Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members of Parliament,
It is with a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to our democratic ideals that I stand before this august House to join the Rt Hon Speaker, Sumana Kingsford Alban Bagbin to open the Second Meeting of the Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
This meeting is taking place during a pivotal moment in our nation’s history – a time of renewed optimism under the dynamic leadership of President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC government. His visionary governance has:
• Restored faith in our democratic institutions
• Reinvigorated our national spirit
• Positioned Ghana as Africa’s shining beacon of progress
The transformation is palpable across every sector of society:
• Our market women now trade with renewed vigor
• Educators stand proud in their profession
• Farmers embrace their vital role with assurance
• Students pursue knowledge with greater determination
• The business community operates with restored confidence
Even political opponents like Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia have been inspired by this wave of national optimism. Beyond our borders, Africa looks to Ghana as a model of democratic renewal and economic resurgence. Our remarkable economic recovery has become the subject of continental admiration, signaling Ghana’s return to its rightful place as a leader among nations.
This is more than mere political change – it’s a national awakening that promises to carry Ghana to new heights of prosperity and influence.
Reflecting on the previous session
Rt Hon Speaker,
I am proud to say that this renewed hope of the ordinary Ghanaian is the result of the work that we did during the inaugural sitting of Parliament. During that 42 inaugural sittings of this Parliament which spanned 11 weeks and despite an overwhelming presence of many newly elected Members of Parliament, the House achieved an unprecedented feet. We swiftly passed 11 critical Bills to implement the critical promises made by the NDC to reset the Ghanaian economy. The obnoxious electronic levy was done away with and so was the carbon emission levy. We repealed taxes on lottery winnings and the 1.5% withholding tax on unprocessed gold from small-scale miners. We removed the VAT on motor vehicle insurance policies. We increased the levy on gold mining companies from 1% to 3% of gross production and extended the levy’s sunset to 2028. We removed or raised caps on certain statutory funds to allow full allocations to priority sectors. So Ghana Education Trust Fund got more money for education.! National Health Insurance Fund got more money for healthcare delivery and Road Fund received 100% of their due allocations to better support road projects. I vividly recall the unwavering commitment demonstrated by Honorable Members of this House, who sacrificed sleep and personal comfort to work tirelessly through the night in this very chamber. Their dedication bore fruit in two critical legislative achievements:
1. The establishment of the Ghana Gold Board – a landmark institution that has brought much-needed regulation to our nation’s gold industry, ensuring proper oversight of this vital economic sector.
2. The timely passage of the Appropriations Bill – a crucial piece of legislation that not only authorized government expenditure but also guaranteed a seamless financial transition during the delicate period following the election of a new administration.
These examples stand as powerful reminders of Parliament’s essential role in safeguarding our nation’s economic stability and democratic processes. When duty calls, this House has consistently risen to the occasion, putting national interest above all else.
Rt Hon Speaker
The meteoric vetting and approval of all 56 ministerial and deputy ministerial nominees saw the fastest settling of government by any democratically elected president inaugurated under the 4th Republic. Even before new and younger MPs could settle in they were asking questions and raising issues affecting the lives of their constituents. 117 motions were moved and adopted. Newly approved Ministers responded to 41 questions. Members and Ministers delivered 90 statements on critical national and constituency matters. The House held 82 Committee sittings.
Rt Hon Speaker
Because of the all the policies, legislation and quality of leadership instilled by this House in our first sitting Ghana is being reset again!
We have engineered one of the strongest currency rebounds in recent financial history.
The numbers speak for themselves.
* 24.1% appreciation against the US dollar since January 2025
* 16.2% gain against the British pound
* 14.1% strengthening versus the Euro
Where $1 traded at GH₵14.90 at year’s start, today it exchanges at just GH₵10.94 (Bank of Ghana interbank average). This isn’t just statistics – it’s translating into real relief for Ghanaian families.
The strong showing of our Ghana cedi resulted in significant reductions in fuel prices:
According to GOIL,
* Super XP traded at GH₵15.85 per litre in February, and is now GH₵13.27 (a decrease of 16.28%)
* Diesel XP traded at GH₵15.99 per litre in February 2025. It is now down to GH₵13.87 (a decrease of 13.26%)
* Super XP 95 traded at GH₵15.96 per litre in February 2025. It is now down to GH₵15.27 (a decrease of 4.32%)
The cedi’s strength is putting money back in people’s pockets through:
✓ Transport fare reductions across major routes (Ghanaian Times, 26th May, 2025):
* Ho-Accra down from GH₵70 to GH₵60
* Ho-Kpong reduced from GH₵36 to GH₵31
* Bolgatanga-Accra down from GH₵250 to GH₵240
* Ho-Kumasi down from GH₵145 to GH₵130
* Atomic junction to Accra reduced from GH₵11.50 to GH₵10
* Circle to Osu down from GH₵7 to GH₵6
The prices of imported food products are reducing. This is the NDC government delivering tangible economic results through sound management, making life affordable for all Ghanaians when it matters most.
Rt Hon Speaker,
There is a new force and a new myth in the management of our economy and finances – it is called Forsonnomics! This House must support our indefatigable Finance Minister and former Leader of this House – Hon Cassiel Ato Baah Forson to continue along the lines of fiscal prudence and his dogged pursuit of appreciating the Ghana Cedi, reducing inflation and prices, reducing interest rates and revitalizing our private sector, renewing hope in the Ghanaian.
While many challenges remain, this sitting will focus on pursuing fiscal prudence, economic consolidation, and private sector revitalization to strengthen Ghana’s financial stability and growth. It is in our agenda to receive the Mid-Year review of our Budget. Members will recall that this House approved a Common Fund Formula that demanded that 80% of the fund should be sent directly to the Assemblies. The Finance Minister will bring an urgent statement on the Guidelines to government on the utilization of the funds. He will also make other far-reaching statements on the financial sector. A bill to convert the Ghana Investment Promotion Center to the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority will be presented to the House. A Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill will be laid to enhance the existing legal framework to meet international standards to better protect depositors will be brought. Greater clarity to our exemptions regime will be seen in an Exemptions (Amendment) Bill. Several bills and regulations in the financial sector are in the works and will soon find their way to this House. They include a Customs (Amendment) Bill, Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, Public Private Partnership Regulations, Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations, Revenue Administration (Amendment) Regulations and an Exemptions Regulations. Other requests will be made of this House to pass economic agreements, loan agreements, tax and duty waivers and the consideration of statutory reports.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the new doyen of accountability is busy preparing prosecutions of massive looting of public funds under the NPP regime. Even as he is busy in this regard, Hon Dr Dominic Ayine will bring to this House a new Conduct of Public Officers Bill, a Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) (Amendment) Bill, Economic and Organized Crime Office Bill, Ghana Industrial Property Office Bill, Intestate Succession Bill, Legal Education Reform Bill, Legal Profession Bill, Notaries Public (Amendment) Bill, Presidential Transition (Amendment) Bill, State Property and Contract (Amendment) Bill and a new Tribunals Bill. By the time we finish passing these bills, the legal framework of Ghana would have received a significant overhaul.
Rt Hon Speaker
The Attorney General will also introduce several subsidiary legislation. They include the Corporate Insolvency and Restructuring Regulations, Court of Appeal Rules, Economic and Organized Crime Office (Operations) Regulations, Economic and Organized Crime Office (Terms and Conditions of Service) Regulations, High Court (Civil Procedure) (Amendment) Rules, Interpretation Regulations, Judicial Service (Terms and Conditions of Service) Regulations, Legal Aid Commission Regulations, Supreme Court Rules and, very significantly, Removal from Office of Justices of the Supreme Court Rules. President John Dramani Mahama is determined to fast track legislative reforms to strengthen our institutions of governance and further entrench our democracy. The president is committed to legislative clarity with transparency when it comes to the constitutional mechanics of the removal of justices of the superior courts.
The Minister for Education, the Honourable Haruna Iddrisu will bring to this House a Scholarships Authority Bill, a University for Development Studies Bill, a Ghana Book Development Council Bill, a University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences (UEAS), Bonsu Bill and an amendment to the Colleges of Education Act. Pursuant to the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020 (Act 1023), the Education Minister will submit for approval by the House a number of legislative instruments related to the National Teaching Council, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the National School Inspectorate Authority and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.
Mr Speaker
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection will bring before us a Social Protection Bill, a Child Justice Amendment Bill, a bill to amend the existing Domestic Violence Act, an LI for the Social Protection Bill and an LI for the Affirmative Action Act of 2024 (Act 1121).
Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah is expected to present a bill to review the Minerals and Mining Act, submit all mining leases for consideration for ratification by this Parliament. This House sends a clear signal that it will no longer tolerate the practice of major mining undertakings occurring without valid parliamentary approval of their leases. We take a serious view of the matter and will hold the Honourable Minister to his promise. Equally, the Minister has expressed his readiness to present 132 Timber Utilization Contracts (TUCs) to pave way for the issuance of Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Licenses. We wish to commend the Minister for Mines for the significant revenues racked in by the mining sector. This Parliament believes that enhanced accounting for gold produced in Ghana and received in foreign countries has become imperative. Ghana continues to suffer from under declarations of gold production. In this sitting, the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources will be tasked to look into this matter.
The Minister for Transport will bring the long awaited Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations to legalize the famous “Okada” business and the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill to make provision for the appropriate allowable age of “Okada” riders. A new Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority bill will be presented with a view to harmonize the relationship between the Shippers Authority and the Maritime Authority. An Inland Water Transport Authority bill will request this house to legislate the establishment of a new Inland Water Transport Authority. We will be requested to approve several international agreements in the sector.
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs will bring the University of Local Governance and Development Bill, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925) (Amendment) Bill and several LIs to upgrade district and municipal assemblies. A Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759) (Amendment) Bill is in the works. Legal work to repeal the various development authorities and appropriately transfer their functions and projects and assets will be brought by the Minister to this House for approval. Let me use this opportunity to commend the Minister for successfully filling in the vacancies of offices of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and the inauguration of a large number of the Assemblies. Local government authorities are the greatest catalyst of development. The appropriate Committees of this House with responsibility for critical mandate for certain functions of local government authorities will be tasked to carry out extensive visits across the country to keep an eagle eye on the Assemblies. We will continue to fight for greater devolution of resources to the Assemblies.
Rt Hon Speaker
The Honourable Minister for Energy, John Abdulai Jinapor, will present several critical proposals to this House aimed at transforming Ghana’s energy sector:
1. Petroleum Sector Development
o Seeking ratification of a petroleum agreement involving GNPC, GNPC Explorco, and Tristar Upstream Oil and Gas Limited
o Proposing legislative measures to facilitate over $4 billion in petroleum sector investments
o Introducing legislation to restructure the Ghana Petroleum Commission
2. Regulatory Framework Modernization
o Proposing to repeal and reenact the National Petroleum Authority Act, 2005 (Act 691)
o Presenting a Nuclear Power Corporation Bill to establish regulatory frameworks for nuclear energy development
o Submitting a Renewable Energy Authority Bill to promote renewable energy initiatives
3. Energy Distribution Reforms
o Seeking parliamentary approvals for implementing the Multiple Lease Model in electricity distribution
o Proposing legislation to realign the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s mandate
This ambitious institutional transformation agenda requires robust legislative backing. In addition to these executive bills, several private members’ bills are being finalized and will be introduced during this sitting to complement the government’s energy sector reset agenda.
o
Mr. Speaker, the President in February appeared before this House and delivered his first message on the State of the Nation to the Ghanaian public since assuming office on January 7. A resounding theme of the message included the collapse of Our institutions of democracy, our State Owned Enterprises and Corporations and unbridled corruption.
Rt Hon Speaker
This sitting, the Majority Caucus will spearhead a rigorous pursuit of accountability in Ghana’s public financial management. We will demand a full-scale parliamentary investigation into the handling of COVID-19 expenditures to ensure transparency in how emergency funds were utilized.
Additionally, this House will revisit the unresolved Agyapa Royalties deal and require a detailed update on the $190 million PDS scandal—a case of alleged fraud in power distribution that cost Ghana dearly under the previous administration.
Furthermore, we will launch a comprehensive inquiry into the rampant sole-sourcing practices of the past government, exposing how reckless contracts bled the nation’s coffers while enriching a select few politically connected individuals.
We will also summon Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) for briefings, particularly on the 36 financial cases worth over $20 billion under review—including land-related fraud amounting to $702.2 million.
The gravest danger to our democracy is impunity. If we fail to hold those responsible for this brazen plunder of public resources accountable, we betray the trust of every Ghanaian who demands justice. This House will ensure that the era of financial recklessness is met with unwavering consequences.
In the course of the last sitting, it emerged that some containers got missing at the Tema Port and further investigations revealed massive cases of reckless procurement at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The Minister of Energy promised this House a thorough investigation. We are waiting to be briefed on how far perpetrators have been held accountable. This Parliament must live up to its mandate as the House of accountability.
Rt Hon Speaker,
The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Kwasi Asiama, appeared before this House’s Committee of the Whole to provide critical clarifications on the controversial construction of the new Central Bank headquarters, known as the Bank Square.
What began as an $81.8 million project under the previous administration ballooned to an astounding $250 million, a reckless expenditure at a time when Ghana’s dire financial crisis had pushed the nation into an IMF bailout. Shockingly, it was revealed that $11.1 million was spent on furniture alone, despite the building remaining incomplete and structurally unsafe for occupation.
This House will thoroughly investigate this matter during the current sitting to ensure accountability and justice. The hardworking citizens of Ghana who took to the streets in protest against such blatant mismanagement of public funds deserve answers. Their voices must not be ignored, and their sacrifices must not be in vain.
We will seek regular briefings from the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General regarding ongoing investigations and prosecutions. The Special Prosecutor will be held to strict account for his mandate as well. Parliamentary Committee hearings, similar to the United States Senate will seek to unravel structural institutional defects that promote corruption and maladministration in our country. I want to assure the President that the Majority Caucus will pursue the agenda to reset Ghana with rigour.
Rt Hon Speaker, it will be recalled that on the 4th of February, during a discussion on the 60th anniversary of the death of J B Danquah, a voice from the backbench of the members of the NPP made an unsavory comment directed at a female colleague in this House. The voice was roundly condemned, despite some shameful efforts to equalize. The Rt Hon Speaker gave a one-week ultimatum to the maker of the statement to own up. That has not happened. We on the Majority side will not leave the matter unresolved. The Majority Caucus will demand that all the NPP members of the backbench who were sitting in the direction where the unsavory statement came from should be referred to the Privileges Committee for investigation of a concert to breach the privilege of a member. The NDC Majority Caucus repeat our condemnation of the unsavory comment made on this floor and regrets the incident as the lowest point in the life of the last sitting.
Rt Hon Speaker,
The recess period was highly productive, as nearly all House Committees either conducted oversight visits to their respective institutions and agencies or participated in capacity-building seminars and workshops to strengthen their effectiveness. I am confident that our committees are now better equipped and fully prepared for the tasks ahead.
The future of our democracy rests in our hands. While free elections and peaceful transitions are fundamental to democracy, it is the quality of governance between elections that truly delivers democratic dividends. As Parliamentarians, it is our duty—particularly through our Committees to ensure these dividends reach the people. If we falter, democracy will fail our citizens, and the appeal of military adventurism may grow.
Ghana will continue to stand as a beacon of democracy, delivering tangible benefits to its people—but only if we, as Committee members, uphold our responsibilities with diligence and commitment.
Let me highlight the exceptional efforts of some Committee Chairmen during the recess. The Chairman of the Health Committee demonstrated remarkable dedication by leading his team to inspect 14 regional and selected hospitals nationwide, gaining firsthand insight into the state of our medical facilities. Similarly, the Education Committee Chairman undertook a comprehensive tour of 39 schools and universities to assess conditions in our educational institutions.
For my part, I led a delegation to visit all independent constitutional bodies, ensuring we remain fully informed of their operations. The Sanitation Committee Chairman and his team inspected key sanitation installations and engaged with local Assemblies, while the Local Government Committee conducted an in-depth monitoring visit to the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECoP) facilities in the Oti and Volta Regions, evaluating waste management infrastructure and operational efficiency. I eagerly await Committee hearings to address key findings from these visits.
Additionally, the Gender and Social Protection Committee conducted welfare assessments at vulnerable care centers, including City of Refuge Ministries, HD Presence Orphanage, and Save Them Young Orphanage, ensuring the needs of our most marginalized citizens are addressed.
All Committees are expected to submit detailed reports on their recess activities for the House’s consideration. I am pleased to note that these efforts have not gone unnoticed I have received numerous public commendations for the hard work and commitment displayed by our Committees during this period.
Looking ahead
As we begin our second meeting, our mandate remains clear: to prioritize economic recovery, strengthen social protections, enhance security, and improve governance through targeted legislation. The Ghanaian people expect us to work with urgency and unity to address pressing issues such as youth unemployment, further reducing living costs, access to affordable housing and reliable utility services and better infrastructure. As representatives of the people, we are reminded of our sacred duty to uphold the Constitution, advance good governance, and work tirelessly to improve the lives of all Ghanaians. The legislative agenda before us is both ambitious and essential, covering economic recovery, social development, security, and constitutional reforms that will shape the future of our nation.
The Majority Caucus remains resolute in its commitment to constructive and bipartisan engagement, ensuring that the business of Parliament is conducted with integrity, transparency, and the utmost respect for democratic principles. We recognize that the strength of our democracy lies in robust debate, consensus-building, and the pursuit of the common good.
I urge all Honourable Members to approach our deliberations with diligence, fairness, and a shared sense of purpose. Let us rise above partisan divide and focus on legislation that promotes job creation, economic stability, and sustainable development.
Together, we have both the power and the responsibility to honor the trust bestowed upon us by the people, and through our actions, we will drive meaningful progress for our beloved nation.
May God bless our deliberations, and may God bless Ghana.
Thank you.
