Gideon Boako explains Bawumia’s silence on e-levy
Spokesperson of the Vice President, Dr. Gideon Boako has said Dr Mahamudu Bawumia did not touch on the e-levy policy in his economic address on Thursday April 7 because the policy has already been passed.
Whatever anybody says after the bill had been passed is immaterial hence, his decision not to delve into the matter in his address.
During the almost two hours public address, Dr Bawumia did not mention the recently passed Electronic Transfer Levy except to say that it is among the taxes passed in Ghana.
Asked why the Vice President did not talk about the policy in his address while speaking on the First Take with host Dzifa Bampoh on 3FM Tuesday April 12, Dr Boako said “Let me ask this question, is it the normal practice even in the corporate world that if Media General takes a decision that this is what you want to do, a manager or a programmes head comes out to say that at the table, this was my view but we have taken the decision? Or when Media General takes a decision, all of you will ride with it.
“[E-levy] is a government policy. Whatever commentary anybody passed before such policy came to effect is immaterial. Whether you sat on the table, made your views known in support or in dissent, when the decision is taken it is a collective decision and what you say is immaterial.
“Mind you, you don’t come out from cabinet meetings and sending out loud your opinion and push it out, it is not done anywhere. What is important is that when government takes a decision, all actors are bound by it whether you supported it or not. So it is not in the interest of the government or the Vice President himself to come out after cabinet has taken the decision to say that ‘I’m the one who championed the idea’, or to come out to say ‘when this was tabled I didn’t support it’, are you not a team player?
“It is not done anywhere, is it is not ethical. So that is the principle. What is important now is that e-levy has been approved by cabinet, passed by parliament. Today , it is part of our tax handles, we are individuals and citizens, we may have our own reactions towards paying tax and which particular tax in question. Once it is approved, we are duty-bound and responsibility-bound as citizens to to pay.
“We need to make sure we hold government accountable to ensure that the purpose of which the tax was introduced is achieved. I think that is where we need to focus now. If you listened to the President’s state of the nation address after e-levy was passed, he didn’t talk so much about e-levy.
“The Finance Minister in his address after e-levy was passed didn’t talk so much about e-levy because it has been passed so I don’t see why the Vice President had to rather take time and go and delve into the matter after it ahs been passed.”
Source:3news
