General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has given a new name to the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).
President Nana Akufo-Addo has insisted that it is in the public interest that the proposed levy be enacted into law to improve the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio on an equitable basis.
Speaking at the opening of the maiden National Labour Conference at Kwahu-Nkwatia in the Eastern Region on Monday, President Akufo-Addo emphasised that it was time the country raised money domestically to fund its development imperatives and ended its dependence on foreign savings.
But to Mr Nketia, the ruling has now positioned the levy, which he believes is bad for the country, as the solution to all of problems, particularly to aid development.
“In the interest of Ghana, we should not support E-levy. The conversation is not about not having money but everyone is looking at actions that are in the interest of the nation. So we [NDC] believe stopping it will be in the interest of the nation,” he said on Nhyira FM’s Kuro Yi Mu Nsem show.
He has, therefore, suggested that it should be localised as Akobam, a body ointment that gained popularity due to a song composed to advertise the product years ago.
“So now E-levy has become Akobam, the government is not telling us the truth,” he added.
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The song depicted the balm could be used for almost all ailments.
Akobam meti y3 meya – my head aches; Memu ye meya – my body aches; Mensa ye meya – my hand aches.
Watch the video above: