Hundreds of Ghanaians on Thursday (10 February) hit the streets to demonstrate against the introduction of the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) currently before Parliament.
The demonstration which is dubbed “Yentua demo” (We won’t pay) is being organised by the Coalition of Concerned Ghanaians with representatives from mainly the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other civil society groups.
The demonstrators who are clad mostly in red are wielding placards with various inscriptions such as “Bawumia’s silence on E-Levy very alarming”, “He used to be an economic talkative”, “Pay UTAG, students are suffering”, “We will not accept the E-Levy in any shape” among others.
Addressing the demonstrators, the national chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo said the youth can no longer tolerate the economic mismanagement under the Akufo-Addo administration.
“Now after you have toiled and worked, Nana Akufo-Addo says he is going to deduct 1.75 percent as E-Levy, we won’t pay, we won’t pay,” he said.
“This is the beginning of a series of collaborative network between various civil society organisations, political parties who share the same vision with us, social groups to conduct series of engagement and to announce to government that we will never pay the E-Levy.”
He added: “If you love Ghana, come out and join us tell government ‘enough is enough, we wont pay the E-Levy’.”
The demonstration will end at Parliament where the group is expected to present a petition to the lawmaking House.
Akufo-Addo is not listening to Ghanaians
Kwame Jantuah, a private legal practitioner is claiming that President Nana Akufo-Addo is not listening to the sentiments of Ghanaians regarding the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
He expressed disappointment over what he described as the president’s insistence on passing the controversial E-Levy despite the public uproar against the proposed bill.
“Last week, I was saying that we haven’t heard from the President, we haven’t heard from the Vice-President. During the week, we heard from the President and the one thing I felt sad about, is when the President intimated that so far as he is concerned, he’s determined to pass the E-Levy.
“…That operative word ‘determined’, told me he is not listening to Ghanaians. And as a President, you should listen to Ghanaians. If he’s determined let’s say if a minority is not in favour, do you not listen to what the minority is saying? You listen,” Jantuah said.
Listen to us
He added: “You’ve brought E-Levy. It’s not a question of why you think it’s going to help us. Listen to us first.”
Speaking on The Forum on Asaase Radio on Saturday (5 February), Jantuah further stated that the town hall meetings on the E-Levy are intended to force the bill on Ghanaians.
“The E-Levy is not popular so you come out with ways to make it better, not force it down our throats. With the town hall meetings, they’re talking at us, not talking with us. I’m getting to a point where I’m saying to myself, whatever you say about it, the party in power will have its way. So, let’s pass the E-Levy and see its impact,” he added.
Pushing through developmental agenda
President Akufo-Addo said his administration is determined to use all available means to push through its development agenda for the country irrespective of any opposition to it.
Addressing the chiefs and elders of the Dzodze Traditional Area when they paid a courtesy call on him (1 February 2022), at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo said in spite of the setback he is facing in Parliament over the introduction of the electronic levy (E-Levy), the government will continue to persevere to find the means to address pertinent issues affecting the state.
President Akufo-Addo intimated that as a country, it has become necessary to “look within for our sustainability” and not depend on aid.
“It is not going to be possible for us in Ghana to continue forever to be dependent on foreign grants and foreign loans to keep our economy going. We ourselves would have to find the money for our development,” Akufo-Addo said.
“That is the reason why it has become necessary for us to introduce these measures like this famous tax [E-Levy] which has caused so much unnecessary, in my view, disputation,” he added.
Philip Abutiate and Fred Dzakpata
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