Parliament Adjourns Until January 2, Leaving Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation Pending

The Seventh Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament has been adjourned until January 2, 2025, following a disruption in the approval of the GH¢68.13 million Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation, which was intended to cover public sector workers’ salaries from January to March 2025. The adjournment comes after Parliament was unable to finalize the expenditure, leaving the matter pending.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, announced the adjournment after discussions with the House leadership. He explained that the decision to adjourn was in line with an agreement reached with the leadership of Parliament. “Following yesterday’s proceedings and the pre-sitting meetings I held with the leadership of the House, and in the spirit of the national interest, I am adjourning this sitting to January 2, 2025,” Speaker Bagbin stated.
The session commenced at 2 p.m., but it was quickly suspended after only 20 minutes of proceedings. During this short window, none of the advertised government business was addressed. The items on the agenda included the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation, the Free Secondary Education Bill for 2024, the $250 million World Bank loan for the Ghana Financial Stability Project, and the President’s nominations of two new justices for the Supreme Court, whose vetting had already been completed.
Additionally, the Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adams, who was scheduled to lay the paper on the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation, failed to show up. This absence contributed to the delay in approving the expenditure for the first quarter of 2025.
In response to the adjournment, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson held a press conference where he accused the government of failing to comply with Article 180 of the Constitution, which mandates the presentation of the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation. He criticized the outgoing administration for not fulfilling its constitutional duty and for not presenting the necessary proposal to Parliament to cover the first quarter of the year 2025. “In the spirit of a smooth transition, the outgoing President should have, in good faith, brought the proposal before Parliament,” Dr. Forson said. He emphasized that the Appropriation Act for 2025 would not come into effect on January 1, 2025, making it vital for the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation to be approved promptly.
Despite these concerns, Dr. Forson reassured Ghanaians that the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, which would take office on January 7, 2025, would quickly address the situation. He emphasized that there was no need for alarm, explaining that although the Finance Minister would not be in place on January 7, the Vice-President could present the necessary Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation to Parliament after the swearing-in ceremony.
Meanwhile, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin also held a press conference in which he assured the public that the Majority Caucus was ready to continue with the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the country’s financial operations continued smoothly and assured Ghanaians that the Majority was committed to supporting the process. “We are ready to proceed with the Expenditure on Account. There is no way we will jeopardize our nation’s fortunes,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
However, Afenyo-Markin also expressed concerns about what he described as the Minority’s deliberate efforts to obstruct government business. He accused the NDC Minority of using various tactics to block important legislative matters. “Despite all the procedures in place, the Minority has tried to frustrate the consideration of key bills and agreements,” he said. He specifically mentioned the two Supreme Court nominees, the Free SHS Bill, the Environmental Protection Bill, and the World Bank facility as areas where the Minority had worked to stall progress.
The adjournment of Parliament and the unresolved issue of the Expenditure in Advance of Appropriation have highlighted the ongoing political tension as Ghana nears a transition of government. With the NDC set to take power in January, the challenge of finalizing the country’s financial matters for the new year remains at the forefront of political discussions.