The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has put committee chairpersons and members on notice to clear a huge backlog of work as the new meeting opens.
He says the House is returning to more than 800 outstanding items, and committees must work fast to examine them, follow up on them and report on time.
The Speaker explains that the pile-up includes hundreds of referrals that have been sitting with committees, alongside questions, motions and papers that still need attention.
Addressing the House at the start of the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament in Accra on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Speaker Bagbin said the time for the meeting is limited, and MPs must make good use of it.
He told the House that 11 Bills are at various stages, while nine instruments are already before committees for consideration.
Beyond the Bills, he said, the House is expected to deal with 44 papers, 58 motions, 204 outstanding parliamentary questions, three urgent questions and one petition.
He added that the biggest load is the 582 referrals to committees that needed examination, follow-up and timely reporting.
He therefore charged chairpersons and members to expedite work on those referrals and submit their reports within the required timelines.
He also urged the leadership of the House to work closely with ministers and chief executives to ensure that government business reach Parliament early, so committees would have the time and support to do their work.
He said ministers and their technical teams must be available to help committees and the House deal with concerns and sort out any drafting or policy issues that may arise.
“Committees must also be afforded reasonable time to undertake their work, including stakeholder consultations. Parliament cannot compromise on the presentation of well-considered reports to the House,” he said.
Parliament will not allow Bills to be rushed through without scrutiny – Bagbin
