– Claims Ghanaians Want It
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has attracted ridicule on himself after he told a group of journalists in a press conference in Accra that Ghanaians are not against the unpopular e-levy that the Akufo-Addo government is seeking to foist on Ghanaians.
According to him, during the Christmas break, he together with other government officials traveled to some constituencies in the country and found out that people were not opposed to the levy that will slap a 1.75% charge on mobile money transactions per se but are concerned about accountability around the money that would accrue from the tax.
“I had smaller intimate conversations with citizens across a few constituencies during the Christmas. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Akyem Heman, Anyinam, Apapam and our friend, Sam George’s constituency in Prampram to listen to what people feel and what people think,” he said.
“The issues were quite clear to me. I did not, in those deliberations, encounter choleric response to E-levy; the issues were ones of accountability and ability for them to know what their money is going to be used for,” he said.
But what the Finance Minister was trying to use to assure himself is an anecdotal and subjective feeling nursed by himself and just a few other people because the facts on the ground tell a different story.
Ghanaians social media is awash with stiff opposition to the e-levy, even from staunch supporters of the party. The strong opposition had even reflected in the Ghanaian Parliament when MPs openly engaged in a fistfight when the Akufo Addo administration attempted to sneak the e-levy policy through parliamentary endorsement.
In December 2021, the Association of Mobile Money Agents had announced a strike and demonstration against the unpopular tax that was only called off because Parliament had gone on recess.
Also, the Ghana Federation of Labour has asked the Minority in Parliament to stand their ground in opposing the e-levy.
According to the Federation, the E-Levy will further worsen the plight of Ghanaians if allowed the pass, pointing out that “Sentiments on the ground are strong, public anger is building towards the political elite particularly government, which is at the center of the controversy.”
Again, in December 2021, when Asantehene Otumfuor Osei Tutu ll, encouraged Ghanaians to accommodate the tax because taxes are what are used to build nations, His Royal Majesty found himself at the receiving end of widespread criticisms and downright insults from angry Ghanaians on social media.
Musician, Kwame Asare Obeng, alias A-Plus, even politely told Otumfuor that Ghanaians would not accept the tax because of the wastefulness of the government led by Mr. Akufo-Addo, whose lesbian bonking scandal has thrown up revelations that he gives joy-rides to his girlfriend on private jets that he rents at US$14,000 per hour.
However, according to the lying Finance Minister, he has personally met Ghanaians who say they do not mind paying the e-levy, albeit without any evidence that he did even travel at all as he claims. This is the same Ofori-Atta who quotes the Bible like a Deacon at large.
Also, the strong opposition to the e-levy has resulted in the 2022 National Budget suffering a stillbirth and decisively splitting the Ghanaian legislature in half.
In the Wednesday press briefing, the Finance Minister also claimed that the impact of the 1.75% E-Levy will be minimal because the Telecommunication Companies have agreed to reduce their charges on mobile money transactions by 0.25%.
Meanwhile, information has emerged that the government plans to besiege Parliame3nt with heavily armed soldiers to force the approval of the tax.