The Spokesperson for Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia Dr Gideon Boako says his boss’ silence on the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) during the lecture on the economy was not deliberate.
According to him, E-levy is a government policy hence the Vice President has no option than to go with it.
“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 send 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,” he disclosed on TV3.
He continued “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?
Mr. Boako also stated that what Ghanaians should focus on should be accountability and what the tax will be used for.
“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, and passed by parliament. Today, it is part of our tax handles, we are individuals and citizens, and we may have our own reactions towards paying tax and which particular tax is in question. Once it is approved, we are duty-bound and responsibility-bound as citizens to pay.”
The Spokesperson also noted that “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 has been passed.”
