The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has admitted that government underestimated the anger of Ghanaians over the e-levy.
He said they thought of a resistance to it because it’s a tax, however they didn’t think it will face this massive public backlash.
The Suame MP and leader of Government Business in Parliament said “You will see the Finance Minister going to organize townhall meetings in various regional capitals.
“Maybe, we underestimated the resistance. In any human institution people really will not come out openly to embrace the imposition of taxes, so we thought that yes, there will be some resistance it being a new levy or tax that we are going to introduce, but maybe we underestimated the strength of the resistance.
“Maybe, what we are doing now, I know some of my colleagues are out in various regions and constituencies trying to explain matters to their constituents, with hindsight maybe, this ought to have preceded the introduction of the E-levy. Perhaps, next time we will do better.
“But as I said we are still engaging and I want to believe that we will certainly bring this to successful completion.”
The government, led by the Finance Minister has been engaging Ghanaians in town hall meetings over the levy.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has admitted to the dire challenges the Ghanaian economy is facing hence the need for the e-levy.
This, he said, is the main reason why Ghanaians have to accept the controversial e-levy in order for the nation to develop.
Speaking at a town hall meeting on Monday, 21 February 2022 in the Upper West regional capital, Wa, Mr Ofori-Atta said: “I look at teachers and civil servants for example, and I will be the first to admit that the salaries are indecent, nobody will argue with that. At the same time, it is 60 per cent of all the revenue we collect from 700,000 people [go into salary payment,] that is also a fact.”
“So yes, there is a legitimate demand for more and there is a legitimate reality that there is no money. So what do we do as a society? Then you ask me to give you more salary, which is fine, then I say, but it is your colleague civil servants who collect the money, so how can you responsible for collecting the money, not collect it and then tell me to give you the money. That will be another issue.”
