Government tried to trick us to go to Tamale – Suhuyini exposes ploys that led to the approval of E-levy
Member of Parliament for Tamale North Alhassan Suhuyini is accusing the government of using the inauguration of the Tamale interchange as a ploy to reduce the Minority Caucus’ numbers by inviting legislators from Tamale metropolis to the occasion.
He went further to describe it as a trick “that was attempted to be played on us” ahead of consideration of the Electronic Transaction Levy bill.
Mr Suhuyini said he, along with his fellow MPs from Tamale, received an invitation for the event “only for us to hear the night before that there was an intention by government to introduce the E-levy in Parliament and to make a decision on it that day.”
He admitted that the MPs were torn between honouring the invitation because they would have “loved to be part of the commissioning.”
“But we were surprised when we got to Parliament the next day to see the Roads Minister himself seated in his seat… but he expected us to go to Tamale,” Mr Suhuyini recounted.
Ghana’s legislature passed the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy bill on March 29, 2022, in the absence of the Minority MPs, who had walked out before the Bill was considered at the second reading stage.
The Minority lawmakers bemoaned how they had been taken by surprise by the unexpected consideration of the levy. The bill was not listed in Parliament’s business statement for the week in question.
Members of the Minority caucus later walked out of Parliament before the second reading of the Bill after debating it.
