Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) communicator, Edudzi Tamakloe, has said it is baffling that the government seems hell-bent on pushing through the controversial and unpopular Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
According to the legal practitioner, the justification by the Finance Ministry and officials of government for passing the widely condemned tax regime were so preposterous that he is convinced that managers of the economy are either incompetent or think of Ghanaians as stupid.
He also faulted the Finance Ministry on steps it took before introducing the proposed tax in the 2022 budget last year in Parliament.
“The level of policy inconsistency under this government; to the extent that a government puts something up, after introducing the thing, now tells you it is now going to do the consultation. Who does that?
“In fact [government] wanted [the E-Levy] passed as early as in November [2021]. Then after resistance, you quickly say you are now going to consult on it. Quite clearly it is either you are incompetent or you take others as not being intelligent,” he said Saturday, January 29, 2022.
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Speaking on the current affairs programme, Newsfile, Mr Tamakloe said his party, the NDC, backs the position of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on the issue of taxing mobile money transactions.
“We agree with the position canvassed by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia…that it is unconscionable to tax mobile money transactions…he makes the point that it is one of the surest ways poor people send money and we, as a social democratic party, associate ourselves with this position. We are not going to change that position,” he said.
The outspoken NDC member said what worsens the government's plight in this whole E-Levy matter is the blatant disregard for transparency -- citing the recent refusal by the government to disclose how much President Nana Akufo-Addo has spent on foreign trips on chartered flights.
The government failed to disclose the cost of the trips when the question was asked officially in Parliament on grounds that it was a matter of national security, although opposition MPs said the travels were utterly profligate.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, seems desperate to push the 1.75% tax that he says will provide an opportunity to generate more revenue to sustain its flagship programmes.
The tax will affect some bank and mobile money transactions.
The tax regime – estimated to generate close to GHS7 billion a year – is intended to help transform infrastructure across the country, including building roads, market amenities, health educational facilities, among others
Additionally, the E-Levy, according to the government, will help to deliver massive numbers of jobs through industrialisation and entrepreneurial programmes.
Unofficial opinion polls reveal a heavy public opposition to the tax.