Paramount chief urges parliament to put Ghana first in e-Levy decision

Nii Tetteh Otu II, Paramount Chief of the Kpone Traditional Area in the Greater Accra Region, has urged members of Parliament to be guided by the national interest in the consideration of the government’s electronic transaction levy E-Levy.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview Nii Tetteh Otu II said the two sides in parliament must tone down the war of words either for or against it.

The 1.75 per cent E-levy has generated controversy since it was announced in the 2022 budget and had sharply divided Parliament, with the Minority vowing to vote against its passage into law.

The levy is to allow the government to generate revenue from electronic transactions, including mobile money.

The Kpone Paramount Chief asserted that many Ghanaians were opposed to the passage of the bill and appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to listen to the masses and withdraw the bill.

He urged the government to prevent the many financial lapses within the public sector to rake in the needed revenue for developing the country, instead of introducing new taxes and levies.

The Kpone Paramount Chief urged parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide not only to take delight in what benefits them alone but must consider the plight of the average Ghanaian.

He also advised the parliamentarian not to stage a walk-out when the house finally sits to deal with the electronic transactions levy.

Nii Otu also suggested the judicious use of the county’s resources to create wealth, saying that Ghana could not afford to fail amid the natural resources.

Source: GNA