Parliament is reeling under financial constraints as delays in the release of operational funds threaten the functionality of key committees.
Members across both sides of the House have raised alarm over the situation, describing it as dire and unsustainable.
On the floor of Parliament on Friday, June 7, Dominic Nitiwul, the Chairman of the Assurances Committee and MP for Bimbilla, did not mince words in calling out the Finance Ministry for what he termed as inaction.
“Parliament is now literally begging for money to enable its committees to function,” he said. “As a committee chair, I could not access funds to carry out our duties.
“We had a scheduled workshop, but not even a cedi was released. Members across committees are fully aware that there is no money.
“Why aren’t we demanding that the Finance Minister release the funds?”
The situation, according to Nitiwul, is not just a bureaucratic hiccup but a major hindrance to the constitutional responsibilities of the legislative arm of government.
The Minority Caucus also waded into the matter, expressing strong concerns about what it described as deliberate and undue delays by the Finance Ministry in releasing allocated funds for the effective running of Parliament.
In response to earlier claims denying the crisis, the Minority rebutted assertions that all was well financially.
“They are alleging that Parliament is struggling to do what? As Members of Parliament, our salaries and allowances have been paid.
The Finance Minister has released funds, and no one has officially raised concerns about not being paid,” one member retorted sarcastically, highlighting the disconnect between remuneration and operational funding.
The crux of the Minority’s argument is that while MPs may be receiving their salaries, the real issue lies in the Ministry’s failure to disburse the necessary funds for parliamentary committees to function—workshops are being cancelled, meetings postponed, and oversight duties hindered.
