E-Levy is an opportunity for all Ghanaians to contribute to national development - Baafi

Correspondence from Eastern Region

The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, has stated that the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) being advocated by the ruling NPP government is one that would give all Ghanaians the opportunity to contribute their quota to the development of Ghana.

He has

Read full articletherefore called on all Ghanaians to wholeheartedly accept the concept which will look at applying taxes on transactions made on electronic or digital platforms.

Making this appeal in Koforidua when he met some journalists, Michael Okyere Baafi reiterated that the E-Levy is a tax concept "that is coming to bring hope to Ghana.'

"For the first time, we are going to generate a lot of money through our own efforts as citizens of Ghana. This is the first time Ghana is going to give the opportunity to Ghanaians, especially the informal sector, to also contribute to national development in the area of taxation.

"A lot of these people are not part of the tax regime in the country and so these people now will be brought into the tax net and they will be given the opportunity for the first time to contribute to the development of the country through payment of tax," he said.

According to the MP, there is everything good about passing the E-Levy bill into law while also expressing confidence that the opposition in parliament would understand and accept the concept "so that it will be passed for the betterment of this country."

Michael Okyere Baafi was recently roasted on various social media platforms for asserting that if the E-Levy is rejected by Parliament, the government would be compelled to go to IMF where the Breton Wood entity's harsh conditions may lead to the cancellation of the government's flagship Free Senior High School Programme among others.

It appears the MP is still resolute on his stance and continues to call on all Ghanaians to see the E-Levy Policy as an icebreaker to Ghana's struggling economy in recent times.

"And so for me, I believe that everybody will realize that this is a very important exercise to undertake for the national development that we are expecting to be achieved," he stressed.

Expressing his view on the ruling of the Supreme Court on the fate of Deputy Speakers' temerity to vote in Parliament, Michael Okyere Baafi said it is good news for democracy and also to the rule of law.

"We believe that these people are part of the system. The mere fact that you are a Deputy Speaker does not mean that you have lost your role or your primary function as a member of Parliament.

"Note that they came to the House as Members of Parliament. The speaker of Parliament is not a Member of Parliament. Therefore for him, we will be able to understand him.

"But for the Deputy Speakers, these are people who are appointed because they are Members of Parliament. So if the person is appointed because he is MP, how do you now restrain somebody like that from exercising his franchise or any decision-making opportunity when that arises?" He explained.

To the MP for New Juaben South, preventing Deputy Speakers from exercising their franchise in Parliament does not "auger well for democracy and the whole parliamentary system."

"I believe that it was not too good and that is why the interpreters of the laws of Ghana the Judiciary has done the needful and I guess this will now settle the matter once and for all," he added.

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