By Valentia Tetteh
Parliament has adjourned sine die the Second Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament after weeks of deliberations, debates, and the passage of key legislation.
During the meeting, Members of Parliament (MPs) passed eight major bills, while one remains at the consideration stage.
The bills passed include:
- Fisheries & Aquaculture Bill, 2025: Aims to regulate fishing and aquaculture activities, promote sustainable management of Ghana’s marine resources, and strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing practices.
- Road Maintenance Trust Fund Bill, 2025: Establishes a dedicated fund to finance road maintenance projects across the country, ensuring a sustainable and transparent mechanism for preserving Ghana’s road infrastructure.
- Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2025: Seeks to restructure the use of energy sector levies to provide financial stability for the sector and support government energy reform programmes.
- Ghana Medical Trust Fund Bill, 2025: Establishes a Medical Trust Fund to finance critical healthcare interventions, enhance health infrastructure, and support medical research and innovation.
- Social Protection Bill, 2025: Provides a legal framework for delivering social protection services to vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities, the elderly, and children, to ensure equitable access to social welfare.
- University for Development Studies Bill, 2025: Reconstitutes the University for Development Studies (UDS) into an autonomous institution, strengthening its governance framework and enhancing its mandate to promote research and development in northern Ghana.
- Public Holidays & Commemorative Days Bill, 2025: Streamlines the declaration and observance of public holidays and commemorative days, providing clarity and consistency in the national calendar.
- Energy Sector Levies Bill, 2025: Consolidates provisions relating to the collection and disbursement of energy sector levies to improve accountability and efficiency in fund management.
At the consideration stage is the Ghana Scholarships Authority Bill, 2025, which seeks to establish a legal framework for administering scholarships and educational grants to ensure fairness, transparency, and efficiency.
Both the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader urged MPs to prioritise their health as they continue serving their constituents.
Adjourning the House, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor delivered a statement on behalf of Speaker Alban Bagbin.
The Speaker encouraged MPs to use the recess productively, stressing that it is not a vacation but an opportunity to reconnect with their families and constituents.
“The recess is not a vacation, but a moment to reconnect with family and the constituents whom we serve,” the statement read.
Parliament will reconvene at a date to be determined for the Third Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament.
