2024 elections: NPP will take the political risk despite ‘unpopularity’ of E-levy – Afenyo-Markin

Government determined to push through with E-levy

Minority unfazed in stiff opposition to bill

NPP vow to break the 8

Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has said that the governing New Patriotic Party understands the vehement opposition to the controversial E-levy which currently seeks to slap a 1.75% charge on all electronic transactions including mobile

Read full articlemoney.

According to the Effutu MP, no citizen in the world would like to pay tax thus he understood the opposition to the levy.

Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show on Monday, January 31, Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the opposition NDC MPs should therefore be glad that the government intends to implement a tax that is unpopular “after all, we are in competition”.

He however said the onus lies on the government to use the revenue generated from the levy for its intended purpose in order to meet the aspirations of citizens.

“Our friends have indicated that they don’t want to share political risk and I agree and it's fine. We would take political responsibility however the game-changer will be our ability to demonstrate to Ghanaians that we didn’t take the money for the sake of taking it.

"We didn’t abuse it but whatever we got …this is it… we show…like what Kufuor did. He went to HIPC, he was criticized but Kufuor’s government had an effective communication strategy where for HIPC benefits, they related it to projects and it was all over and Ghanaians realised that we now understand,” he said

The NPP has vowed to break the 8-year power cycle jinx in the political history of the country, however, many have warned that a forceful passage of the controversial E-levy could cost them.

Prominent amongst those who have made such a claim is the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin who says the NPP will lose the 2024 elections should the E-levy go through.

He said, “as you go around convincing Ghanaians to vote for your party and you, others with big pockets are facilitating for your parties and when you win power, they get the positions, not you. So they don’t have that culture, they don’t have that understanding and there is that missing link.

"They come to impose their ideas on you to put party interest first not Ghana first and we always vote ourselves out of power which my colleagues in NPP are doing so don’t be surprised if the next election you don’t win”.

“Yes it’s very clear if this your e-levy goes through you have lost the election,” he said emphatically.