Speaker of Parliament Alban Sunman Kingsford Bagbin has urged Members of Parliament to expedite work on 582 outstanding committee referrals as the House begins its Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament.
He said committee chairpersons and members must intensify their efforts to examine outstanding referrals and submit their reports within the required timelines to ensure the effective conduct of parliamentary business.
Addressing the House on November 3, 2026, Mr. Bagbin said Parliament had a considerable volume of business to undertake during the meeting and would require commitment from MPs to deal with the outstanding matters.
He disclosed that 11 Bills were at various stages of the legislative process, while nine instruments had been referred to committees for consideration.
The House was also expected to consider 44 papers, 58 motions and 204 outstanding parliamentary questions, in addition to three urgent questions and one petition.
Mr. Bagbin said the 582 referrals to committees required thorough examination, follow-up and timely reporting to enable the House to make progress on the matters before it.
He consequently urged committee chairpersons and members to prioritise their work and ensure that outstanding reports were submitted within the stipulated timelines.
The Speaker acknowledged that the limited duration of the meeting placed additional demands on MPs but said they had to make effective use of the available parliamentary time.
He, however, cautioned against allowing the pressure to complete outstanding business to undermine the quality of parliamentary work.
“Let me emphasise, however, that efficiency must never be pursued at the expense of the quality of our work,” he said.
Mr. Bagbin stressed that Parliament’s effectiveness should not be determined solely by the number of matters it disposed of but by the diligence and thoroughness with which members discharged their constitutional responsibilities.
“The effectiveness of Parliament is not measured merely by the number of items disposed of, but by the diligence, thoroughness and integrity with which we discharge our constitutional responsibilities,” he advised.
He also called for closer collaboration between parliamentary leadership, ministers and chief executives of state institutions to ensure that government business was submitted to the House sufficiently early.
According to him, ministers and their technical teams must be available to support parliamentary committees and assist in resolving concerns that may arise during the consideration of Bills and other matters.
He further emphasised the need for committees to have adequate time to undertake their work, including consultations with relevant stakeholders, before submitting reports to the House.
