Invite Asantehene to intervene in resolving E-Levy impasse – Samoa Addo to govt

Asantehene is the only person who can bring Akufo-Addo and Mahama together - Samoa Addo

Negotiation between only NDC and NPP will not yield any result – Lawyer

NDC wants E-levy to be scrapped totally – Report

Legal practitioner, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, has advised the government to call on the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to intervene in resolving the impasse on the passage of the E-Levy Bill.

Speaking on Asaase Radio’s morning news on January, 29 2022, Samoa Addo said if the government wants to pass the E-Levy there should be an arbitrator who is respected by both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and that person is the Asantehene.

“There is no point of negotiation as between the NDC and NPP when it comes to this particular issue, so if the NPP government desperately want this particular bill to be passed, then they have to elevate the negotiation and the arbitrator has to be one that is respected by both side.

“And I don’t see another person within the scheme of our political temperature and the things that have to be done, the venerable Otumfuo has sat in high level negotiations between President Akufo-Addo and Mahama in respect of certain matters,” Addo was quoted by the Asaaseradio.com.

The lawyer reiterated that Asantehene was the only person in the country who can bring President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and ex-President John Dramani Mahama to a table to amicably resolve the impasse on the E-Levy.

“Whatever negotiation will be done will involve someone like himself because I don't see any other person who can summon President Mahama and President Akufo-Addo and both of them will stop everything they are doing and attend that particular meeting except Otumfuo, without that level of mediation if that bill enters parliament it won't pass,” he added.

There are reports that during a meeting with the leadership of the minority caucus, and the majority caucus, the government agreed to reduce the E-Levy from 1.75 percent to 1.5 percent.

The minority caucus, however, has rejected the compromise, saying they (the minority) want the levy to be scrapped totally.