The Professor of Political Science, Ransford Gyampo is dismayed by the sudden admission of the Electronic Transaction Levy, and other components of the 2022 Budget by the Minority in Parliament. He questioned if some parliamentarians within the Minority are being blackmailed for taking double salaries, to accept what is being proposed by the government.
Though the issue of the double salaries had not been that pronounced in the consideration of the budget, a recent call by the Fixing the Country Movement that the investigative report by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the matter must be prosecuted, sparks public curiosity. It could be the case that those indicted by the report in the Minority have been cowed into conceding to the demands of the Executive.
In politics everything is possible, and this sounds very convincing to accept as the rather fierce resistance to the e-levy and the budget in its entirety had now been silenced. For a group that labelled the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy as ‘Ewudie Budget’ to have mellowed is shockingly unbelievable.
In Prof Gyampo’s opinion the Minority have lost their credibility as a formidable force to check on the Executive. The rather hung parliament, and with their numbers had not made any impact as they preached to Ghanaians.
He noted that the Minority has gradually made itself a laughing stock in its failure to advance their demands in respect of the 2022 budget statement.
“I can’t understand the minority group in Parliament. Is it the case that some actually took double salaries and are being blackmailed? Gradually their role is becoming a facade & public gimmick. Let’s see how they pass the 1.75% E-Levy,” he wrote on Facebook.
One could infer from the post that Prof Gyampo has some information at his disposal to even trigger and relate the double salaries saga to this budget issue. His fears are put to test, as a bill is readied for consideration for the E-Levy in Parliament.
He wonders what the NDC Minority MPs will do when the 1.75% levy is laid before them.
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