E-levy: Akufo-Addo govt taking taxation to a madness level

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Minority MPs maintain Ghanaians are against e-levy

Parliament rejects 2022 budget statement

Majority MPs draw battle line ahead of next sitting

Member of Parliament for the Adaklu Constituency in the Volta region, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has lambasted the Akufo-Addo led administration’s intention to introduce an electronic transaction levy otherwise known as e-levy in the rejected 2022 budget statement.

According to him, the announcement of the levy generated an upheaval among Ghanaians due to the hardship it will bring on them.

“It was quite obvious that the vast majority of Ghanaians do not like specific aspects of the 2022 budget. Aspects including the proposal to tax when I send [as a member of parliament] money to somebody in Adaklu to pay school fees, they want to charge e-levy on it. When somebody in London sends money to the mother in Adaklu to buy medicine, they want to charge you. I mean that is taking taxation to a madness level. We don’t think it’s right” he told Joy News.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta at the presentation of the 2022 budget statement and economic policy on Wednesday November 17, 2021, announced government’s plans to slap a 1.75% charge on all transactions on digital platforms once the budget is approved for the ensuing fiscal year.

Post the announcement, the Minority caucus through its ranking member on parliament’s finance committee, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, vowed to reject the budget based on many reasons including the e-levy.

On Friday November 26, 2021, the minority followed through with its intention and voted to reject the 2022 budget amid the majority staging a walkout over what they say were unfair application of parliamentary rules by Speaker, Alban Bagbin.

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