The minister for finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has called on Ghanaians to recognize the enormous gains the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) comes with and push Members of Parliament (MPs) to pass it.
According to him, the nation would be exhibiting a truly “free independent nation of pride with the three pillars of political independence, economic emancipation and spiritual elevation would occur for us as a country” if E-levy is passed. “So let’s really hold our MPs’ feet to the fire to let them know that we understand who we are as a people, a proud nation who wants to pave their own way. Yes, we haven’t for a long time and there are issues of accountability,” adding that on the issue of accountability, the government would be transparent and would make open what the E-levy would be used for. “We have the YouthStart program as part of it. Going forward and we would be able to sustain our debt, reduce it and pave our way through in the issues of infrastructure, digital and physical and also especially roads would also be taken care of,” he added. The Minister made these statements during the government’s town-hall meeting on E-levy held at the Eastern Regional Capital – Koforidua Thursday, 27th January 2022.
He noted that transfers between accounts owned by the same person would not be charged by the E-levy as well as “transfers for payment fees and taxes would also not be touched by the E-levy. And anything on the ghana.org platform would also not be charged.” The Finance Minister explained that “Electronic clearing of chaques would also be exempt and specify merchants that is merchants by which commercial establishments are registered with GRA for income VAT tax and VAT deposits and transfers between principal master agents, and agent accounts would also not be charged. “In looking at these issues of debts, employment, infrastructure I think we should all support this. 1.75 percent of the money that you send around is not the money that is going to kill you. But the cumulative effect of moving from 2.5million or maybe 11, 12million paying their part of our taxes would just create this pool of resources for us to be able as a country to continue to hold our heads high.

Source : Ghanaweb