However, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, speaking in Tamale during the government’s nationwide tour to have Ghanaians support the levy, spoke against the demonstration and its leaders and insisted the country will not seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as being proposed to mitigate the current economic challenges.
Quoting the Holy Bible and drawing lessons from the circumstances of his birth from wedlock into Kyebi Royal family, his relocation to Accra and enrollment into Legon University Primary School by his father who was Professor, the Finance Minister, said per his calculation, every Ghanaian will be required to pay just GHC350 a year through the over GHc900 billion MoMo transactions to build schools and provide jobs for the unemployed youth of the country.
Ken Ofori-Atta, painted a tumultuous childhood where he spent time swimming in River Birim in Kyebi, although he had been enrolled into a government school, aunts who mocked his mother, saying she had forced herself on their brother, Jones Ofori Atta.
He talked about how he spent time in the farm with an uncle roasting plantain, which he carries in his pocket until one day, when his dad remembered he had a son in Kyebi, and came for him to Accra.
The Finance Minister, even linked the E-Levy to the defeat of the senior national; the Black Stars at the just ended and express disbelief that a tiny country like Comoros, humiliated Ghana.
Arriving at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, where the protest commenced yesterday, the attendees made up of NDC supporters, party executives and Members of Parliament (MP) from the minority side, who were mostly cladded in red attires, insisted they won’t pay the levy which is currently a bill before parliament.
They demanded its immediate withdrawal. The demonstration was very peaceful and incident free. The police were on hand to provide adequate security to the protesters.
Representatives of the various political parties, Civil Society Organizations, and other identifiable groups who joined the protest, stated emphatically that they would not accept the E-Levy.
The NDC General Secretary, Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, described the E-levy as daylight robbery, and vowed that his party will abolish it if they win power in 2024.
Addressing the media, Mr. Nketiah, noted that the NDC is not opposed to taxation, only that it views the E-levy as an attempt by the government to rob ordinary Ghanaians of their source of livelihood amidst the hardship.
“We are not against taxation. Taxation is for value addition. But we will not sit and watch the government to keep robbing us. The E-levy is not taxation, it is daylight robbery. The alternatives are there. Who in his right senses in this country asked the Minister for Roads to argue that we abolish the road tolls and convert the toll booths to toilets and washrooms?”
“The fire will keep burning so long as we have a government that operates with impunity,” he added.
He noted the opposition party will repeal the E-Levy “in an unlikely event that the E-levy is passed.”
“We will abolish it within the first 100 days when we assume power. It is not taxation. It is daylight robbery. Taking people’s capital from their pockets,” he added.
The NDC has waged strong opposition to the l.75% levy on transactions, including mobile money and bank transfer.
The government has in response, held a series of town hall meetings to get the buy-in of Ghanaians.
Asiedu Nketiah, stated the E-Levy cake used to celebrate the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu’s birthday, truly reflects how proceeds from the E-Levy Fund would be spent.
He stated that the E-Levy cake, should give Ghanaians a fair idea of how the revenue accrued from the proposed levy would be expended, if it gets parliamentary approval.
“I have seen the cake that should tell you what the E-Levy will be used for, it would be squandered.”
He further stated emphatically that the NDC government is not against taxation, but added that E-Levy is not taxation, but rather robbery.
“The NDC is not against taxation, the E-Levy is just a broad daylight robbery.”
“We are not against taxation. Taxation is for value addition. But we will not sit and watch the government to keep robbing us. The E-levy is not taxation, it is daylight robbery. The alternatives are there. Who in his right senses in this country asked the Minister for Roads to argue that we abolish the road tolls and convert the toll booths to toilets and washrooms?”
“We will abolish it within the first 100 days when we assume power. It is not taxation. It is daylight robbery. Taking people’s capital from their pockets,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ken Ofori-Atta, says Ghana will not seek a bailout from the IMF, despite the current economic challenges.
He says the government will consider home-grown solutions to deal with the difficulties, because the country has what it takes to turn its ailing economy around.
Speaking at the third in a series of town hall meetings in the Northern Regional Capital of Tamale on the controversial E-Levy, Ken Ofori-Atta, maintained that government will do what is best for the country.
The government, despite harsh criticisms has said that the most prudent measure in the face of Ghana’s ailing economy is not to go back to the IMF, but rather rely on the E-levy to raise revenue domestically.
“I can say; we are not going to the IMF. Whatever we do, we are not. Consequences are dire, we are a proud nation, we have the resources, we have the capacity. We are not people of short-sight, but we have to move on. So let’s think of who we are as strong proud people, the shining star of Africa, and we have the capacity to do whatever we want to do if we speak one language and ensure that we share the burden in the issues ahead.”
Currently, the national conversation has been around the government pushing through the controversial 1.75% electronic transaction levy estimated to rake in some $1 billion annually or going onto an IMF program.
Some analysts, have proposed seeking an IMF bailout as a better alternative, amidst public disapproval of the E-levy, but the government has said it will have none of that.
Others have also brushed off calls for the government to go under an IMF programme, insisting that the options left for Ghana to consider are fiscal discipline, a reduction in wasteful expenditure, and the sealing of revenue leakages.
Meanwhile, the (IMF, has stated that it is ready to support Ghana in any way deemed useful by the country’s leaders amidst the economic challenges.
It says Ghanaian authorities have not contacted it for any form of assistance yet.
In a statement published on Twitter by IMF’s Ghana country representative, Dr. Touna Mama, the IMF said Ghana’s current economic woes stem from its fiscal and debt situation.
“Right now, Ghana’s challenges stem from the fiscal and debt situation and less from the economic recovery,” it said.
