Parliament Adjourns Sitting Till Jan. 18, Approval of E-Levy Bill Pending

The House of Legislature has adjourned sitting till January 18, 2022.

Members of Parliament were expected to reconvene on the floor of parliament on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 to consider approval for the controversial E-Levy Bill, after an attempt a day prior ended in fisticuffs.

However, at 9 am when the House was scheduled to reconvene, the Speaker of Parliament was absent from the chamber. According to the majority, the Speaker’s conduct smacks of sabotage and an attempt to “frustrate government business.”

In a press briefing, the majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, it has become pertinent for the House to adjourn sitting until January 18, 2022, to allow for “broader consultation.”

Background

On November 22, 2021, the Finance Minister in presenting the 2022 Budget announced the introduction of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) among other policies aimed at mobilising revenue for developmental projects.

However, numerous individuals and groups have questioned the relevance and sensitivity of the policy in lieu of the economic hardships Ghanaians are fraught with.

According to the minority in parliament, the E-Levy, if approved will be “an albatross around the necks of Ghanaians and will burden the average Ghanaian.”

The side has since mounted stiff opposition to the passage of the Bill.