Deputy Minority leader, James Klutse Avedzi has disclosed the majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament is struggling to gather their numbers to support passage of the infamous Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
According to him, the Majority caucus sensed danger on Friday when it called for an adjournment because one member at least had not been available leaving the side with 137 members which is not adequate to pass the bill.
He noted that if question on the Motion were put on the floor as it stood then, there would have been a tie of 137-137 and the motion on the bill would have been lost per Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution unless it is reintroduced.
The Deputy Minority said these during an interview in Parliament on Friday 28th January 2022 after the House adjourned without taking the Motion on the E-levy.
He expressed surprise Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu attempted to push the House to take the Bill in the evening when the Business Statement clearly states the E-levy will be taken on February 1st, 2022.
The Minority caucus, he said, does not want what happened last December to happen again and therefore prefer Speaker Alban Bagbin himself to be in the chair… “So we can then debate the motion very well and take a vote.”
“When he said we should take it we were prepared as a minority. We had our numbers in the chamber and prepared to debate fully and then take a vote.”
“I don’t know what they’ve seen to change their mind because they are in the party government. They control the business on the floor but I think they have sensed some danger that is why they changed their position and asked for adjournment till Tuesday,” he stated.
Hon. Avedzi argued that the Finance Minister’s decision to reduce the levy from 1.7 to 1.5 per cent is not enough because the Minority wants it to come to 0%.
He stated the side is against the e-levy principle in the first place and stressed it is only when the principle is accepted that the rate could be discussed.
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