Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effia Constituency, Isaac Boamah-Nyarko, has criticised the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for allegedly imposing charges without seeking the constitutionally required parliamentary approval.
Speaking on the JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, the MP described the situation as an affront to the law and a growing pattern of executive disregard for parliamentary authority.
“The DVLA had gone ahead to charge people for fines, amongst others, without a request to parliament. And that is an affront to the law,” he alleged.
“These are areas we are raising because it is becoming one too many,” he added.
Mr. Boamah-Nyarko explained that under Ghana’s laws, any new charge or fee imposed on citizens must first be brought before Parliament for approval.
According to him, bypassing the legislative process not only undermines the role of Parliament but also erodes public trust in the governance system.
The legislator expressed worry that the executive’s frequent bypassing of Parliament could be deliberate, especially given the ruling party’s large parliamentary majority.
“Is it because they want to bring the image and reputation of Parliament into disrepute, or is it just a disregard because they have an absolute majority?” he questioned.
Mr. Boamah-Nyarko emphasised that Parliament is a “sacred institution” representing the collective will of the Ghanaian people through its 276 members.
He argued that, unlike the executive, which has a single elected president, Parliament reflects the voices of citizens across all constituencies and must not be ignored.
The MP further noted that the DVLA’s actions violate established legal procedures that require agencies to seek parliamentary consent before imposing any charges on the public.
He added that even when such issues are raised, the government’s response is often to suspend the charges and bring them to Parliament belatedly — something he believes is unacceptable.
“When the law makes it such that something that you are going to charge us as a people should get the people’s consent, and you don’t bring it to Parliament and you begin to charge… when issues are brought, you say you’ve suspended it and now you are bringing it to Parliament. Are they saying that they never knew they had to bring it to Parliament in the first place?” he asked.
Boamah-Nyarko warned that repeated disregard for parliamentary approval processes could weaken the governance structure and set a dangerous precedent.
“It’s becoming one too many. Issues that require Parliament’s mandatory approval are being completely disregarded, and that is unhealthy for our governance structure,” he cautioned.
The DVLA has in recent months faced growing public scrutiny over new charges and administrative fees.
While the agency has sometimes suspended controversial charges after public backlash, critics argue that the failure to follow due process reflects deeper governance challenges.
Parliament is expected to consider the matter in the coming days as concerns grow over the balance of power between the executive and legislature.
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