The Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) Bill Debate scheduled for Wednesday, February 02, will not come off, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, has said.
He, however, gave the assurance that the Business Committee of the House would be meeting to fix another date for the Debate on the E-Levy within this week.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated this in his response to a question put to him by Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority on when exactly the House would be having the E-Levy Debate.
The Majority Leader admitted that when last week’s Business Statement of the House was laid, there was no indication that the E-Levy would be taken last week.
He noted that however, there were some engagements between the two caucuses; thus, the leadership of the caucuses and it was determined that the E-Levy Bill would be introduced in the House last week Friday.
He said at the Speaker’s Lobby, the Business Committee further had discussions on the E-Levy; saying “So, it was not a matter of surprise”.
“Mr Speaker, when I came to present the Business Statement for this week, I said if we were able to conclude the discussions on the way forward for the E-Levy, it would be introduced in the House on Friday. If we couldn’t finish, then it would come this week. Now the course of the discussion facilitated the introduction in the House on Friday,” he said.
“Mr Speaker, as we all witnessed, we couldn’t make much progress, which is why I said to ask that if we wouldn’t then it would come on this week.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said he had earlier on assured the Minority Leader, who was the Ranking Member of the Business Committee, who asked by the state of the E-Levy, that they would have come to some determination though it had been advertised for Wednesday, February 2.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said both sides of the House would have to confer to fix a specific date for the Debate on the E-Levy this week.
The Majority Leader said: “So, he (Mr. Iddrisu) asked whether that was an assurance and I said that is double assurance that certainly it will not come off tomorrow, but we will determine when together.”
“I have given him (Mr Iddrisu) that assurance, so it is not as if anybody wants to spring any surprise. It would have to be decided on and I will signal him and we will agree on a common date.”
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the Minority Leader was arguing that the Minority had taken a position that they wanted to stand with the public to reject the e-levy.
“And he (Mr Iddrisu) says that with all emphasis. Mr Speaker we on this side want to stand with the Republic to ensure the revitalization of the economy. We want to stand with the republic to ensure the revitalization of the economy. If they want to see the collapse of the economy, so be it. But we will want to stand with the republic.”
Mr Iddrisu on his part had earlier wanted the Majority Leader to provide clarity and certainty on when the House would be debating the E-Levy, which was a matter of national importance and of public interest; stating that his side did not want to be taken by surprise.
“Mr Speaker, last Friday, there was an effort to introduce the E-Levy and for the second reading of the E-Levy to debate the principles of the E-levy. Mr Speaker we need to know, earlier on when we adopted the Business Statement for the previous week, the E-Levy we were told would have been introduced tomorrow (February 2), now we get it introduced on Friday (January 28) and then today, as I watch the Order of Business in pursuant to Standing Order 53, I do not see anything relating to the E-Levy.
“Mr Speaker, on this important matter there can be no surprises, so we want the Leader of Government Business to lead us through when will it be? If it is to be re-introduced, a new bill or Article 106, the Bill is gazetted for us to know or we are continuing wanting under Article 106 to suspend our Standing Order to take it as a matter of urgency?”
He noted that the Minority would want to know when the E-Levy Bill would be debated and that they (the Minority) were standing with the public in rejecting the Bill.
Source: GNA