The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has said it is still a wonder why the government is bent on passing the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy), when a litany of viable options of raising revenues have been proposed by the biggest opposition party; the National Democratic Congress (NDC), some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other well-meaning finance-oriented individuals and groups.
Dr. Apaak described the proposed tax as wildly unpopular and high against the digitalization drive of the country. He said the government’s desperation is brought to bear considering the circumvention of pre-existing general and tax laws as well as processes and procedures in Parliament.
The Legislator wondered why the government was fixated on the “extortionist scheme” which would only bring the government some estimated ghc7 billion when in the 2022 Budgetment Statement and Economic Policy, the government overall revenue estimate is worth over ghc140 billion.
He said government’s implied narrative that ‘E-Levy’ would address the myriad of challenges facing the country is inaccurate asking, “what at all does the government want? What is the agenda?”
Dr. Apaak shared these sentiments when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East.
He said the Minority in Parliament would not accept anything short of an entire abdication of the E-levy explaining the MPs have the support of the NDC and many Ghanaians who are incensed about the imposition of taxes on electronic transactions.
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“Even if they [government] reduce it to 000000.1 percent, 137 NDC MPs would vote against it. The issue has now become a matter of principle, a matter of integrity, a matter of standing with the people of Ghana and telling this government that the dynamics have changed,” he said.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga|
