You cannot be classified poor in Ghana if you can buy a bicycle – NPP’s Sabo

The Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Adam Sabo Adbul Rahman has said the Minister for Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu- Ekufo was not wrong when he said anyone who can send ₵100 a day  is not poor.

According to him, per an act of parliament governing the Poverty Alleviation Fund, a person is only classified as poor if he or she cannot afford to buy a light bulb, kerosene to lighting his lump, sleep on a students mattress or resides in wooden structure otherwise known as kiosk.

Sabo as affectionately called said even persons who can afford to buy bicycles cannot be classified as poor.

“Kwame, I am not rich fabulously but I can refer to myself as a rich person because once you can provide accommodation for your family, you are able to feed them day in day out and even by the grace of God I also have a car to move from one place to the other. So I don’t think when they are counting poor people, I will be seen there. Even somebody who can buy bicycle to transport himself to one place to the other cannot be classified as a poor person”.

The NPP stalwart made the comment on Good Morning Africa on Pan Africa TV on Friday, November 19, monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

Poor people can’t send ₵100 a day – Sabo

“If you come to the Poverty Alleviation Fund that is given to the assembly to be given to poor people. The definition of poor person is somebody who cannot even light a bulb at where he sleeps. Is somebody who cannot but kerosene to lighten his lantern,” Sabo said.

“I was the chairman of the social service this thing so when you are going to make assessment as to those who qualify, these are the criteria and it by an Act of Parliament.  And so if somebody cannot even switch on a bulb and somebody cannot even buy kerosene, how does the person get ₵100 to give to somebody. How much is kerosene, how much a light bulb so what mistake has she made then?,” he added.

You are not poor if you can send ₵100 a day

Sabo was reacting to a comment made by the Minister of Communication, Mrs Ursula Owusu following the announcement of a electronic levy of 1.75% on all mobile money transactions above ₵100.

Mrs Owusu Ekufo said anyone in the country capable of sending and amount of ₵100 is not poor.

“The state is saying that if you are sending up to a GH100 a day, cumulatively you can send up to GH3000 a month that is all going to be tax-free. Now if you have more than a GH100 to send a day, then you’re not poor, she said.

The levy was part of the 2022 budget statement presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.

Source: GhanaPlus.com