Accra, Feb. 7, GNA - Parliament of Wednesday went into a caucus meeting to discuss the continued absence of the minority opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) members which began on Tuesday. This followed after 23 minutes of sitting after which the Majority Leader, Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, moved for the adjournment of proceedings.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong said the majority side would hold a caucus meeting over the absence of the minority side and discuss "the events of yesterday as reported in the newspapers and on radio." The NDC MPs had began a boycott of parliamentary sittings on Tuesday in a protest over a 10 year jail term slapped on Mr Dan Abodakpi, Member (NDC) for Keta, on a charge for "wilfully causing financial loss to the state."

At a press conference on Tuesday the NDC said it was boycotting sittings indefinitely in the light of the verdict of the court, stating that there was an error in the applica tion of the law of wilfully causing financial loss to the state.

Mr Owusu-Adjapong, who is also Acting Minister for Transport in an answer to a question, said the Bolgatanga-Bawku road asphalt overlay would be considered when traffic level increased to warrant the reinforcing of the pavement by asphalting.

Mrs Agnes Chigabatia had asked the question, which stood in the name of Mr John Ndebugre, PNC-Zebilla.

Questions, which stood in the name of Mr Mathias Puozaa NDC- Nadowli East, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh NDC-Wa West, Mr Francis Yaw Osei-Sarfo NDC -Krachi West, were not asked because the members were absent.

Meanwhile, Parliament on Wednesday adopted a motion for the second reading of the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2006. The object of the Bill is to amend the Value Added Tax Act, 1998 (Act 546) to give legal backing to a Flat Rate VAT Scheme that will facilitate the collection of VAT in the retail trade sector and to provide for related purposes. 07 Feb. 07