Parliamentary recall was unnecessary – Minority

The National Democratic Congress Minority Caucus in Parliament has expressed strong opposition to the House’s recent urgent recall, describing it as an “unnecessary and wasteful expenditure of resources.”

In his concluding remarks on the floor of the House, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader, criticised the recall, arguing that it was “imprudent use of the taxpayers’ money,” particularly given the session’s limited outcomes.

He said the limited scope of the discussions and poor results obtained during the recall did not justify the costs and resources expended to return Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House.

According to him, the recall lacked the urgency and significance that required such an extraordinary measure, especially given the nation’s pressing financial challenges.

The Speaker’s decision to recall the House was prompted by a petition from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority Caucus, which requested that he recalled the House to conduct some urgent government business. The House sat from September 3 – 4.

Speaker Bagbin, in a statement, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency, said: “The request before me was brought pursuant to Article 112 (3) of the Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, and not Article 113, which deals with emergency matters.”

“Mr Speaker, I want to say that there was no way the business we have done so far should have warranted such a recall. We were recalled tackling tax exemptions and loans. Right Honourable Speaker, one of it [the loans] has been approved.”

“Mr Speaker, our concern remains with the tax assumptions. We strongly believe that these giveaways should be curtailed. We strongly believe that these giveaways of tax exemptions are unwarranted,” he said.

The parliamentary recall, which spanned two days, was convened to address a list of 11 items scheduled for discussion.

However, only two of the proposed items were addressed during the sitting at the Dome of the Accra International Conference Centre.

Source: GNA