News:
Deputy Majority Leader
February 13, 2022
Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has clarified that the much talked about Electronic Transfer Bill 2021 has rather been amended and not withdrawn as communicated to earlier.
According to him the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) took a position that they would accept the E-Levy when it’s one (1) percent and one point seven five percent (1.75) and did a u turn later.
As they said they were no more going to support the E-Levy, “we are engaging Ghanaians and the Minority and we have come to one point five (1.5%). The Telcos have also reduced to point two five (0.25%) – all these should reflect in the Bill”.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin gave this explanation on Friday, February 11, 2022 when he engaged members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) when they wanted to know what was causing the delay in dealing with the E-Levy Bill.
He further added that certain people have taken partisan position on the subject matter and they are not ready to look at the reality; and added that people must understand the E-Levy. “So you realised that it has been back to back engagement and it is good for our democracy”.
Again, he noted turning the issue into politics he does not think Ghanaians want that, rather they want issues that would help them and “we should explain to them why the E-Levy as the General Secretary of NDC said they would introduce taxation when they get power but not E-Levy”.
“What are you talking about, so in real terms, a levy is a tax, so if you say as a party you acknowledge the fact that should government authority get into your hands you would need taxation for the purpose of governance, in any event what do we know about the history of our colleagues in opposition today, they impose a lot of taxes we came to abolish?”
The Deputy Majority Leader again emphasised that since they came to government this is the first time that they are introducing a major tax policy, “we have reduced the burden on Ghanaians than we have imposed on them. During the NDC administration the cost of production of electricity was high, therefore the cry on government to reduce the electricity tariffs”.
But it took the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for that to be realised, as industry enjoy much rebate as much as 30 percent and household 17 percent and these are realities, “the NDC should not create impression that they would have done better, they said they could not reduce electricity tariffs”
“They came to power to reduce it and have not increased it as Ghanaians are better off, the utility that they were increasing Ghanaians would have been worse off if they had maintained the tariffs that NDC introduced, “ point to any other tax, we have introduced since we came to power? “
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com