Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

FACTS ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs was created in 1993 to formalise the link between the Legislature and the Executive. In earlier republics in the history of Ghana, the Majority Leader’s Secretariat established a link of some sorts, one which was to enhance the relationship between these two arms of government. Unfortunately, however, this was rather a loose arrangement and not formalised. It is true that at a point in time, the majority leader’s secretariat grew to the extent that it had its own budget.

Therefore, when the Fourth Republic came into being, this lapse was rectified and Hon. J.H. Owusu-Acheampong was appointed its first Minister. Currently, the Ministry is headed by Hon. Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong who is of cabinet status and the Leader of the Majority in Parliament, or better still, Leader of the House.

What are the mission, vision and objectives of the Ministry?

The Mission Statement

The Ministry exists to link the Executive, the Legislature and the general public through the facilitation of the flow of information amongst them and the collaboration and networking with all relevant stakeholders.

Vision

The vision of the MPA is to facilitate the total dissemination of the principles of parliamentary democracy within the shortest possible time.

Objectives

The Ministry seeks to:

1. Formalise and strengthen the link between the executive and the legislature

2. Strengthen the leadership and oversight functions of the legislature to support poverty reduction and to promote good governance through the development, promotion and enhancement of a democratic culture among all sections of the general public.

3. Strengthen members of parliament in research and in other fields of endeavor to enable them carry out their functions in parliament creditably.

Why Should There Be A Ministry For Parliamentary Affairs?

‘A job for the boys’, this was what one newspaper called the Ministry. The existence of the Ministry seems to have generated so much controversy. Some people are of the view that the establishment of the Ministry is not necessary since it is the same person who handles the two portfolios.

But the fact cannot be denied that the creation of the Ministry is important especially in the democratic dispensation of Ghana.

Before policy papers, legislative proposals, credit agreements from the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies and answers to questions raised in parliament are presented to the House, they are first submitted to the Ministry. This arrangement allows the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to review them.

In reviewing these documents, the Minister is able to confer with his fellow ministers to enable them prepare adequately to ensure their answers, especially where they have to give answers about policies adopted by their ministries are concerned, to live up to the expectation of the House.

Secondly, the Ministry makes corrections on draft Bills that are submitted, these are generally typographical mistakes, or they send draft Bills back to their ministries for clarification when certain issues are not clear to the reader so there will be very little mistakes when it is finally presented to Parliament.

Knowledge about these documents enables the Minister to prepare the House about the document or draft Bill being submitted.

It is on record that during the term of the present Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, there have been fewer boycotts by the Minority Caucus in Parliament because of the level of conferring that goes on in the House. The system of prior consultation has also gradually reduced tensions between the Majority and the Minority to the extent that today, a large measure of co-operation and understanding exists between them.

In view of all the work that is done by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in presenting acceptable documents, the Bills presented to Parliament are passed within the shortest possible time.

Civil Society

One of the aims of the Ministry is to generate good governance and educate the general public on the benefits of good governance. It also seeks to involve professionals, especially where a draft Bill concerns that body in the enhancement of the Bill. A case in study is the Copyright Bill, which was passed at the end of the year 2004.

Members of the Copyright Association were given copies of the draft Bill to study and then invited to sit with Parliamentary Committee sitting on the Bill so they could also make an input into the Bill. This is so that, the Bill, when passed, will generally satisfy all stakeholders. Another is the NHIS Bill. Members of the Medical Association made some inputs into this Bill also.

Local Government

As part of its aim to promote good governance, the Ministry has over the years been educating the public, especially members of local government institutions, like the Unit Committee members and District Assembly members, on decentralisation in a democratic dispensation.

Members Of Parliament

In order to strengthen the leadership and oversight functions of the legislature to support poverty reduction and to promote good governance, the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ghana Center for Democracy and Development, Friedrich Naumann Foundation and the Institute of Economic Affairs, has so far held workshops for the members of parliament. These workshops sought to enhance their knowledge about their functions as parliamentarians, interact with the Executive and the civil society and build their capacity for effective work output in Parliament among others.

It also seeks to organise interactive meetings between the two groups, i.e. the Executive and the Legislature.

Media

Another group identified is the media. The media is the watchdog of the nation and as such have to be well informed on policy making. This will enable them inform the general public as well.

In view of their role, the Ministry’s aim is to educate them about Parliament, what it does and how it works. Workshops are therefore organised for them to educate them on these issues.

What Is The Purpose For All This Education?

The Ministry actually recognises the need to explain, to all bodies so far mentioned, about contentious issues that arise in policymaking and involve them in making policy.

Is this not the work of the Ministry for Information or even Parliament?

The Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs is a complement to these institutions. It is known that there is generally a gap in public knowledge about the work of the legislature in Ghana. This is why the Ministry seeks to:

Inform, educate and involve the public, the civil society groups, the professional bodies about and in policy making.

It is believed that with the inputs from professional bodies and the civil society groups that go to fine-tune draft Bills that are to be presented in Parliament, embarrassment to the Executive will reduce and tensions may be reduced in the House.

Involvement in policy making will create a feeling of ownership among the various bodies mentioned. This will create a level of involvement by the general public to make sure that Bills, when implemented, work. Through holding workshops with the local government institutions at the grassroot level, the rural people will be involved in and understand policy making.

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