The former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, says the posture of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the rejection of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) amounts to arrogance.
In his new article, Mr. Amidu disclosed that Ghanaians have rejected the E-levy since its announcement in the 2022 budget and the subsequent debates in Parliament.
“The Nana Akufo-Addo Government has in its usual arrogance, impunity, and abuse of power refused to learn any lessons from its unproductive escalatory conflict strategies and tactics, and the counter moves by the Minority in Parliament that inevitably resulted in the brawl in Parliament at dawn on 21 December 2021.
“When the First Deputy Speaker, Mr. Joe Osei-Owusu, who was presiding over the plenary sought to use a subterfuge to partake in the vote on the question whether the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill ought to be considered for enactment by the House under a certificate of urgency,” he disclosed.
The former Attorney General further stated the research, analysis results, and finding available on open-source all point to the fact that the economic situation in the country contribute to the opposition on the introduction of the E-levy.
“The Government has demonstrated a determination throughout this period to impose the draconian 1.75% Electronic Transfer Levy on Ghanaians who avail themselves of the services of electronic transfers despite conclusive research and analysis results and findings available on open-source pointing incontestably to the fact that the majority of Ghanaians do not, on a non-partisan basis, agree with the reasons assigned by the Government for imposing the draconian levy or even a lesser percentage of such tax on the nation in the present deprived environment of the ordinary citizen,” he added.
