Gospel singer, Cwesi Oteng has declared full support for the E-Levy tax introduction by the NPP government as he disclosed that he gets excited when he sees charges being deducted from his account after making a transaction.
The Ghanaian Gospel singer explains that “development is expensive” and it comes with a price that citizens of any country should be willing to pay. According to him, “It’s an avenue for revenue Government can have”.
Cwesi Oteng further advised that Ghanaians embrace the E-Levy. He also noted that the reason people are not in support of the E-levy is because “people don’t like paying tax in our country”.
Cwesi Oteng then revealed that he gets happy anytime a Telco deducts money from his account as charges on MOMO transactions.
“If they deduct money on my MOMO transactions, it makes me happy because I feel like I am contributing something. If money doesn’t leave, how does money come to you, so I feel like I am contributing something to the country and it has nothing to do with politics”.
Cwesi Oteng
It is worth mentioning that Cwesi Oteng is one of the few bold Ghanaian musicians who has declared his political stand. Over the past years, he campaigned for the NPP and Nana Addo to win power from the Mahama-led NDC government.
Meanwhile, Cwesi Oteng isn’t the only gospel singer who is in support of the E-levy. Gospel singer, Evangelist Diana Asamoah in an earlier interview noted that she is in support of the E-levy.
Speaking in an interview, the Evangelist maintained that E-Levy will shape the economy of Ghana. According to Diana, Ghanaians who oppose the E-levy have never visited any European country and that amounts to reason they don’t understand the whole concept. She further noted that taxes play a vital part in the prosperity of a country hence, Ghanaians should support the government’s decision to implement the E-Levy.
“If you go to Italy, the toll is automated. You will not see anyone there collecting tolls but you are compelled to pay. You pay 10 Euros on your going and the same on your return. Everything is taxed. In Ghana, it is because some people have not traveled before that is why they speak like that [against paying taxes]. If we were to explain the objective and the need to pay the E-Levy, it would bring massive developments. Ghana would be so beautiful if we embrace it”.
Diana Asamoah
Meanwhile, some opposition parties have decided to kick against the implementation of the E-levy. The highly debated E-levy caused the NPP and NDC MPs to exchange blows before parliament went on recess last year.
Another opposition party which is against the E-levy is the Ghana Union Movement (GUM). It warned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to withdraw the controversial E-levy bill from parliament if he wants peace and harmony to reign in the country.
Founder and Leader of the party, Christian Kwabena Andrews, contended that what the Akufo-Addo-led government should be interested in doing is creating employment rather than taxing the populace.
The head pastor of Life Assembly Worship Centre said: “We shouldn’t accept this at all”.
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