Government should have courage and suspend E-Levy - Rev. Opuni-Frimpong

Opuni-Frimpong says VAT was suspended due to similar opposition but was later introduced

Countries across the world developed through taxes – Opuni-Frimpong

E-Levy dividing the country - Opuni-Frimpong

Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni Frimpong has urged the government to temporarily suspend the implementation of the E- Levy.



Read full article/> According to him, this is necessary given the current impasse in parliament over the bill and also because the issues surrounding the levy are dividing Ghanaians.

He added that the E-Levy had to be suspended for the government to properly engage and educate Ghanaians about the need for the levy before bringing it back.

“When the government introduced VAT, the whole nation was up in arms against it. During that time, the NPP was in opposition and the NDC was in power.

“What they did better during that time was that due to the opposition to the VAT, the government temporarily suspended its implementation and engaged Ghanaians to understand the need for it before bringing it back,” he said in an interview in Twi with Okay FM monitored by GhanaWeb. The academic noted that taxes were good because they would help the country develop. However, the government must take its time to help Ghanaians understand the need for it.

“Countries across the world developed through taxes and so the payment of taxes are good,” he said.

An online poll conducted by GhanaWeb to ascertain whether Ghanaians support the implementation of the E-Levy has shown that over 91 percent of respondents do not support the passage of the E-Levy bill.

In all, 38,220 took part took part in the survey out of which 35,009 people representing over 91 percent of the respondents said they do not support the E-Levy.

However, 2938 people, representing over 7 percent of the respondents said they support the levy.

The government is currently conducting town hall meetings across the country to explain to Ghanaians the importance of the levy.

The government has indicated that E-Levy will be used for road construction, job creation and also to champion the government’s entrepreneurship agenda among others.