Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has recommended five things to be done if government truly means well to ameliorate the suffering and stabilize the economy.
The National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, at a press conference last Wednesday demanded, that government immediately repealed what he described as the obnoxious and counterproductive E-levy Act of 1.5% on momo and other electronic transactions.
Also, the NDC is charging government to immediately repeal the punitive COVID-19 levy of 1% on the VAT Flat Rate and the National Health Insurance Levy.
“Despite the recalcitrance of this government and its sometimes-antagonistic attitude to constructive criticism and ideas, we cannot afford to allow the present state of affairs to continue to fester. It is for this reason that we call on Ghanaians to join us in demanding that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government takes urgent steps to ameliorate our suffering and help stabilize the economy.
To this end, we demand: 1. the immediate repeal of the obnoxious and counterproductive E-levy Act of 1.5% on momo and other electronic transactions.
- the immediate repeal of the punitive COVID-19 levy of 1% on the VAT Flat Rate and the National Health Insurance Levy.
- the immediate scrapping of crippling fuel taxes such as the Special Petroleum Tax that has outlived its usefulness, the needless Sanitation Levy (“BORLA” tax), and the new Energy Sector Levy of 20 pesewas per liter of diesel and Petrol and 18 pesewas per kilogram of LPG.
- the suspension of the 9 pesewas BOST margin and the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy of 16 pesewas and 14 pesewas per liter of petrol and diesel respectively both of which are not being applied for their intended purposes.” Sammy Gyamfi stated.
Besides, the NDC is also asking President Akufo-Addo to relief the finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta off his post alleging that “President Akufo-Addo’s cousin has run down our economy through excessive borrowings that his personal company Databank profits from. Today, his name scares away investors and evokes a feeling of insecurity for every Ghanaian. Ken Ofori-Atta has become like stale water in a bottle and the earlier President Akufo-Addo fire his underperforming cousin, the better for the economy and all of us. As the venerable former President Mahama recently said, regardless of our running to the IMF, the only way to begin the process of rebuilding, if we are to get any good deal from the IMF is to sack Ken Ofori-Atta immediately and appoint a fresh, able hand in his stead to lead the IMF negotiations.”
According to Sammy Gyamfi, if President Akufo-Addo, would listen for once, he could begin the process of breathing life back into our ailing economy which is almost at the point of comatose. “Until then, our help is in the Lord. May God continue to bless our motherland,” he added.
