He stated all NDC taxes before 2017 were worse than E-Levy
He noted the Minority is being manipulated by external forces
Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has indicated that the Minority in Parliament is being controlled by some external forces that are seeking to win the 2024 general elections.
According to him, the NDC claim they are fighting the passage of the E-Levy because the ordinary Ghanaian is suffering but in the end, they are only seeking for votes.
He said, there was a bipartisan committee on the controversial E-Levy and both sides of the House engaged as patriots devoid of any partisan considerations and that the Minority side “came in with their position and how they wanted things done. They wanted a reduction, even the threshold, they wanted it to reduce further.
“They may not want to hear this but that is the naked truth. The NDC caucus in Parliament is being controlled by some forces and those forces are looking at the 2024 elections.
“Because you see, in one breathe, you are ready to share political risk with us, in another breathe you say that, it is your risk, yet, you are obstructing. We started, high powered engagements, not only MPs but senior members of their party outside Parliament; we had a certain understanding and we reported back…,” Afenyo-Markin explained on Joy News’ ‘PM Express’.
He admitted that, months ago, he was too quick to announce the 1.5% rate for the E-Levy but the Minority side during the deliberation at the time were around one percent and a little above.
He recounted that even when Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, announced publicly that he will be supporting a one percent rate, the NDC members were not happy and they wanted to kick him out of the Minority Leadership in Parliament.
“Because at that point, they said no way, they were not ready for even the one percent, so, negotiations broke down. We had several meetings…and it got to a point they said ‘Oh! It is not us, it is the party decision; if it is your party’s decision to use E-Levy to fight for the 2024 elections, tell Ghanaians, [but] don’t tell Ghanaians that you are fighting for them because they are suffering,” he stressed.
“If an NDC man comes to tell you that he is fighting E-Levy because he wants you to be better off, he knows you are suffering and he is fighting for you, I, Kwamina, I am saying that man is doing that because he wants your vote.
Minority Caucus in Parliament