The economic policy and financial statement of the government for the 2004 fiscal year would be presented to Parliament "by the first week of February 2004," Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, the Majority leader announced on Friday.

The Majority Leader said the leadership of the House was in close contact with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to ensure that the budget was presented early next month.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong was presenting the Business Statement for the second week ending January 30, 2004, to the House.

During the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Tuesday, the majority Leader said the budget would be read in March this year to give parliamentarians enough time to debate on financial statement and approve of it before the electioneering campaign heated up.

He said the new date for the budget presentation would enhance parliament's efforts at ensuring effective time management as it prepares to end the Third Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said: "After the budget had been read, an orientation workshop would be organised for the leadership of the house, chairpersons and ranking members of committees to equip them with the "needed efficiency and effectiveness in handling budget estimates of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government."

He added that these arrangements had been put in place to ensure that the house completed the passage of the Appropriation Bill, latest by the second week of March 2004.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said other businesses slated for next week include the debate on the State of the Nation Address presented by President John Agyekum Kufuor, which begins on Tuesday. Seventeen parliamentary questions, a number of bills, statements and motions would feature during the week.

The Ministers of Roads and Transport, Energy, Mines, Environment and Science, Education, Youth and Sports and Justice and Attorney General would appear before the House to answer questions.

In a debate, members on both sides raised objection over certain portions of the Business Statement, which restricted the opportunity for the capacity building workshop on the budget to only the leadership, chairpersons and ranking members of committees.

The Speaker, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, agreed with the objections raised and said though it was expensive to include all members in such workshops, it was important since members had to represent the views of the their constituents on the budget.

Mr. Joseph Henry Mensah, the Senior Minister, assured the house that in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, charged with public-sector capacity building, he would find cost-effective ways of ensuring that all members benefited from such training workshops.

Meanwhile, members of the Standing Order Committee would be meeting from February 7 to February 8, to review the Standing Orders of the House, which are a set of rules governing proceedings in Parliament, in preparation for the next Parliament in 2005.