The Minority in Parliament has reiterated its opposition to the imposition of the E-Levy on Ghanaians as communicated in the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government for the year ending December 31, 2022.
According to the caucus, the levy is punitive and if approved, would defeat the agenda to digitise the economy.
“We believe that the E-Levy is punitive and would undermine our quest to grow a digital economy in seeking to tax transactions.
“We are guided by the public good and we think that monies recoverable from the Auditor General’s report can as well compensate for the imposition of an E-Levy.
“So Mr Speaker, we in the Minority are unable to support the government in his quest to impose a levy of 1.75 per cent on electronic transactions. We stand opposed and at every level that E-Levy is introduced, we will stand opposed to it because it will inflict hardship on the core poor of the Ghanaian people,” Minority Leader and MP for Tamale South, HarunaIddrisu, said in Accra yesterday.
Mr Iddrisu made this known when the modifications made to the Budget Statement and Economic Policy by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was laid in Parliament.
The Minority have been against the budget statement and have masterminded it’s rejection on Friday, November 26; a decision which has since been reversed by the Majority constituted House on November, 30.
Its opposition is hinged on four reasons; the E-Levy, lack of provision of funds to address the tidal erosion in the Anlo enclave, Agyapa Minerals Royalty and what they said was the inaccurate account on the Aker Energy deal.
According to Haruna Iddrisu, the caucus has reached some overtures on the other issues stated above but won’t make any compromises on the E-Levy.
“On E-Levy, we will continue to oppose it in its entirety, in its character at the threshold of GH100. We stand by the Ghanaian people.”
But the Deputy Majority Leader and NPP MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said the Minority must not take entrenched position on the subject matter but be amenable to consultations and engagement.
“The beauty of democracy is to agree to disagree. We respect their view but… the whole essence of democracy is not to shut the door but to open it up for continuous engagement,” Mr Afenyo-Markin urged.
He said the Finance Minister has indicated the two important things he seeks to do with the E-Levy and should be given the benefit of doubt as the holder of the national kitty.
“I believe that in the final analysis, it is how this is applied that would matter,” he said adding that “we are ready to work together with the Minority.”
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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