NPP would’ve also abolished the E-levy – Mandela
He stated that the flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was committed to cancelling the e-levy, as stated in the party's 2024 manifesto.
Kasim Mubasshir Mandela, the Chiana-Paga Constituency Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said their party would have abolished the Electronic Levy (E-Levy) if the NPP government retained power.
He stated that the flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was committed to cancelling the e-levy, as stated in the party’s 2024 manifesto.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Friday April 4, 2025, Mandela emphasised Dr Bawumia’s stance on not taxing digital transactions to promote a cashless system.
“It was part of our (NPP) bold solutions to take off the e-levy, then vice president; the digital man, made it clear that you can not be on course to promote digitalisation and still have to tax peasant traders.”
“Unfortunately, the NDC emerged victories and they did as they did, contrary, it would have been the same if we (NPP) were given the mandate by Ghanaians.” Mandela stated.
Mandela argued that the introduction of the e-levy was necessary at the time to mitigate the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The government realised that without e-levy at that moment we could not have been able to sustain the economy, the e-levy was brought in to fill the gap, e-levy was brought in to take the minds of Ghanaians from borrowing, it was brought in to widen the tax net.” He added.
Mandela further noted that the revenue generated from the e-levy was instrumental in undertaking infrastructural development and implementing the YouStart project.
He, however, congratulated the NDC and President Mahama for fulfilling their campaign promise to scrap the levy.
Maurice Achana Danwadaani, a member of the Navrongo Central Communications Team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), disputed Mandela’s claim.
Danwadaani described the NPP’s promise to abolish the e-levy as an afterthought, saying, “I think the position of the NPP to take away the e-levy was an afterthought; it was a desperate attempt to deceive Ghanaians into voting for them to come to power.”
Mike 105.3 FM | Navrongo | Alexander Bombande
