Members of Parliament will from today, Tuesday, November 23, 2021, begin the debate on the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy as presented by the Finance Minister last week.
The debate is expected to end on Friday, November 26, 2021.
The Minister for Finance on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, presented the 2022 budget to Parliament announcing various plans and programs on how the government intends to shore up revenue and to enhance job creation in the 2022 fiscal year.
The budget statement among other things indicated that government intends to raise revenue through the imposition of a 1.75% levy on all electronic transactions.
There’s also a 15 percent increment in the cost of all government services effective next year.
The Minister for Finance also announced the commencement of a GHS 1 billion ‘YouStart’ initiative to create jobs for the youth.
Meanwhile, the Minority caucus in Parliament has vowed to kick against the government’s proposal for a 1.75% tax on all electronic financial transactions.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, reiterated this during the the Post-Budget workshop in Ho on Saturday.
According to him, the tax is a disincentive to investments and private sector development.
Haruna Iddrisu said the tax will overburden Ghanaians.
“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 government with the introduction of that e-levy. We are unable to build national consensus on that particular matter,” he said.