The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has urged deeper collaboration among the public, the media, and key state institutions as part of efforts to restore declining public trust in Ghana’s democratic structures. Drawing on the latest Afrobarometer survey, he noted with concern that Members of Parliament, ministries, departments, and agencies, and assembly members occupy the lowest ranks of public confidence among 14 institutions assessed.
Speaking at the maiden Speaker’s Public Financial Management Dialogue in Accra, on the theme “Parliament, the Press, and the Purse: Building Accountability through Dialogue,” Bagbin emphasized the indispensable role of both Parliament and the media in strengthening public financial management and rebuilding confidence in elected officials.
Our gathering today provides an opportunity to begin reshaping that narrative,” he said. “By working together, Parliament and the press help citizens understand how national resources are allocated and utilized. Accountability becomes effective only when both institutions engage openly, exchange insights, and constructively challenge each other.”
The programme, supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), forms part of broader initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of MPs and parliamentary staff. These efforts, the Speaker noted, are crucial for improving stakeholder dialogues that connect technical information with citizens’ everyday realities. Such engagements, he said, “bridge the gap between technical experts and the wider fabric of citizens, blending numbers and stories in detail.”
Speaker Bagbin urged closer cooperation to reduce misinformation, avoid needless confrontations, and deepen mutual understanding between Parliament and the media. He expressed hope that the dialogue would help achieve five key outcomes: amplifying citizens’ voices in economic governance; enhancing public participation in the budget process; improving communication on complex financial issues; reaffirming Parliament and the media as pillars of democratic governance; and reinforcing collaboration between the two institutions.
The Speaker also touched on long-standing constitutional limitations on Parliament’s role in the national budget process. “It is not enough to merely sit in Parliament and be presented with a budget,” he stressed. “Much of the document is submitted for your information, not for your approval.” He revealed that the Budget Committee is now being engaged early in the preparation process to guide government in setting medium- and long-term priorities.
On an annual basis, the government must decide where the money goes,” he added. “Parliament legislates and authorizes the government to tax and manage public funds because the people entrust their resources to the state.”
Bagbin said a sustained dialogue and collaboration between Parliament and the media remain essential for restoring trust, enhancing transparency, and reinforcing accountability in Ghana’s democratic processes
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