E-Levy still ‘missing’ in Parliament

The Electronic Transaction Levy Bill, popularly known as e-levy, will not be tabled in Parliament anytime soon.

This is because it was not included in the Business Statement for next week.

The controversial bill has not been considered by the plenary despite surviving the Finance Committee’s deliberation.

It was tabled for discussion under a certificate of urgency in the last Meeting in 2021 but the heated exchanges that greeted it called for a reconsideration on the part of the executive.

A public engagement was thus scheduled across the country to sensitise Ghanaians on it before re-introduction.

So far, the engagements dubbed Government Townhall Meeting on E-levy have been to Koforidua, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Wa.

Though an initial proposal was made to withdraw the Bill and reintroduce it after the public engagements, the Deputy Majority Leader, in reading the Business Statement for the week ending February 18, said that decision had been rescinded.

“Speaker, after the withdrawal and reintroduction of the Bill, the Business Committee would programme the Bill for consideration during the course of the Fourth Week of this meeting and members are therefore encouraged to participate fully in the consideration of the Bill for the passing of good piece of legislation for the benefit of all,” Alexander Afenyo-Markin had said on Friday, February 11.

But the Bill has still not been captured in the week ending Friday, March 4.

Some Minority Members of Parliament like Builsa South’s Dr Clement Apaak are in the dark as to the whereabouts of the Bill.