Former Head of Monitoring Unit of the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has slammed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and all other persons in support of the e-levy who urge Ghanaians to pay the e-levy because it is taxes that foreign countries use to develop their economies.
With the e-levy strongly opposed by the Minority and many Ghanaians, the argument has been that the electronic tax will serve as an avenue for development for the country.
Encouraging the citizens to embrace this initiative, the proponents have been drawing comparisons between Ghana and the economies of foreign nations, stressing the difference between the two in terms of development, is that the citizens abroad willingly pay taxes.
Speaking on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Charles Owusu wants these comparisons to stop because, to him, it’s disproportionate for any person to compare Ghana with overseas.
He noted that the problem that most Ghanaians have with the e-levy, aside calling for the 1.75 percent to be reduced, is how it (e-levy) will be administered.
He explained that, in abroad, the taxes are used for its intended purposes unlike Ghana, therefore arguing that ”we don’t see what our tax is used to do in this country”.
”Those abroad, when they pay tax, see the evidence that roads are being tarred, water runs through the tape 24/7; the system is working…I say if they set up tolls on my road, I will pay but you can’t put tolls on a rough road. And so if you construct alphated road for me and set up toll on it and tell me to pay, why won’t I pay?
”Because I can attest to it, but here we have a situation in a country where pregnant women lies on a mat. Tell me where in overseas do you see a pregnant woman lying on a mat in the hospital? Where in abroad do you find a Police officer living in a messy room?” he questioned.
He further lambasted the State authorities saying ”it is only in Ghana that you will have a prepaid meter and load credit on it but can’t use it because there is light off” and wondered if this happens abroad too.
”I mean there’s nothing like that in a foreign country, so we should stop that comparison!…In Ghana here, as soon as it rains, your telephone doesn’t work. In Ghana, when it rains, your lights go out because it is afraid of rainfall. That is not happening there (abroad)…So, we shouldn’t even engage in that kind of intellectual discourse at all,” he stated.
Source: Peacefmonline
