Mahama’s Promise To Scrap E-levy Is A Scam – NPP
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described as a scam former President Mahama’s promise to scrap the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) if his National Democratic Congress (NDC) wins the 2025 elections.
The Director of Communications of the NPP, Yaw Buaben Asamoah, while speaking at a press conference in Accra, said John Mahama cannot be trusted with such a declaration.
According to him, the NDC’s election 2020 manifesto has information about a plan to introduce a uniform tax on electronic transactions.
He also noted that despite the NDC’s opposition to the ‘talk tax’ introduced by the Kufuor administration, the next NDC government did not repeal it.
“Look at the claim to repeal E-levy, it is a scam. Just like one-time premium and repeal of talk-tax, it is a scam. In any event, can John Mahama explain the difference between his 17.5% tax on financial transactions and his manifesto pledge to impose a uniform tax on all electronic transactions? Are these measures also E-levy in disguise and does he stand by them?,” Mr. Buabeng Asamoah quizzed.
John Dramani Mahama, while delivering a lecture last Monday in Accra promised to repeal the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) if his party wins power in 2025.
“A new National Democratic Congress government, God willing, and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana in 2025, will repeal the E-levy Act,” the one-term former President said when he spoke at the NDC’s “Ghana at a crossroads,” he said.
Although Mahama said the NDC is not against the principle of taxation, he said they are, however, opposed to burdensome levies like the E-levy.
“We in the NDC do not oppose taxation as a principle. We will not be pretentious and couch fanciful slogans to condemn the principle of taxation like the NPP did in the past. We are, however, implacably opposed to distortionary and burdensome taxes like the e-levy that only force Ghanaians to endure more suffering,” he added.
But Buabeng Asamoah insists that the NDC has a record of maintaining taxes it opposes while in opposition and hence cannot be trusted with the promise.