A motion by the Minority Caucus to have the Special Import Levy Amendment Bill 2025 retaken through a second reading has been defeated.
During proceedings on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, the Finance Committee’s report on the bill, being considered under a Certificate of Urgency, was presented before the House.
During the presentation of the report, the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Isaac Adongo, said the committee approved the bill by a majority vote, as members of the Minority Caucus on the committee voted against the approval.
The chairman further proposed that the sunset period for the bill be set in perpetuity instead, but later withdrew his proposal.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, following the approval of the second reading of the bill, accused the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, of denying him his right. He subsequently moved for the second reading of the bill to be retaken.
The motion, when put to a voice vote, was declared lost by the First Deputy Speaker. This led the Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central and member of the Minority Caucus, Patrick Yaw Boamah, to move for a division.
Following a head count, the Second Deputy Speaker declared the result as 58 against 126 in favor of the Majority Caucus.
“Accordingly, the vote is lost; the noes have it,” he declared.
The House finally approved the Special Import Levy Amendment Bill 2025 through a voice vote declared in favor of the Majority side at the completion of the third reading.
GA
