Ghanaians are duty-bound to pay the e-levy so long as it has been approved by Parliament and assented to by the President, Dr Gideon Boako, spokesperson of the Vice President, has said.
He stated that whatever anybody felt about the policy before its approval is immaterial at the moment.
What matters most, he said, is holding the government accountable to ensure that the Act achieve its purpose.
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 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. So it is not in the interest of the government or the Vice President himself to come out after the 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, 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.
“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.”
The e-levy policy was approved by a one-sided Parliament on Tuesday March 29 after the minority staged a walkout.
President Akufo-Addo on Thursday March 31 assented to the bill into law on Thursday March 31.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana