President Akufo-Addo has reiterated his government’s resolve to pass the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).
According to him, the government in its bid to lessen the burden on Ghanaians during the heat of the COVID-19 did some expenditure, and that has become necessary for some measures to be put in place to fill those gaps created.
“Revenues during 2020/2021 went down considerably because of the slowing down of the economic activities that came from the COVID-19. At the same time, government, in order to keep the country going, did incur some expenditures on the free water, the free electricity. These were the unavoidable expenses that government had to make,” President Akufo-Addo disclosed when addressing traditional leaders from Dzodze in the Volta region on Tuesday, 1st February 2022.
He continued “These are the efforts that we are now making which are being resisted by the opposition but we will try and close the gap. That is the reason it has become necessary for us to use these measures like this famous tax which has caused so much unnecessary disputation; nevertheless, we would continue.”
President Akufo-Addo added that despite the opposition “I am determined to persevere to make sure that we find the means to address some of the issues.”
The Minority in Parliament has rejected a reduction of the Electronic Transaction levy to 1.5 per cent from 1.75 percent.
The latest reduction was tabled during consultations with the minority on Friday after Thursday’s meeting ended inconclusively.
