General News of Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-11-24Order Ofori-Atta to withdraw E-levy or risk mass protests - Captain Smart warns Akufo-Addo
Captain Smart is a host on Onua TV
Captain Smart has charged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to order the withdrawal of the electronic levy included in the 2022 budget delivered by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to him, there are several instances in Africa that show that taxing especially Mobile Money transactions is doomed to fail.
He also explained how
Read full articlepeople whose salaries are paid through MoMo risk being double taxed in some cases.
Speaking on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 edition of his show Onua Maakye, he submitted thus: "On the issue of MoMo tax (E-levy) Nana, if all is well, tell the Finance Minister to go and cancel it otherwise you are rather making this country ungovernable.
"At your last cabinet meeting before the Glasgow trip when my name was mentioned ... it is not anybody that is making Ghana ungovernable. Yourself and know-nothing ministers, your people are those making this country ungovernable for you," he stressed.
The E-levy has been criticised largely by the Minority in Parliament and people in the opposition whereas it has received robust defense and justification from persons in government.
The 2022 budget also announced the scrapping of road tolls and the increase in taxes on all government services.
What Ofori-Atta said about road tolls
“Government has abolished all tolls on public roads and bridges. This takes effect immediately the Budget is approved,” Ken Ofori-Atta hinted while reading the 2022 budget statement in Parliament.
He added, “Over the years, the tolling points have become unhealthy market centres, led to heavy traffic on our roads, lengthened travel time from one place to another, and impacted negatively on productivity.
"The congestion generated at the tolling points, besides creating these inconveniences, also leads to pollution in and around those vicinities.”
The Finance Minister stressed that, “a portion of the proceeds from the E-Levy will be used to support entrepreneurship, youth employment, cyber security, digital and road infrastructure among others.”
