Dr. Gideon Boako, Member of Parliament for Tano North, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to avoid using the upcoming National Economic Dialogue as an excuse to delay the government’s promise of abolishing certain taxes, including the e-levy and betting tax.
In a Facebook post on Monday, January 27, 2025, Dr. Boako expressed concerns that the much-anticipated dialogue could be a tactic to postpone fulfilling key campaign promises made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 general elections.
The remarks follow the Presidency’s announcement on Sunday about the formation of a seven-member committee tasked with leading the National Economic Dialogue. The forum aims to address pressing economic challenges and provide a roadmap for sustainable growth.
However, Dr. Boako cautioned that the initiative should not be a pretext to retain what he described as “unpopular taxes” that the NDC had vowed to eliminate upon assuming office. He stressed that the electorate voted for the NDC based on these promises and expected swift action.
“The Ghanaian people supported the NDC’s agenda because they believed in our promise to abolish these burdensome taxes. Delaying their removal under the guise of seeking economic consensus would be a betrayal of that trust,” Dr. Boako stated.
He further urged the committee overseeing the dialogue to prioritize meaningful solutions to Ghana’s economic challenges rather than devising strategies to justify inaction on campaign commitments.
Dr. Boako emphasized that while the dialogue is critical for addressing long-term economic issues, it should not come at the expense of the government’s accountability to the people.
“National Economic Dialogue. Let it not be the case that it is just a vehicle to ascribe excuses for why President Mahama cannot redeem his promise to scrap e-levy, betting tax, covid levy, and emissions tax,” he remarked.
The National Economic Dialogue is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with key stakeholders participating to discuss Ghana’s fiscal and economic strategies. All eyes remain on the government to see if it will uphold its campaign pledges amidst the deliberations.
Credit: myjoyonline