Parliament to resume sittings on Monday; Criminal Proceeds Bill on agenda

Parliament is set to begin the first sitting of its third session of the year this Monday, with the preliminary debate on the criminal proceeds bill among the key items on the agenda.

The sitting will mark the resumption of parliamentary proceedings following a recess of more than a month, with the most recent sitting held on August 26. The new session will also mark the final parliamentary session of the year, in accordance with the Parliament’s standing orders.

Statistics published by the Parliament Secretariat show that, despite extending the previous second session on two occasions, less than half of the scheduled legislative work was completed. During the session, the Parliament held 28 sittings lasting a combined 57 hours, while parliamentary committees conducted 138 meetings over a total of 63 hours. A total of 94 items carried over from the first session remained pending, while a further 120 items were introduced during the second session.

Under the Parliament’s standing orders, the third session begins in October and runs until the end of November.

A key priority during the upcoming session will be the presentation, deliberation, and review of the proposed state budget for the coming year, before it is put forward for approval.