Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has insisted government has done the right thing with the passage of the Electronic Transfer Levy by Parliament.
The Levy was passed under a certificate of urgency
Read full articleby the Majority Caucus in parliament after the Minority side staged a walkout before the second and third readings of the Bill.
Reacting to a suit filed by three minority MPs at the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the decision by parliament, Ken Ofori-Atta said the motion moved to approve the levy was based on legal grounds.
“Well, we operate a democracy, anyone at all can run to court when they have an issue, and then it is finally resolved. Similarly, the Minority has the power to head to Court if they have an issue. There is nothing dramatic about it.”
“We believe there was a quorum in Parliament. Your walking out does not mean there was no quorum. You could have gone for lunch and come back, who knows? We are pleased with the outcome of the proceedings. I think the nation is settled, there is generally calm. People have come to accept it and are moving on with their lives,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Minority lawmakers in parliament have alleged the passage of the controversial tax measure was done on illegal grounds as the house was without the required quorum as stipulated in article 104, clause 1 of the 1992 constitution.
Despite stiff opposition against the levy, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 31 signed into law the Electronic Transfer Levy.
Government believes the tax measure will fill revenue gaps and help address the country’s revenue mobilisation and economic management.
The implementation of the E-Levy is expected to rake in GH¢6.9 billion in revenue for the 2022 fiscal year. It will cover electronic transaction including mobile money payments, banks transfers among others.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta
