The Minority and Majority Leaders in Parliament clashed on Tuesday, May 26, at the start of parliamentary proceedings over the proposed 0.75 percent fee on wallet-to-bank transfers.
The disagreement prompted First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, to order portions of the exchanges expunged from the official parliamentary records.
Before proceedings began, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin rose to comment on the proposed fee, arguing that the government was attempting to reintroduce the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
“This announcement by the Bank of Ghana of charging 0.75 percent when somebody transfers money from his bank account into his mobile money wallet.
“If the finance minister recalls, his government decided to repeal the e-Levy law, and now the Bank of Ghana is introducing it again? Now they announce that they have suspended it for further consultations,” he said.
However, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga objected to the remarks, describing Afenyo-Markin’s comments as an act of lawlessness and insisting that it was not the appropriate time to raise the issue on the floor of Parliament.
“Everything that he has said should be expunged from the records. Mr Speaker, this kind of lawlessness cannot be accepted. Not especially from a leader. Please let’s get serious. Don’t let us start this meeting on this note. For God’s sake, after votes and proceedings.
Mahama Ayariga added, “It’s not the first thing to do. The finance minister is actually pleading with me. To allow him to get up and respond to him, but I’m saying that cannot be accepted as a practice of this house. Otherwise, we descend to chaos and lawlessness.
“You, the minority leader, cannot lead in allowing this house to descend into chaos and lawlessness. Please let’s stop that. Let’s get serious as a house. We have rules.”
The exchanges between the two leaders briefly disrupted proceedings before the Speaker intervened and ordered the remarks struck from the records.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has directed Mobile Money Fintech Limited (MMFL) to suspend the implementation of the proposed 0.75 percent fee on direct wallet-to-bank transfers pending further consultations.
The proposed charge, originally scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2026, has been put on hold to allow for broader stakeholder engagement and review.
The wallet-to-bank transfer fee announced by MMFL had sparked public debate over its potential impact on digital transactions and financial inclusion.
In a related development, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has directed Mobile Money Fintech Limited (MMFL) to suspend the implementation of its proposed 0.75% fee on direct wallet-to-bank transfers, pending further consultations.
The proposed charge, originally scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2026, has been put on hold to allow for broader stakeholder engagement and review.
The wallet-to-bank transfer fee announced by MMFL had sparked public debate over its potential impact on digital transactions and financial inclusion.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the central bank said the decision forms part of efforts to ensure fairness in the mobile financial services ecosystem while protecting consumers.
“This decision reflects our commitment to ensuring that any changes to charges in the mobile financial services ecosystem are introduced fairly, protect consumers, and support their financial wellbeing,” the statement said.
The Bank of Ghana did not indicate when the consultations would conclude or whether the proposed fee would eventually be revised or withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has demanded urgent accountability from the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, over the recently suspended 0.75% charge on Mobile Money-to-bank transfers, describing the circumstances surrounding its introduction as unacceptable and demanding full disclosure in Parliament.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Tuesday, May 26, Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said the opposition was not satisfied with the Bank of Ghana’s decision to suspend the fee, insisting that the real issue was how the charge was introduced in the first place.
His comments come in the wake of public backlash and the Bank of Ghana’s subsequent directive to suspend the proposed levy on wallet-to-bank transactions pending further consultations with stakeholders.
The proposed charge, originally scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2026, has been put on hold to allow for broader stakeholder engagement and review.
However, Afenyo-Markin has questioned the propriety of the levy, calling for clarity on the rollout of the Mobile Money-to-bank transfer charges.
The Minority Leader called for the finance minister to appear before Parliament on Thursday, May 28, to explain the policy process that led to the proposed charge, stressing the need for clarity on the imposition.
“The NDC is using the Bank of Ghana and a private sector company to enforce this levy. We have a question for the finance minister; he must immediately come to Parliament on Thursday to explain the circumstances leading to the imposition of this 0.75% charges on Mobile Money transactions. We are not interested in the suspension; we are interested in how come, but for the public outcry, they were going to spring this surprise on the Ghanaian public,” he said.
He argued that the suspension did not address what he described as deeper governance concerns around transparency and public consultation in the introduction of financial policies.
“So, in conclusion we are saying that NDC is a scam; It’s a government of settings, they don’t believe in what they say. It says one thing and does another. It doesn’t keep its promise, it is a government of propaganda,” he added.
