National Convener of the Citizens Movement for Good Governance (CMoGG), Raphael Godlove Ahenu, has called on President Akufo-Addo and the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to vacate the Presidency if they cannot manage the economy without the E-levy.

According to him, he fails to understand why the President and Dr Bawumia-led government wants to impose more hardship on the Ghanaian people with the introduction of the E-levy. Mr Ahenu explained that he believes the government “out of pure wickedness” is doing everything possible in the face of national resistance to operationalize this “killer tax although there are more innovative ways” of generating revenue.

“We are asking you and your entire government team, to without any further delay, to resign for running short of the right policy ideas to effectively govern the country and prudently manage the economy”.
Raphael Godlove Ahenu

Mr Ahenu described as shameful and regrettable the assertion by some government officials that without the E-levy, Free Senior High School will be cancelled, contractors cannot be paid and District Assembly Common Fund cannot be released. He indicated that it is important to remind Ghanaians that research has pointed out that Ghana, under the watch of the Nana Akufo-Addo – Dr Bawumia-led administration, is on annual basis “losing more than US$3 billion” to corruption. The CMoGG National Convener expressed that the amount of money lost is more than the expected resource the E-levy seeks to generate.

“So, what every serious and responsible government should have done was to seal the leakage that drains the national resources, but not to exploit the people more into the holey bucket”.
Raphael Godlove Ahenu

Implementation of e-levy

The National Convener for CMoGG intimated that the government needs to be advised that should the E-levy be forced through Parliament, Ghanaians will resist its implementation. Additionally, he emphasized the need and the responsibility of every citizen to ensure E-levy has no space in any policy framework.

“Given the adamant nature and level of insensitivity of the government to the plight of Ghanaians, the only thing that can stop this evil E-levy on our soil is for the citizens to rise to demand accountability from this government”.
Raphael Godlove Ahenu

Following this, he assured the movement’s commitment to work with like-minded individuals and groups across the country to mount pressure through a series of well-organized lawful actions to stop the passage of the E-levy bill.

“We are strongly convinced that there are fine brains with practical, creative and very innovative ideas that can govern and manage this economy well without the imposition of this nuisance and heartless tax called E-levy”.
Raphael Godlove Ahenu

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has indicated that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) should not burden Ghanaians with the introduction of the Electronic Transaction levy (E-levy).

Mr Ablakwa noted that instead of government holding numerous Townhall meetings to persuade Ghanaians to accept the levy, it should rather engage the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly referred to as Chairman Wontumi, for assistance.

In a tweet, Mr Ablakwa noted that Chairman Wontumi must be engaged because of some £3.1billion at his disposal meant for the purchase of Chelsea Football Club.

“Why go through all that stress pleading with Ghanaians at tortuous town halls to accept the obnoxious $1bn worth E-Levy when Wontumi can easily rescue Ghana before saving Chelsea?”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa