A Constituency Executive Member of the ruling NDC in the Ho Central Constituency, Oscar Komla Bedzra has replied to critics of the 1 cedi levy on fuel purchase, indicating that government’s one cedi on fuel is far less than what was witnessed under the earstwhile NPP administration.
In a statement put out on social media, Oscar Bedzra described the NPP’s 1% electronic levy on mobile money transactions charge as a hand-to-mouth policy that had no specific target.
Mr. Bedzra explained, that, government’s fuel levy is directed at clearing the energy sector debts which will go a long way to solve the energy sector challenges.
He further cautioned the opposition New Patriotic Party to desist from equating it to their previous 1 % charges on mobile money transactions.
Below is the full statement made by Oscar Komla Bedzra:
GOVT’s 1 CEDI ON FUEL FAR FROM NPP’s 1% E-LEVY
Owing to the controversy over the introduction of one cedi per litre on fuel at the pumps, it appears as though the NPP has soon started ‘misinforming’ Ghanaians.
Indeed, introduction of a cedi per every litre of fuel is intended to “Clear Energy Sector Debts” that has bedeviled the country for over a decade.
Indeed , this tax is not what some of us can describe as “hand-to-mouth” tax as in the case of the once burdened e-levy that besides, being described by most tax analysts at the time as a double tax, led to a drastic decline in mobile money transactions even without any clear purpose until its recent cancellation by the NDC government.
One would have thought, that, the NPP should have rather been encouraging Ghanaians to honour this instead of “struggling to manipulate” the mindset of the general public against a cedi on fuel meant to clear a debt that continue to be a major factor for “dumsor”.
One thing the NPP has forgotten about, is that, “tax policy is complied with when leadership is responsible and prudent in it’s management strategies” and that , the one cedi on fuel will not, can not in any way cancel the gains made in fuel price reductions.
The NPP need to shy away from this early attitude of misinformation just a little over four months in Opposition, and praise President Mahama’s Cedi Appreciation, fuel price reductions and prudent financial management strategies other than the “horror e-levy movies” we all witnessed under the NPP leading to their 38 percent.
I’m however confident, that, the purpose of this one cedi levy will be realized by three years.
