The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President John Mahama who is likely to be the Party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 election has made yet another promise to the electorate similar to the ones made in 2008 which was not fulfilled.
Addressing the nation on the theme ‘Ghana At A Crossroads’, on Monday, he accused the NPP administration of failure to demonstrate prudence in public financial management and stated emphatically that the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will repeal the E-Levy Act.
According to him, the E-levy is another burdensome tax that only forces Ghanaians to pay more while suffering.
Insisting the NDC do not oppose taxation as a principle, he however noted that the Party will not be pretentious and couch fanciful slogans to condemn the principle of taxation like the 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 said “A new National Democratic Congress Government, God willing and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana – in 2025 – will repeal the E-Levy Act.
The NDC in its campaign to grab political power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the year 2008 promised a one-time premium payment for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) when voted into power. This was after they had walked out of Parliament when all this important social policy was being introduced by the Kufuor administration for the good of the vulnerable in the society in particular. The NDC said under their regime, anyone who paid once to register for the policy would benefit for life, but that promise was never fulfilled
The party promised to build 200,000 houses to address the housing deficit and offer decent accommodation for the Police and the other Security Agencies. They brought in STX and got President Mills to cut sod at the Police Depot in Tesano, the houses never saw the light of the day.
The NDC said it will generate funds internally and not rely on IMF and the World Bank or foreign loans but ended up running to IMF
The NDC also promised the establishment of a Fisheries College, people from the coastal fishing communities are still waiting for the college to learn how to raise herrings
They promised to cancel the sale of Vodafone Company and scrapped the introduction of Communication Service Tax but failed to do any, CST, rather increased just like NPP did with VAT.
They also promised to offer 10% of the oil revenue to the Western Region to help develop the region that never saw the light of day
Mr. Mahama’s comments come at a time when he is yet to declare his intention to contest the 2024 polls or even get the nod from the party’s delegates to lead the NDC into the elections recent European Intelligence Report has ruled him out as any candidate with a bright political fortune for the party.
At least Mr. Mahama has only re-echoed the concerns of Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the party as well as Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Officer of the NDC who have both at various times hinted that the party will cancel the E-levy policy if it wins the 2024 general elections.
Mr. Mahama argued that the people of Ghana cannot be called upon to pay more taxes only for the accruing money belonging to the people of Ghana adding “to be dubiously and wastefully shared among family and friends through various fraudulent procurement practices.”
Mr. Mahama said, “Unfortunately in the face of this self-inflicted economic catastrophe, this government against all sound advise has decided to introduce the E-Levy that heaps more suffering on Ghanaians.”
Mr. Mahama said people will now be forced to use more cash than electronic transactions as part of their daily operations.
The former President added that it is even more saddening that the levy was implemented on May Day when workers were supposed to be celebrated.
Source: Mypublisher24.com