Overview

In Ghana’s parliamentary system, Standing Committees and Select Committees are distinct committees established under the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament. Here’s a breakdown of their definitions, roles, and legal basis:

Standing Committees

Definition:
  • Permanent committees created by the Constitution (Article 103) or Parliament’s Standing Orders to handle core parliamentary functions. They exist throughout the term of Parliament and are not tied to specific ministries.
Duration:
  • Standing Committees: Function throughout the entire parliamentary term.
Focus:
  • Standing Committees: Handle core parliamentary functions such as legislative scrutiny, oversight of public expenditure, and internal parliamentary procedures.
Key Roles:
  • Scrutinize bills, propose amendments, and ensure legislative quality.
  • Conduct oversight of government institutions and public expenditures.
  • Investigate national issues (e.g., the Public Accounts Committee audits public funds).
  • Review parliamentary procedures (e.g., Standing Orders Committee).

Standing Committees of Ghana’s Parliament

1. Standing Orders Committee:

Key Role:
  • Reviews parliamentary rules and procedures.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Speaker of Parliament)
  • Two Deputy Speakers
  • and up to twelve other Members

2. Business Committee:

Key Role:
  • Plans parliamentary agenda and schedules sittings.
Members:
  • Chairperson ( Leader of Government Business)
  • Ranking Member (Leader of the Opposition)
  •  Chief Whips
  • and up to eleven other Members

3. Committee on Privileges and Immunities

Key Role:
  • Addresses breaches of parliamentary privileges or contempt.
Members:
  • Chairperson (First Deputy Speaker)
  • Ranking Member
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and no more than thirteen other members

4. Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

Key Role:
  • Examines Auditor-General’s reports on public expenditures (chaired by an opposition MP).
Members:
  • Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and up to twenty-one other members

5. Appointments Committee

Key Role:
  • Vets presidential nominees for ministerial, judicial, and ambassadorial roles.
Members:
  • Chairperson (First Deputy Speaker)
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Ranking Member (Minority Leader)
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and Seven (7) Members

6. Finance Committee

Key Role:
  • Scrutinizes national budgets, taxation, and economic policies.
Members:
  • Chairperson
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and up to thirteen other members

7. Subsidiary Legislation Committee

Key Role:
  • Reviews legislative instruments (LIs) and regulations.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Member of Parliament from the opposition)
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and up to thirteen other members

8. Committee on Gender, Children, and Social Welfare

Key Role:
  • Focuses on gender equity, child welfare, and related legislation.
Members:
  • Chairperson
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and no more than thirteen additional Members

9. House Committee

Key Role:
  • Manages internal administrative affairs and facilities for Members of Parliament, helping to ensure the smooth running of parliamentary operations.
Members:
  • Chairperson ( Majority Chief Whip)
  • Vice Chairperson (Minority Chief Whip)
  • consists of no more than thirteen additional Members

10. Judiciary Committee

Key Role:
  • Examines matters related to the legal system, judicial appointments, and legal reform, ensuring the integrity of the judicial process.
Members:
  • Chairperson
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and up to thirteen additional members

11. Office of Profit Committee

Key Role:
  • Reviews requests by MPs to hold additional public or private offices, ensuring there are no conflicts of interest that might impair their legislative duties.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Second Deputy Speaker)
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and no more than eleven other Members

12. Committee of Selection

Key Role:
  • Selects and allocates Members of Parliament to serve on other committees, ensuring that committee membership reflects the overall political balance of the House.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Speaker of Parliament)
  • and no more than fourteen Members of Parliament

13. Budget Committee

Key Role:
  • Focuses on specific budgetary issues or emergencies by providing detailed analysis and recommendations on government spending.
Members:
  • Chairperson
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  •  and up to thirteen other members

14. Committee on Backbenchers’ Business

Key Role:
  • Charged with setting the agenda for backbenchers at each meeting.
Members:
  • Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and no more than thirteen other Backbenchers

15. Committee on Economy and Development

Key Role:
  • Tasked with overseeing economic planning and development by investigating relevant ministries and agencies, including the National Development Planning Commission and the Bank of Ghana.
Members:
  • Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and up to thirteen other Members

16. Committee on Ethics and Standards

Key Role:
  • Tasked with upholding the Code of Conduct for both MPs and Ministers. It monitors compliance, tracks attendance, investigates breaches, and advises the House on necessary actions.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Second Deputy Speaker)
  • Deputy Majority and Minority Leaders
  • Deputy Majority and Minority Whip
  • and ten other Members nominated proportionally

17. Committee on Human Rights

Key Role:
  • Ensures the integration of human rights principles into legislation and monitors government compliance with international obligations, including responding to recommendations from global human rights bodies. It also collaborates with civil society to raise public awareness, advises other parliamentary committees, and reports biannually to Parliament on its findings and progress.
Members:
  •  Chairperson
  • Ranking Member
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and up to thirteen additional members

18. Committee on Petitions

Key Role:
  •  Investigates and reports to the House on issues raised under Order 99, overseeing administrative actions and legislative proposals within its mandate.
Members:
  • Chairperson
  •  Ranking Member
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  •  and no more than thirteen other Members

19. Committee on Private Members Bills and Private Members Motions

Key Role:
  • Ensures constitutional and procedural compliance of Private Members’ Bills, advises the Speaker on legislative actions, schedules and prioritizes parliamentary business (subject to House approval), submits weekly agendas to the Business Committee, and conducts hearings with bill sponsors and ministries as needed.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Deputy Speaker)
  • Ranking Member
  • Vice Chairperson
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • And no more than eleven other Members

 20. Ways and Means Committee

Key Role:
  • Manages Parliamentary Committees by coordinating activities, approving budgets and workplans, allocating funds, monitoring performance, ensuring timely reporting, establishing ad hoc committees, and determining resource needs.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Deputy Majority Leader)
  • Vice Chairperson (Deputy Minority Leader)
  •  Chief Whips
  • And no more than eleven other Members

21. Committee on Assurances

Key Role:
  • Monitors and reports to Parliament on the implementation of commitments made by government officials, ensuring transparency and accountability in fulfilling obligations to the legislative body.
Members:
  • Chairperson (Member of Parliament from the opposition)
  •  Vice Chairperson
  •  Ranking Member
  • Deputy Ranking Member
  • and up to thirteen other Members

References