General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has revealed that members of parliament for the New Patriotic Party do not believe that the e-levy is a good thing.
According to him, if MPs on the majority side believed in the levy, it wouldn’t have been a problem canvassing all of its 138 members to vote for the Bill.
“The truth of the matter is that the NPP MPs themselves, they don’t think that the e-levy is a good thing, that is why their leadership is not able to get all the 138 members to vote.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
Following this, he urged the Majority side not to blame the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin for the delay in the approval of the e-levy. He explained that the Speaker is not required to undertake government business as he is merely there “to serve as an umpire”.
Commenting on the health of the Speaker which has been a subject of debate particularly from the majority caucus, Mr Nketia noted that “if indeed you think that Bagbin is not sick, it can be verified”.
“Bagbin did not wish that sickness unto himself. So, if you are blaming him, you are either saying that Bagbin wished the sickness unto himself and for which reason he has to go or Bagbin is not sick but he is just playing pranks, that can be verified… Those of you who are pushing your e-levy, if you are not prepared enough to make sure that your e-levy passes whiles the Speaker is seating, don’t come and blame us”.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
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The NDC General Secretary believes that President Akufo-Addo must sack ministers who are misusing resources, a move he reckons will make available enough financial resources to develop the country.
Mr Nketia expressed that the NPP since its assumption of office have indulged in wastage. He indicated that the desire for government to introduce the 1.75% E-Levy is due to the careless spending government has engaged in over the past few years.
“It is not by accident that we are where we are now, where the highest expenditure in our budget is the payment of interest on loans and salaries and all that. In 2017, when they were beginning, the first thing they did was to go for Eurobond at a rate that we felt was not good enough, because they could have gotten the money at a much lower rate. They disagreed, and they proceeded. When they started appointing left, right, centre, increasing number of Ministers and all that, we told them that, all these come with cost”.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
The result of the choices made by the NPP, Mr Nketia intimated is what the country is witnessing today as it has to pay huge salaries [and] emoluments and interest rates to these ministers.
“So, we warned them about all these things, they never listened and so we are not here by chance, we are here by the choice of President Akufo-Addo and his government”.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia
For those pushing for the e-levy and are not prepared enough to make sure that it passes whiles the “Speaker is seating”, Mr Nketia indicated that they must not “come and blame us” once he leaves the country to attend to his health.
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