Minority questions absence of E-levy from business statement
The Minority caucus in Parliament on Friday questioned the absence of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) from the Business Statement for the fifth week ending February 25, 2022.
This comes days after the leadership of the Majority in Parliament disclosed that the government would no longer withdraw and re-lay the E-levy bill, as communicated earlier.
Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, inquired the Majority to declare its position on the levy to clarify any misconception.
“It is not even in our business statements this week. We want to know the direction of the government on that E-levy policy. If it is no longer a priority, please let us know,” Mr Buah said.
Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, MP for Juaboso, said: “May I know when the E-levy will be brought back to the floor of the House?
“I say that because some members of the honourable House are going round telling Ghanaians that some of us are secretly supporting E-levy.”
Responding to the concerns, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, advised the Minority to build consensus with the majority in passing the E-levy bill.
He said: “Yesterday, we considered the Sputnik report by consensus. Why don’t we do the same for the E-levy?”
Previous efforts to discuss the bill on the floor of Parliament had not been fruitful.
Presently, the nationwide conversation has been around the government pushing through the contentious 1.75 per cent E-levy estimated to rake in some $1 billion annually or sign up on the IMF programme.
While some analysts have?proposed seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Policy bailout?as an adequate recourse amidst public disapproval of the E-levy, the government has not been in support.
Other schools of thought have also overlooked calls for the government to go under an IMF programme insisting that the options left for Ghana to consider are fiscal discipline, a reduction in wasteful expenditure, and the sealing of revenue leakages.
So far, the government has held three town hall meetings on the E-levy to get the citizens to understand the importance of the bill.
The fourth town hall meeting is scheduled for the Upper Wast Region on Monday, February 21, 2022, at the Regional Library, Wa.
The 1300 hours meeting would have Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister for Information, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister as some of the speakers.
The others are; Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister for Interior and Mr Issahaku Hamidu Chinia, the Deputy Minister Sanitation and Water Resources.
Source: GNA