Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta
Govt holds townhall assembly on E-levy
Audio system tout advantages of E-levy to nation’s building
Members call for duty publish passage of invoice
The federal government on Thursday January 27, 2022 arranged a townhall assembly at the debatable digital transaction levy (E-levy).
Outstanding among key personalities who graced the instance incorporated Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Verbal exchange and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Knowledge, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and Deputy Majority Chief, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The townhall assembly in step with govt used to be to manage to pay for it the chance to provide an explanation for the essence of the E-levy in addition to take comments and inputs from related stakeholders at the levy which has since its announcement within the 2022 finances commentary sharply divided public opinion.
Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful used to be the primary to be invited to ship her presentation. She underscored the will for the invoice to be handed whiles moreover pushing aside fears that the levy will motive a decline in using the digital platforms.
She added that the rustic had to additionally start financing her personal building and desist from over the top borrowing.
Subsequent used to be Deputy Majority Chief, Alexander Afenyo-Markin who in a presentation delivered in Fante buttressed the issues raised by means of Ursula.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta took his flip subsequent to make a presentation through which he reiterated his place for the E-levy to be handed s a method of roping in additional tax payers whilst additionally breaking unfastened from the shackles of borrowing.
When those displays have been completed, the general public used to be invited to invite questions. Most of the people who agreed to pay the E-levy, then again, raised issues about duty and the way the communique of the coverage has long gone.
When it appeared maximum attendees have been in desire of the invoice, a scholar who gave his identify as Benjamin Darko stepped up and requested 3 questions whose responses were transcribed beneath;
The primary query is how can we categorize the E-levy…is it some other source of revenue tax, capital tax, gross sales tax, a cost tax or all the above? Then again one avoids this tax after they go for money cost.
The second used to be, corruption is a significant issue that most effective receives lip provider in Ghana. The Auditor-Basic signifies that about 12 billion Ghana cedis stays unaccounted for over the previous couple of years whiles E-levy rakes in 6.9 billion … so why are we no longer going after the monies which have been misplaced because of corrupt acts?
The 3rd query: proceeds from E-levy are pegged against roads and transportation building, formative years employment, safety and the expansion of IT infrastructure and many others…the query is what took place to up to now earmarked levies similar to Verbal exchange Carrier tax, sanitation levy, ESLA and many others …how have they stepped forward their earmarked sectors. What’s the make sure that E-levy can be used for its supposed goal?
Benjamin Darko used to be stopped in his tracks when he used to be making an attempt to invite his fourth query by means of Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in answering the query didn’t expressly cope with them in my view or give uncomplicated solutions however fairly narrated how govt coffers have been having a look like after being ravaged by means of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He additionally alluded to the truth the economic system used to be transferring against the virtual area thus govt ought to seek out leading edge tactics to derive earnings from the handy platform.
Beneath is a complete transcription of Ken Ofori-Atta’s reaction
“Benjamin, the problem for me is that we must actually assume holistically. Benjamin, you had a query about what form of tax it’s…if it is source of revenue, capital or no matter it’s after which the remaining two years corruption after which the Auditor-Basic record [which I addressed moments ago] after which the proceeds from different earmarked budget and also you stated what form of ensure reaction do now we have. I believe the ones are all honest questions however truthfully, in the event you take a look at the enormity of the issues that we’ve got, we need to transfer to some other stage and I believe you wish to have to concede that the economic system is converting against digital economic system…e-commerce economic system and that tax maintain must be introduced into our arsenal of taxes which are required.
Promises that we’ve got used to be what someone urged that we’ve got this quarterly reporting mechanism and that may lend a hand and it is useful for all type of issues. The best way you spoke English, I consider that you’re additionally relatively acquainted with our macro-fiscal numbers so while you speak about different earmarked numbers and you recognize that we’re operating the cheap deficit. You realize the affect of the COVID used to be actually 25 billion…how does an economic system fortify that roughly contraction? You additionally know that in comparison to different West African or African international locations, Ghana used to be even at this level ready to take a good expansion price.
You realize what we did throughout the COVID instances that no different African nation did. We’ve got about 300,000 people who died at the continent and Ghana’s used to be 1,379 so you wish to have to provide credit score the place credit score is due and have the ability to advise your self as to the integrity of the numbers and what that implies to you if you end up doing all of your research. The place there’s reward, there must be.