Former Central Region Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has implored Ghanaians to support the E-levy taxation policy by the government.
According to him, only a small fraction of Ghana's population are captured by the tax net which makes it difficult to improve the economy, therefore the introduction of the E-levy will help to widen the scope for every person to be part of Ghana's development.
Close to 31 million, those who have the tax duty on their shoulder is just 3 million. Can this be fair in building a country? Can this be fair in building a country? Can this be an adequate source to cater for the needs of the people of this country? he quizzed.
He made these comments during a panel discussion on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Thursday.
He has called for collective support from the citizens to make the E-levy taxation effective.
It all requires our collective contribution. You cannot lead your people to demonstrate that you want your roads done and then, when the government says let us all come together, the little drops will make a mighty ocean, let us come together to enable government to find the resources to do the roads, then you turn around and say we will not support this, he said in Twi.
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During the 2022 national budget presentation in Parliament on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta announced a 1.75 per cent levy on all electronic transactions, including Mobile Money and remittances to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector.
The Majority and Minority in Parliament have been divided over the introduction of the E-Levy.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said, “our concern is whether the e-levy itself will not be a disincentive to the growth of a digital economy in our country. We are convinced that the E-levy may as well even be a disincentive to investments and private sector development in our country… We in the Minority will not support the government with the introduction of that e-levy. We are unable to build a national consensus on that particular matter.”
MP for Tema Central, Yves Nii Noi Hanson-Nortey and a Majority legislator also said the E-levy taxation should be viewed from the perspective of contributing to the development of the country.
"If you are prepared to pay one per cent transaction fee to an entity which is a just profit-making entity, why won't you consider paying an extra one per cent to the state to use it for your own development," he has also argued.