The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has revealed that a future NDC government will abolish E-Levy within their first 100 days in office should the Akufo-Addo-led government pass it.
According to him, E-levy is not taxation but thievery.
Speaking to a crowd gathered at the Obra Spot demonstrating against the E-levy dubbed “Yentua Demo” today, Thursday, 10 February 2022, Mr Nketia noted that the government is insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians.
He told the crowd: “Let me tell you all right now that in the unlikely event the e-levy is passed, we will abolish it and it will be the first tax to be abolished within the first 100 days of a future NDC government because we don’t see it as a tax, it is day light robbery, this is not taxation.
“That is not to say we will not be taking other taxes but we are saying this is thievery, it is not tax based on any production, it’s not tax based on any value addition, it is day light robbery, taking people’s capital from their pockets because they chose not to keep the money in their pockets but to keep it on momo wallets.”
The NDC and its Minority as well as a cross section of the populace are against the 1.75 per cent levy which will affect electronic transactions.
Several calls on the government to drop the proposed tax has fallen on deaf ears.
The government has explained that the upsurge in the use of e-payment platforms, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been an impetus for the introduction of the levy.
As a result, Ghana recorded a total of GHS500 billion from e-transactions in 2020 compared with GHS78 billion in 2016.
The government says the e-Levy proceeds will be used to support entrepreneurship, youth employment, cyber security, and digital and road infrastructure, among others.
Source: Classfmonline.com