The Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Anthony Namoo has asked the National Democratic Congress to file urgent questions on the Floor of Parliament if it is really interested in knowing the cost of the government’s town hall meetings on the E-levy.
It would be recalled that the government proposed to hold a number of town hall meetings around the country to sensitize Ghanaians to the workings of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy). So far, two of these town hall meetings have been held. The first was in Koforidua in the Eastern Region and the other at Takoradi in the Western Region.
The meetings have since caught the attention of the NDC. The National Youth Organizer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Opare Addo asked the government to make public, funds spent on the recent Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) Townhall meetings.
Responding to the issues raised by Mr. Opare Addo, Mr Namoo intimated that there are proper ways to seek accountability from the government. He said if the NDC is interested in finding out the cost of the meetings, it could allow it Members of the Minority Group in Parliament to ask urgent questions in Parliament and subsequently drag the the Minister of Finance to the House to answer questions about the costs.
Lawyer Namoo explained that it is part of government’s duties and also part of the annual budgets for government to educate the public on portions of the budget that come under contention; in this case. the E-Levy.
“It is unfortunate that E-levy is the part of the budget that people have problems with because of the misunderstanding. People also tried to twist facts so there is a need for education on it. It is part of the budget that anytime it is passed, the government has to go around to educate the people, we have to explain. In explaining, we will have to expend money. We expect that Honourable Opare Addo, who is a former DCE, should know better”.
“You members of Parliament are there. Direct them to call the Minister of Finance to the House to appropriately address the issues. The Minister of Finance cannot go around and be responding to everyone who asks questions. Member of Parliament can file urgent questions,” he added.
Meanwhile in response the comments of Lawyer Namoo, a member of NDC’s National Communications Team, Osman Ayariga maintained that it does not need to take Members of Parliament to ask questions about monies being spent on the town hall meetings.
