Tano North Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Gideon Boako has refuted claims by the Energy Minister, John Jinapor, regarding a proposed 58% electricity tariff increment by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Dr. Boako described these claims as false and urged Mr. Jinapor to be truthful to Ghanaians.
According to Dr. Boako, the Minister suggested that the 58% increase is the price Ghana has to pay for scrapping the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) to make up for the revenue shortfall.
However, in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, the Spokesperson for former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia disagreed. He argued that this was not the first time Ghana has entered an IMF programme, and such agreements have never required electricity tariff increments.
“It is not true that the increment is part of IMF conditionalities. This is not the first time we are going into an IMF programme, but the NDC, 7 out of 8 years in their previous administration, increased electricity tariffs,” he stated.
“Akufo-Addo inherited an IMF programme and introduced a new one, but only 3 out of the 8 years did we increase electricity tariffs. So the Minister should be truthful to Ghanaians,” he added.
He asserted that, over time, people will come to understand that former President Nana Akufo-Addo was the only leader who lifted the tax burden on Ghanaians. “The first time Ghana witnessed a cumulative reduction was under Akufo-Addo,” he concluded.
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