Parliament suspends sitting ‘sine die’ to allow for broader consultation on e-levy
Parliament resumes January 25, 2022
The majority caucus in parliament has stated that the controversial electronic transaction levy otherwise known as e-levy will eventually be passed despite the strong opposition by their colleagues on the minority side.
In an interview on state broadcaster, GBC Breakfast Show on Thursday January 6, 2022, deputy majority chief whip, Habib Iddrisu indicated that the majority was readying itself to pick up from where it left off the bill in 2021.
He intimated that Ghanaians were already paying taxes on electronic transactions but revenue generated was not accrued to the state.
Habib Iddrisu stressed that the passage of the e-levy bill will rather help accrue more revenue to country.
“The e-levy when we come back to parliament...we only adjourned and it was in form as it was...we adjourned when we come back, the majority side and the leader of government business who’s the majority leader will look at how government business will go and we will table it...the e-levy, as I have said, is part of the budget that has been approved, it is part of the appropriation that has been approved and part of revenue target. It will happen” the MP for Tolon said.
Ken Ofori-Atta at the presentation of the 2022 budget announced government’s intention to slap a 1.75% charge on all electronic transactions including mobile money.
But the minority insists that the “draconian tax” will impose severe hardship on Ghanaians.
A vote to determine whether or not the e-levy bill should be considered under a certificate of urgency turned chaotic as parliamentarians threw punches at each other.
This followed a disagreement on whether to allow Joe Wise to participate in the voting process.
Earlier before the parliamentary sitting was suspended for Joe Wise to take the chair, Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah had ruled on a voice vote in favour of the Majority to have the bill considered under a certificate of urgency.
Registering his displeasure with the ruling, Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, called for a vote of division where all non-MPs vacate the lobby whiles MPs proceed with the voting process.
Andrew Asiamah suspended parliamentary sitting for an hour only for the House to resume with Joe Wise in the chair.
After hearing what had transpired, he agreed to the minority’s request for a vote of division but announced that he will participate in the voting process.
The voting began with each MP on the majority side name being mentioned and counted but chaos broke out on the floor of parliament when Joe Osei-Owusu attempted to give way to Andrew Asiamah to take over proceedings to enable him cast his ballot.
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