The Government’s Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye Danquah, has said the signing of the e-levy bill into law by the President was not rushed.
He explained that assenting to the bill was right because no injunction had been placed on it.
President Akufo-Addo on Thursday March 31 assented to the Electronic Transaction Levy (e-levy) bill into law on Thursday March 31.
The policy was approved by a one-sided Parliament on Tuesday March 29 after the minority staged a walkout.
The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta revealed on Wednesday March 30 that deductions will start in May this year.
He said that is the assurance he has been given by the Controller and Accountant General (CAGD) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), who will be the revenue collectors.
“We had some meetings with Controller and Accountant Generals Department (CAGD) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and they have said right at the beginning of May they should be able to put their system together,” he told TV3’s Roland Walker in Parliament after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo delivered the State of the Nation Address.
The signing comes at a time the Minority has sued the Attorney General at the Supreme Court over the approval of the bill by the House.
Speaking on the New Day show on TV3 Friday April 1, Mr Boakye Danquah said “[the signing] is not a rush. Once parliament has approved a bill the final stage is for the president to assent to the bill.”
He added “Persons who have contrary view in terms of the interpretation of the law will go to the supreme court. The Minority’s case has just been filed, there is no injunction.”
He further indicated that Parliament had the required number of lawmakers present in the House when the bill was approved on Tuesday March 29.
“We had the quorum, if we didn’t have the quorum, two thirds, there is no way the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin would have allowed that to happen,” he said.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana