Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica), a parliamentary monitoring civil society organisation, has released an Output Analysis Report assessing the performance of Ghana’s 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic after its first 500 days in office.
The report, which examines the first session of Parliament, highlights key activities undertaken by the legislature, including plenary sittings, committee work, lawmaking, public participation and representation.
According to PNAfrica, Parliament held 155 plenary sittings during the period, dedicating more than 717 hours to chamber business. The organisation also recorded about 350 committee meetings, including oversight visits, regular sittings and other activities conducted by the House’s 44 committees.
However, the report raised concerns over the performance of some parliamentary committees, noting that 295 referrals remain pending without reports. PNAfrica said there is a need for closer monitoring and greater public disclosure of committee performance.
The report also found that Parliament averaged four hours and 38 minutes per sitting, which is close to the five-hour sitting duration expected under Standing Order 55(3). However, it noted that some Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff consider the afternoon commencement of sittings ineffective.
On attendance, PNAfrica reported that an average of 227 MPs, representing 82.25 per cent of the House, were present on sitting days. The organisation said this contrasts with frequent concerns about quorum challenges in Parliament and raises questions about the effectiveness of the current attendance registration system.
The report described the 9th Parliament as the most youthful in the history of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, beginning with 100 MPs aged 45 years and below, representing 36 per cent of the House. It noted that the four youngest legislators were born in 1992.
Despite having the highest number of women MPs in Ghana’s parliamentary history, PNAfrica said the current Parliament has not fully met the requirements of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, particularly regarding overall representation and the participation of women in leadership positions such as the Speakership, caucus leadership and committee leadership.
On legislative output, the report revealed that 49 Bills were passed, with 34 of them — representing 69.39 per cent — passed under Certificates of Urgency.
PNAfrica expressed concern over limited public participation in the lawmaking process, stating that memoranda from the public were invited for fewer than 15 per cent of the Bills passed during the period.
The organisation also highlighted unresolved issues surrounding the disturbances that occurred during the vetting of ministerial nominees by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 30, 2025. It noted that although an Ad-hoc Committee was established to investigate the incident, its report, which was presented to Parliament on May 29, 2025, is yet to be debated and voted on.
PNAfrica urged Parliament to critically review its performance in areas including gender mainstreaming, public participation in legislation and the management of misconduct among Members.
The group called on stakeholders, including the media, civil society organisations and the public, to support efforts aimed at improving the effectiveness and accountability of Ghana’s Parliament.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
