E-Levy: Parliament Passes Controversial Bill After Minority Stages Walkout

• The widely criticised E-Levy has been passed today after the bill was sneaked into the House today
• The 1.5% tax to be charged on some mobile money and electronic transactions has been criticised as regressive and unnecessary
• The Minority, who did not have the numbers to beat the well-represented Majority side, walked out of Parliament before the bill was passed

Ghana’s Parliament has passed the controversial E-levy tax bill, Tuesday, March 29, 2022, after the Minority group staged a walkout.

After a long absence, the bill was sprung on the House under a certificate of urgency to allow for broader stakeholder consultations.

After the Minority MPs walked out of the House after the bill was scheduled for voting during proceedings, the one-sided House of Majority MPs passed the bill.

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Bedridden NPP MP allegedly brought to Parliament to vote on controversial E-Levy today

The Minority side walked out of Parliament shortly after protesting the surprise scheduling of the bill in the order paper for today.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, argued that his side had warned many times in the past that the bill should be introduced through the backdoor.

"Parliament cannot be that when a side is convenient with its number, then business can go on. It cannot be. We will not accept that culture. So, when [the Majority side] did not have the numbers, they weren’t ready. Now, that they have the numbers, then you say we should do business”, Mr Iddrisu protested.

The Minority group then walked out of the chamber after a 30-minute deliberation on the matter with the Speaker, Alban Bagbin.

The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who is celebrating his birthday today, is expected to accent to the passage of the bill before it becomes a law.

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E-Levy is back in the House; MPs to debate, approve or reject the bill this week

E-Levy Pops Up In Parliament After A Long Absence As MPs Set To Debate On Bill This Week

The Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) Bill popped up in Parliament today after weeks of absence to be debated upon then approved or rejected by MPs.

The E-Levy Bill has been listed on the order paper of Parliament today, March 29, 2022, and parliamentarians are currently debating the controversial tax proposal.

The bill was taken off Parliament at the request of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, for more comprehensive stakeholder engagements before it was re-introduced.

E-Levy: 'Bed-Ridden' NPP MP Allegedly Brought To Parliament via Ambulance To Vote On Bill

An ambulance arrived in Parliament today, Tuesday, March 29, 2022, as MPs prepare to vote on the E-Levy Bill, fueling suspicions that a bedridden MP has been brought to vote.

Despite the government's firm resolve, the bill has not been passed for months because MPs on the Majority side have not had the numbers to push the bill through.

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Okudzeto Ablakwa lobbies for “a common position” on possible pay cuts for MPs

A split Parliament of 137 MPs each on the Minority and Majority side with one independent MP opting to do business with the Majority side always leaves the Majority at a disadvantage.

Source: YEN.com.gh