Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George , has described government’s proposed e-levy as discriminatory.
Speaking ahead of the resumption of parliamentary proceedings on January 25, where legislators are expected to deliberate and vote on the Bill, Sam George indicated that the proposed levy discriminates against users of mobile money and other electronic payment platforms who depend on it for daily transactions.
“The constitution is clear, no law in Ghana or no tax introduction should be discriminatory. This e-levy is a discriminatory tax. Because if you pass the e-levy and myself and Andrew Mercer, thanks to the Ghanaian people have been given V-8, if I go to the same filling station with Egyapa Mercer and he buys GHC1,000 worth of diesel and opens his wallet and takes out two GHC500 notes, he will pay GHC1,000 and walk away. If I decide to pay for that same GHC1,000 using digital money… I will pay not only GHC1,000. I will pay GHC1,000 plus GHC175… Because I have chosen to go digital, I am paying GHC1,175 because of my e-levy tax… How is that not a discriminatory tax?”
Sam Nartey George
Commenting on government’s plea for the bill to be passed to ensure it runs its business, Sam George explained that government does not need monies accrued from the e-levy implementation to run its business. According to the Ningo-Prampram legislator, that “assertion is not backed by law, it’s not backed by fact, it’s not backed by math [and] it’s not backed by science”.
“It is empty talk, no substance to it. Who says government business will run to a halt if we don’t get GH 6.7 billion from e-levy? But who even told government that they will get GH 6.7 billion if we rolled out e-levy today? So, are they telling us that even if we rolled the e-levy and they failed to raise the GH 6.7 billion government is going to shut down?”
Sam Nartey George
Passage of tax exemption bill
Following this, Sam George questioned why government seems uninterested in expediting the tax exemption bill in parliament since it grants over “GHC5 billion worth of exemptions” every year. He emphasized that the passage of the bill into law will save government “GHC5 billion and over that will help government’s business run”.
Sam George equally questioned government on its reluctance to investigate the GHC 12 billion the Auditor General revealed was lost due to corruption in 2020. He indicated that the amount lost is “twice” what government stands to make from e-levy.
“So, if they even decided to fight corruption half-way, if there was a half-hearted approach to fighting corruption, it can reach GHC6 billion, just by plugging loopholes that [were] in the Akufo-Addo government in 2020. Why are they not interested in fighting corruption?”
Sam Nartey George
On his part, Deputy Energy Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, revealed that the minority side ahead of deliberations on the e-levy tomorrow, January 25, must recognize that ultimately, the responsibility is for government to make the decision although they are entitled to their say. Following this, he called for a consensus from both sides to reach a resolution on the matter.
“I’m hopeful that upon the Christmas period, a lot of reflections would have gone on and that when they come back, they will see eye to eye with government and allow the processes to continue without any distractions or violence as was the case during the last meeting”.
Andrew Egyapa Mercer
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