Parliament adjourns sitting indefinitely

Parliament on Tuesday adjourned sine die to allow the Finance Minister to engage in wider consultations with stakeholders on the proposed Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).

Members of the House have been sharply divided along party lines over the approval of the 1.75 e-levy, announced by the Government in the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, which was presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister on Wednesday, November 17.

The proceedings, on the night of Monday, December 20, 2021, degenerated into a conflict during the voting on the E-levy Bill, leaving some of the MPs injured.

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who moved the motion for the adjournment of the House stated that the deferment was to allow cooler heads to prevail and return later to continue the business of the House in a much more serene environment.

“In that regard, Speaker, I oblige that you adjourn sine die in the hope that, we can come back on January 18, 2022, to continue the business,” he said.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu in seconding the motion, stated that it was important for the House to carry the country along in its deliberations.

He said the House also needed to demonstrate to the country that its democracy was growing and would not suffer some of the unacceptable scenes and spectacles witnessed on the floor of the House.

He, therefore, concurred that the House be adjourned sine die for further consultations on outstanding issues, saying that the Appropriation Bill had been passed, therefore, the Minister of Finance could keep the country running.

The First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, who sat in for Speaker Alban Bagbin, directed that the House should be adjourned, accordingly.