Joe Wise: We’re not ready to resubmit E-Levy

Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, says the government is still conducting stakeholder engagements on the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) Bill, hence its inability to resubmit the draft legislation before Parliament.

His comments come after the Minority in the House fumed over the Majority’s failure to present the bill in the House this week.

But Osei-Owusu said Parliament’s business committee is working to schedule the debate for the second week of February.

Speaking to Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin on Thursday (3 February 2022), the First Deputy Speaker declared: “We are simply not ready [to resubmit the bill to Parliament]. You see that public hearing is ongoing across the country.

“We’ve discovered that a lot of people have misapprehensions because they misunderstand what the E-Levy is about. A lot of people have been misinformed by people who haven’t seen the bill but are commenting.”

He added: “I think it is important for the government to get the people involved even though the people are represented by their MPs. But in this particular instance, we want the people themselves to understand what really the bill is about …

“It is the business committee that will decide on what day the bill will be presented before the House. So, fuming left or right does not change anything. But it also depends on the proposal being ready. I am bringing a proposal to you; if for any reason I’m not ready, I’ll defer it,” Osei-Owusu said.

We’ll fix challenges in passing the E-Levy
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed some disquiet over the delay in passing the controversial E-Levy Bill in Parliament.

The president argued that it has become necessary for Ghana, as a country, to “look within for our sustainability” and not depend on aid, hence the E-Levy.

Addressing chiefs and elders of the Dzodze Traditional Area when they paid a courtesy call on him at Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday (1 February), President Akufo-Addo said in spite of the setback the government has faced in Parliament in trying to introduce the E-Levy, it will persevere to find the means to address the most pressing issues affecting the country.