I saw how Ahanta MP was brought in an ambulance - Speaker
Presence of ambulance raises suspicion of bedridden MP being brought to parliament for E-Levy vote
Ahanta MP was not brought to parliament in an ambulance - Majority Leader
To get the controversial Electronic Levy Transactions policy passed by parliament, it has emerged that some sick
Read full articleMembers of Parliament were brought in to help increase the numbers of the two main political parties.
Per a new revelation, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, while debunking that Hon. Kojo Kum was brought in an ambulance, has disclosed that it was an NDC member of parliament who was rather conveyed in such a situation.
According to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a member of the NDC Minority Caucus was brought to Parliament to vote against the bill with infusions on him, DailyGuideNetwork.com reports.
The website reported he said this on Akoko Abon on Hello 101.5FM with King Edward on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
Though he didn't disclose the identity of the said MP, he added that, the sick MP was given medical attention at the office of Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak while members of the Minority pressed on to abort the passage of the bill.
TWI NEWS
“On the same day there was someone from the Minority side who was on drips and came from hospital. We know what happened. If they want us to go there, we will go there. There was drip on someone on that day at the hospital, but eventually, the person came and was in Muntaka’s office with medics around the person. We know what happened there,” the portal quoted him.
Earlier there were reports that the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Ebenezer Kojo Kum, was conveyed to parliament in an ambulance.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, also confirmed the speculations that the Member of Parliament for Ahanta Constituency was brought to Parliament in an ambulance on the day E-Levy was approved in the chamber.
“I saw how Ahanta West MP and Chieftaincy minister, Ebenezer Kojo-Kum was brought to Parliament in an ambulance," the Speaker confirmed on Friday, April 1, 2022.
E-Levy finally passed
After months of backs and forths in parliament with regards to the controversial Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy), parliament has passed the bill.
This was after the House considered the bill after its third reading, with the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, in the seat.
Earlier, the Minority in Parliament staged a walkout right before the question was put before the house.
The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, moved a motion in parliament asking the house to approve the second reading of the reviewed 1.5% E-Levy bill to advance its passing into law.
The debate on the motion was divided between the majority and minority, who argued entrenched positions on the bill.
While the minority maintained their opposition to the bill, members of the majority argued in favour of the E-Levy, tagging it as essential for revenue mobilization and development.
The Majority leader, Haruna Iddrisu during his submission on the bill informed the presiding Speaker of a decision by his side to abstain from supporting the bill.
“In conclusion we are not able to support the Electronic Transaction or Electronic Transfer Levy of 1.75%. we think that it is regressive, it smacks of double taxation and the people of Ghana should not suffer further taxes, financial institutions and banks should not be made to pay E-Levy.
“Therefore Mr Speaker I am serving you notice, I have listened, my colleagues have listened to me. Mr Speaker, because we do not support the E-Levy, the Minority group led by me after listening to the majority leader will not be associated with any further proceedings on the E-Levy. We want to be recorded that when the E-Levy was brought to the 8th Parliament, we stood together, we opposed it, we asked for its rejection and we said we would not support it,” the minority leader said.
Following his announcement, the minority trooped out of the chamber.
The majority leader who was scheduled next to make his final statement on the debate, waived the opportunity and impressed on the speaker to go ahead and put the second reading to a vote for adoption.
Speaker Alban Bagbin who was presiding over proceedings went ahead to put the second reading of the E-Levy to a voice vote which was given in favour of the majority who were the only side in the chamber and shouted for the adoption.
The house following the adoption went ahead unto the consideration stage of the bill also without the presence of the minority.
