News:
July 26, 2020
A member of Ghana’s representatives to the fifth Community Parliament, Clement Kofi Humado has said the delay of payment of the Community levy by some countries has nothing to do with them being small or poor.
According to him, a critical look at the presentation done by the outfit of the commissioner for Finance of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) shows it is a matter of commitment.
“Some of the countries are simply not committed to the payment of the Community levy that is why they are lagging behind in their payment, especially Cape Vade. I do not see why they have not paid up to date. There are small countries like Togo, they have paid up. Niger, a country which is thought to be poor had paid up their Community levy”.
Mr. Humado in an interview pointed out that in the case of Nigeria, it is not that they do not have the money, but have paid their levy into an escrow account and does not know why they have decided to put the money there, “and have refused to send it to the ECOWAS Commission. This is a case of commitment and it is whether Nigeria is committed to pay their share of the levy”.
When asked what the Community lawmakers can do on their part, he noted that countries that have not paid up, their lawmakers can put a question to their Ministers of Finance and Trade to inform them and the general public on the status of the payment of their ECOWAS levies.
“Heads of States and Finance Ministers should take primary responsibility to the payment of the ECOWAS levies on time”, he said.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com