The Upper East Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr. Anthony Namoo has revealed, that members of the opposition National Democratic Congress are kicking against the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy because their thinking is that with the E-Levy, their chances of coming to power will be terminated. Apexnewsgh.com report. According to the Upper East Regional Chairman who spoke to Apexnews Ghana on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, in an exclusive interview, the Minority mindset is that, “…if we get money with no interest that should mean that their chances of coming to power will be terminated. That’s why they are all over the place making it look as if the E-Levy is going to take money from everybody whether you are working or not. The E-Levy has a minimum threshold of Ghc 100.00”. He said, “It costs money to put a platform for this to take place and you would also know that this has come about and there is a lot of fraud that goes on despite how it has made it easy for money to be circulated across the country. Some unscrupulous Ghanaians and of course some other people maybe not necessarily Ghanaians have also made it a point to make the system by defrauding the system because day in and out you cases in court and police station on of these issues”. “So, the E-levy was, first of all, brought about to as it were to make sure we make enough money to be able to finance cyber security to prevent fraud and all that. And of course, been tax is also for development and it has been said time and again that, taxation is the price we pay for civilization and therefore if we lived in a society whereby there is a rule of law, there are roads that we can pass, there are securities to protect us, it doesn’t come cheap is the price we pay for civilization. So, the E-Levy which was pegged at 1.75% is to ensure that government gets money in order to finance developmental challenges of our time”. He stressed However, Mr. Namoo believes the 1.75 threshold is reasonably good for the country, because the money if collected, isn’t going anywhere else but rather going to be used for the development of the country Ghana. He added, “that before the E-Levy was introduced, a research was conducted and 40% of people did send under Ghc 100.00 and below and even some send as low as Ghc10.00. So, over 40 percent of those who send money are within the Ghc 100.00 and below. And in other words, you can only be taxed if you are sending anything beyond Ghc 100.00. So, I think the 1.75 threshold is very reasonable for us as a country”. However, responding to the Minority critics, Mr. Namoo said, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) needs to come back again because, during their time, they introduce a financial service tax of 17.5% which was not only directed at the bank but to anything concerning monetary services. “Why would 1.75 which is far also 100% below what they have put be an issue? Let’s have the hope that the resources will be used judiciously, I think that should be the key thing. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
I and my colleagues are proud to belong to the group of MPs who frustrated Ameri, Agyapa… Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency, has boasted that he and his fellow Minority MPs are proud to belong to the group of MPs that “frustrated” the approval of the controversial E-levy proposed by the government in the 2022 budget. Apexnewsgh.com report The North Tongu legislator made the revelation through his Facebook wall on Monday 13, December 2021. Below is the full Facebook post by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa Let history reflect that my colleagues and I are proud to belong to the group of MPs who “frustrated” Ameri, Agyapa, Aker, Oslo Chancery, PDS, inflated 2018 Ministry of Special Development Initiatives Budget, GHS242million dubious e-Transaction Levy Services, and still determined to “frustrate” the obnoxious E-Levy. I have no doubt President Akufo-Addo is much the same way proud of how he and his collaborators in and outside of Parliament during their good old days “frustrated” the introduction of VAT not only in the chamber but on the streets with the famous “kumepreko” demonstrations. The Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu-led opposition era certainly look back with great pride for “frustrating” a number of matters they felt strongly about including boycotting President Mahama’s message on the state of the nation and boycotting the vetting of his ministers on the instruction of party leaders as they pursued their legal challenge of the 2012 election outcome. Parliaments exist in a democracy as a countervailing force to keep the executive in check and curb impunity. When other MPs exercised their oversight mandate in the past, they were hailed as nationalists; those who do same now must not be cast in a different light. Good conscience, genuine feedback from our constituents and the supreme national interest shall continue to be our raison d’etre. We owe a debt of gratitude to the eminent clergy who have declared three days of fasting and prayer for Parliament and the smooth approval of the 2022 Budget — we have no doubt that our Almighty Lord and Saviour will in the final analysis intervene on behalf of the suffering masses just as He did in the story of the profligate, insensitive rich man and poor Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
E-levy is a none starter, I will not support it today, I won’t support it tomorrow– Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba
Madam Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tempane Constituency in Upper East Region who doubles as a member of the communication committee in Parliament has assured her constituents to be rest assured that she will never support the controversial E-Levy today nor tomorrow. Speaking to Apexnewsgh.com in an exclusive interview, the Tempane legislator lamented that most of the things she expected the budget to capture which she thinks will reduce the plight of her constituents and region at large weren’t captured in the 2022 budget read by the Finance Minister. “Upper East is one of the deprived regions in the country and what I was expecting to see from the budget is something that will reduce the plight of the people of Upper East Region. I want to see a very robust programme for electricity, water, road network, youth employment, which I didn’t see in the budget”. She said the YouStart programme is a very scanty one because it did not specify what is going to do for the Upper East Region for the youth to get employment. For instance, I want to see that in the budget, that there provision made for Dam, for those who are not in the formal sector, those who want to go into Agric, or for those already in Agric to enhance their productivity. “I want to see the Minister of Finance assuring us that come next year or next coming season, there will be enough fertilizer for those who are into farming. I want to see TVET is very important today in our sectors. For instance in my constituency, if we have TVET that can actually train the youth carpentry, meson, tiling, mechanic so that when they come out and the government cannot employ them, they themselves can find a way of making a living out of it. So, I want to see something that is specific, if the budget is approved”. As for the E-Levy, the Tempane MP described it as a none starter. “E-Levy is none starter, we don’t even want to talk about it, because i don’t want to worsen the plight of our people. My people are already poor. Somebody is asking for Ghc 100.00 and you are telling me if I send the person Ghc 100.00 you are going to take Ghc 1.70 from that money again. So, at the end of the day, what is the person going to get? I will not support E-Levy today, I won’t support it tomorrow”. She stressed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Carlos Ahenkorah asked Ghanaians to avoid using MoMo, if they can’t pay E-Levy
Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West constituency, has asked Ghanaians who do not want to pay the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) to avoid using Mobile Money Services. In response to Justice for Ghana protestors who were in Parliament to register displeasure, the MP pointed that the E-levy is targeting people who have the opportunity and ability to send money through that system and not the poor. “It is not a compulsory tax, if you don’t do MoMo you don’t pay so if you don’t want to pay don’t do MoMo, it’s as simple as that,” he reiterated. “What I am telling them is that they don’t seem to understand what is going on. They should forget about what they are doing and rather let’s see how we can assist the government to run this country.” “This budget that we are talking about, an amount of $5million is coming from the E-levy thing to as it were support the expenditures. If we decide that we don’t want the E-levy anymore, so the government should take it out. It means that the government has to go and borrow that 5million from outside to come and support the budget.” “The government cannot find money anywhere unless you and I contribute into the kitty for the development we are looking for. Everybody want good road and free school thus free education. Where does the government going to get the money from,” he stressed. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Haruna Iddrisu’s position on the E-Levy problematic– Prof Ransford Gyampo
A lecturer at the University of Ghana Political Science Department Prof Ransford Gyampo has questioned Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu’s understanding on the controversial E-Levy captured in the 2022 budget. Apexnewsgh.com report He described Haruna Iddrisu’s posture ongoing E-Levy debate as problematic. Prof. Ransford Gyampo on his Facebook wall Wednesday, December 8, 2021, posted: 1. Haruna Iddrisu’s confused position on the E-Levy is problematic. It clearly shows that he and his party, the NDC haven’t learnt any serious lesson on what has created the kind of parliament we have today. He was heard publicly asking for a reduction of the 1.75percent to 1percent. Now he’s saying the whole E-levy must be jettisoned. What is this, Haruna? 2. It appears he spoke out of his own conviction on the 1percent and was later forced by his party to reverse what he’s publicly said to outright rejection of the levy. How does this make him feel as Minority Leader? Extreme partisan manipulation of leaders who have their own conviction in synch with their constituents, is a recipe for disaster in any democratic representation. 3. Representation is not about political parties and their interests. It is absolutely about constituent interests. Any attempt to extol partisan interest over constituent interest would backfire in a manner that would hurt a political party badly. We have a hung parliament today partly because the NPP wanted to safeguard its partisan interest by imposing candidates on constituents. They are paying dearly for it, even though their pain is also paying for democratic deepening. 4. The decision to support or not to support the E-levy must be based on the Ghanaian constituent interest and not partisan interest. Constituency interest and partisan interest must never clash in the context of representation. In other words, to make him a champion of democratic representation in the discourse on the E-levy and all other parliamentary deliberations, Haruna Iddrisu must pander more to constituent influence than NDC partisan influence. This is what makes him a representative of his people. 5. The NDC must understand that their MPs are first, representatives of their people/constituents. Partisan interest that breeds unnecessary intransigence comes secondary, and cannot be used to manipulate leaders in parliament in the context of democratic representation. 6. Haruna Iddrisu must therefore not allow himself to be weakened and be made manipulable by the party in a manner that sacrifices his own convictio, independence of thought and need to first articulate constituent/national interest in any discourse. You cannot say 1percent today and then turn around to call for total rejection simply because of a “kakai” in your party. 7. The well meaning Ghanaians who have spoken against E-levy have done so because of its potential impact on the already burdened tax-payer, the poor and the possibility of bringing cash economy into full scale. These should be the reasoning behind any call for reduction or total abandonment of the levy. Excessive partisanship in this discourse is repulsive to floating voters as it would lead to needless intransigence that would eventually make the country ungovernable. It must however be noted that a chaotic and an ungovernable country perceived to have been directly or remotely orchestrated by the opposition would not score them any political political point. Rather, it would anger floaters and win more sympathy for the ruling elites. 8. Both sides should therefore go do sincere dialogue, knowing that, consultations cannot be held in perpetuity and that none has the weight to throw about. Also, the threat to shut down the entire government, should the budget not pass, is an unnecessary political blackmail that has no place in situations that calls for proper dialogue. No intransigence, no show of any power that doesn’t even exist. Yaw Gyampo A31, Prabiw P.A.V. Ansah Street Saltpond & Suro Nipa House Kubease Larteh-Akuapim Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093.
What government Canceled is Public road tolls not private–Buaben Asamoah
The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoah has revealed that what the government has canceled is public road tolls and private road tolls. Apexnewsgh.com report According to him, the cancellation of the public road tolls was as a result of lack of equality and equity. “We are cheating the people who stay where the road tolls are. Because the government has its own toll areas and those people who lived and used the tolls are suffering because they are paying and the rest are getting the benefits and are not paying”. Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoah, made the clarification during an exclusive interview with Apexnews-Ghana on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. He believes the road toll levy wasn’t fair for all Ghanaians because only a few pay whiles others enjoy it. “What we have canceled is public road tolls and not private road tolls because, in some areas in the world, private people can build road and toll it to recover their money, we are not there yet. So, we have public road tolls. We have abolished public road tolls. “So, if you lived in Kasoa and there is a toll there and used trotro it means when you go in the morning you pay Gh1.00 and coming in the evening you pay another Ghc1.00 and that is Ghc 2.00 a day. Calculate 6 days a week that is Ghc 12.00. So, a trotro driver who works at Kasoa will pay road tolls but a trotro driver who is working at Nima to Roman ridge will never pay some. It is not fair. So because the road tolls points are not many and not many public roads are been tolled, what is happening is that those who lived in the area where the tolls are, are paying an indirect tax to the government and the rest of us are enjoying that tax-free and we are all getting good roads in spite of that. “It is also very inconvenience because that creates a lot of traffic and when that traffic is created, two things happen, we waste fuel and we waste production time. We waste fuel because you are sitting in the traffic burning fuel, you cannot switch off your engine and when your engine is running you are creating pollution. Aside from that, the time the person in the car who is going to work has wasted is also another thing. Aside that, when they keep stopping at the toll, they also spoil the roads very fast because of the heavy movement there and the money government is getting from there is not also enough”. Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoah explains Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Government brought up E-levy to move beyond petroleum levy–Yaw Buaben Asamoah
The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoah has said the government has brought up the E-levy in order to move beyond the petroleum levy. Apexnewsgh.com reports According to him, two things are visible, one is that a lot more Ghanaians will contribute to tax, which will make it easy for the government to function. He pointed, the government doesn’t function for profit, the government’s activities don’t generate profit for the government but they are things that give the opportunity for citizens to generate profit. Because when a government invests in a road, the road doesn’t bring the government profit but is the people who are using the road that government will tax some on their activity. Mr. Buaben Asamoah made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Apexnews-Ghana on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 He said, “Is very important that we appreciate that tax paying is not the easiest of things to do. However, government finances are driven by taxes and taxes can also be used to shape the economy in certain ways. So, the E-levy is a tax that is aiming to resolve so of the most difficult issues we have with taxation in Ghana. “The first of those issues is petroleum levy. You would realize that over the years, including the revolution time all that the government use to do was to tax petrol and anytime we taxed petrol, prices go up generally in the economy it doesn’t matter how much you put on the petrol price. So, the action of taxing petroleum has been saturated and because of the recent COVID issues with supply chain problems, you now find that even the petroleum itself price is going up worldwide. So, it is not attractive to taxes anymore. Because you cannot tax what the price is going up in the worldwide market and therefore, the government has decided to stop petroleum tax once and for all. “The other indirect tax, because we have to pay it back is loans, borrowing on the local market and borrowing on the foreign market and including in that borrowing is grants and concession from multi-literal institutions like IMF, WORLD BANK and also recently the commercial market which is BOND Market. The implications are that we never get enough money to invest in things we are borrowing for which are essentially infrastructure, roads and all the other needs and which is the principal and the interest thereon is growing up at a faster rate. And when you borrow to a certain point, you find out the interest payments are getting larger and larger and as we speak, the interest payment on our debt is hitting around 30% of our GDP. That means, for every Ghc 100.00 we get as a nation, we are going to use Ghc 30.00 to pay the debt. How much will be left for our work? So, borrowing too is no more an option, we can’t continue to borrow. So, we are at a point where we need a completely new strategy for funding our own personal needs, funding our roads, our schools, funding our hospital, funding our digital revolution, funding the things that will make us be able to move up and down, funding the digital economy itself, so that everybody can get access to the internet everywhere you are in Ghana”. “So, in order to move beyond petroleum levy, and move beyond borrowing, the government has brought up the E-levy. The E-levy means that the money which would have been put on petroleum taxes, which would have gone to borrow abroad is going to be taken from the E-transaction, which is transaction Ghanaians endorse in. “Two things are visible, one is that a lot more Ghanaians contribute to tax, which will make it easy for the government to function. But we know the government doesn’t function for profit, the government’s activities don’t generate profit to the government but they are things that give opportunity for citizens to generate profit. Because when a government invests in a road, the road doesn’t bring the government profit but is the people who are using the road that government will tax some on their activity. “So, when you put a tax on the E-levy two things happens, more Ghanaians will contribute to paying taxes which means we will pay smaller than before. “Currently, only those who are employed by the government are paying taxes. So, out of the 30 million Ghanaians, less than 10 million are paying tax. And it doesn’t fall on those people alone to be paying for all the roads, all the road re-payment and the money is not enough because they are few and we are taxing them more and more. So, we do this, that means a lot more Ghanaians will share the burden of paying the tax. So, if 11 million people are doing mobile phone transactions, the 11 million people will share and be paying the tax small small so that government can invest in our roads properly. “It also means that because a lot more people are paying, you don’t have to pay much individually. When few people are paying, they pay a lot, but when a lot more people are paying, they don’t have to pay too much as individuals because is spread across”. Mr. Asamoah told Apexnewsgh.com Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Upper East Region is neglected on the 2022 budget–Navrongo MP
The Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central Mr. Sampson Tangombu Chiragia has cried out loud, over what he sees as an empty 2022 budget for the people of Upper East Region. Apexnewsgh.com Report Speaking in an exclusive interview with Apexnews-Ghana on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, the Navrongo Central legislator said, the region was neglected. According to him, not even the controversial airport issue was mentioned in the 2022 Budget, which to him, he saw as very worrying especially with the difficulty the people of Upper East go through from Tamale before getting into the region. He appealed to the government to do something by starting the construction of the Airport for the people of the region. Meanwhile, for Mr. Sampson, it does not matter where the airport is sited, because he believes any part of the region, is still better than Tamale. “As for this NPP budget, not even only constituency alone benefitted anything, I will say the whole region was neglected. If you look at the budget, there is nothing there for Upper East Region. We will continue to talk even our airport, is not easy driving from Tamale to Bolga at all”. He lamented “We are saying that in fact, they should be able to do something in such that, we can also go home every Friday and come back on Monday. We don’t mind whichever part of the region they are putting the airport for us, even if they go and put it in Garu, it will still be better than going to Tamale and traveling all the way to Navrongo. “The Multi-Purpose Dam they said they are doing for us, in the budget there is nothing there about it. We are not seeing anything that is helping the region. These are the things we are looking at. If in the whole region there is no good project, how do you then talk of a constituency? The budget is not friendly to Upper East Region at all”. He concluded Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
I enjoy peace of mind outside parliament–Former NDC MP
Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central constituency and the former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr. Inusah Fuseini has revealed, he is enjoying peace of mind outside Parliament house. Apexnewsgh.com report The former legislature in an exclusive interview with Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen said, whatever good he is doing currently, he is doing it for himself with any influence. Unlike the time he was representing his constituency and party in parliament without having anytime for himself as a person. Asking whether Mr. Fuseini enjoys farming than being in parliament, he said “…life is in chapters, what am doing now has its challenges and its experiences. It gives me peace of mind and happiness, it makes me conjure of myself, whatever i do, i do for myself, if i do good i do for myself and if i do bad i do for myself, if i put on hard work, am putting it for myself”. He stressed “So, I don’t need any motivation for anyone to tell me to work hard. I have to work hard because am working for myself. Unlike when one is in parliament, your party is on you, your constituents are on you. “So, this time when i get up and say am going to the farm, am going to the farm, when am at the farm working and feeling tired and I say am going home, am going home, when i say i will get to the farm at 6 o’clock in the morning, I will go to the farm at 6 o’clock in the morning. So, in this chapter of my life, i am in control of myself”. He told Apexnewsgh.com Mr. Fuseini, as very unusual with politicians in African, voluntarily declined from contesting the 2020 parliamentary election in his constituency. He is currently one of the moving trains in Ghana as far as commercial farming is concerned. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093.
The Cedi is running, arrest it– Dr. Duffuor to Dr. Bawumia
Kwabena Duffuor, Former Finance Minister has revealed, that the weakness of the Ghana cedi has exposed the Akufo-Addo led government and its economy per Vice-President’s own standard of measurement. Dr. Duffuor, who has made his presidential ambitions public, told his TV station, GHOne, in an interview on Monday, 6 December 2021 monitored by Apexnewsgh.com jab Dr. Bawumia, “Look at the cedi, for example: when I was in office 2012, you needed 1 cedi 88 pesewas to get a dollar but now you need 6 cedis 20 pesewas to get a dollar”. “[A few] years ago, Dr Bawumia said: ‘When the fundamentals are weak, the exchange rate will expose you’; the exchange has exposed the government now, meaning the fundamentals are weak by Bawumia’s own explanation,” the businessman said. Dr Duffuor noted that “the cedi is running and he Dr Bawumia promised that he will arrest the cedi. Where is he? Dr Bawumia, the cedi is running; arrest it”. “He [Bawumia] also made a point that he had worked at the central bank and that there was so much money and we didn’t have to go and borrow; what has happened during his term?” Dr Duffuor also described as “wicked” and “unfair”, claims that he is being used by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), to put spokes in the wheel of former President John Mahama’s comeback for the 2024 general elections. “Those claims are just wicked and I pray that those people will put their thinking caps on”. “It is very unfair”, he added. The former Finance Minister pointed out: “Who will serve a country for four years and will not accept anything: no salary, no allowances, no ex gratia?” “Why would I be a mole when money is not my problem”, he wondered. According to him, he delayed the pursuit of his presidential ambition by a few years despite having being urged by former president Jerry Joh Rawlings to run for the slot in 2018. “I felt the time was not right when Rawlings called on me to contest”, he explained. The late ex-president, Dr Duffuor revealed, “said he was going to lead my campaign himself but I didn’t”. “The only reason I’m doing so now is because I think the party can still do better and it must involve everyone”, he added. The businessman, who is in his 70s, also shrugged off age concerns, saying: “Why should age matter?” “The focus should be on what the person brings to the fore and what they are capable of delivering when given the job and my track record proves what I can do in almost every sphere of the economy”, he noted. “My record and the work we are capable of doing should be the driver of the conversation not age”, he pointed. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093.









