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Bernard Allotey Jacobs, a former NDC Central Regional Chairman, has called the bluff of former President John Dramani Mahama following the latter's claim that he will repeal the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) introduced by the Akufo-Addo government.

The E-Levy, which is a 1.5% charge on all electronic transactions, began on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

Speaking at a public lecture at Kempinski Hotel on Monday, May 2, under the theme "Ghana at a crossroads", the former President described the E-Levy as a repressive tax and promised Ghanaians he will repeal it when voted for during the 2024 elections.

"A new National Democratic Congress government, God willing and with the votes of the sovereign people of Ghana – in 2025 – will repeal the E-Levy Act. Even as this government remains fixated with taxing their way out of economic mismanagement, the Akufo-Addo government has been wasteful. They have failed to demonstrate prudence in public financial management. The people of Ghana cannot be called upon to pay more taxes only for the accruing money belonging to the people of Ghana, to be dubiously and wastefully shared among family and friends through various fraudulent procurement practices," he said.

But to Allotey Jacobs, the former President is throwing dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.

According to him, it is a typical character of politicians to use sophistry in their communication in hope so as to gain political advantage.

Sophistry is explained as a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone.

Allotey Jacobs expounded that this is a common tool used by politicians but however wondered when will politicians ever tell the masses the truth.

He, therefore, admonished politicians to stop being deceitful to those they are soliticiting votes from to come into power.

On this note, without mincing words, Allotey Jacobs stated that neither former President John Mahama nor any other government will cancel the E-Levy.

"Have you seen how they have diluted the minds of Ghanaians about E-Levy?", he queried, emphasizing that "if any other government in the future comes, it won't repeal the E-Levy. I state categorically that no government will cancel the E-Levy when it knows the E-Levy is generating revenues for the government".

"Government is not a magician to conjure money from the sky...Every politician knows that tax is used to develop a nation, not magic", he added.

Allotey Jacobs made these comments during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".