The Member of Parliament for Binduri in the Upper East Region who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Housing, Abdulai Abanga has justified the government’s insistence on the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy). He has also explained the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta’s shock about the fierce opposition that the E-levy has faced, particularly by young people including beneficiaries of the Free Senior High school Programme.
Mr. Abanga explained that considering the massive investments that have been made by this government in the areas of health, education, physical expansions and development in the road sector, the government needs to raise even more revenue to continue on the path of development.
He called on Ghanaians who are against the proposed levy to be mindful that not raising enough revenue would spell doom for the country because Ghana would then have to borrow to fund its activities; loans he said would still have to be paid by Ghanaians through taxes.
The MP for Binduri said this when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East.
“If you say you are against the E-levy, what you have to understand is that it will get to a point that the Free SHS cannot be funded because government would have to pay for the cost that you as an individual would benefit from for your education. Nobody can tell me that the Free SHS is not beneficial to Ghanaians. If government is saying that let us all contribute to the pot so that we can have our kids go to school, and then we will pay from the pot to take care of them in school, there is nothing wrong with that,” he said.
Still making a case for the E-levy, Mr. Abdulai government’s, already impressive portfolio in managing the agriculture sector could be even heightened should the E-levy Bill, currently before Parliament be passed. To do that, however, the government would have to collect more taxes, thus the E-levy.
He continued to say he was pleased with the Finance Minister insistence that a return to the IMF was not an option.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI) in the Upper West Region, Dr. Sebastian Sandaare said it should be apparent to the government that Ghanaians are totally opposed to the idea of the E-levy. The Bill which will give room for the implementation of the E-levy is yet to be passed in Parliament.
Dr. Sandaare explained there are other ways the government could generate revenue without having to impose on Ghanaians E-LEVY.
A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith |Bolgatanga|Ghana
