Parliament Renovates Building For Committee Rooms

WORK has begun on the rehabilitation of the defunct Ghana National Trading Corporation flats located near the State House for conversion to a Parliamentary Committee’s Secretariat.

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes, yesterday cut the sod for the project which is expected to enhance the work of Parliamentary Committees.

The cost of the project is estimated at 2.5 million dollars and the first phase is expected to be completed in June.

The project will also house the Institute of Parliamentary Studies to serve as a training centre for capacity-building for Members of Parliament and Parliamentary staff.

It will also serve as a resource centre for the training of visiting parliamentary staff and MPs from other countries to Ghana to study its parliamentary proceedings.

Fridonk Limited, a Ghanaian construction firm is executing the project and is co-funded by the DANIDA and the government.

The first phase of the project will make available two committee meeting rooms with a seating capacity of about 40 Members of Parliament, computer centre and a parking lot.

Mr Sekyi-Hughes commended DANIDA for co-funding the project and expressed the hope that the activities of the parliamentary committees would be greatly enhanced with the completion of the project.

The Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Jones Kugblenu, briefing journalists at the site, said when completed, the project would help to cut down the cost Parliament incurred in hotel bills relating to the hiring of committee rooms.

He said the three-storey building located at the premises of Parliament when completed next month would provide additional office accommodation to enhance the work of the House.