The majority leader in parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has told Members of Parliament (MPs) that the leadership of parliament has put in place effective arrangements to provide additional offices for 23 MPs out of 275 who do not have such facilities in the Job 600 building complex.
The lajority leader, who doubles as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, gave the assurance when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member for Yilo Krobo, Kofi Amoatey, on behalf of the MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Defeamekpor, rose to ask the leader of the house when official offices would be provided for 23 MPs who do not have them.
According to Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Parliamentary Service Board of the Sixth Parliament on July 29, 2016, approved the Parliament House Physical Infrastructure Enhancement Project to urgently address the shortfall in office accommodation for members and staff of parliament.
He said the projects were the supplementary MPs’ offices (Job 600 Annex), facelift of the Chamber Block basement and remodeling of the speaker’s block.
The majority leader explained that the supplementary MPs offices which is a priority project for the leadership of the house, involves the construction of a seven-storey building which is intended to provide office accommodation for 23 MPs and their support staff as well as provide accommodation for staff of the Parliamentary Service
“Mr Speaker, the total cost estimate for the Supplementary MPs office complex at the time was $23,074,249 or its cedi equivalent of GH¢92,296,099,” he said.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu claimed that parliament accepted a proposal from the contractor which refurbished the Job 600 Tower Block – Messers China State Hualong Construction Ltd – of its willingness to raise the required funds to pre-finance the project on a design-and-build arrangement.
He said in the meantime, some of the committee rooms in the Job 600 block would be converted into offices for the remaining 23 MPs.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr