E-levy can only lead to more chaos – Ablakwa

Minority blames deputy speakers for chaos in parliament

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Parliament adjourns sitting indefinitely over impasse on e-levy bill

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that the forceful attempt by government through its MPs

Read full articleto impose the controversial e-levy on Ghanaians will only breed more chaos in the House.

The ranking member on parliament’s foreign affairs has consequently advised the government to begin engagements on the levy it seeks to introduce in order to build consensus.

He said the outcome of the 2020 general elections was an indication to government to respect the views of the opposition and Ghanaians.

“E-Intransigence over the obnoxious E-Levy can only lead to regrettable E-Chaos. It should be clear to all those intoxicated with power that when the people vote for a hung parliament, they are mandating elected officials to exhibit the highest form of leadership, maturity, humility, eschew impunity and commit to a kind of governance arrangement that respects the views of all, particularly the political opposition and the masses. It is time to listen, swallow all the pride, drop the offensive E-Levy and invite adults into the room,” he wrote on his Facebook timeline.

Parliament has been sharply divided over the e-levy since its announcement during the 2022 budget presentation by the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

Whiles the New Patriotic Party MPs are in support of the e-levy bill, minority MPs are vehemently against the bill’s passage stating that it is going to impose hardship on Ghanaians.

Sitting on Monday December 20, 2021 denigrated into a chaotic scene as MPs shoved and threw punches at each other following attempts by first deputy speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu to recuse himself for second deputy speaker Andrew Asiamah to take his seat whiles he goes to participate in a voting process to determine whether or not the contentious e-levy bill should be considered under a certificate of urgency.

This is the third major chaos in the 8th parliament since its inauguration.