The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has hinted that the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) will be implemented in May 2022.
According to him, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) would have all of the systems in place for the levy’s implementation by then.
“I think the nation is settled, there is a certain spirit of calmness…. we had a key meeting with the Controller General and the GRA and they have indicated to us that right at the beginning of May, they should be able to get the systems altogether,” he said.
This discovery comes after Parliament passed the e-levy Bill on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, March 29, the Bill was passed after debates at the Consideration Stage were completed by a Majority-sided House.
The Bill, which was reviewed under a certificate of urgency, recommended a lower rate of 1.5 percent from the initial 1.75 percent amid a Minority walkout. President Akufo-Addo is anticipated to give his approval for the Bill to become law.
Mr. Ofori-Atta responded, saying, “I think yesterday, we registered the moment in our history when things came together, and we shall move forward and conquer.”
In response to the Minority Group’s lawsuit challenging the Bill’s passage, the Finance Minister stated, “That is democracy; when someone has a problem, they go to court to resolve it, and then they go on.”
He went on to say that he doesn’t see anything extraordinary in the NDC going to court to get their disputes resolved.
“We believe there was a quorum in the House, your walking out does not mean that there was no quorum. You could have gone to lunch and then come back, who knows? So we are really pleased that things went well,” he noted.
The Minority Caucus, on the other hand, claims that Parliament did not have at least half of its members present when the controversial tax policy was passed.
In their claim against the Attorney-General, they sought the following reliefs:
“a. A declaration that on the authority of the Supreme Court case of Justice Abdulai v. Attorney-General, Writ No. J1/07/2022 dated 9th March, 2022, the constitutional quorum number for decision-making and voting within the meaning of Article 104(1) of the 1992 Constitution is 138 Members of Parliament out of the 275 Members of Parliament and not 137 Members of Parliament.
b. A declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of articles 2(1)(b) and 104(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, there was no quorum to enable the 137 Members of Parliament of the Majority Caucus present in Parliament on 29th March, 2022 to pass the Electronic Transactions Levy (‘’E-Levy’’).
c. A declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 104(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the passing of the Electronic Transactions Levy (‘’E-Levy’’) by the 137 Members of Parliament of the Majority Caucus present in Parliament on the 29th March, 2022 without the requisite quorum number of 138 Members of Parliament present in Parliament, is null and void and of no legal effect.
d. An order of the Honourable Court setting aside the passing of the Electronic Transactions Levy (‘’E-Levy’’) by the 137 Members of Parliament of the Majority Caucus present in Parliament on the 29th March, 2022 as a nullity.
e. Any other order(s) the Honourable Court may deem fit.”
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has expressed joy that the Electronic Transactions Levy (e-levy) has been approved by Parliament.
President Akufo-Addo delivered this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA22) in Parliament on Wednesday, saying that while processes in the House had been lengthy and fractious, “I am happy that the House has, finally, found it possible to pass the e-levy.”
Read Also: SONA 2022: Ghana has spent ¢17.7bn in containing Covid-19 since 2020 – Akufo-Addo
SOURCE: myjoyonline
