News:
December 17, 2010
Member of Parliament for New Juabeng South Bernice Beatrice Boateng is appealing to her colleague members of Parliament, and Ministers of State to take the business of the house seriously.
She says this will enable Parliament to complete its work before rising next week.
She said it is unacceptable that official business of the house has been suspended severally not because members are tired, but rather because of the absence of key personalities expected to provide the necessary clarifications on matters before progress is made.
The NPP member in her first term in Parliament is particularly unhappy about how the majority side has handled the debate on the 2011 budget.
On Monday December 13, Mr. Doe Adjaho, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament also warned that if Parliament would rise on December 21 2010, then members must refrain from the laxity in the approach of work in the House.
NDC Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Sampson Ahi, also took a swipe at the majority caucus in Parliament, accusing them of not taking Government business seriously.
According to Hon. Beatrice Boateng, the House has not shown much commitment and has done very little work with regards to the 2011 budget debate compared to the previous year.
“In fact, I don’t see much seriousness this time. We have proposed that tentatively, 21st December should be the rising date, but I am not sure we can do that from the pace that we are going. It is for this reason that Mondays have been added to the sittings and then it has been announced over and over that we have extended sittings. But all through these two weeks, we close at 1:00 pm unlike previously when we close between 5:00 and 6:00pm. We do not close because we are tired, but because the people who are supposed to do the discussion including the Ministers are not there” he said.
“My plea is that this thing is very serious as it touches on the core of the country. So with the last week left, I am pleading with all Ministers especially the Finance Minister, we want him and not the deputies. We should all come as a House”.
Source: citifm