Economist and Founder of Worldwide Miracle Outreach, Reverend Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has called on the leaders of parliament to go back to the drawing board again and resolve the issues surrounding the e-levy bill passage.
According to him, both parties seem to have an entrenched position which has resulted in the indecision over the passage of the bill. Dr Tetteh charged the government to use diplomatic dialogue as part of efforts to pass the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) bill.
“The truth is that it’s unfortunate but I have to say it. Ghanaian leaders are thinking about their political leadership much more than the nation because I think that by now there should have been a point of convergence. I believe behind the scene talks with the Minority leader, Majority leader, and reps from the two houses can sit down and see a point of convergence. If you look at all the debate that we are seeing, it’s either the debate is for the NPP or the debate is for the NDC… Our leaders must go back to the drawing board again. We should make sure we think of Ghana first before we think of our political party”.
Rev. Dr Lawrence Tetteh
Dr Tetteh indicated that the current situation of a hung Parliament is a time of test for Ghana’s democracy. This, he noted, calls for a more diplomatic approach between the two major political parties in the country.
Government is experiencing a stalemate with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the passage of the controversial E-levy bill. Despite the fact that the government has argued that the levy is needed to shore up revenue to manage the country’s economic crisis, the NDC believes the levy is insensitive and will worsen the economic hardships in the country.
Passage of e-levy bill
Prior to this, President Akufo-Addo, delivering the keynote address at the 2022 National Labour Conference at Kwahu- Nkwatia in the Eastern Region, revealed that it is in the public interest for the E-levy bill to be enacted into law. He expressed that Ghana cannot continue to depend on foreign aid and must therefore find innovative ways such as the E-levy to raise revenue to finance its development.
A former Attorney General under the Rawlings administration, Dr Obed Asamoah, on March 1, 2022, sharing his thought on the matter revealed that government is having difficulties in getting the E-levy passed by Parliament because of its own attitude. He indicated that the problem stems from government’s lack of a broader consultation on the proposal prior to its introduction.
“To some extent we were all involved in moulding the constitution but we didn’t think that government’s power will be used that way. For example, when the VAT issue arose and Kwesi Botchwey introduced the VAT idea there was an uproar and one of those who led the rabble riots was Nana Akufo-Addo. What happened? Jerry Rawlings said, let us hold on. So, they withdrew the policy for some time until there had been more consultations and then it was brought back subsequently, and there wasn’t any farce. It is the attitude of the government.
Dr Obed Asamoah
Citing the E-levy, he iterated that it should have been an “issue of consultation” and not a power play in Parliament.
“Why can’t you discuss this matter with the opposition?”
Dr Obed Asamoah
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