Parliamentary Affairs Ministry: Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu justifies establishment

Minister-designate for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has justified the establishment of his Ministry.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointment Committee said the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs plays a critical role in persuading his colleagues to support government policies that are brought to the House for approval.

“It is absolutely important to have a Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. 95% of public business [in Parliament] is government business. You need the leader of government business in order to be able to persuade his colleagues on a good policy that must be supported by Parliament.

“You need the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to be in Cabinet, where policy evolves to appreciate the underpinnings of any policy so that when he comes to Parliament to lead the business of the House, he’ll then be able to get the buy-in of his colleagues.”

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is one of the specialized Ministries, set-up under Section 11 of the Parliamentary Service Act (Act 460), with the main purpose of deepening good governance.

It is expected to be the main link between the Executive and the Legislature. The Ministry was proscribed in 2009 and recreated in January 2017 through Executive Instrument 28 (EI. 28).

The Ministry is also supposed to initiate policies to coordinate, facilitate and evaluate the effective and efficient management of government business on the floor of Parliament, as well as report on it for good governance.

Files from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs website contributed to this report