MPs unhappy with budget allocation to Parliament
Members of parliament have described the budget allocation for the Office of Parliament as being woefully inadequate. According to them, looking at the work of the legislature, it needs to be adequately resourced, so that they can discharge their duties under the constitution.
In a motion to approve the budget of parliament for the 2010 financial year, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Asiamah, said the budget should be stood down, because the amount was woefully inadequate.
According to him, the service personnel who had even been posted to them as research assistants, have been turned into bag-carriers, because as professionals, they don't even have an office to work.
“They are here to learn and not to handle MP's bags.”
Asiamah noted that if human resource is to be developed, then the research assistants need to be properly catered for, and stop them from moving around the corridors of parliament, as if they have nothing to do.
He mentioned that the leadership of the house has failed the institution, because they presented a lean budget to the government for approval, when they know very well that they do not even have offices to work from.
Touching on the conditions of service for MPs, he said although Ghanaians were suffering, MPs were the most vulnerable, but in all these cases, their constituents expect a lot from them in the provision of basic facilities.
He stated that the security of members had been left to their fate, with nobody addressing it, because the leadership, who are in the best position to do so, do not suffer the same fate, because they had security to protect them .
“Is it the case that the leadership has security so they don't care about the other members,” he questioned.
He maintained that the leadership should make arrangements to allow police personnel protect the parliamentarians, so that they all have equal safety, respect and attention.
The Communications Minister, Harunna Iddirisu, said there was the need for a review of the Standing Orders of the House, and make the House more accountable to the people they represent.
He added that when the amendment is done, the sittings of committees would be made public, because it was only the Appointments Committee and Public Accounts Committee whose sittings are being made public.
This, he said, would make the public appreciate the work of the house, and allow them to make meaningful contributions to it.
He maintained that the review must broaden their horizon, so that the agencies of state under the constitution, could report to parliament directly, rather than the current restrictions that the constitution poses on them.
The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, contributing to the debate, mentioned that Parliament had for sometime now, been engaging in self-censorship, because of the posturing of the executive.
He added that they needed to liberate themselves from the grips of the executive, and let them know that parliament was an arm of the government. The Finance Minister, in moving the motion for the approval of the budget, said looking at the role the institution performs in deepening democracy, promoting good governance with sound economic development through its legitimate functions, needs to be adequately resourced.
He said in the year 2010, the institution would organise workshops for its members, have committee sittings, and also verify the use of resources, by visiting project sites, and participate in overseas conferences and seminars.
The Chairman for the Special Budget Committee, Alban Bagbin, said the legislature had received tremendous support from the government. The House approved an amount of GH¢34,037, 510 for the services of Parliament for the 2010 fiscal year.