Mid-year Budget: Media Barred From Setting Up Makeshift Studios For Coverage

Parliament says it will not to allow the media to set up make-shift studios in the house to cover the 2020 mid-year budget review.

The budget-review is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, July 23, 2020.

According to information from the Public Affairs Department of Parliament, the directive is in line with COVID-19 protocols put in place by the House.

Journalists and media houses as part of activities to enhance their coverage of major happenings in parliament such as the reading of the national budgets are allowed on such special occasions to set up makeshift studios in the foyer of the parliamentary chamber.

However, the House believes such an arrangement cannot be granted due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Following the announcement of the first two cases of COVID-19 in Ghana on March 12, 2020, parliament introduced a number of measures aimed at reducing the risk of infection in the house.

Amongst the measures taken are the closure of the public gallery, introduction of sanitary material at vantage areas in the House and a mass testing programme introduced for legislators, parliamentary staff and members of the parliamentary press corps.

In June, there were several calls on parliament to suspend sittings or at least introduce measures that will allow legislators to practice social distancing to reduce the risk of COVID-19 but that was not done.

The Member of Parliament for Prampram, Sam George also in an opinion piece recently suggested that parliament considers virtual sitting to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections after at least four legislators were confirmed to be COVID-19 positive.

---citinewsroom