Parliament suspends consideration of Scholarship Authority Bill

Parliament has put the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill 2025 on hold to allow for further stakeholder consultations, following mounting public concerns.

The decision follows calls from the Citizens’ Coalition, a group of civil society organisations and influential individuals who urged Parliament to pause the bill’s passage. The bill, which seeks to overhaul the national scholarship system, was being fast-tracked under a certificate of urgency.

The suspension was announced during the clause-by-clause review of the bill on Thursday, July 17.

Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, confirmed that the Presidency had advised a pause to allow for additional consultations.

“The Office of the President related to me some concerns that have been communicated, and therefore, Mr. Speaker, I sought the chairman’s indulgence if we can stay for further consideration as I do further consultation as I indicated,” the Minister said.

“On Tuesday, July 15, we engaged the coalition of civil society groups in education. This Bill is a product of the Cabinet, and it was thoroughly discussed,” he added.

While the bill’s sponsors, including Chairman of the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, argue that it is intended to improve transparency and oversight in the scholarship process, critics warn that rushing the bill through Parliament could undermine its intended objectives.

The suspension allows time for broader input from civil society, education experts, and the public before Parliament revisits the bill.