A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Felix Kwakye Ofosu has said the Minority in Parliament had a good reason to walk out from Parliament during the approval of the E-levy.
The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday March 29 staged a walkout during the second reading on the E-levy. They walked out after the Minority Leader leader Haruna Iddrisu said the NDC MPs remain united in opposing the policy.
Some persons have questioned the decision by the Minority to walkout.
But in a statement, Mr Kwakye Ofosu who is a former Deputy Minister of Information said “There is a good reason for the Minority boycott and they will be explaining it presently. The boycott also renders the purported passage of the e Levy illegal, null and void per the NPP group’s own reasoning for overturning the rejection of the 2022 budget and the recent Supreme Court ruling.138 MPs are needed for a decision but only 137 were present for the purported passage of the e Levy today.
“It is simply not tenable to leave the government that has perpetrated this illgality and forced this draconian tax on you and blame the Minority.
“The Minority didn’t bring a bill to tax anyone. They have fought this bill tooth and nail and will continue to fight it.Blame the unscrupulous Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government that went as far as rolling out a sick man in an ambulance on a stretcher to vote for this obnoxious tax.”
Bawku Central lawmaker Mahama Ayariga also explained the reason for the Minority’s walkout from Parliament during the approval of the E-levy.
Contributing to the E-levy debate on the floor of the House on Tuesday, he described the policy proposal as punitive which if approved will further increase the “the high cost of doing business in the country.”
“E-levy is the nuisance of nuisance tax,” he said, adding that “businesses are suffering under your watch. We are united that we will not support E-levy, we will not vote for E-levy.”
By Laud Nartey|editors.3news.com|Ghana
