutes.
Mr. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make some comments on the statement delivered by the minister responsible for finance to this honorable house. Speaker, I want to start with a preliminary comment that there's a convention in this house that when statements are being made uh ky copies are made to the opposing side of the house so that we are well prepared to respond. On this occasion, we on this side did not get a ketti copy and it limits our ability to comment in real time. As at now, the minister's comments have gone into the public domain for days without an opportunity of a response. And I think this is a habit that we should desist from and resort to the traditional conventions that we work with. Mr. speaker in the minister's statement there was a lot of spin claiming that Ghana has exited quote unquote the IMF and in that same statement he makes a further comment that we are now going for what he calls a policy coordination instrument as my colleagues and I will demonstrate in our submissions this afternoon Ghana has not exited the IMF we are members of the IMF we went for an extended credit facility program that program has been fully conducted. It has led to the stability that was the objective and that program has come to an end and the government has now signed or is in the process of signing another program which is the PCI and the government should be candid and let the Ghanaian people know. So, Mr. Speaker, I want to speak on just about two key things. first the argument of stability and as you follow the conversations on social media and in the public domain post the minister's statement there are a lot of questions that the everyday Ghanaian is asking that what is in it for me at the end of the day and for many people there are two key things they are looking for they are looking for jobs and they are looking for the effect of the so-called stability in their lives that is an improvement in the cost of living Mr. Speaker, I just want to share with the House the real data that the Ghanaian people are focusing on even as of now. And I'm taking it from the Ghana Statistical Service quarterly labor force survey Q3 2025. It says, and Mr. Speaker, I quote, in December 2024, the unemployment rate for young Ghanaians age 15 to 20 age 15 to 24 stood at 32%.
By the third quarter of 2025, that figure has risen to 32.5%. Mr. Speaker, in the greater Accra region alone, youth unemployment as at Q3 2025 is now at 49.3%.
What it means is that on the average, one out of every two young people that you meet on the street of the Greater Acra region is unemployed. Mr. Mr. Speaker, the Ghana Task Service is saying that seven out of every 10 unemployed Ghanaians are under the age of 35. Seven out of every 10. And so for many people out there, the question they're asking is so the stability that has been achieved as a result of this IMF ECF signed in 2023, how is it bearing fruit in their life? And the data is that despite all the programs that the government on its own rolled out, the situation is getting worse. Mr. Speaker, on the matter of cost of living, the minister headlined the uh headline inflation rate about 3.4%. When you double click and go into the details, Mr. Speaker, services inflation is going up, rent is going up, electricity has gone up, the basic things that the average Ghanaian is spending money on, which are structural, their costs are going up. And so the Ghanaian is asking the same question that so this so-called stability how is it impacting their lives at the end of the day. My final point Mr. Speaker in these five minutes that you have given me the minister and the government spend a lot of time talking about the taxes that they have abolished but we have been here in this chamber when they have brought about eight other taxes and caused this house to pass. And despite the passing of these eight other new taxes, they have still not been able to meet the uh revenue to GDP targets which this government promised us. It is a reason for which they are not able to meet the expenditure commitments and as a result claim that they have been fiscally disciplined. And so, Mr. Speaker, for us on this side of the house, we hear the minister when it comes to rattle the numbers here. But as we keep saying, the numbers that the Ghanaian people are watching in their daytoday lives are actually getting worse. Youth unemployment in greater Ara is now 49%.
And youth unemployment across the country is worse than this government inherited it at the beginning of it. The Ghana statistical service quarterly labor force survey Q3 2025. I've just read it to you. Maybe you are not listening. I've just read it to you.
Those are the numbers that people are looking at. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity.
I'll proceed to give the floor to honorable Isaac Kadongo. You have the floor. You are speaking for 5 minutes.
>> Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Uh Mr. Speaker, I just want to make things very clear. The minister did not say Ghana has exited the IMF. We have exited the IMF ECF program. We have exited the program, not the IMS. We cannot exit the IMF because we are members of IMF.
Please the the second point I want to make is that when you are looking at inflation, you don't pick items within the bucket.
There it's a a basket of goods and services and you are looking at the average of all of them. So it doesn't mean that certain items will not show changes but then it simply means that when you consider generally prices are stable and that is the point we need to make. Mr. Speaker, my colleague says that we introduce eight other taxes without mentioning them. I am not surprised. Only recently they said that there was a certain e that was roaming around at the bank of Ghana. Mr. Speaker, I have in my hands I have been in my hands a letter that was signed by the Bank of Ghana to MTA dated January 31st, 2024. NDC was not in power in 2024 January. And in that letter, the governor of the Bank of Ghana at the Bank of Ghana of the MPP wrote to MTN giving them no objection to impose the following fees.
One, introduction of a fee of 1% for cash out transactions below 2,000 Ghana cities. Two, introduction of a 0.75% fee >> capped at 55 cities for all transactions related to mobile money wallet transfer to banks.
>> Mr. Speaker, so the transfer from wallet to bank was approved by the descendants of Dr. Ba.
>> Mr. Speaker, this is this is very appalling that This is the kind of leadership you are providing this country. That the leader of this house in the minority does not know that levies are imposed by this house and they are not imposed by a certain letter by a certain organization and that he sat here. We never brought any e levy to this house. In fact, we we we abolished it. We have not come here with e levy and somehow he sees a letter somewhere and imp that this house brought back.
Mr. Speaker, the people of Ghana has already shown them that their credibility is the reason they voted them and put them where they are. And for them to go around lying to the people of Ghana that somehow or another some 0.75 e levy has met forced into this country from the bank of Ghana. The letter is here and I'm willing to table this letter so that you will now know that they are the people who impose double E lab. They imposed E le in this house went to Bank of Ghana imposed two E levies and they are now turning around to say that we have imposed they imposed E le in this house went to Bank of Ghana and impose another two E less one for cash out and one for wallet to bank transaction Mr. speaker and these are the people who went and held press conference. Mr. Speaker, I want them to hold another press conference when we are done to apologize to the people of Ghana because deception and falsehood has no place in our government and the people of Ghana are watching you. Go out and do and tell them that you got it wrong. There was no set e and that you manufactured an e levy that doesn't exist. But Mr. Speaker, whether we like it or not, the economy is far better than we inherited. Mr. Speaker, he wants to know what is in it for us. What is in it for the people of Ghana is that they no longer buy a dollar at 1517 C. That is what is in it for them. He wants to know what is in it for him. What is in it is that they are no longer buy a bag of B for 1,000 but 300 cities. That is what is in it for them. But also what is in need for them is the fact that the whole country has been turned into a construction site and we are developing this country in a manner that has not been witnessed since the days of Drwam and that is what it is in it for us and at the end of the day Mr. Speaker, the people of Ghana have seen the difference. Ghana, we know which one is heavy and the people will continue to keep them where they belong because they messed out our lives and we are beginning to take our lives back. Ghana is back and the economy is back and we are not going back. As the minister said, Ghana will not go back to IMF after this terrible experience that we have had since 2022.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Honorable members, it's now the turn of Amin Adams.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, two quick rebuttals.
I am very surprised that the majority side doesn't know that new taxes were introduced in this house. And I'd like to just mention some of them. The popular Doomsaw levy. The E levy. E the D levy. D Levy. When was it introduced?
>> The Doomsaw levy. Amp. Who brought the D levy? Dumsaw levy. When was it introduced? Mr. Speaker, the growth and sustainability levy, >> it was supposed to have ended. You renewed it. You extended the sunset clause. The special import levy, it was supposed to have ended last year. You extended the the the sunset clause. So, if you don't know that you have brought 15% VAT on life insurance, I am telling you that you have introduced new taxes.
And so I was I was surprised the minister mentioned some taxes as nuisance taxes which you abolish but failed to mention the new taxes that you people introduced. Mr. Speaker, in fact they collected 20 billion Ghana cities from Ghanaians as a result of increases in in fees and charges. They don't know that you forgot when you brought the fees and charges uh uh bill for this house to approve for you to increase fees and charges as a result of which you collected 20 billion Ghana cities from Ghanaians. So if you don't know, let me remind you that you brought new taxes and the minister should have been candid enough to mention them.
>> Mr. Speaker, about the e levy, honorable ado is saying that the governor during our time gave no objection. But why was it not implemented at the time until President Muhammad became the president of Ghana? Why was it not implemented at the time? Until President Muhammad became the president of this country. So you should be candid. You should tell the Ghanaian people the truth that you were trying to steal the EL levy back because revenue is suffering.
Mr. Speaker, in the minister statement, he mentioned that the program under us drilled and I want to inform them that the use of the word drill is inappropriate, is incorrect.
If you go to page 74 of the IMF review document, the IMF put out the performance measures by which they pass an IMF approval.
The performance criteria has six targets.
By the end of 2024, all the targets were met.
All the targets were met. Page 74.
Then you come to indicative targets.
>> Read it. Read it.
>> Indicative targets. Four targets. Three were met. Only one was not met. This is not a program that is drilled. And if you go to the IMF lexicon or program drillment, the IMF will tell you that it is only when you miss a target under the performance criteria that the program is drilled because then you will have to ask for a waiver before you can pass the review.
This government they don't know what drillment means.
>> If it is about the fiscal outturn everybody knew that you did politics >> you brought your voodoo aras in order to change the narrative about the fiscal outturn and you have no monopoly over that at the right time you will eat the food that you cook.
>> You have no monopoly over data manipulation to change the narrative about the performance of the economy.
>> Mr. Speaker, the reason this government opted for the PCI is that number one, the PCR is more about reforms and that is why they are not going to give you money and these reforms are conditionalities that you'll have to meet. I am surprised that this government will accept conditionalities without any money coming from the IMF.
one of the targets you were supposed to meet in respect of the implementation of the structural benchmarks you failed. We had brought 70% implementation status just like our peers Kenya 71% Zambia 72%. You guys by the time you you exited IMF you have brought it 55%. That is the reason the IMF forced you to accept the PCI >> because you did not implement the structural reforms. Mr. Speaker, they were supposed to achieve a target as far as revenue to GDP is concerned of 18%.
They have brought it down to 13%. They failed. Mr. Speaker, stability when we talk about stability, it is supposed to achieve certain purposes.
One of the purposes supposed to achieve is to bring down cost of borrowing even with an inflation of 23%.
Members, it's now the turn of minister responsible for education. Honorable Harunu, you have 5 minutes.
Madam Speaker, let me >> Honorable Madam Speaker, >> honorable minister for education. Hold it. Honor members, let us all look at standing order 914.
>> The head notice statement by the speaker and minister and this is a statement by a minister. And the four says a member commenting on the statement shall not take more than 5 minutes except otherwise permitted by the speaker. So I'm only applying the rules without any exception.
So please honorable asafuaj kindly comport yourself.
Honorable minister responsible for education. You have the floor.
>> Madam speaker, thank you very much.
Madam Speaker, the honorable minister for finance, the honorable atu for undoubtedly have a strategic approach to Ghana's economic growth and recovery and that is exactly what has been achieved in the last 1 and a half year. And Mr. Mr. Speaker, let anybody challenge me and challenge this house that Ghana has not achieved economic stability under Minister Atu for let anybody let anybody including the IMF including the IMF that Ghana has achieved stability.
Inflation which was hovering 54 to 23% between 2022 and 2023 is 3.8%. Fact, >> GDP growth was around 5.7%, today 6.2%.
Fact, >> external reserves have increased from 4 billion to 10 billion to 14 billion US facts. Under the minister's approach, then those of them, Mr. Speaker, who are economists, how can an economy respond to addressing unemployment when that economy has not been stabilized >> today? external reserve I gave I gave two different years I'm reading the IMF report there was 4 billion before you came to 10 billion and at 214 I've said taken it to 14 US billion US dollars of external reserves so Mr. ical recovery first and at least the honorable atu for soon supported by president mahamemed's research is beginning what we call import substitution that's why 24-hour economy accelerated export development program are all being ruled out inherent in the implementation of some of this will be the key question of addressing Ghana's unemployment then Mr. Speaker, I heard the honorable Kuma talk about Ghana's revenue as a percentage of GDP. Go and read the budget of 2018, 2019, 2022. The honorable Kenopurata promised 18% of GDP as a percentage of revenue that was never achieved. But I agree that it can be an aspiration that we can work towards. Then, Mr. Speaker, we had them talk about Bank of Ghana losses. Yes, reported Bank of Ghana losses real and material. But at least, Mr. Speaker, show me a central bank with a balance sheet worth it when the balance sheet doesn't contribute to managing economic distress of that country. Show me any central bank of the world. So we can aspire to have a stable economy without necessarily accumulating losses. That can be an aspiration. But at least Mr. Speaker, fact again is that during the turn of the previous government, the Bank of Ghana made significant losses between 2022, 2023 and 2024. You can talk about the numbers in some year 9 billion. Now they're talking about 15.6 billion. In another year alone, it was close to 60 billion. But I agree that aspirational Ghana must have a Bank of Ghana which is independent enough to contribute to economic stability without necessarily occasional losses. So Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to note that cabinet under the guidance of the minister for uh finance have taken a decision that to manage the risks gold board losses will sit on gold board account then the bank of Ghana will play its rightful place.
So Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity to contribute to it. I agree that beyond stability, the economy must begin to respond to addressing the key question of unemployment. But the honorable Kruma 3.5% of unemployment from 3.2%. Yes, there's growing unemployment. We could not for instance the coco sector, Mr. Speaker, heavily indeped. So this government take money and go and buy coco. You couldn't do it. Just take money and go and buy cocoa. You couldn't do it. And then you collapse the cocoa board into economic distress with over indebtedness and inefficiency. That is what we are trying to do. Mr. Speaker, imagine that cocoa board today is in distress. How could that happen? How could that happen if not mismanagement? So, Mr. Speaker, I think that the honorable uh minister for is on course. Then finally, Minister Atu Forson when Cojo is talking about exiting what the honorable finance minister has done.
I'll proceed to give the floor to honorable Abu Jinapo.
You have 5 minutes.
>> Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. And Mr. Speaker, let me say very straightforward that if the Minister for Finance and the Ministry of Finance wants to know how the national economy is being managed and how the economy is doing, the speaker, they shouldn't go far. They should just talk to their colleague ministers in cabinet and if they were in doubt, they should talk to their backbenches in this house on the majority side. Mr. Speaker, if they spoke to the their colleague ministers in cabinet, they will find that ministries are struggling today because the ministry of finance is not funding ministries to be able to discharge their mandate. Particularly the ministry of education. They should compare the funding president a kufu gave to the ministry of education to the funding that is being given to the ministry of education today. Mr. figure is tr is fact that as a result of covid GDP growth in the United Kingdom fell by 3.5%. In Canada by 5% in Germany by 5%. Mr. Speaker but the and then indeed AT THE TIME THE KUF administration was leaving inflation was on a downward trend Mr. Speaker, growth was surging. The economy was indeed recovering as a result of the postcoavid9 economic recovery plan and program that administration implemented. Mr. Speaker, but as we say, we've heard enough of the complaints. We've heard enough of we inherited this, we inherited that. It is 18 months into your administration. If you say the economy is not good, fix it, Mr. Speaker. And fixing it means what?
Fixing it means, Mr. Speaker, as we speak today, growth growth of the agriculture sector that Kufodo government handed over to the Mahama administration January 2026 2025, Mr. Speaker, was 9.3%. Mr. Speaker, as we speak today, growth of agriculture has dipped AT 4.5%. AND AGRICULTURE IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY. MR. SPEAKER, INDUSTRY, the Aku administration, January 2025 handed over, Mr. speaker an industry growth of 9.7% TODAY IS 7.2%.
MINISTRY OF FINANCE THE STATISTICS ARE CLEAR A GREEK IS NOT doing well industry is not doing well farm produce are not being bought farmers are crying in the north farmers are crying in the east cocoa farmers are crying in the south Mr. Speaker Ghana service INDEED WORKING with a company called Agra food security monitor report has reported Mr. speaker that in 2026 February grains have not been bought across the country and government dispersement so-called disbbursement of 200 million Ghana cities Mr. Speaker, this parliament approved it. The money has not been dispersed. SPEAKER, THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE, the minister of finance comes here tell us this is doing well. That is doing well. And yet on the streets of Ghana in the ministries, DEPARTMENTS and agencies of our government machinery, the minister for finance and the ministry of finance is BEING CLASSIFIED AS A MINISTER who will not pay.
Minister, I will NOT PAY.
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION WANTS TO recruit teachers. I WON'T PAY. He wants to recruit nurses, Minister for Health, I WON'T PAY. MR. SPEAKER, INDEED, an economy does well when it generates jobs. And this government's flagship program, the 24-hour economy, Formula 133, where they committed to ensure that we have a 24-hour economy to grow this economy and generate jobs for the teaming unemployed youth of our country.
Mr. Speaker, the 24hour economy amitude is collapsed and unemployment is getting worse. AND SO, MR. SPEAKER, LET me conclude and say to the minister of finance to his face, he's not here. His deputy is here THAT THE ECONOMY IS NOT doing well as they want us to believe. MR. SPEAKER, I'M IN GHANA. I'M IN GHANA WHERE GHANAIANS ARE PAYING HIGH ELECTRICITY BILLS, WHERE THEY ARE PAYING HIGH WATER BILLS, WHERE UNEMPLOYMENT IS WORSE, WHERE TEACHERS ARE NOT BEING EMPLOYED, WHERE NURSES ARE NOT BEING EMPLOYED, WHERE COCOA FARMERS HAVE TAKEN A HAIRCUT, WHERE PRICE IS SKYROCKETING.
MR. DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, GET ON THE STREETS. GET ON THE STREETS AND TALK TO GHANAIANS. YOU MAY TURN OUT THE DATA BECAUSE THE DATA WILL HELP WITH A CERTAIN PRESIDENTIAL AMBITION, BUT ON THE GROUND, MR. SPEAKER, it is not as well as it is in the Ministry of Finance. We expect the Minister of Finance to have come here to deliver a statement on the 24-hour economy and he failed. I thank you, Mr. Speaker.
>> Well, honorable members, I will give the floor to honorable.
Honorable, you have 5 minutes.
>> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is important to provide a context of the IMF ECF facility in 2022.
This IMF program represents the most expensive IMF program ever signed by the Republic of Ghana.
Mr. Speaker, despite all sound council by stakeholders, the MPP government knowing fully well that from 2019 Ghana was already headed in a trajectory of dead as toability and macroeconomic instability.
They disregarded everybody and thought E Levy was the aquam for our economy. Mr. Speaker, Ghana entered the ECF facility in 2022 at the most worst macroeconomic conditions of our country. That is why it resulted into painful decisions to be suffered by Ghanaians. Let me provide the context. Mr. Speaker, inflation at that time exceeded 50%, that's 54.1%.
Asian rate depreciated over 40%.
We lost access to international capital market. Our sovereign credit was downgraded to junk unsustainable public debt over around 104% of debt to GDP ratio and severe fiscal deficit. Mr. Speaker, this was validated by Moody's S&P F and also our stock prices was downgraded by JP Morgans. Mr. Speaker, as a result of these difficulties, pensioners and other citizens of this country suffered a catastrophic domestic debt exchange program.
Banks, pension funds, insurance firms, and individual bond holders all suffered.
This was validated also by the IMF. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, in contrast, in 2025, we saw GDP bouncing back to a positive group of 6% and above. non oil GDP are at 7.6%.
And in fact, Ghana is now in the league of macro stable economic and emerging markets in Africa. Ghana did 6.6% in 2025. South Africa grew at 1.5%, Nigeria grew at 3.2%, Kenya grew at 5%, Rwanda grew at 7% and Ethopia grew at 6.5%. And these are the leading nations in terms of stability in Africa. Inflation also declined. Let me not worry you about that. Mr. Speaker, let me now take my attention to the debt to GDP reduction. As a result of the domestic debt program and the prudent management of our fiscals and the exchange risk stability, we reduced the public debt to GDP ratio from 61.8% to to 44% as validated by the IMF in it fifth annual review. Mr. Speaker, if you look at our exterior stability from a depreciation of 40% to appreciation of 19% and 42% rather Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, an ECF facility, let me provide this information. An ECF facility is not mandatory. That's the first thing. The second thing is also that an ECF facility is only available for countries with stable macroeconomic environment.
Ghana couldn't have gotten an ECF facility in 2022. Countries that are currently on an ECF facility in Africa have stable macroeconomic conditions and it is a non financing agreement and the purpose of people have signed onto an IMF program because of policy credibility. We are a member of the IMF.
So there is nothing wrong with Ghana approaching an IMF. We should only approach the IMF at our strong bargaining chip and that is what do Dr. for is doing under the research agenda.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, if you look at the the ECF facility, it signals investor confidence.
Recently, the EU ambassador to Ghana demonstrated that Ghana is the best destination for African trade. In fact, if you also go and look at what the IMF said, and let me quote what the IMF said. Ghana we know Ghana does no longer need emergency financing but still value IMF discipline and credibility.
Currently we are in a position to service our debt. We are not declaring debt default as done by the MPP in 2024.
What the PCI does for Ghana is that we are not going to return to excessive borrowing as we saw under MPP. We are not going to see another weak financial management and fiscal distress. We are not going to see qua fiscal losses as done by s so ses like cocoa board and we are not going to see s soe inefficiency Ghana like many other countries let me demonstrate if you go to Rwanda they are currently under a PCI synagal sbia and ket all these people are undergoing a PCI so Dr. to fall in.
>> It's now the turn of Muhammad Kabiru.
>> Thank you very Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will want to address some preliminary issues. Mr. Speaker, Mr. speaker this house is a house of records and when we say PCI is to signal or it's a signal of investor conference is wrong it is supposed to give policy credibility and when you are looking for policy credibility it means that you want to actually get investors to come into to invest in your country so the two has to be steady and know we know them well Mr. Speaker the second misconception Mr. Mr. Speaker, in this house we are young. We may not know what has happened in the 1990s, but the records are clear that the worst form of economic records was recorded during the period of palms. So when we want to posit the record, we must again state to the fact Mr. Speaker, but the minister I heard the minister the other day they came to this house. The minister came to this house with a rather a statement that I thought the minister would have at least with the greatest of respect. Mr. Speaker, present a statement that will give hope post the EC I mean extended credit facility program. Mr. Speaker, the minister started by stating some facts.
He stated that we went to the IMF on the in in July 2022. Mr. Mr. Speaker and the reason was that there was gross mismanagement of the economy. Mr. Speaker, the minister failed. In fact, the minister will defaulted in addressing certain facts. Mr. Speaker, who brought the energy sector mess? It was their government. They negotiated contracts that were pay or take that left out with huge deaths. Who collapsed the banking sector, Mr. Speaker? They collapsed the banking sector. We had to pay over 25 billion to save the banking sector. Mr. Speaker, these people are those who created the mess. The mess resulted in fiscal constraint. We had to cover up money to pay this particular debt and this particular mess. In cleaning the mess, obviously there's going to be cost. Mr. Speaker, they failed to admit the mess. Mr. Speaker, we will remind them that it was your mess that created the fiscal constraint.
It was your mess that balloon our debt because we had to save the Ghanaian economy. Mr. speaker they went ahead to say that this economy has grown by by some 100 billion mark and they proceeded to say that we are the eighth in in Africa. Mr. Speaker, what he failed to address that Ghana had reached the eighth economy in Africa in 2024. It is not in their regime that we we are that mark. So why do you choose to present the record of 2024 as if they were records in 2025? Mr. Speaker, the record you are talking to that Ghana is the eth biggest economy or largest economy in Africa was attained in 2024. At a time that you thought Akoka was not doing anything, he grew our economy exponentially and we were able to achieve that record. Mr. Speaker, they proceeded to talk about the fact that in paragraph 25 they mention some achievement as the basis for which we should recommend them for. Mr. Speaker, they said that they have concluded the IP negotiation and that it has saved us from $215 million. Mr. Speaker, who started the IP negotiation? It was a that started it. Give credit to him and you are only concluding it and you want us to praise you for concluding something that the previous government had thought through and has started. Mr. Speaker, they again saying that h the audit they have audited areas and that is an achievement. Mr. Speaker, in 2018 this NDC NP government audited aras and that is something not new. So Mr. speaker when they come and they are talking about growth. Mr. Speaker, let me remind them that in 2024 they inherited a growth of 5.7% of GDP. The economy was not on his knees when he inherited. The economy was growing at a rate of 5.7% of GDP in 2024. Inflation was not 54 when you took it. Inflation was 23% when you took over. So you cannot be claiming and projecting data that was data of yesterday as if they were data that you inherited. Mr. If you want to measure your true size, go to the street, ask the teachers what is the state of the economy. Ask the nurses what is the state of the economy.
Go to the rural FARMERS IN CHRIST INDIA, ASK THEM WHETHER or not their rice farms are even getting. Go to countermanto and ask the market women whether or not they are able to FEEL THE ECONOMY. THESE are the factors you need to consider. Don't pat yourself in the back and think that you are doing something significant. Mr. If there is any monumental failure of a government in terms of the management of the economy, in terms of the hardship, in terms of the MISMATCH BETWEEN THE DATA AND THE REALITY, it is this government.
>> FOR WHAT USE WILL THE DATA make to you when the people are not able to feel it in their pocket? Mr. Speaker, this government is a mess. It's a scam and we need not to tolerate that. The PCE is ber of ideas. They have not even stated the conditions which include condition.
Mr. Speaker, they must come again to this house with a better statement. Mr. Speaker, thank you so much for the statement.
You have the floor.
>> Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the statements made by made by the honorable minister of finance to this house on Ghana's conclusion of its three billion extended credit facility from the IMF. Mr. Speaker, in spite of the IMF executive board assessment, which was very favorable to Ghana, the finance minister still found it necessary to come and brief this house on progress and what that means for us. Mr. Speaker, speaking from a purely mother, woman, trader, household keeper perspective. Mr. Speaker, the finance minister mentioned the stability of the city and that for us is what it is for every woman who goes to the market.
The stability of the city enables us to plan because women are the budget managers of the household.
>> Mr. Speaker, in the run up in the runup to the in the runup to the invasion of Iraq by the USA, there is this story >> that a friend came looking for his friend in the house. and entered the house and met the wife and the children holding pen and paper discussing school uniforms, school shoes, pepper, milk, onion, garlic, kamwa and everything. SO HE ASKED THEM, "WHERE IS YOUR FATHER?" HE SAID, "HE'S UNDER the tree playing draft." SO HIS FRIEND WENT THERE and said, "HEY, YOU ARE sitting here. The woman and THE CHILDREN HAVE TAKEN OVER YOUR ROLE." HE SAID, "OH, when it comes to budget is for women." He thinks about international issues like America invading Iraq. Mr. Speaker, that is the duty. That is the true duty of women.
And so for us, anything that stabilizes the economy that today we can look at a 3.4% 4% inflation. Thanks to the prudent fiscal and financial measures that the finance minister and the NDC government have introduced, we will celebrate. Mr. Speaker, this is a stark reality as compared to the 2024 inflation of 22.85%.
2023 38.11%.
Women we couldn't plan. We couldn't plan the house budget. Today I know that when I go to the market, milk is three CDs.
It remains three cities. When I go five bunches of tomatoes or rice is 400 Ghana and I CAN PLAN. WE DON'T have to worry about whether price food prices have increased or whether the household income will suffice the period for which it has been agreed. Mr. Speaker, WE WERE HERE WHEN THE PREVIOUS government introduced the DD and most OF THE PEOPLE PENSIONERS WHO were affected were women. Mr. Africa. We saw picketing at the finance ministry.
On one occasion, we saw the former chief justice of this country, her leadership, Sopaya Aku herself, protesting the haircut that had been introduced by the previous, this is women, women's pensions were at stake.
women's money to take care of their grandchildren >> TO GIVE THEM THE JOY of life >> was taken away >> today if we can restore that and carry our children to Ara mall to play carry them towa stherland park to play take them on excursion to the kwamin kruma memorial park we are very happy and we can only commend the finance minister for making time to come here and speak to us. Mr. Speaker, the inflation that we currently have has been described as a near three decade record >> that this country has not seen in 30 years. We've never seen this kind of and so if we cannot celebrate this then I don't know what we are looking for. Mr. Speaker, I want to use this opportunity once again to thank you for the opportunity to commend highly the the honor members I'll proceed to give the floor to honorable Dominic Nu. You have the floor.
Uh, thank you. Thank Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I'm glad that my colleague rose up and spoke for spoke on behalf of women. But I'll be glad if she can go with me tomorrow to Salaga, the capital of to show me where the woman's bank is located.
I want to know all of you ONE BY ONE.
>> ALL THE NDC MPs one by one.
>> I want you to go with me to your constituencies to show me where the women's bank is located.
It sums up clearly how you you feel about women. It sums up clearly what you think about them. It sums UP CLEARLY THE INTENTION you have about them. None of it is noble. You make lofty promises and you are not willing, Mr. Speaker, to fulfill a single one of them. I WANT ALL THE NDC MPs to go with me to the conu to show me where the women's bank is located. IN FACT, I WANT you to go WITH ME TO A SHOW ME WHERE THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE WOMEN'S BANK IS LOCATED. MR. SPEAKER, >> I hold in my hand the Bank of Ghana Monetary Policy Committee press release on 20th of May 2026.
And they states that from January from December 2025 to February 2026, the death stock of Ghana rose by 33 billion.
December and December THAT IS JANUARY TWO months you increase the debt stock by 33 billion and you come and write to us that you are managing the economy well.
If this is what AUA will do by 8 years you have met the depth at over 1 trillion.
>> Yes Mr. Speaker, today after all these statements, I want to find out what story will you give the nurses of this country. If what are you going to tell me in 2028?
Where is the automatic posting for nurses?
What will you tell them that you cannot employ THEM? YOU ARE NOT PAYING THEM.
>> MR. SPEAKER, WHAT WILL YOU TELL THE TEACHERS?
WHERE IS THE AUTOMATIC POSTING FOR TEACHERS?
>> YOU ARE NOT EMPLOYING THEM. You are not paying them. MR. SPEAKER, WHAT WILL YOU TELL THE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS?
>> MR. SPEAKER, WHAT WILL YOU TELL THEM?
>> MR. SPEAKER, WHAT WILL YOU TELL THE FARMERS OF THIS NATION? THOSE IN THE NORTH, THOSE IN THE SOUTH, THOSE IN THE EAST, AND THOSE IN THE WEST, WHAT WILL YOU TELL THEM? OR YOU DON'T HEAR THE COMPLAINTS OF THE FARMERS.
If you come here and you are issuing these statements, YOU DON'T HEAR THE COMPLAINTS OF THE FARMERS. WHY DIDN'T YOU TALK ABOUT IT?
WHY?
Your brother, your uncle is a farmer.
What are you going to tell them?
>> Mr. Speaker, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL THE COCOA FARMERS?
>> WHAT STORY ARE YOU GOING TO TELL THE COCOA FARMERS?
IT'S clear it's clear that they are not even listening because the farmers are weeping and saying and that is the truth.
YOU PROMISED them 6,500 cities PER TONGUE AND TODAY WHAT are you giving them?
>> Mr. Speaker, what are you telling the cashew farmers?
Go to Coranza, go to your chairman's hometown and talk to the cash farmers and listen to them.
MR. SPEAKER, THEY WANTED you to say something about it. Mr. Speaker, generally, what will you tell the ordinary Ghanaian?
That is what I expected this statement to answer.
What message ARE YOU? YOU ARE TALKING to yourselves.
>> THE FIGURES YOU ARE MEASURING ARE TO YOURSELVES to make you happy. But the honorary Ghana is not happy >> at all.
Today I bought a ball of K at seven cities.
>> YES. IN FACT, I CAN TAKE YOU THERE.
>> I CAN TAKE YOU THERE.
I PROMISE ON MY HONOR THAT I CAN TAKE you there.
>> I PROMISE YOU ON MY HONOR, MR. SPEAKER, I CAN TAKE YOU THERE.
>> MR. SPEAKER, >> the economy is running for only members. It's now the turn of honorable.
You have 5 minutes.
>> Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is surprising that the immediate pass minister for defense will go to Lancaster Hotel to buy King and come and sit in the house to tell Ghanaians that he bought Kink at Seven Cities. If you choose to go to Lancaster Hotel to buy King, carry your own cross. Mr. Speaker, you see this is a listening government and we listen to Ghanaians. But what we would not take from our friends is any attempt to suggest that they are better managers of the economy than us because they are not. The evidence is clear. It is so surprising that today just one and a half years less than one and a half years after you left office you are finding your voices. I'm surprised and you are inviting us to go to the street.
We are taking that challenge. Let's walk out the streets of this country and ask Ghanaians how they feel today and compared to how they felt 2024.
>> Ghanaians will testify that things are better today.
>> Mr. Speaker, the immediate past finance minister said that the statement that Dr. Attoen said made about derailment of the IMF program was not true. I was surprised to hear that because Mr. Speaker, this very IMF program that you signed up to, you committed that by the end of 2024, you will bring inflation down to 18%. You ended December 2024 inflation at 23.8%.
That is 5.8 percentage points higher than the target. Is that not derailment?
that QPC quantitative uh uh measure that you committed to you couldn't meet it.
There was also a net IRA payables of zero. You committed to ensure that I payables would not increase. You ended the year by increasing payables by 45 billion cities.
>> Is that not derailment?
>> Mr. Speaker, there were structural benchmarks that you committed to meet.
One of them was ITAS, the integrated tax administration system that you will implement by end of December. You could not meet it.
>> It had to take hard work by this administration to implement that that structural benchmark. So it was met but delayed.
>> You promised that you will link gifts to Ghana. You could not do that by the end of December 2024.
>> This administration came and by dent of hard work we have been able to implement these things. So you derailed the program and President Muhammad's administration came to revive it and we ended up exceeding in fact overperforming on all the targets that were meant to be met by the end of December 2025.
Inflation overperformed. We ended the year 2025 with an inflation rate of 5.4%. Today inflation is 3.4%.
>> From the beginning of this year to date, we have kept inflation a single digit and we will continue to keep inflation like that.
>> Ghanaians can feel it. Ghanaians know the difference. 2024 every day prices of items were increasing. Today prices are stable. So how can you ask us to go to the streets to ask to ask Ghanaians?
Ghanaians can feel it. They can see the difference. Mr. Speaker, even ECG revenue validation report that you were required to do. You failed to do it. We know that it is your excessive borrowing plus mismanagement of the economy that brought Ghana's economy onto its knees.
The haircut you gave Ghanaians pensioners, it had never happened in the history of this economy. So Ghanaians can see, they can feel it. Look, President Mouhamad says that he cares more about his legacy. Ghana has gone through an IMF program, bailout program 17 times. Look, at the time that you were going for that 17 program, our gross international reserves could not even cover one month of import.
>> Today, we have enough reserves to cover 6 months of import.
>> Is that not the difference between us and you?
>> Mr. Speaker, President Mahama says that what he is going to do is to make sure that we sustain the gains, the macroeconomic gains that we have. we will sustain it and make sure that it creates employment to reduce unemployment in this country. Mr. Speaker, honorable members, I understand we have to continue the debate on Tuesday and then leadership will wind up on Tuesday.
Yes, majority leader. Before you give me any indication, let me acknowledge the presence of steady visit by a 12 member delegation from the National Assembly of the Gambia to the parliament of Republic of Ghana from Monday 1st to Friday 5th June 2026.
Honor members, I have the pleasure to introduce to you a 12 member delegation as I said from the National Assembly of the Gambia who are here on a visit from Monday 1st to Friday 5th June 2026.
The purpose of the visit is to expose the officers to the operational models and technical infrastructure of Parliament of Ghana, capacity building and experience sharing on parliamentary best practices that will inform modernization agenda of the National Assembly of the Gambia.
Our visitors are Mrs. Isatu Kasama, Director of Hanzad.
We have Mr. Land, Director of Administration and Human Resource.
We have Fatu Marga, principal ICT officer.
Mrs. Rabiatu Jallo, principal human resource officer.
We have Miss Ni Jing, principal legal draft person.
We have Mr. Abraisi, senior ICT officer.
We have Mrs. Awaki, editor. Editor number two.
We have Mr. Amadu Ba, legal officer.
We have Mr. Tony F. Mendy, principal table clerk.
We have Mr. Iba Ba, principal communications.
We have Mr. Bakari Camar, senior electrician.
We have Mrs. Binta Daff, senior Liberian. Honorable members, on your behalf and on behalf of the house, I welcome the delegation to parliament and I wish them fruitful deliberations and safe journey to the smiling coast of Africa. You are welcome.
>> Yes, majority leader.
Yeah. Um, Mr. Speaker, let me thank colleagues who have made comments so far. We will proceed to consideration of the community service bill. The chairman and his team are ready. I've engaged with um my colleagues on the other side and we agree that we can take from clause 14 to 21 14 to 21 and then we can adjourn so that the chamber will be available for the cler and his team to continue their preparations towards the conference tomorrow.
Yes. Um, Mr. Speaker, it's so um that we are on our understanding that we should start from uh the consideration stage of the community service bill clause 14 to 21 and nothing more than that. Majority leader, we don't want it to be a case that we start to a certain point that you want us to rush through the bill to pass it. When we get to clause 21, that is what we agreed on. Thank you. So, Mr. Mr. Speaker, we can do the consideration stage of the community service people.
>> Honorable members, community service bill 2026 at consideration stage.
Yes. Clock.
The title is really good.
The speaker members cross 14.
Establishment of a regional community service committee.
Chairman of the committee.
Mr. Speaker, clause 14 amendment proposed subclause 2 paragraphs A to I.
Delete and insert the following new paragraphs. And Mr. Speaker, I would invoke order 171D and not read the proposed amendment since the amendment exceeds four lines.
Honorable members, the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is as captured at page 13 and 14 of today's order paper. It is for the consideration of the house.
Any further amendment?
Members, I'll put a question. As many as are in favor of the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee say I.
>> Those against say no. Honor members, the eyes have it. The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Yes.
Chairman I I clause 14.
>> Mr. Speaker, amendment proposed sub clause three. Delete and insert the following.
Three. The regional commander of prisons shall nominate a prisons officer not below the rank of a chief superintendent of prisons as the regional coordinator of the secretariat.
Members, >> the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is for the consideration of the house.
Any further amendment?
Yes, Mr. Speaker. Um, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
on page 13 of the other paper um concerning the representative of the regal commander of prisons. We have it there not below the rank of a superintendent but in his um proposal as read he indicated chief superintendent. I want to be sure exactly the rank he's referring to since I didn't see chief superintendent in here.
Yes. Chairman of the committee.
Mr. Speaker, in the proposed amendment, we have chief superintendent of prisons.
And here the what we are saying is that the regional commander shall nominate an officer not below the rank of chief superintendent of prisons who would serve as the regional coordinator of the community service secretariat.
You see the point that the honorable member is saying is that at page 13, if you look at the item numbered B, the regional commander of prisons or representative of the regional commander of prison not below the rank of a superintendent.
Is that person going to be the chairman or he will remain a member of the board? And by the new proposed amendment, they appoint a chief superintendent as the the chairperson.
Mr. Speaker, the chief superintendent under the proposed amendment is to be appointed nominated by the regional commander and once nominated he or she would serve as coordinator.
This amendment seeks to um replace the original rendition which placed the social welfare officer >> as the rational is simple. Mr. The representative, >> yes, >> of the regional commander in B is going to be the one appointed as the coordinator or that person will be there and another person will be appointed from the prison service as a coordinator.
If it is one and the same person, one cannot be superintendent and the other one will be chief superintendent. That's the point being raised.
>> The coordinator is appointed.
>> Mr. Speaker, the coordinator is an officer who would be appoint nominated by the regional commander and we introduced this amendment uh because we believe that community service relates to convicts and the appropriate state institution which must handle convicts.
>> So at the regional level service two people from the prison service.
Absolutely.
>> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> Yes.
Um Mr. Speaker, I want to find out from the chairman of the committee why um he's given the rank of chief superintendent of prisons as the regional coordinator for the secretariat.
Considering the fact that probably if you put chief superintendent maybe there are other senior officers who are below that rank but can perform that function because if you look at clause 14D um the attorney general representative they have given a senior state attorney.
If it is the case that in the prison service they can also have something like a senior prison officer that rather than saying chiefs to pretend that I don't know why you use the word super chief to pretend that that the ranking at the prison service is not contaminous with that of attorney general's department.
They are two different things.
>> Mr. Mr. Speaker, but why chief superintendent? Why not superintendent?
Mr. Speaker, we settled on chief superintendent because we believe at that rank the officer in terms of seniority is very competent enough to occupy the position of um regional coordinator. And in doing this, we had broad consultations with officers from the prison service including the director general herself. And it was agreed generally that at that level they are very capable of discharging the functions of um the regional coordinator.
>> You see the point is that in B in B is going to be a representative of the regional commander of prisons not below the rank of deputy superintendent of prisons nominated by the regional commander. What we want to understand is that is this person going to be the coordinator or there will be two prison officers serving on the committee.
Mr. Speaker, they are two two officers and again let me state that the rationale for the designation of two prisons officers is to place the prison service at the center of the management of convicts ordered to um serve community service or perform community service because statutoily or constitutionally it is that service which has the mandate to manage convicts. Previously we sought to place this responsibility on social welfare officers but then we came to the realization that no that would be a mistake because we already have the prison service charged with that responsibility. We don't want to uh take that responsibility away from them. So you find that if you look at the bill in its original form, the coordinator was supposed to be a social Yes. So So it's an addition, Mr. Speaker.
>> Very well.
>> It's an addition.
>> Yes. So if it is an addition, it means one will be the superintendent representing another coordinator will be chief superintendent.
>> Mr. speaker not to belabor the point but the issue is that a chief superintendent is higher in rank than the superintendent.
>> Yes. So if you set a um a supervisory board or or regional directorate and then the representative from the um prison service is to be not below the rank of a superintendent and then you go back and set a coordinator whose rank is at the chief superintendent level. Then it means that the chief superintendent who is higher in rank than the superintendent, he will be reporting um um his matters to a lower person.
>> No, it means that the chief superintendent will be the coordinator.
The position of the coordinator is higher than a committee member.
So honorable members in the absence of any further proposal I'll put a question.
Those in favor say I. I.
>> Those against say no.
The eyes have it.
The proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is ordered to stand part of the bill.
Or members, though we have passed this, I want to say that it may create a problem in the sense that the rendition is the regional commander of prisons or a representative. It means that it gives an option for the regional commander to be there. So how can a regional commander be there and the chief superintendent will be a coordinator?
Mr. Speaker, >> this is what we have to look at.
>> Mr. Speaker, if you look at um sorry 14, we came to the consensus at the level of the committee that we actually do not want to place too much responsibility at the national level. The original rendition was that the director general would nominate the attorney general will nominate but here we are talking about the decentralized structure of for instance the prison service. So rather than place the responsibility on the director general let the regional commander nominate an officer to serve in that capacity and report back. Yes, I agree perfectly with you. But that is not what is captured in B.
The B there is a disjunctive words here, the regional commander of prisons or a representative of the regional commander of prisons. So this one it gives an option for the regional commander himself to decide to be there.
If the rendition were simply a representative of the regional commander, then we know there is no option for the regional commander trying to be there.
Sorry, if I may read the insertion 14 I I the regional commander of prisons shall nominate a prisons officer not below the rank of a chief superintendent of prisons as a regional coordinator of the secretariat. Look at the first one that we did.
The first one. The first amendment in one. 141.
>> 141.
>> Yes. Look at B.
>> So B. Okay. Sorry. The regional commander of prisons or a representative of the regional commander of prisons.
>> Yes. Not the rank of a superintendent of prisons.
>> Do you agree with me? This give an option to the regional commander to be there.
>> Yes. So if he gives an option to be to the regional commander to be there.
>> Yes.
>> The concern is we are now saying in the second amendment that we are making that though he has an option to be there even when he is there chief superintendent will be a coordinator.
Mr. Speaker, we have this arrangement because we know the responsibilities of regional commander is honorous. And so if you create the the the scenario whereby the regional commander serves as coordinator, it will be burdensome. That is why we're saying that as serve as a member of the committee.
>> Yes, he can serve as a member. All right. But when it because the coordinator would perform functions on a day-to-day basis >> very well is for clarity if that is what the house want.
I will then put a question on entire clause 14 in the absence of any further proposed amendments.
The question is as many as are in favor of clause 14 as variously amended standing part of the bill say I.
>> Those against say no the eyes have it.
Clause 14 is ordered to stand part of the bill. Clause 15 >> tenure of office of members of a regional community service committee.
>> Chairman of the committee.
>> Mr. Speaker, we have we don't have any advertised amendments.
Honorable members, the committee doesn't have advertised amendment. It is however for the consideration of the house.
Honor members, any proposed amendment?
I'll put a question. Those in favor of clause 15 standing part of the bill say I.
Those against say no. The eyes have it.
Clause 15 is ordered to stand part of the bill. Clause 16 >> functions of a regional community service committee. Chairman of the committee. Amendment I I >> amendment proposed paragraph B. Delete and insert the following.
Coordinate and supervise the activities of district community service committees in the region.
Honor members, the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committees for the consideration of the house. Any further amendment?
>> In the absence of any further amendment, I'll please vote the question. Those in favor of the proposed amendment say I.
>> Those against say no. The eyes have it.
The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Now the question will be put on clause 16 as amended.
Those in favor say I. I.
>> Those against say no. The eyes have it.
Clause 16 is ordered to stand part of the bill. Clause 17. Chairman of the committee.
>> Establishment of a district community service committee.
>> Pen proposed subclause to delete and insert the following. And Mr. Speaker, I come under order 171D.
Members, the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is captured by page 15 and partly K is at page 16 of today's order paper.
It is for the consideration of the house.
Any further amendment? I'll put a question. Those in favor of the proposed amendment say I. I.
>> Those against say no. D have it. The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Yes. 17. Amendment number five. Amendment proposed subclause 3 delete and he said the following. The regional commander of prisons shall nominate a prisons officer not below the rank of a deputy superintendent of prisons as the district coordinator of the secretariat.
Mr. Mr. Speaker, the rationale is simple.
The prison service is the state institution responsible for the management of convicts.
Again, you notice that at the district level, the rank is lower. We have deputy superintendent and at the regional level, we have chief superintendent.
Thank you.
Honor members, the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is for the consideration of the house.
amendment >> any further amendment the absence of any other amendment I'll put a question as many as are in favor say I >> those against say no d have it the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is ordered to stand part of the bill chairman amendment number six to clause 17 Mr. Speaker amendment proposed sub clause three delete and insert The regional minister shall in consultation with the relevant district chief executive appoint the members of the district community service the district community service community this places the committee sorry Mr. Speaker, and with your kind permission, I I I would move that community as captured in the order paper be substituted with committee.
Yes, honorable members.
The proposed amendment which was further amended by changing the last word community to committee is for the consideration of the house.
Yes.
Thank you. Right honorable speaker. I I rise to support the amendment the variation proposed. I I I suppose it might have been a typo because the actual word is committee and we're saying that the original minister is the the the um official that we are trusting that mandate of appointment into his hands. However, since the committee will relate to the jurisdiction of MMDC's municipalities and districts, he needs to consult the MMDC um in charge. And so the further amendment I'll propose to that is that instead of district chief executive MMDC unless of course the interpretation has taken care of it. If the interpretation has taken care of it then then I rest it. So >> so I'll put a question as many as are in favor of the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee say I.
>> Those against say no d have it the proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Now I'll put a question on entire clause 17 as viously amended.
Those in favor say I. I.
>> Those against say no. The eyes have it.
Clause 17 as viously amended is ordered to stand part of the bill. Clause 18.
>> 10 of members of a district community service committee.
>> Mood. Amendment number seven >> clause 18 amendment proposed subclustry line two after regional delete coordinator and insert minister here Mr. Speaker the insertion is proper because the minister is the appointing authority.
Thank you.
>> Very well honorable members is for the consideration of the house. Any other amendment? Any proposal? I'll put a question. As many as are in favor of the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee, say I.
As many as are in favor of the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee, say I. I.
>> Those against say no. The eyes have it.
The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Honorable members, the background noise is too much.
Honorable members, the background noise is too much.
>> Yes. Chairman of the committee.
Amendment number eight.
>> Mr. Speaker, amendment proposed sub clause 5 line one after regional delete coordinator and insert minister. This is consequential.
Thank you.
>> Member this is consequential. I'll therefore put a question as many as are in favor say I. I. Those again say no. I have it. The consequential amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Yes.
Chairman of committee.
>> Mr. Speaker, amendment post sub clause 7 closing phrase line one. After regional the lead coordinator and insert minister again this is consequential Mr. Speaker.
Thank you.
>> Yes. This is being consequential. I'll put a question as many as are in favor say I.
>> Those against say no. The eyes have it.
The proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee to clause 18 is ordered to stand part of the bill. Now I'll put a question on the entire clause 18 as variously amended. Those in favor say I.
I.
>> Those against say no. The eyes have it.
Clause 18 asly amended is ordered to stand part of the bill. Clause 19 >> functions of a district community service committee. Chairman, amendment number 10.
>> Mr. Speaker, amendment proposed paragraph F line one, delete probation and insert community service.
Honorable members, the proposed amendment is further consideration of the house.
Any further amendment? In the absence of any further amendment, I'll put a question. Those in favor of the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee say I. Those again say no.
The eyes have it. The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill.
Chairman, amendment number 11.
>> Mr. Speaker, this amendment stand very well. This is a new clause standing in the name of the minority leader Alexander Commun.
You have the floor.
Speaker plus 40.
Sorry.
M so speaker bear with me a second. I just Speaker, please. Um I'm dealing with clause 19 uh page 17. Mr. Speaker, clause 19 amendment proposed. Add the following new paragraph.
Establish and maintain a register of placement institutions within the district including capacity, nature of work available and any conditions or restrictions applicable to each institution and submit updated copies of the register to the regional coordinator on quarterly basis. Mr. Speaker, I so move The proposed amendment by the minority leader is for the consideration of the house. Yes, chairman of the committee.
Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the proposed amendment by the minority leader has already been provided for under um clause A and clause A of clause um 19 A and G. If you read them together, A reads as follows.
Identify placement institutions in the district for placement of convicted persons.
Now the proposed amendment says establish and maintain a register of placement institutions within the district.
So it's already catered for. Now the part that deals with updated copies of the register to the regional coordinator on a quarterly basis for me is the only difference because under G we have submit monthly reports to the regional coordinator monthly but he he talks about quarterly.
So maybe we can amend the G if he's able to justify why those um registers should be submitted to the coordinator on a quarterly basis. We could uh substitute monthly with quarterly. This one say >> speaker if you look at the A the rendition there is quite naked.
It only talks about identify placement institutions in the district for placement of convicted person.
What I'm proposing is an enrichment to what you have in A. So maybe we can have a compromise to enrich the rendition in A and then um further amend the G to make it cy.
Okay. So the the new rendition for a if you would you would uh indulge me will be that to establish and maintain a register of placement institutions within the district including the capacity nature of work available and any conditions or restrictions available to each institution and sub to each institution. Full stop.
each institution the food stock we ended there for the rendition for a that is having enriched the earlier uh provision then on the issue of the register um the reporting which is instead of the monthly I was thinking that we should be yes it should be quarterly so then we come to G and simply amend the monthly to quarterly then we have a very enriched uh uh law.
So you may then Yes. talk to speaker on it. So >> Mr. Speaker, yes, if we arrange >> uh minority leader in the circumstances, I would advise that you abandon your amendment and rather propose amendment to A and G.
speaker in substance basically that's the point I made earlier but just for clarity that's exactly what I'm doing >> very well >> yes so the proposed amendment by the minority leader to 19 new clause is accordingly abandoned then let's take the amendment one after the other in 19 After that we take 19 G so I can put the question separately Right. So, Mr. Speaker, as agreed with the committee chair, the new rendition of 19A as proposed would be quote to establish and maintain a register of placement institutions within the district including the capacity nature of work available and any conditions or restrictions applicable to each institution.
Foot stop.
I'll put a question as many as are in favor say I.
>> Those against say no. That have it the proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Now the G >> respectfully Mr. Speaker I beg to move that after submit we delete monthly and insert quarterly. So the new rendition for Gene shall resubmit quarterly reports to the regional coordinator.
As many as are in favor say I.
>> Those against say no.
The eyes have it. The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill.
Honorable members, I understand in a in a we cannot abandon the word identify. So I'll direct the drafters to take care of it accordingly for us.
Mr. Speaker, we can deal with it now.
Very well.
>> Yes. From Yes. So it starts with identify, establish and maintain. So that's fine.
>> Very well. So draft test.
>> It's been proposed. So you take care of it. Or I should put a question on the further proposal. Those in favor say I.
I.
>> Those against say no. That have it.
The proposed amendment now to A is ordered to stand part of the bill.
Honorable members, I will then proceed to put a question on entire clause 19 as viously amended. Those in favor say I.
I.
>> Those against say no. The eyes have it.
Clause 19 as viously amended is ordered to stand part of the bill. Clause 20, >> meetings of a district community service committee.
>> Amendment proposed subclause 4 line two after committee delete shall include the chairperson and insert it five members.
Members, the proposed amendment is for the consideration of the house. Any further amendment?
Those in favor of the proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee say I.
I.
>> Those against say no. That have it. The proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is ordered to stand part of the bill. I'll then put a question on clause 20 in the absence of any further amendment to clause 20. As many as are in favor of clause 20 as amended standing part of the bill say I. I.
Those again say no. The eyes have it.
Clause 20 as amended is order to stand part of the bill. Now clause 21 >> national coordinator >> amendment proposed sub clause 3 line two after of insert high moral character and honor members that's the proposed amendment to clause 21 and it is for the consideration of the house any further amendment in In the absence of any further amendment, I'll put a question to the proposed amendment. Yes.
I'll put a question to the proposed amendment. Those in favor say I. I.
>> Those against say no. I have it. The proposed amendment by the chairman of the committee is all there to stand part of the bill. Now I put a question on entire clause 20. Yes, I recognize you chairman of the committee.
>> Mr. Speaker, still on is it 20 or 21?
21. Sorry. Still on 21. Mr. Speaker, >> yes.
>> I propose a further amendment with your leave because this is not advertised.
>> Yes, you have my leave. Do >> so. Sub clause three line three after work delete end and insert or.
The rational is to make the sentence disjunctive.
sub plus three >> by the amendment that you are proposing if the person has a proven integrity but does not have the requisite knowledge you can go through I don't think the amendment is proper it must be conjunctive you must have the requisite knowledge and you must be of a proven integrity the two must be pull together to qualify you.
Yes, speaker.
Uh perhaps we may have to pay attention to the chairman's amendment. Well, he is disjointing social work and criminal justice system experience.
So he's asking that we delete the end and replace it with all so that the requisite knowledge or expertise could either be in social work or in the criminal justice system. These are two different things and I believe that he's right in disjointing it otherwise it becomes cumbersome that you need both at the same time before you qualify. So we may have to pay attention to the rendition. Well the requirement for knowledge and expertise is qualified by either it's not after integrity.
So it's after social work that is introducing the amendment said line three clause three. Line three. Very well.
>> Yes.
>> Very well.
>> Yes. Line 3 clause 3. And if you read line 3, this is what it says. Proven integrity and has a requisite knowledge and expertise in social work and the criminal justice system. He's disjointing it >> very well by introducing this is now clear. I'll put a question. As many as are in favor of the proposed amendment, say I.
>> I. Those again say no. The eyes have it.
The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Now I'll put a question on entire clause 21 as variously amended.
Those in favor say I. I.
>> Those against say no.
Honor members the eyes have it. The proposed amendment is ordered to stand part of the bill. Majority leader, before coming to you for any indication, I create the indulgence of the house to acknowledge the presence of our rever chiefs in our mess.
Their delegation from Akumfi traditional council to parliament.
Number one on my list is Nana Dr. Okumani Yedria answer the first two Nana the seventh Suman Kuaini or Safa Overlord.
We also have Nana Essel Aamanu Abouedum the servant.
Empi Pristier, chief of Satre.
We have Nana Obis Okanta the fourth Efi Jahini Ibraim.
We have Nana Essa Oku Y the first Guanuini or Guanuini.
We have Nana Jaben the 8i Nyahini chief of Era.
We have Nana co oko Jesse the fifth Afi Sanahini chief of Afi Nabin.
We have Oami Montoi Hin.
We have Nanai Nins Afi Fahima, Queen Mother of Akumi.
Then we have Nana appear the seven Nana imprem the eighth.
>> We have Ohima Amua II, Safa Abuan.
We have honorable Ishmail Nana Asamoa, district chief executive.
We have Alaji Joseph and Tobam, Consuency Chairman, NDC Party.
>> We have Edward Aqua, >> Consuency Secretary, NDC Party.
Honorable members, on your behalf, I welcome our rever chiefs to Parliament of Ghana and humbly urge them to have a fruitful visit.
Nanom, you are most welcome.
Yes, Majority Leader.
Yes. Yeah. Mr. Speaker, I think they are you are yet to take the final sub clause of 21.
>> But there's no final clause to 21. This is a new clause after clause 22.
>> A new clause you want to add?
>> After clause 22.
>> No, but we said we'll stop at 21.
>> Still under 21.
>> Oh, it's a new sub clause. But this new sub clause is after clause 22.
>> We agreed on 21. Okay. So Mr. Speaker, I don't think we have done 5 hours yet.
So I move that we a Tuesday 12:00 in the noon.
Wednesday, >> Wednesday, Tuesday, >> Tuesday, Tuesday is what date members in the circumstances we bring the consideration stage of the community service bill for today to an end.
Tuesday is what date 9 members motion move for adjournment. Any second >> Mr. Speaker, I second the motion.
>> Honorable members, motion moved and seconded. It is for the consideration of the house. Honorable members, I'll put a question. As many as are in favor of the motion for agendment, say I.
Those against say no. The eyes have it.
The motion is adopted.
and that this house is accordingly agend Tuesday the 9th day of June 2026 at 12:00 in the noon Heat. Heat.
Heat.
Heat.
Africa rises to shape its future through family values, unity and sovereignty.
The fourth African interparliamentary conference on family sovereignty and values is here under the theme consolidating parliamentary consensus advancing the African charter on family values and sovereignty featuring distinguished African leaders and policy makers including his excellency the president of the republic of Ghana John Dramani Mahama and host speaker Right honorable Aban Suma Kinsford Bagin date is June 3rd to June 6 2026. Venue Parliament House Acaran. Join the conversation shaping Africa's future. It is the fourth African interparliamentary conference on family sovereignty and values. Be there.
Africa is rising. Its voice is growing louder.
>> THERE IS A NEW AFRICAN IN THE WORLD.
THAT NEW AFRICAN IS READY TO FIGHT HIS OWN BATTLE AND SHOW THAT AFTER ALL THE BLACK MAN IS CAPABLE OF MANAGING THE OWNERS.
>> Its future is being saved now from June 3rd to sit 2026. The speaker of parliament right honorable Arban Sumana Kinsford Bag and the parliament of Ghana welcomes leaders, law makers, policy thinkers, innovators, faith leaders, youth advocates and defenders of African values who are gathering here in the vibrant city of Ara. The fourth African interparliamentary conference on family, sovereignty and values under the distinguished patronage of his excellency John Rammani Mahama. This landmark continental conference will convene at the parliament house Accra.
This year's conference goes beyond conversation. It is a call to action. A powerful gathering focused on artificial intelligence and the future of the family. National sovereignty in the changing world, cultural identity and African values, media influence, governance, human identity and intergenerational responsibility at a time when Africa faces complex global pressures. This conference will champion bold African solutions for African families and African futures.
Expert powerful plinary sections, thoughtprovoking discussions, strategic networking and transformational ideas from influential voices across the continent and beyond. Africa must define its own destiny. Africa must protect its values.
Africa must save the future for generations yet unborn. Join parliamentarians, diplomats, traditional leaders, academics, civil society groups, and global partners. The fourth African interparliamentary conference on family, sovereignty, and values. June 3rd to 6, 2026 at the Parliament House, Accra. The conversation is continental. The movement is historic. The future is African.
My name is Andrew Amako.
I am the second deputy speaker of Ghana's parliament and I am the chair of the local organizing committee for the impending conference on family sovereignty and values on behalf of the local organizing committee and the speaker of Ghana's parliament the right honorable Aban Suma Ghana Kinsford Babin and the entire nation. I welcome you the delegates from across the continent of Africa to Ghana.
>> The conference as the heading is is focusing on family is focusing on sovereignty of Africa and is so focusing on values.
We are going to have presenters >> across Africa who will deliberate on the topics that has been set aside to discuss and most of the topics are going to focus on African sovereignty, our food security, natural resource enhancement, our health delivery and the likes. But more importantly, we are going to focus on family and values.
God did not create us as Ghanaians or Africans for nothing.
God gave us a unique culture, unique tradition, a unique values >> and that is what this conference is coming to showcase.
We want to showcase our culture, our values that if we are able to develop this culture and traditions and values, well, that was what is going to lead us to actually see our own development. No development that are brought to us from other cultures. We are going to do the deliberations involving all the delegates including religious leaders, including CSOS, including traditional leaders, including politicians, including all policy makers in such a way that at the end of the day, we will be all partakers of of the decision that will be taken on the conference. At the end of the day, at the end of the conference, Ghana and Africa will be uniquely positioned to showcase our values, our tradition, and to let the whole world know that we are ready to take on our destiny into our own hands.
That is why the discussion we are going to have is going to focus on certain areas that will take us from our dependence on the global world for ourselves.
Ghanaians are known to be hospitable and therefore everybody who is coming will be welcomed.
I believe anybody who has come to Ghana at times becomes hesitant to go back because of the way we welcome those people. So I think Ghanaians hospitality is known everywhere and those delegates who are coming are coming to actually feel it. I expect everybody to feel at home and to feel free that Ghana is their home and we will together build a continent that was started by our forefathers and in the culture and values that God gave us. And our local par we say aquaba we say we say h these are all traditional languages way of welcoming visitors. So we are welcoming you to Ghana. Feel free Ghana is your home.
Africa rises to shape its future through family values, unity and sovereignty.
The fourth African interparliamentary conference on family, sovereignty and values is here. As Africans, as normal human beings, technology is only there to improve upon our living standards, to make living very simple for us. There is no way technology should overcome our family values or be used to substitute our family values. Our values is what we are born into. The families in which we are born into, we come up growing up being educated to preserve certain values, which is one. First and foremost, respect. We have to respect each other. Respect one another. Respect seniority. Respect your father and mother. Respect your senior brother. And that everybody can respect the other. We are taught to learn to love one another.
Make sure that whatever you are doing to your brother, your sister, your auntie, your family member or any member in the society, it is what you want them to do to you. That is some of the things that we call values. Family values. I don't see how technology can change this.
Other thing is that we are taught to be honest to accept what we do whether wrong or right then we can make corrections if we are wrong and when we are right we are patted at the back to leave that. So uh to me these values are issues that we cannot use technology to substitute >> consolidating parliamentary consensus advancing the African charter on family values and sovereignty. My expectation is that they come to learn from what we have done, what Sineagal has done, what other African countries have done regarding the family values bills and laws that they have passed so that they can take it back. Those who have
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