Accra, Nov. 26, GNA – Members of #FixTheCountry movement, who embarked on street protest on Friday, have threatened to remain at the entrance of Parliament House if they are not given access to the premises of the House to present their petition to the leadership of Parliament.
The group and the security have been in a standoff for more than three hours after the protestors arrived at the entrance of Parliament.
Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, one of the Conveners of the #FixTheCountry demonstration in an interview with the media, accused the leadership of the Police of breaching the agreement between the two parties concerning the demonstration.
He alleged they had agreed that all the demonstrators would be allowed access to the premises of the House for the presentation of the petition unless they (demonstrators) were more than 500.
“IGP told us that if we are more than 500 they will not allow us in, but currently, our number is even not up to that number and yet they are denying us entry for us to present our petition,” the Convener lamented.
Leadership of the House, led by Mr Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader, and Mr Haruna Iddrissu, the Minority Leader, earlier met the conveners of the demonstration to receive the petition but failed.
The conveners said until all the demonstrators were allowed access to the premises, they would not present the petition.
The Group, early Friday morning, embarked on demonstration against Government’s proposed levy on all electronic transactions.
The demonstration, which commenced from the Tema Station in Accra around 0830 hours, took the protestors through some principal streets of the capital and ended up at Parliament House where they were expected to present a petition to the leadership of the House.
Clad in red and black, they chanted patriotic songs throughout the almost three-hour walk.
Government in its 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy announced a 1.75 per cent on all electronic transactions, including mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances, as part of efforts to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector.
This, the Finance Minister, said shall be borne by the sender except for inward remittances, which would be borne by the recipient.
GNA