I don’t regret recusing myself from e-levy vote; I couldn’t do it to hurt the poor — Adwoa Safo

Sarah Adwoa Safo, former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, has defended her decision to abstain from voting on the controversial e-levy in Parliament, stating that she could not support a policy that would burden the poor.

At the time, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which had an equal number of seats in Parliament with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), needed every available vote to pass the bill.

However, Adwoa Safo, who was serving as Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, was out of the country attending to her sick son. Her absence, some party members argued, delayed the passage of the bill.

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Asempa FM on Tuesday, March 18, the former MP maintained that her decision was influenced by concerns about the financial strain the levy would have on low-income Ghanaians.

“One thing I will never regret is my stance on the e-levy charges, as I did not want to be part of the vote. My father and the entire church community were against it, which is why I decided to stay away from the vote in Parliament,” she stated.

She added that her father’s church strongly opposed the bill and warned that they would disown her if she supported it.

“I was torn between my church, which was against the levy, and my political party. If I had gone against the church, my family would have disowned me. I am looking forward to a day where MPs will be able to vote based on what their constituents want and not just the party’s decision,” she said.

Adwoa Safo also emphasized that her upbringing and exposure to charity work influenced her stance, as she believed the levy would affect people who engage in menial jobs and rely on mobile money for various transactions.