The founder of the Danquah Institute Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has called on members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to cool down on their anger and work together with mutual respect.
The NPP Majority in Parliament and the NDC Minority have both taken entrenched positions with regards to the introduction of a 1.75% e-levy which will affect electronic transactions, as contained in the government’s 2022 budget statement.
While the NDC are against the levy and wants it scrap, the NPP is for it with the explanation that the upsurge in the use of e-payment platforms, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been an impetus for the introduction of the levy.
They say Ghana recorded a total of GHS500 billion from e-transactions in 2020 compared with GHS78 billion in 2016 and, thus, the e-levy proceeds will be used to support entrepreneurship, youth employment, cyber security, and digital and road infrastructure, among others.
On Monday night, the MPs from both sides exchanged blows while deliberating on the e-levy. Parliament has adjourned to January 18 2022 to allow cool heads to prevail before taking a final decision on the levy.
Mr Otchere-Darko who is also President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s cousin in a tweet is, thus, calling for a consensus building between both sides and urging them to put Ghana first in their dealings.
Mr Otchere-Darko’s tweet read: “Whatever we feel as NPP or NDC, or Ghanaians about the state of play, let us cool down on the anger. We know how to live together (to the pride of the world); let’s do more to work together with mutual respect and Ghana first in these uncharted waters of the 8th Gov’t/Parliament.
