The Chief Executive Officer of the African Energy Consortium , Kwame Jantuah, has indicated that the people of Ghana have trust issues when it comes to how revenues to be generated from the proposed E-levy will be utilized.
Mr Jantuah stated that Ghanaians do not believe that the economy has been handled well by the current government hence the rejection of the E-levy.
“There is a question of trust. Ghanaians want to know if they can trust the government to account to them on the use of the E-levy money. Do the people feel the government has handled the economy well? From a look of things it doesn’t look so.”
Kwame Jantuah
According to Mr. Jantuah, in as much as he feels the E-levy is a way of taking money from people’s personal pocket, he is of the view that it is immoral. He stated that at the town hall meetings, government shouldn’t be talking to the people but with the people to see how best and where the E-levy will take the nation.
“Let’s say if government came and said look, Ghanaians don’t seem to like it but we are in a very difficult situation so we will look at E-levy between now and the end of the year and see where that takes us. Then probably, if we see that it is being progressive, then we will come back to Ghanaians and say, these are the statistics with E-levy.
“This is what we have been able to do with it so, let’s consider it again, let’s slightly increase it and make it a gradual thing for people to be part of government’s decision. “
Kwame Jantuah
According to Mr. Jantuah, government is indicating that it’s either the e-levy is accepted or nothing and has not given the indication to reach a decision with the citizens concerns.
Kwame Jantuah indicated that there is something wrong with the way the country is going and as such, discussions must happen on how best to get the country back on track.
“There’s the need for us to have national discussions with regards to where the country is today and not hit left right where NPP will do theirs and NDC will do theirs. They should invite people who we feel can contribute.”
Kwame Jantuah
E-levy wouldn’t be accepted
Contributing to the discussion, the Deputy National Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edem Agbana, posited Ghanaians will not accept the E-levy in any form or shape.
According to him, the proposal which has been on the debate table since last year must be dropped entirely.
“We want to tell this government that the good people of this country are not ready to accept the E-levy in any form or or shape. I made the point that the only percentage that Ghanaians will accept for the E-levy is when it is reduced to 0.00 per cent. Anything other than that is unacceptable.”
Edem Agbana
Edem Agbana averred that government needs economic sense in handling the E-levy since they have demonstrated the lack of economic knowledge to manage the economy.
“The point must be made that what the Akufo-Addo government needs E-sense, the E refers to economics so Economic sense.”
Edem Agbana
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has served notice the Electronic Transfer Levy will be scrapped within the first 100 days of its government if it is passed by the current administration.
Speaking on behalf of NDC, General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, stated that he was making this pledge in case the Eighth Parliament passes the E-levy bill.
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