Alhassan Suhuyini, MP for Tamale North, believes the government invited Tamale MPs to the inauguration of the interchange in order to reduce the number of Minority MPs in Parliament.
He described it as a “trick that was attempted to be played on us” ahead of the Electronic Transfer Levy bill’s consideration on Eyewitness News.
Mr. Suhuyini stated that he and his fellow Tamale MPs were invited to the event “only to hear the night before that there was an intention by government to introduce the e-levy in Parliament and take 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.”
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“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.
Parliament passed the Electronic Transfer Levy 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 MPs had complained that 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.
The Minority MPs later walked out of Parliament before the second reading of the Bill after debating it.
