Petition of Concerned Ghanaians to await Speaker – Osei-Owusu

Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker, presiding as Speaker, has directed that the petition from the Coalition of Concerned Ghanaians against the Electronic Transaction (E-Levy) Bill should await the Speaker, Mr Alban Bagbin, for direction.

The petition was received jointly by Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Majority Chief Whip and Mr James Klutse Avedzi, the Deputy Minority Leader.

The First Deputy Speaker gave the direction on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, when Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, sought to know from him whether he should be seeking to invoke Order 76 to table the Petition or that it should go to the Speaker for it to be referred, so that the content of it would be looked into much more thoroughly.

“Mr Speaker, because the public is watching us, we need to be responsive. So, a petition was received on your behalf by the Leadership of the House by a section of the Ghanaian public demonstrating and protesting against…the E-levy. And they have since presented a petition to us,” Mr Iddrisu said.

“Mr Speaker, I want your guidance on the matter, whether that I have your leave to lay the paper or you want it to walk through Right Honourable Speaker for the needed guidance? Or I come under Order 76 of our Standing Orders, Mr Speaker, for it to be looked into as a petition worth looking at.”

Mr Osei-Owusu noted that he requested the Leaders of the House to receive the Petition on behalf of the Speaker; saying “I have looked at the Petition, and it is addressed to Mr Speaker, I think the appropriate location is to hand over to the person for which it was intended and he will give direction on how to deal with it”.

Mr Annoh-Dompreh said when they were receiving the Petition, he saw a significant number of the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC); such as the National Chairman and the National Organiser.

He reiterated that he was a bit surprised that the leadership of Concerned Ghanaians protesting against the E-Levy was full of the NDC Leadership.

The 1.75 per cent E-Levy Bill has generated controversy among Ghanaians since it was announced in the 2022 Budget and Economic Policy Statement of the Government.

With the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority Members of Parliament (MPs) supporting it, the NDC Minority MPs have vowed to vote against it.

The Finance Minister is expected to withdraw the E-Levy Bill and reintroduce same on Friday, February 11, 2022.