MOMO agents reject E-Levy
Mobile Money Association petitions Minority to reject E-levy
E-levy to cause unemployment
E-levy to be resubmitted to parliament
Mobile money Agents Association of Ghana wants government to scrap the 1.74% E-Levy on financial transactions.
The group has petitioned the Minority Caucus in Parliament asking them to vehemently kick against its implementation when is it re-laid before the house for approval.
In a petition signed by General Secretary of the Association, Evans Otumfuo, and sighted by GhanaWeb, the group recounted that per its analysis the E-levy’s implementation will have dire effects not only on the profit margins of agents but also erode efforts being made by government to digitalize the economy.
According to them, if the government should continue with the e-levy, “it will elicit behaviours that can undermine the cash-lite system and digitization drive of the economy, millions of young people will lose their jobs, 80% chances of going back to cash system, an envisaged potential business will only be a mirage among others”.
“Yes, mobile money has become the major driver of both formal and informal sector, everybody is now leveraging on whatever economic activity to transact using the mobile money platform. So, after our assessment, we have realized that there are about 12, challenges should the government continue to pursue the e-levy in its current state or form,” he said.
Mr Otumfour stated that given the challenges they have highlighted in the petition, the E-levy bill in its current form “should be scrapped”.
He added that “we are agents and we play major roles within the industry so when we realise that our profit margins are going to be affected, our lives are also under threat then we will be left with no alternative than to consider pulling back our investment.”
Meanwhile, the E-Levy will be resubmitted to parliament next week for consideration.
Below is the statement: