General News of Tuesday, 1 February 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-02-01E-Levy: Ablakwa directs government on how to raise the ‘desperately needed’ GH¢6.9 billion
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu
Government is seeking to pass the E-levy
It is to raise about GH¢6.9 billion
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has suggested ways to raise the GH¢6.9b
One of the major reasons that the Government of Ghana (GOG) has advanced for rolling out the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) of 1.75% is to enable it
Read full articleraise about GH¢6.9 billion.
The said amount is to help GOG undertake some entrepreneurial projects that will ensure that youth unemployment is solved, continue infrastructure projects and to help fund other projects.
During the November 17, 2021, reading of the 2022 budget statement in Parliament, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta announced an introduction of a 1.75% tax on all electronic transactions.
According to him, this new directive forms part of strategies to widen the country’s tax net.
He added that the 1.75% tax is also to enhance financial inclusion and protect the vulnerable in the country.
The E-levy since its announcement by the Finance Minister has received public backlash from some Ghanaians especially Members of Parliament from the Minority Caucus.
At a recent press conference, Ofori-Atta outlined a number of modifications to the Bill and announced that the government continued to engage stakeholders on the bill ahead of resubmission before MPs.
TWI NEWS
But Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu, has directed the Akufo-Addo led administration on how to raise the desperately needed GH¢6.9 billion “without introducing the obnoxious and regressive E-Levy”.
In a post on his social media handles, the lawmaker noted that when the government of Ghana considers his suggestion, they will “immediately raise a handsome GH¢6.918billion which exceeds the E-levy projections.
“There is a clear alternative to the killer E-Levy if only President Akufo-Addo and his team would be sensitive to the plight of suffering Ghanaians and contain their appetite for profligacy,” his post concluded.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablekwa’s nine points suggestions to the government of Ghana is quoted verbatim below:
1) Take out GH¢2billion from the GH¢3.1billion allocated to the Office of Government Machinery;
2) Suspend the allocation to GAT and immediately GH¢1billion becomes available for government;
3) Negotiate with IPPs and reduce their allocation from GH¢4billion to GHS3billion;
4) Review the nebulous GhanaCARES programme and save another GH¢1billion;
5) Cut the Contingency Vote down to GH¢293,007,000 and free up some GH¢700million;
6) Agenda 111 remains a knee-jerk utopia, pull the brakes and save GH¢518million;
7) Slash by half the allocation to the National Security Ministry and gain some GH¢400million;
8)Parliament should readily sacrifice some GH¢200million from its GH¢600million allocation;
9) Place on hold the hazy Mortgage Financing Scheme at the Ministry of Finance and save GH¢100million.
Read below his full post:
View his Timepath below:
