Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
Government to tax electronic transactions from 2022
Communications Minister slams critics of E-levy
Ghanaians peeved by Ursula Owusu
The government of Ghana sought to introduce a new tax policy as part of revenue mobilization policies for the year 2022.
The electronic transactions levy, which is a proposed 1.75% charge on all electronic transactions, including Mobile Money transfers,
Read full articlerealized apprehension from the minority side of parliament and a cross section of the Ghanaian populace.
A justification from the Minister for Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, however, did not sit well with the public as her defense for the new levy was largely interpreted as a goof.
With the minimum threshold for affected MOMO transactions pegged at GH¢100, the minister stated that persons who are able to conduct transactions at the minimum threshold cannot be said to be poor, hence, no need for Ghanaians to complain about the E-levy.
Speaking on GH Today on GHOne TV, the minister explained that anyone who has more than GH¢100 on them in a day for transactions should not be considered poor and should pay taxes on their digital transactions.
“We have made it a part of this policy that up to a GH¢100 a day per a person is exempt. This, the state is saying, if you’re sending up to a GH¢100 a day, cumulatively, you can send up to GH¢3000 a month, that is all going to be tax-free.
“Now, if you have more than a GH¢100 to send a day, then you’re not poor. So, if you really are poor and you are in a position to send GH¢100 a day, then we need to re-classify the definition of who the real beneficiaries of these are, and it is only the sender who pays, not the receiver,” she clarified.
Following her definition of who a poor person is, the communications minister has received several backlash with many describing her position as being separated from the reality of economic conditions Ghanaians live in.
Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
