E-levy: Adjournment will allow us time for further consultations – Majority Leader

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has said the adjournment of the sitting on the e-levy will afford the Majority and government more time to do further consultations on the proposal.

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu announced on Tuesday, December 21 that Parliament has adjourned sitting sine die.

Addressing the press after the adjournment, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said, “I think that this will also allow us some time to have further consultations among ourselves, it is the reason why the First Deputy Speaker had to adjourn the House sine die. As you know, the budget has been passed, there was an attempt to portray that that there is no budget, there is a budget, the appropriations bill passed.”

On Monday, December 20 Members of Ghana’s Parliament could not hold their emotions as some exchanged brawls in the House just before the final vote on the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy Bill, also known as e-levy.

The sit-in Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, had announced that a division would be followed to approve the Bill, presented under a certificate of urgency, and he was going to vote as well in his capacity as a Member of Parliament.

That appeared to have provoked the National Democratic Congress (NDC) members, who questioned his decision to vote after presiding over the night’s proceedings.

They moved to the front of the dais, issuing threats at the Bekwai MP.

This got the Majority MPs to also start agitations and immediately Mr Osei-Owusu handed the presiding role to the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the fight broke out.