Parliament gets busy this week - Minister of Finance presents 2022 Budget, others to answer 50 questions
This week is expected to be exceptionally busy in Parliament as the House enters the fourth week of sittings prior to the Christmas holidays.
Aside from the presentation of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on Wednesday, November 17, 2020, there would be a total of 50 questions — 17 urgent and 33 oral — to be responded to by the Leader of the House and 14 ministers.
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On the presentation of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who announced the Business Statement and its accompanying memorandum, urged members to endeavour to be present in the House.
He further announced that there would be a Post-Budget Workshop for all Members of Parliament to enable them to appreciate the content of the budget.
He entreated all members to make themselves available at the post-budget workshop and to participate actively.
Mr Afenyo-Markin informed the House that the debate on the Budget Statement and Economic Policy shall commence on Monday, November 22, 2021.
He advised legislators to scrutinise the allocations and proactively deal with them as early as possible and not just rubber-stamp before it comes to the passage of the Appropriations on December 17.
“Rt Hon. Speaker, as may be noted on the proposed Business Statement, a considerable number of questions have been scheduled for response by some ministers, particularly, those who have more questions asked of them,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
“This is to enable the reduction in the backlog of questions before business of the House begins to increase in volume,” he explained.
Sector ministers scheduled to answer questions are the Minister of Transport, who has four questions to respond to; 10 questions for the Minister of Education; one for the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice; four for the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture and one question for the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
The rest are one question for Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development; two questions for the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations; 10 for the Minister of Food and Agriculture; one question each for the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Minister for Defence; Minister of Works and Housing and Majority Leader and Leader of the House as well as two for the Minister for National Security and 10 questions for Minister of Health.
In accordance with Order 72, members may make statements duly admitted by the Speaker in the House.