Ken Ofori-Atta is Ghana’s biggest pandemic since 2017 before Covid-19 – Isaac Adongo
Legislator for Bolgatanga Central and Deputy Ranking Member on the Finance Committee in Parliament has fired back at Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta over the controversial E-levy proposal by the government.
The Minister indicated that the government is still engaging stakeholders on the said tax to arrive at their final decision on the levy has been deemed as a mere political tactic which has no intention to adhere to the call by Ghanaians for the tax to be reduced.
He accused the Minister of engaging in hiding and seeking on the issue and does not need the Minority caucus in Parliament before he heeds to the call of Ghanaians for a reduction.
“Beyond the Minority, what does he have for the good people of Ghana? The country is not split into Minority and Majority. You don’t need the Minority before determining what is appropriate for the people of Ghana,” he said, noting that the government must listen to the concerns of Ghanaians and address them without deferring them to consultations with the Minority.
The Finance Minister during a media briefing said the government will continue its engagements with the Minority caucus in the legislature and other stakeholders to get the proposed e-levy approved.
“Having regard to its serious fiscal implications, we will continue our consultation with the Minority caucus in Parliament and other relevant stakeholders with the view to achieving consensus and reverting to the house in the shortest possible time,” the Minister stressed.
He reiterated that the government will ensure that it will curb the issue of evading the payment of the tax.
Despite assurances from the Minister, Mr Adongo appears not to be convinced that the government would change its position on the planned introduction of the 1.75% E-levy.
He also accused Ofori-Atta of being disingenuous on the matter and causing a decline in the quality of democracy in Ghana.
“Clearly they don’t’ want to move an inch from the E-levy. The Minister for Finance should be telling the people of Ghana what they have on the table. This hide-and-seek is an affront to democracy and an insult to Ghanaians. Don’t’ hide behind so-called negotiation. If it would have yielded any fruit, after two weeks you should have had results,” he said.
“Clearly this is a man that is not being honest with us. And it is eroding everything that we have stood for as a democracy and I always say that Ken Ofori-Atta was the biggest pandemic from 2017 before we even got to know that there will be anything like Covid-19,” Isaac Adongo stressed.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
