Managing Editor of the Custodian Newspaper, Awudu Mahama has stated emphatically that no Ghanaian government can cancel a major levy such as the tax on Electronic Transactions (e-levy).
He revealed that there is no record of any government in the history of Ghana pulling of such a move, as he described former President Mahama’s claim a bluff.
The 1.5percent e-Levy kicked off on Sunday, 1 May 2022 despite public objection.
The 5 transactions affected by the e-levy include: momo transfers between users on same network, momo transfers between users on different networks, Transfers from bank accounts to momo accounts, Transfers from momo accounts to bank accounts and Inter-bank transfers using digital platforms including mobile applications.
Former President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, 2 May 2022 announced the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government when it comes to power, will abolish the Electronic Transaction Levy (e-levy).
According to him, the opposition NDC is not opposed to taxation, however, the party is against taxes that burden the Ghanaian people.
Sharing examples of successive governments, including the NDC failing to follow through with similar big talks in the past, Awudu Mahama told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, “It won’t happen as there is no record of any gov’t reversing such policies. The NDC promised to cancel the Communication Service Tax when it came to power but they didn’t. The tax was used to fund Youth Employment and Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA). Now, the NPP also said they cancel Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA) but they also failed to do so. So which gov’t has a track record of cancelling taxes raking in major revenue?
According to him, the only taxes which can be revoked by governments are nuisance taxes as Ghana has seen in the past but not major revenue sources like the e-levy.
Andy Kankam, Editor of the Informer Newspaper also described the pronouncement by former President Mahama as “one committing the NDC vehicle to a suicide mission and this will affect the party politically.”
He believes the best the party can do is to review the rate of the levy downwards “but it cannot scrap it off.”
By: Joel Sanco
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