General News of Friday, 4 March 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-03-04We will pass E-Levy when the time is right - Afenyo-Markin
Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin
MP says Ghanaians will know govt means business on E-Levy
Govt has lost revenue due to delay in passage of E-Levy, MP
It will be difficult to pass E-Levy without minority, Kumah
Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has said that the E-Levy bill will be passed by parliament at the right
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Speaking on the floor of parliament, Afenyo-Markin, who is also the MP for Effutu, said that the majority caucus will inform the house when it is going to re-lay the bill.
He indicated that even though the delay in the passage of the bill is causing a loss of revenue, the government is working to get more support for the levy.
“The E-levy falls under the programmes that we have proposed. So, as and when it’s supposed to be taken, members will be put on notice. Road tolls are not being taken, of course. We have already passed the appropriation government should be spending in the 2022 budget.”
“Due to the delay in the passage of the E-levy, the government has already lost January and February revenue. I believe that when the time comes, we will do the needful to make Ghanaians know that we mean businesses.”
Meanwhile, the deputy Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Ejisu, John Ampontuah Kumah in an interview with Neat FM, monitored by GhanaWeb said that government will need the support of the minority caucus in parliament to implement the E-Levy.
According to him, the majority caucus in parliament does not currently have the numbers to pass the E-Levy bill.
"The minority is not in support of the E-Levy, and given the current structure of parliament, if we do not get both sides to agree, it would be difficult to pass the E-Levy bill.
"We have not been able to raise the members to pass the bill. So, we are currently negotiating. As we speak, the Council of State has entered the discussion and has engaged the minority. We urge religious leaders, all Ghanaians and everyone concerned about the finances of the country to put politics aside for the sake of the country," he said in Twi.
