A member of the legal team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba has said that the signing of the e-levy bill into law by President Nana Addo Danklwa Akufo-Addo does not affect the case against the approval in court.
Mr Amaliba said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday April 2 with host Dzifa Bampoh that the legality or otherwise of the approval of the policy is still ate the front burner.
“The signing of the bill does not affect the case at the Supreme Court,” he said.
The issue” is still on the front burner.”
Mr Amaliba earlier accused Mr Akufo-Addo of engaging in recklessness following the signing of the e-levy bill.
He said Mr Akufo-Addo was fully aware of the suit filed against the approval of the e-levy by the Minority yet, he went ahead to sign the bill, a situation Mr Amaliba said is putting undue pressure on the Supreme Court.
Speaking on the New Day show on TV3 on Friday April 1, he said “The action of the President has put undue pressure on the justices of the Supreme Court. He was reckless in doing that because he was aware there is a case in the Supreme Court. His act is not illegal but his action, is it desirable?
“He is going to put undue pressure on the judges.”
For his part, the Government’s Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye Danquah, said the signing of the e-levy bill was not appropriate because there was no injunction 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 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.
