Legislators have been recalled to resume Parliamentary work on Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 10 am for the First Meeting of the Fourth Session.

Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, announced in a statement that the recall is consistent with Order 6 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

The resumption is to enable the consideration of pressing matters including the waiving of VAT on donations of stock of equipment and goods for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic; permitting the deduction of contributions and donations towards Covid-19 as an allowable expense for tax purposes; extending the due date for filing of taxes from four months to six months after the end of the basis year.

Parliament was suspended on Saturday, April 4, leading to criticisms particularly from the Minority that the Speaker has stepping out of bounds and exhibiting autocratic tendencies.

They had wished he adjourned sittings with a definite resumption date rather than suspend it indefinitely.

The Speaker however defended his action as lawful, also underpinned by the uncertainty of the times as engendered by the coronavirus pandemic, Covid-19.

Among matters before the house was the Electoral Commission’s submission for the passage of legislation to enable citizens to use the Ghana Card and Ghana passport as proper identities for registration as voters.