NPP’s GH¢16,000 Filing Fee For Primaries Is Outrageous – Chairman

Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Twumasi, has raised concern about the GH¢16,000 Parliamentary Primaries filing fees put forward by the party hierarchy, describing the fee as outrageous and unrealistic, which needs to be trimmed down drastically.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) pegged its Parliamentary Primaries filing fees at a total of GH¢16,000. Aspiring contestants are expected to pay GHC10, 000 as national development fee and another GHC6, 000 as filing fee. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting at the party’s headquarters over the weekend, at the behest of the NEC.

The meeting was attended by key and influential members of the NPP including former President John Agyekum Kufuor and his former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani, and the party’s presidential candidate for the 2012 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Speaking in an interview on AsempaFm’s Ekosii sen programme, Mr. Twumasi said considering the country’ current economic situation and the hardship facing majority of Ghanaians, the filing fee will kill the intentions and aspirations of a lot of people. According to him, there are many knowledgeable youth in the party ready to serve their constituents but will obviously be deterred by the figure.

“If people have the intention of contesting, the amount involved will put them off because even if they manage to raise the filing fee and win the primaries, it is not the end… they will need money for their campaigns…As much as I agree that the party needs money for development, I think that this did not go down well considering the economic situation in this country. With increased utility tariffs, company’s closing down and people losing their jobs, it will be difficult for the ordinary person to raise that amount of money,” he added.

He noted that, even in 2008 when the economic situation was good under ex-president Kufuor’s administration, aspirants were charged only GH¢1200 as the filing fee. According to him, considering the economic instability in this country, increasing the filing fee by some 1333% is outrageous and unrealistic.