GRA begins implementation of E-Levy
NPP touts benefits of new tax measure
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, has said that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) always imposes hardship on Ghanaians when in government.
According to him, successive NDC government have superintended over increase in the debt to GDP ratio, high Cedi depreciation and general stagnation in the economic growth of the country.
Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM on May 9, John Boadu said the NDC’s resolve to win power may be because it wants to “chew the meat and leave the bones” as it previously did when it was in power.
The NPP scribe was addressing former president John Dramani Mahama’s comment that the next NDC government will scrap the E-levy when it wins power.
“If you [John Mahama] say when you come you will scrap it, you are just saying something to pacify or please your people or because you are in opposition, you are just saying something.
“If you are able to through indirect tax raise close to GH₵6 billion and you are a government which wants to do something, [you won’t cancel it]….unless you are going to ‘chew the meat and leave the bones’ like you previously did.
“Guinea fowls flying to Burkina Faso amongst others…may be that’s what you want to do for us to go into hardship…inflation will rise, Cedi depreciation and all that.
“If that is what you want…and I don’t expect anything better from the NDC because that is what they are noted for. Anytime they are in government, growth suffers, debt to GDP suffers, production suffers and almost everything suffers.
“If that is what he [John Mahama] is saying, unfortunately, Ghanaians won’t give him that unpleasant opportunity to come back again to take such decisions which will make it retrogress,” John Boadu said.
Background
John Dramani Mahama at a public lecture dubbed “Ghana At A Crossroads” on May 2 reiterated the NDC’s commitment to abolish the E-levy when it wins power.
According to him, the levy which the NDC has labeled as “draconian” is imposing an extra burden on Ghanaians.
“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.
“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.,” John Mahama told the gathering.
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General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu