National Services Authority Bill 2024 Passes to Law by Parliament

The National Services Authority Bill 2024 has been passed by Parliament, aiming to establish the National Service Authority. This new entity will mobilize and post individuals qualified for national service to areas of national priority for development.

Once assented to by the President, the bill will also promote civic responsibility, discipline, patriotism, national cohesion, and voluntarism among those qualified for national service. The bill intends to create a body corporate with the legal capacity to develop and implement policies and programs for national service.

The bill also emphasizes collaboration between relevant institutions to create a safety net for graduates who complete their mandatory national service. It aims to enhance employability, entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation among those who undertake national service.

The bill was introduced in Parliament by the Minister of Education under a certificate of urgency on Friday, June 14, 2024. It was referred to the Committee on Education, which determined the bill to be urgent and recommended its swift passage.

**Hon Assibey Antwi, addressing Parliamentary Press Corps**

Following the bill’s passage, Osei Assibey Antwi, Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, at a press conference in parliament, hailed it as a significant achievement for the NSS. He highlighted that the new status would allow the NSS to generate funds internally, reducing the financial burden on the central government.

The Education Committee’s report, presented by Chairman Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, emphasized the importance of national service to Ghana’s development. The report noted that national service was designed to ensure that priority sectors never lacked the necessary human capacity. It also aimed to instill values of civic responsibility, discipline, patriotism, national cohesion, and volunteerism in participants.

The committee observed several challenges faced by the existing scheme, such as the lack of corporate status, land encroachment, and limited strategic partnerships. Without corporate status, the scheme struggled to engage in activities like metal fabrication, construction, farming, borehole drilling, and catering services. This limitation also hindered land acquisition and contract agreements.

The committee highlighted several opportunities that the scheme missed due to its lack of corporate status, including a borehole drilling contract with GETFund and a World Bank Project for deploying national service personnel to teach in The Gambia. The scheme also faced difficulties in registering land, leading to encroachment and missed contractual opportunities.

The committee stressed the urgency of passing the bill before August 2024 to capitalize on upcoming deployment and partnership opportunities. Establishing the National Service as a body corporate is seen as essential for strategic partnerships and national development projects.

Since the Bill was laid in parliament, the ranking member of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs committee, Hon Bernard Ahiafor has been instrumental in its passage, especially during the consideration stage.

The MP has worked closely with the Scheme to ensure that the Bill meet the purpose of which it is being enacted.

Former Majority Leader and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu moved the motion for the third reading and was seconded by Dr Clement Apaak, MP for Builsa South and Deputy Ranking for Education Committee.