Mute Bawumia Throws Extravagant E-Levy Birthday Party For Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu

Shocking pictures have emerged of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia gracing an opulent E-levy birthday party for the wide-eyed Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu at an extravagant location believed to be one of the most expensive hotels in Ghana.

The huge birthday cake of the event, draped in sapphire green colours, was baked in the shape of the letters, “E-Levy”, in a provocative gesture meant to rub it in on the 80% of Ghanaians who had strongly kicked against the plans of the Akufo Addo administration to tax their savings by as much as 1.75% every time they transfer up to GHC 100 electronically from their mobile money or bank accounts.

Interestingly, Vice President Bawumia who had been called out to speak on the obnoxious e-levy had refused to make a single comment about it, ever since it was proposed by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta. This is despite the fact that some few years ago, Bawumia had strongly opposed any attempt to put taxes on Mobile Money (MoMo) transactions.

According to him at the time, that would be counter-productive, because MoMo is the preferred formal banking method of poor Ghanaians.

However, a hypocritical Bawumia was the main guest at the party of the Majority Leader who had proffered inconsistent arguments in Parliament for the e-levy to be passed.

“The continuous display of opulence and ostentation by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government at this time of excruciating hardships is nauseating and insulting to the sensibilities of suffering Ghanaians,” Sammy Gyamfi, the Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) slammed Vice President Bawumia for his open display of insensitivity towards Ghanaians.

The Akufo Addo administration which has plunged Ghana into a public debt quagmire of GHC300 billion, courtesy of Dr. Bawumia who heads the Economic Management Team (EMT), claims the government badly needs the GHC 6 billion from the e-levy to be able to undertake its developmental policies.

However, the government has refused to demonstrate restraint in how it continues to waste public funds amidst the suggested austerity. A party like that organised for Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu is just one of several open displays of opulence by the government which is claiming to be cash-strapped.