Period of maturity of LI’s alters parliamentary calendar

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader has announced that Parliament would go on recess on Monday, August 10, 2020 instead of the earlier scheduled date of Friday, August 7, 2020.

If the House adjourns sine die on 7th August, 2020 as scheduled, some LIs laid before the House will not mature as expected, and date of adjournment has thus been rescheduled for 10th August, 2020

The number of days to elapse for some Legislative Instruments (LIs) to mature and two public holidays soon are to affect the parliamentary calendar for the current meeting.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu announced the rescheduled date in the Business Statement for the Eleventh Week Ending Friday, 31st July 2020, presented to the House on Friday.

He explained that since the country is expected to observed two public holidays- Eid ul-Adha on Friday, 31st July, 2020 and Founder’s Day on Tuesday, 4th August 20202-and the two holidays would affect the calendar of the House, particularly in relation to the legislative instruments which were anticipated to come into force before adjournment sine die.

One notable instrument on the table is Public Elections Regulation, 2020.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs also indicated that the debate to approve the Mid-Year Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government and Supplementary Estimates for the 2020 Financial Year was scheduled to begin on Monday, 27th July, 2020 and conclude on Tuesday, 28th July, 2020.

He said both the Majority and Minority Leaders were expected to wind up the debate on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also noted that the Security and Intelligence Bill, 2020, would be taken through all the stages of passage during the last week of this meeting, notably 3rd to 10th August, 2020.

He therefore encouraged members to avail themselves during the consideration of the Bill, which was expected to overhaul the security and intelligence sector of the country.

He announced that the House was scheduled to sit on Monday, July 27, 2020 and may extend sitting beyond the 2:00pm as stipulated in Order 40(2) to enable the completion of scheduled business for each day of the week under consideration.