North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Abalkwa has insisted that the e-levy was not properly passed by the one-sided parliament.
The Minority in Parliament earlier said the approval of the e-levy was illegal because the Majority did not have the required numbers to do so.
Speaking on the Sunrise show on 3FM with Alfred Ocansey on Wednesday, April 20, Mr Ablakwa said ” An inferior number of 137 parliamentarians cannot claim to have passed this obnoxious e-levy.”
On Tuesday, April 19, the Minority filed an application at the Supreme Court to block the commencement of the e-levy deductions.
Mr Ablakwa in a tweet said “We have today successfully filed an application at the Supreme Court to injunct the implementation of the obnoxious E-Levy pending the determination of our substantive case. Hearing is fixed for 4th May, 2022. The Govt/GRA must suspend its 1st May plans. The E-Levy war is on!”
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta earlier revealed that the implementation of the e-levy would start in May this year.
“We had some meetings with Controller and Accountant Generals Department (CAGD) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and they have said right at the beginning of May they should be able to put their system together,” he told TV3’s Roland Walker in Parliament after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo delivered the State of the Nation Address on Wednesday, March 30.
The E-levy was passed by Parliament on Tuesday, March 29 after the third reading in the House. The Minority staged a walkout during the second reading. They walked out after Mr Iddrisu said the NDC MPs remain united in opposing the policy.
Contributing to the E-levy debate on the floor of the House, he described the policy proposal as punitive which if approved will further increase the “the high cost of doing business in the country.”
“E-levy is the nuisance of nuisance tax,” he said, adding that “businesses are suffering under your watch. We are united that we will not support E-levy, we will not vote for E-levy.”
Source: 3news.com
