Word around the party is that, the national elected leadership of the NDC are very relaxed and unwilling to work hard and push out the NPP to save Ghanaians from the economic hardship they are currently wallowing in.
The accusation comes amid reports that the NDC youth wing is planning to hit the streets in opposition to the Electronic Transactions Tax (E-levy).
Many, had expected the national executives led by Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, to be in the forefront of such a demonstration, but not a youth wing which might not be taken serious by people.
Some are expecting the 2020 flag bearer, John DramaniMahama, to lead the demonstration as was Nana Akufo-Addo in the years he was in opposition.
The Ministry of Information together with the Ministry of Finance and other senior government officials are touring the country drumming home the need for the Levy to be passed.
President Akufo-Addo, has also spoken about the E-Levy at a meeting with Chiefs from the Volta Region, insisting that it will be passed.
The government, has gone further trying to use the Supreme Court, the Police Service and Attorney General department to reduce the NDC’s number in Parliament to have the levy.
The concerns in the NDC is that, Ghanaians who have spoken against the passage of the E-Levy, will not take the demonstration serious, if it is just thrown to the youth wing, because it will lack the expected maturity to convey the intended message.
They argued that the NDC, must also declare a nationwide demonstration against the Levy, something similar to the Kume Preko protest.
There is some anger in the NDC about the kid gloves with which the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government is treated by the opposition party, a leisure the ruling party did not offer the John Mills and the John Mahama governments when the NDC was in office.
Many NDC members, believe that the only straw that keeps the opposition party afloat is its 137 Members of Parliament (MP) some of whom complain about how some national executives sometimes influence them to yield to government demands.
For instance, reports were that Minority Leader,Haruna Iddrisu’s announcement that the NDC was ready to accept the E-Levy if it is reduced from 1.75percent to 1percent, was taken by the Functional Executive Committee of the party.
The Herald was informed that the NDC national executives had met and decided on allowing the NPP government to have its way on E-levy, but reduced it to 1percent.
Hurana Iddrisu went announcing the decision of the National Executives, but had to take huge flak for suggesting on a platform of the Telecom Chamber that the NDC was ready to accept the E-Levy.
The NDC National Youth Organizer, George Opare Addo, had announced plans for the said protest via his Twitter handle on February 2, 2022, promising to release details soon.
His tweet referenced a quote by Thom Hartmann that read: “Activism begins with you, democracy begins with you, get out there, get active! Tag, you’re it.”
It continued: “This is a call to demonstrate our strongest opposition to this draconian levy. You can’t be left out! This is our collective fight!! Details soon.”
The NDC Minority in Parliament, has reiterated its dogged opposition to the E-levy, as has the NDC party through its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who has stated that the levy is unjustified given the profligacy of the government.
A group led by former PNC chairman, Bernard Mornah, has earlier protested against the levy and is currently picketing against its passage at the precincts of Parliament.
People in government, have repeatedly emphasized the need for the levy as part of efforts by the government to raise funds for roads and to tackle unemployment.
Background
On November 17, 2021, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced the introduction of a 1.75percent tax on all electronic transactions during the 2022 budget presentation before parliament.
According to him, this new directive forms part of strategies to widen the country’s tax net and raise funds to avert a return to the IMF amid an economic crunch brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that the 1.75percent tax supports the government’s employment initiative and protects the vulnerable in the country.
The E-levy since its announcement by the Finance Minister in November 2021 has received public backlash from some Ghanaians especially Members of Parliament from the Minority Caucus.
At a recent press conference, the Minister announced a number of modifications to the Bill and said the government continued to engage stakeholders on the bill ahead of resubmission before MPs.
Meanwhile, the MP for Tamale Central, Murtala Mohammed, has said that the Minority in Parliament does not want secret voting done on the E-levy, because they do not trust some NDC lawmakers to vote against the policy proposal.
He said the mistrust is as a result of events that characterized the vetting and approval of President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees, where all the nominees were eventually approved, despite reservations raised against some.
Speaking on the Sunrise show on 3FM with Alfred Ocansey on Tuesday February 1, Murtala said “Afenyo-Markin is my very good friend, he is a fantastic young man and very intelligent. So far, he has been doing very well. I think the problem with the NPP is not Afenyo and Annor-Dompreh, it is Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu.
“He is the contributor of 90 per cent of the problems that they have in the chamber. He is not a team player and some of the NPP MPs will tell you he is the problem. I have had a senior Member of the Parliament from the NPP who told me that we shouldn’t pass the E-levy but they can’t come out to say it.
“If voting on the E-levy were to be done secretly, I can bet my last penny that there will be a lot of NPP MPs who will vote against it. The only reason we don’t want that also is that some of our members, we can’t also trust them, to be very honest. We can’t trust them because of what happened in the appointment of the Ministers , it was soo hurting and we can’t trust some of them,” he said.
