During a recent panel discussion on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Ishaq Ibrahim Esq., a senior lecturer at the UPSA Law School and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Team, addressed the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) introduced by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration.
He openly admitted that the policy was an unpopular one, even within the NPP, stating, “E-levy was an unpopular task, even within the NPP.”
According to Ibrahim, the levy was not necessarily a necessary measure, especially in light of Ghana’s economic realities.
“There was no need for this task because production had not been taken place,” he explained, emphasizing that taxes are most justifiable when they are linked to tangible economic production. However, he also acknowledged the challenges the country was facing at the time.
“It’s when production takes place that you can say that let me also have a share of it as a legitimate government,” he added, suggesting that in difficult times, tough decisions are sometimes made, even if they don’t always turn out to be the best choices in hindsight.
Reflecting on the policy, Ibrahim noted that, upon further reflection, the government might recognize that the E-Levy decision wasn’t the most prudent one.
“When you are in a difficult situation, sometimes you take measures that after second look, you realise that it was a wrong decision,” he said. He also pointed out that the former Vice President, in his bid for the presidency, had pledged to eliminate the E-Levy.
“It was this reason why when the former Vice President had the opportunity to become the flagbearer, he said the first thing he will do was to remove this particular task,” Ibrahim remarked.
