Parliament reconvenes today amidst uncertainty about E-levy bill

Parliament will reconvene today, Tuesday, amidst uncertainty surrounding the consideration of the controversial e-levy.

Government has decided to present an amended rate of the levy reducing it from 1.75 percent to 1.5 percent.

With the rumored absence of the Speaker from the jurisdiction, it is unclear if the matter would be taken, considering previous tensions on the floor of the house occasioned by the absence of the Speaker.

Ahead of the sitting, the Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi, is urging the majority caucus to wait till the return of the speaker before tabling the E-levy bill.

According to him, doing so will help prevent the chaos and confusion that took place in the House before it went on Christmas break.

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“If the Speaker traveled this weekend, then he will not be available. Our advise to the majority side is that we should wait until the speaker comes back. When the speaker presides then we will vote on the matter. Once that is done, the end decision will be a decision of the house,” he said.

Last Friday, sitting in Parliament delayed for over seven hours as the majority caucus were said to have held different discussions on the E-levy bill.

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, had hinted that the controversial electronic transaction levy will be laid before the house that night but it did not happen.

The leadership of the Minority rejected the fresh position from government to reduce rate of the levy to 1.5 percent from the initial 1.75%.

The reduction was informed by a decision to factor into the rate, a concession from the Telcos to reduce their 1 percent charge by 0.25 percent.

It is unclear if the bill will be laid before the House for consideration in the absence of the speaker, Alban Bagbin.

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Source: citinewsroom.com