A photo collage of President John Dramani Mahama and Dr. Gideon Boako
Dr. Gideon Boako, the Member of Parliament for Tano North, has raised concerns that President John Dramani Mahama is using the upcoming National Economic Dialogue (NED) as an excuse to delay fulfilling campaign promises, including the abolition of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) and the Betting Tax.
Sharing his views on Facebook on Monday, January 25, 2025, Dr. Boako warned against using the NED as an excuse to defer these commitments.
He wrote, “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.”
During the 2024 presidential campaign, John Dramani Mahama pledged to reset the economy by removing the E-Levy, abolishing the Betting Tax, and rationalising port fees.
At the launch of the NDC manifesto on August 24, 2024, at Winneba, Mahama outlined measures aimed at stabilising the cedi, creating jobs, and ensuring economic prosperity.
He promised to hold the NED within his first 120 days in office to develop a four-year fiscal consolidation plan, rationalise taxes, and implement measures to support industrial and agricultural growth.
He noted, “We will rationalise taxes, abolishing among others the obnoxious E-Levy, the COVID Levy, and the 10% levy on betting winnings. We will review import duties and levies on vehicles and equipment meant for industrial and agricultural purposes. Ladies and gentlemen, we will rationalize fees and charges at the ports and implement emergency measures to stabilize the cedi and the macroeconomic environment. We’ll use the price stabilization and recovery levy to cushion consumers of petroleum products.”
The president has since established a seven-member planning committee to prepare for the NED.
The dialogue will address Ghana’s pressing development challenges and propose reforms to transform the country into a high-growth, inclusive, and resilient economy.
The initiative also forms a key part of President Mahama’s 120-day plan to rebuild confidence in the nation’s economy and create opportunities for all Ghanaians.
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JKB/AE