Alexander Afenyo-Markin
Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has mentioned that job creation and road infrastructure form the basis of the E-Levy and that all must embrace it for economic growth.
Sustainable economic and financial discipline are the foundation in building a more robust and resilient economy and Ghana is not an exception, and taxes such as the E-levy are part of the equation; the fiscal prudence comes into reality when we broaden the tax net and begin to channel them into safe networks that serve as enabling avenues to drive the economy of Ghana to growth. It must be established that manufacturing and public services alone cannot hold the economy, E-levy is crucial if indeed we are poised for growth and prosperity, he said.
Mr Afenyo Markin made the observation during an interview on TV3 new day show on Thursday, January 28, 2022. Government cannot risk going to the International Monetary Fund, IMF at this crucial moment, considering the economic challenges incurred by the Covid 19 pandemic which came unannounced. It is obvious the world is in difficult times of which Ghana too has been affected , but we can also not resort to borrowing too and that the need to adopt the E-levy policy to address critical pressing issues.
Notwithstanding government’s effort to sustaining all social intervention programmes in spite of the Covid 19 pandemic, we believe the E-levy will compliment the business of governance especially in the expansion of the road infrastructure and job creation for the youth.
The Akufo-Addo government and that of Kufuor’s has demonstrated quality leadership in the allocation of public purse for massive and unprecedented economic transformation in the area of Roads, Health, Education, Transport, Agric, Energy, Finance, Sports, Railway and rural development projects, programmes and policies are visible for all to appreciate just in 13 years of governance as compared to NDC’s 27 years with no social intervention projects, policies or programs to show, it is in this light that we seek the total support of Ghanaians in the passage of the E-levy legislation to help sustain the economy.
It will be recalled that in the 2016 electioneering period, the NPP campaigning vigorously on the free senior high school, 1 district 1 factory and planting for food and job policies. True to the words of the Akufo-Addo – Bawumia led government the free senior high school policy was implemented without delay together with all the promises made to Ghanaians.
“We have exhibited loyal, honest and dedicated leadership and proven to be good managers of the economy than our political rivals the NDC, he underscored.
The Deputy Majority leader wondered why the Minority side supported the approval of the E-levy budget in the first instance, then the appropriation stage, through to estimation which was also participated by both sides, followed by a report from the committee which was done on consensus and unanimously agreed, then suddenly the minority makes a 360 U-turn at the legislation stage because of a sharp division among them and a pressure from their party base that 2024 elections will be crucial for the NDC because the E-levy shall heavily address youth employment and also expand road infrastructure, and that they ought to fiercely resist it at all cost, he bemoaned.
On the brawls in Parliament, he expressed worry over the behaviour of members of the Minority NDC by resorting to physical attacks on the majority because of their disagreement on passage of the E-levy into legislation. “We have been in opposition before and there were serious matters we disagreed but we adopted what is enshrined in the rule in a civil manner, never did we go on this tangent”, he said.
He pointed out that another tool available for MPs to express their disagreement on the floor of Parliament is the law court but not physical attacks on MPs and Ministers of state. “I had no qualms about the minority’ objection to the E-levy legislation except for the physical attacks”.
According to the Effutu MP, agreeing to disagree forms the fundamentals of democracy, and I believe that the best way to go is to tolerate each other. “Ghana has gained global dignity and much respect with our multi party democracy and so we must not create some kind of impression of ourselves with unfortunate brawls in Parliament “, he stated.
By Dominic Kojo Blay