Dr. Ayine: We will reverse the E-Levy

Even if its New Patriotic Party (NPP) colleagues decide to abstain from the proceedings, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) plans to carry on with its parliamentary business.

Former Deputy Attorney General and Bolgatanga East constituency MP Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine made this announcement in response to the NPP, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, declaring a conditional boycott.

Speaker Alban Bagbin's announcement of four open seats in Parliament—three of which belonged to the NPP and one to the NDC—caused the NPP to decide to boycott. The NDC now reaffirms its status as the majority party in Parliament as a result. 

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Dr. Ayine has made a strong case against the e-Levy, saying that Ghanaians are burdened by it.

“We will be filing private members' motions... We will repeal the obnoxious pieces of legislation they have passed, the taxes such as e-Levy and so on and so forth. In fact, we will start implementing our manifesto on Tuesday,” he is quoted as saying in an interview on Citi FM. 

“We are working on behalf of the people of this country, we were elected to work on behalf of the people of this country, so if they stay out, we have the mandate of the people to repeal e-Levy and change the fortunes of the people of this country instantaneously. So they should stay off, we will do business.”

The NPP has made it clear that they won't be going back to the House until the Supreme Court rules on an injunction against the Speaker.

Since the E-Levy was first suggested in the 2022 budget, the NDC has continuously rejected it. The levy, which imposes a 1.75% fee on electronic transactions such as bank transfers and mobile money, has been characterized by NDC officials as regressive and detrimental to the quality of life for Ghanaians, particularly for low-income persons and small businesses.

Tensions over the e-Levy caused significant disruption in Parliament, especially during a session on December 20, 2021, when NPP and NDC MPs clashed over voting procedures.

In passing the levy, the administration allegedly circumvented normal parliamentary procedures, according to the NDC.

After the heated discussions, the NDC intensified its resistance through a number of public events, such as news conferences and protests. Leading NDC leaders, such as John Dramani Mahama, the party's presidential candidate, have called the e-Levy exploitative and promised to remove it if the NDC wins back control in the 2024 elections. 

Despite their protests, the NPP-dominated Parliament passed the e-Levy on March 29, 2022; NDC MPs were not in attendance. Since then, the NDC has continued its anti-tax activities, taking part in protests such as the May 1, 2022, "Yentua" (which means "We Won't Pay" in Akan).

Three NDC MPs sued the government in June 2022, arguing that the E-Levy was unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the government, confirming that the correct procedures were followed.