Government's claim to use E-Levy to create jobs a scam - ILAPI boss

Founding President of policy think tank Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), Peter Bismark Kwofie, has described the claims by government to create jobs with E-Levy as a scam.

He referenced recent claims by Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, that the E-Levy would allow the government give clearance so more persons are recruited into the security services.

Speaking at the recent town hall meeting in the Upper West Region, the minister disclosed that 100,000 persons applied for jobs in the Immigration service but they could only take 2,000 due to lack of funds.

He said with the E-Levy, the government can raise more resources to recruit more persons.

But Mr. Kwofie says the claim is a scam and Ghanaians must not believe it.

“Well, I can only tell you that, creating jobs with E-Levy is scam. Soon, the ministers of Health and Education would also be speaking on backlogs and postings of nurses and teachers which the E-Levy is expected to do the magic," he said.

"One don’t need a lie detective machine to tell you, the government is confused and consistently telling lies to justify the importance of the E-Levy. Today, it’s YouthStart, tomorrow it’s Roads, tomorrow it’s Free SHS, another day it’s for more employment at the security services and next month it be for Railways lines and finally it could be School feeding,” he added.

Read his statement below.

I don’t know if you have heard the Interior Minister, Ambrose Derry at one of the Town Hall Meetings asking Ghanaians to accept E-Levy to enable the government to employ more youths in the security services. But if you haven’t, let’s get together on the E-Levy’s dining tables.

According to the Minister, 100,000 applicants wanted to enter into the immigration service alone but the service needed only 2000 personnel. Because of lack of funds, government couldn’t employ a majority of the 100,000 applicants.

He said the E-Levy will give the services the financial clearance to create jobs by employing the youths into the security services. With this reason the Minister is begging the youths, market women, opinion leaders and constituents to convince their MPs to vote for the E-Levy to be passed.

Well, I can only tell you that, creating jobs with E-Levy is scam. Soon, the ministers of Health and Education would also be speaking on backlogs and postings of nurses and teachers which the E-Levy is expected to do the magic.

One don’t need a lie detective machine to tell you, the government is confused and consistently telling lies to justify the importance of the E-Levy. Today, it’s YouthStart, tomorrow it’s Roads, tomorrow it’s Free SHS, another day it’s for more employment at the security services and next month it be for Railways lines and finally it could be School feeding.

Still, E-Levy is a legal theft.