E-levy a necessary evil - Afenyo-Markin

Government introduced a 1.75% tax on all electronic transactions

Afenyo-Markin has described the e-levy as a game-changer

According to Ken Ofori-Atta, e-levy will widen the country’s tax net

Despite the controversies surrounding the 1.75% tax placed on all electronic transactions, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has described the e-levy as a necessary evil.

In his view, the newly introduced tax in the 2022 budget will be a game-changer after its implementation.

Speaking in an interview with Asaase radio, Afenyo-Markin noted that the revenues generated from the e-levy will be used to fix deplorable roads, build infrastructures among other developmental projects.

He said, “For me, we need this e-Levy for a long time. We need the roads…so as for a means to get funds to sustain the maintenance and expansion, it is a necessary evil. But if you tax and tax properly and identify the proper tax to impose and you spend that money for people to see the benefits thereof, trust me, you can always win an argument."

“Now with the 1.75% levy, all that Ghanaians expect in spite of the complain would be to see that works are going on in their various communities and they are seeing increasing spate in the way work is being done, that they are seeing contractors back to site, for me that could be the game-changer,” the deputy majority leader stated.

On November 17, 2021, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, during the 2022 budget reading in parliament, announced the introduction of 1.75% tax on all electronic transactions.

According to him, this new directive forms part of strategies to widen the country’s tax net.

He added that the 1.75% tax is also to enhance financial inclusion and protect the vulnerable in the country.



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