Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has disclosed that the ongoing renovation of the Parliamentary Chamber will cost the Ghanaian government approximately €2.26 million.
Parliament adjourned indefinitely at midnight on July 30 to expedite the renovation, which is projected to take about three months.
On Friday, August 23, Speaker Bagbin toured the Chamber to assess the progress of the work. During his visit, he highlighted several challenges facing the House, including issues with voting, quorum, and faulty audiovisual systems.
Bagbin recalled that in 2014, Bosch DICENTIS Multimedia Company was commissioned by former Speaker Doe Adjaho to convert the House into an E-Parliament, aimed at cutting costs related to bulk printing and paperwork.
He noted that former Speaker Prof. Mike Ocquaye later revised the contract to include the installation of biometric gadgets in the Chamber. Following a competitive tendering process, the contract was awarded to Michel Africa Parliament Services.
Bagbin also mentioned that the adjournment on July 30 was partly due to the need to attend an international parliamentary conference in the United States.
The renovation, funded by the government, will see work tables produced locally by Fernac, while all other equipment will be imported. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October 2024.