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A five-member parliamentary delegation that visited the New York State Senate at Albany to acquaint itself with the operations of the Senate and how its business is organised has returned home.

Led by the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Suame, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the delegation made up of members of the Business Committee — Mr Kwasi Bandua, MP for Biakoye, Mrs Georgina Aboah, MP for Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, Mrs Gifty Kusi, MP for Tarkwa Nsuaem, and Mr Robert Apodolla, Deputy Clerk of Parliament — toured the Senate last week.
Mr Thomas Havel, a staff member of the Senate Finance Committee, briefed the delegation about the various working procedures at the Senate, reports of the Select Committees, Consideration of bills, Executive budget, Finance Committee and other working systems, relations between the Senators and their interaction with the public.

The Ghanaian delegation asked pertinent questions related to their work as MPs, especially how the work of the Senate was organised.

Earlier, the members were conducted around the historic Senate building with its 50-foot tower capped by a dome; its beautiful architectural designs has been maintained over the years. The Senate was completed on January 1, 1899, after 32 years of construction at a cost $25 million.

On behalf of the delegation, Mr Bandua expressed gratitude for the hospitality accorded the Ghanaians, the useful interaction and information presented to them.

Even though the procedures in Ghana's Parliament differed slightly, he said the two legislative bodies offered the same services to the people.

The Director of Students Programmes, Mr Nicholas Parrella, said the Senate was very happy with the visit by the Ghanaian MPs and expressed the hope that the relationship established would continue.

Shortly on arrival in New York on Thursday, January 21, 2016, the delegation called at the Ghana Mission in New York, where Ghana's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, welcomed and briefed the MPs on the workings of the mission.