Politics of Sunday, 5 December 2021
Source: 3news.com
North Tongu lawmaker, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has described the e-levy proposal in the 2022 budget statement as e-robbery.
To that end, he has called for a united front to reject the proposal.
“This is how humongous the e-transaction levy services is. We must unite and foil this e-robbery!” he tweeted on Sunday, December 5.
But reacting to his comments, Nsawam Adoagyiri Member of Parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompre said Mr Ablakwa’s comments smacked of dishonesty.
“It is dishonest to conclude that indicative costs for services shows wrongdoing. Obviously, GRA, which will take the lead with the revenue collection, is no one’s personal company."
“If it becomes necessary to include a third party, transparent procurement processes will apply,” he also tweeted."
He added “Again, the fact that you conveniently ignored allocations for YouStart, Agenda 111 & GhanaCARES shows the intended mischief of these baseless allegations. I suggest you confer with your leaders in Parliament and provide an evidence based critique rather than these speculations.”
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced a new levy to be charged by government in 2022 on all electronic transactions to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector. But this levy has been rejected by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“It is becoming clear there exists enormous potential to increase tax revenues by bringing into the tax bracket, transactions that could be best defined as being undertaken in the ‘informal economy’,” Mr Ofori-Atta observed on Wednesday, November 17 as he presented the 2022 budget statement in Parliament.
“After considerable deliberations, government has decided to place a levy on all electronic transactions to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector. This shall be known as the ‘Electronic Transaction Levy or E-Levy’.”
This is how humongous the e-Transaction Levy Services is.
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) December 4, 2021
We must unite and foil this e-Robbery! pic.twitter.com/9bB1dHoWUD