Parliament is set to resume sitting on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, after going on recess in August.
This will commence the Third Meeting of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
In a statement sighted by JoyNews and signed by the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril K.O., Members of Parliament are expected to be seated by 10:00 am at Parliament House, Accra.
“Pursuant to standing order 32(2) of the Parliament of Ghana, I, Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, Clerk to Parliament, hereby notify Honourable members of the Third Meeting of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic which shall commence on Tuesday, 31st October at 10 in the forenoon at Parliament House, Accra.”
Prior to going on recess in August, the MPs passed twelve bills into law, including the Vigilantism and Related Offences Bill to deal with political vigilantism and the menace of land guards.
The Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was also passed into law. It amended the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) to increase the penalties for a person who buys or sells minerals without a licence or without a valid authority and increased the penalties for a person who engages in illegal mining.
With the amendment, the penalty regime for offences for persons who engage in illegal mining operations has been increased from the existing 3,000 penalty units to 10,000 penalty units.
The implication is that the minimum term of imprisonment has been pegged at a minimum of 15 years and not more than 20 years.
Members of Parliament also approved loans and commercial credit agreements between the government and some countries and institutions. Parliament also approved $11,040,425 million loan request for the purchase of Night Vision Binoculars and Monoculars for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).