Story: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The 2020 Presidential Candidate of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. John Dramani Mahama has hinted that a future NDC government will abolish the obnoxious E-Levy introduced by the Nana Addo-Dr. Bawumia led Administration.
Mr. Mahama in a widely televised event dubbed “Ghana at Crossroad” on Monday, May 2. 2022, said “We in the NDC do not oppose taxation as a principle. We will not be pretentious and couch fanciful slogans to condemn the principle of taxation like the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) did in the past. We are, however, implacably opposed to distortionary and burdensome taxes like the E-Levy that only force Ghanaians to endure more suffering.
He continued by saying “a new NDC Government, God willing and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana in 2025 will repeal the E-Levy Act,”.
The controversial levy took effect Sunday, May 1, 2022, amidst public outcry.
The NDC had consistently opposed the introduction of the levy.
According to the Party, the E-Levy is punitive and amounts to double taxation.
The E-Levy Bill was passed into an Act by the Parliament of Ghana on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, after a series of protests by the Minority Caucus which resulted in a walkout.
The Minority Caucus staged a walked out after their leader Mr. Haruna Iddrisu said the NDC MPs remained united in opposing the policy.
On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Mr. Iddrisu and two others filed an application at the Supreme Court (SC) to block the commencement of the E-Levy deductions which began on May 2, 2022.
It has been more than three weeks since the filing of the application.
The case is expected to be heard Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
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