E-levy Archives - Page 2 of 2

Opinion

Minority’s u-turn on e-levy was strategy to test waters – NDC MP

Weeks and days have come by and yet the majority of Ghanaians are caught between believing the 2021 budget has been approved or not, after the first deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu rescinded the ruling of the Speaker of Parliament to approve the 2021 budget in a very dramatic fashion. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), other organizations and several common Ghanaians have called on the removal of some taxes introduced in the 2021 budget as they believe it would be problematic and irrelevant, notable is the taxes on fuel prices and the controversial e-levy scheme which keeps making headlines and disapproval from Ghanaians. Just after reports suggested that the Minority side of Parliament have agreed to a 1% reduction rate of the e-levy, the Member of Parliament for the Builsa South Constituency in the Upper East region under the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Clement Apaak has disclosed that the statement by the Minority Leader, Haruna Idrrissu was a political strategy to test the reaction of Ghanaians. He indicated that the idea was also to get even with the Majority who suggested that they held discussions with them, and the Minority was only trying to save face. Speaking to Samuel Eshun during an interview on the Happy Morning Show, he said, “It was very obvious our Leader used language that was first person singular throughout his submission. He never made reference to his party, and never made reference to his caucus. It was our strategy and we know exactly what we are doing. What we wanted to achieve with that plan was also successful. The Majority had already come out publicly to make claims that we were negotiating with them for a reduction of the e-levy and created an impression among Ghanaians that we were the ungrateful side. It was also our way to get back at them and we succeeded. We issued a statement just after our Minority Leader suggested we would agree to a 1% rate and it was at the instruction of our leader himself. He went on and told our whip to issue the statement at his own express instruction. This was our political game as in politics there are many ways of killing a cat.” He further cautioned the ruling government and the Majority caucus in Parliament that they would never succumb to an e-levy tax and that it is best to be scrapped off. “We will oppose and continue to oppose anything to do with any 1.75% e-levy tax. In fact, we say 0%, it should never see the light of day and that is our position. We are not going to beg, we are not going to relent, it is not right, it is not proper, it is regressive, it would bring financial exclusion, and not to the point this government has not been able to account for resources allocated,” he added. —Happyghana Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Politics

Go deeper, if not you might think there is nothing for your constituency or your district in the budget—Abdulai Abanga told 2022 budget critics

The Member of Parliament for Binduri Constituency of the Upper East Region Abanga Abdulai has challenged opposition critics who claimed the 2022 budget didn’t capture any reasonable thing for the Upper East Region, to go deeper into the budget. Apexnewsgh.com report “If you don’t go deeper in the budget, you might think there is nothing for your constituency or your district but that is not the case. You need to go into the details of the budget”. Speaking to Apexnewsgh.com in an exclusive interview on Thursday, December 9, 2021, Mr. Abanga said, one critical or far-reaching policy he saw in the budget that is goodies for his people in Binduri and Upper East Region at large is the ‘YouStart’ which he thinks will inure to the benefit of the youth in the region. However, he also pointed that the Pwalungu Multi-Purpose dam which he personally described as a game-changer for the people of Upper East was captured in the 2022 budget and funds were allocated for the project. “One critical or far-reaching policy I have seen in the budget that contains goodies for our people is this youth employment solution that has been provided in the budget the ‘YouStart’. This is an initiative the government intends to support over one million youth to be able to set up their own businesses either as individuals, SMEs or groups. What is happening in Upper East currently, is a national problem and our problem is that we have young people who are looking for jobs and they can’t find jobs. So, what we need to do, is to position ourselves well as leadership to get our people ready to take advantage of this policy”. He said Responding to the controversial E-Levy, he said the only way nations across the world could survive is through taxing. “That only way every country across the world survived their economy. In fact, even if the government goes to borrow and come and construct infrastructure, it is the same taxes that the government will collect from the people and pay back the loans. So, we have to decide, if we want to contribute so that we can get more Feeder roads in various constituencies and districts if we want agenda 111 which Binduri is a beneficiary with some other districts in the region. After the construction, we have to recruit doctors, we have to recruit nurses so that when one is sick and he went to the hospital, there will be some people to take care of your health. The Free Senior High School (FSHS) which district is not benefiting from it? In this budget, is going to be taken care of. Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), who in the Upper East region, have not benefitted from PFJ? So, E-Levy is a way of raising money to support the roads, the hospitals, FSHS, and so on”. He explained “I would just want to encourage everybody that anytime you drive on the road, anytime you went to the hospital, anytime your child goes to secondary school and he or she is not paying fees, you have to understand that somebody is paying the cost of those things and so, this E-Levy is calling on you to make your contribution towards these social amenities you all enjoy every day. So, you shouldn’t think that you are paying money for nothing in return”. He stressed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Opinion, Politics

E-levy is a none starter, I will not support it today, I won’t support it tomorrow– Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba

Madam Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tempane Constituency in Upper East Region who doubles as a member of the communication committee in Parliament has assured her constituents to be rest assured that she will never support the controversial E-Levy today nor tomorrow. Speaking to Apexnewsgh.com in an exclusive interview, the Tempane legislator lamented that most of the things she expected the budget to capture which she thinks will reduce the plight of her constituents and region at large weren’t captured in the 2022 budget read by the Finance Minister. “Upper East is one of the deprived regions in the country and what I was expecting to see from the budget is something that will reduce the plight of the people of Upper East Region. I want to see a very robust programme for electricity, water, road network, youth employment, which I didn’t see in the budget”. She said the YouStart programme is a very scanty one because it did not specify what is going to do for the Upper East Region for the youth to get employment. For instance, I want to see that in the budget, that there provision made for Dam, for those who are not in the formal sector, those who want to go into Agric, or for those already in Agric to enhance their productivity. “I want to see the Minister of Finance assuring us that come next year or next coming season, there will be enough fertilizer for those who are into farming. I want to see TVET is very important today in our sectors. For instance in my constituency, if we have TVET that can actually train the youth carpentry, meson, tiling, mechanic so that when they come out and the government cannot employ them, they themselves can find a way of making a living out of it. So, I want to see something that is specific, if the budget is approved”. As for the E-Levy, the Tempane MP described it as a none starter. “E-Levy is none starter, we don’t even want to talk about it, because i don’t want to worsen the plight of our people. My people are already poor. Somebody is asking for Ghc 100.00 and you are telling me if I send the person Ghc 100.00 you are going to take Ghc 1.70 from that money again. So, at the end of the day, what is the person going to get? I will not support E-Levy today, I won’t support it tomorrow”. She stressed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Opinion, Politics

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto takes on E-levy critics

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Ghana’s Agric Minister has encouraged farmers to welcome the government’s proposed electronic levy (E-levy), which seeks to help the country widen its tax net as read by the Finance Minister in the 2022 budget. According to the Agric Minister, who was responding to opposition MPs in Parliament describing its entrenched position on the E-Levy as worrying. He said the Akufo-Addo administration has assisted farmers with several programmes, adding that the introduction of the E-levy will help raise money to support them with several interventions. The Minister who was quoted by Citi News said: “There are two markets in Ghana; the subsidized fertilizer market, which is the planting for foods and jobs, and the commercial or open market for anyone who wants to buy. These two markets have existed side by side, but because the subsidized fertilizer market was so big, there was very little for the open market. Now with the price increases on the open market, we are also facing problems with revenue collection in Ghana and everywhere else because international trades have also shrunk”. However, during his remarks when he visited one of the government’s built warehouses at Gambaga in the North East Region on his first-day visit to the region as part of his 13-day tour of the northern sector. He said, “We get most of our government revenue from international trade – imports and exports. That is why it’s become necessary for this government to look for alternative sources of revenue to close the gap, hence the introduction of the electronic levy. The opposition (NDC) is making the electronic levy a big issue. What they don’t realize is that it’s affecting other areas. So if we are to remove the levy, where are we going to find the money to give subsidies to farmers? There would be nothing,” he stated. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Opinion

Haruna Iddrisu’s position on the E-Levy problematic– Prof Ransford Gyampo

A lecturer at the University of Ghana Political Science Department Prof Ransford Gyampo has questioned Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu’s understanding on the controversial E-Levy captured in the 2022 budget. Apexnewsgh.com report He described Haruna Iddrisu’s posture ongoing E-Levy debate as problematic. Prof. Ransford Gyampo on his Facebook wall Wednesday, December 8, 2021, posted: 1. Haruna Iddrisu’s confused position on the E-Levy is problematic. It clearly shows that he and his party, the NDC haven’t learnt any serious lesson on what has created the kind of parliament we have today. He was heard publicly asking for a reduction of the 1.75percent to 1percent. Now he’s saying the whole E-levy must be jettisoned. What is this, Haruna? 2. It appears he spoke out of his own conviction on the 1percent and was later forced by his party to reverse what he’s publicly said to outright rejection of the levy. How does this make him feel as Minority Leader? Extreme partisan manipulation of leaders who have their own conviction in synch with their constituents, is a recipe for disaster in any democratic representation. 3. Representation is not about political parties and their interests. It is absolutely about constituent interests. Any attempt to extol partisan interest over constituent interest would backfire in a manner that would hurt a political party badly. We have a hung parliament today partly because the NPP wanted to safeguard its partisan interest by imposing candidates on constituents. They are paying dearly for it, even though their pain is also paying for democratic deepening. 4. The decision to support or not to support the E-levy must be based on the Ghanaian constituent interest and not partisan interest. Constituency interest and partisan interest must never clash in the context of representation. In other words, to make him a champion of democratic representation in the discourse on the E-levy and all other parliamentary deliberations, Haruna Iddrisu must pander more to constituent influence than NDC partisan influence. This is what makes him a representative of his people. 5. The NDC must understand that their MPs are first, representatives of their people/constituents. Partisan interest that breeds unnecessary intransigence comes secondary, and cannot be used to manipulate leaders in parliament in the context of democratic representation. 6. Haruna Iddrisu must therefore not allow himself to be weakened and be made manipulable by the party in a manner that sacrifices his own convictio, independence of thought and need to first articulate constituent/national interest in any discourse. You cannot say 1percent today and then turn around to call for total rejection simply because of a “kakai” in your party. 7. The well meaning Ghanaians who have spoken against E-levy have done so because of its potential impact on the already burdened tax-payer, the poor and the possibility of bringing cash economy into full scale. These should be the reasoning behind any call for reduction or total abandonment of the levy. Excessive partisanship in this discourse is repulsive to floating voters as it would lead to needless intransigence that would eventually make the country ungovernable. It must however be noted that a chaotic and an ungovernable country perceived to have been directly or remotely orchestrated by the opposition would not score them any political political point. Rather, it would anger floaters and win more sympathy for the ruling elites. 8. Both sides should therefore go do sincere dialogue, knowing that, consultations cannot be held in perpetuity and that none has the weight to throw about. Also, the threat to shut down the entire government, should the budget not pass, is an unnecessary political blackmail that has no place in situations that calls for proper dialogue. No intransigence, no show of any power that doesn’t even exist. Yaw Gyampo A31, Prabiw P.A.V. Ansah Street Saltpond & Suro Nipa House Kubease Larteh-Akuapim Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093.

Opinion

Government brought up E-levy to move beyond petroleum levy–Yaw Buaben Asamoah

The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Yaw Buaben Asamoah has said the government has brought up the E-levy in order to move beyond the petroleum levy. Apexnewsgh.com reports According to him, two things are visible, one is that a lot more Ghanaians will contribute to tax, which will make it easy for the government to function. He pointed, the government doesn’t function for profit, the government’s activities don’t generate profit for the government but they are things that give the opportunity for citizens to generate profit. Because when a government invests in a road, the road doesn’t bring the government profit but is the people who are using the road that government will tax some on their activity. Mr. Buaben Asamoah made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Apexnews-Ghana on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 He said, “Is very important that we appreciate that tax paying is not the easiest of things to do. However, government finances are driven by taxes and taxes can also be used to shape the economy in certain ways. So, the E-levy is a tax that is aiming to resolve so of the most difficult issues we have with taxation in Ghana. “The first of those issues is petroleum levy. You would realize that over the years, including the revolution time all that the government use to do was to tax petrol and anytime we taxed petrol, prices go up generally in the economy it doesn’t matter how much you put on the petrol price. So, the action of taxing petroleum has been saturated and because of the recent COVID issues with supply chain problems, you now find that even the petroleum itself price is going up worldwide. So, it is not attractive to taxes anymore. Because you cannot tax what the price is going up in the worldwide market and therefore, the government has decided to stop petroleum tax once and for all. “The other indirect tax, because we have to pay it back is loans, borrowing on the local market and borrowing on the foreign market and including in that borrowing is grants and concession from multi-literal institutions like IMF, WORLD BANK and also recently the commercial market which is BOND Market. The implications are that we never get enough money to invest in things we are borrowing for which are essentially infrastructure, roads and all the other needs and which is the principal and the interest thereon is growing up at a faster rate. And when you borrow to a certain point, you find out the interest payments are getting larger and larger and as we speak, the interest payment on our debt is hitting around 30% of our GDP. That means, for every Ghc 100.00 we get as a nation, we are going to use Ghc 30.00 to pay the debt. How much will be left for our work? So, borrowing too is no more an option, we can’t continue to borrow. So, we are at a point where we need a completely new strategy for funding our own personal needs, funding our roads, our schools, funding our hospital, funding our digital revolution, funding the things that will make us be able to move up and down, funding the digital economy itself, so that everybody can get access to the internet everywhere you are in Ghana”. “So, in order to move beyond petroleum levy, and move beyond borrowing, the government has brought up the E-levy. The E-levy means that the money which would have been put on petroleum taxes, which would have gone to borrow abroad is going to be taken from the E-transaction, which is transaction Ghanaians endorse in. “Two things are visible, one is that a lot more Ghanaians contribute to tax, which will make it easy for the government to function. But we know the government doesn’t function for profit, the government’s activities don’t generate profit to the government but they are things that give opportunity for citizens to generate profit. Because when a government invests in a road, the road doesn’t bring the government profit but is the people who are using the road that government will tax some on their activity. “So, when you put a tax on the E-levy two things happens, more Ghanaians will contribute to paying taxes which means we will pay smaller than before. “Currently, only those who are employed by the government are paying taxes. So, out of the 30 million Ghanaians, less than 10 million are paying tax. And it doesn’t fall on those people alone to be paying for all the roads, all the road re-payment and the money is not enough because they are few and we are taxing them more and more. So, we do this, that means a lot more Ghanaians will share the burden of paying the tax. So, if 11 million people are doing mobile phone transactions, the 11 million people will share and be paying the tax small small so that government can invest in our roads properly. “It also means that because a lot more people are paying, you don’t have to pay much individually. When few people are paying, they pay a lot, but when a lot more people are paying, they don’t have to pay too much as individuals because is spread across”. Mr. Asamoah told Apexnewsgh.com Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Opinion

The proposed 1.75 e-levy could undermine the digital economy laboured by Dr. Bawumia– Dr. Duffuor

Former Finance Minister Kwabena Duffuor has said, the proposed 1.75 percent E-levy in the 2022 budget could undermine the Ghanaian digital economy, which the Vice President has been working on all these years. Speaking at a lecture on the theme: ‘The Ghanaian Dream; Transforming the economy through job creation and opportunities for all’ held at the Tang Palace on Monday, 29 November 2021, the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana Dr. Duffuor said “taxing modes of payment could lead to instantaneous double taxation”. “An electronic transfer usually represents a mode of payment or settlement. And indeed, modes of payment should not attract taxes/levies.” “This is because taxing modes of payment could lead to instantaneous double taxation since the underlying income – the commodity – would have normally been taxed already”. “This makes the proposed E-Levy problematic because it could be fraught with serious implementation challenges”. “This tax could undermine the Ghanaian digital economy, which the Vice President has been working on all these years.” In his view, the government can rather mobilize so much revenue from the extractive industry. “There is so much additional revenue that can be generated from the extractive sector, which is currently being left in the hands of private investors”. “We are not asking for confiscation; we are asking for partnership as it is being done in Botswana and Nigeria.” Dr. Duffuor stressed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Opinion

As for me, I think it should be reduced for ease of calculation–Nana Akomea

The 1.75% E-levy spelled out in the 2022 budget statement by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has generated a whole lot of controversies among the Ghanaian public since after the announcement. According to the government, the budget when approved will cover mobile money transactions, bank transfers, merchant payments, others. Speaking on this matter in a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ monitored by Apexnewsgh.com, a member of the governing party Nana Akomea said “the budget is yet to be approved and discussions are still ongoing…the 1.75% is not cast in stone…it’s possible it can be adjusted, but as for me ‘I think it should be reduced for ease of calculation’.” Meanwhile, he urged the government to be responsible and accountable because “Ghanaians will have no trouble paying any amount; once they know what the monies are being used for”. He pointed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

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Minority’s u-turn on e-levy was strategy to test waters – NDC MP

Go deeper, if not you might think there is nothing for your constituency or your district in the budget—Abdulai Abanga told 2022 budget critics

E-levy is a none starter, I will not support it today, I won’t support it tomorrow– Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto takes on E-levy critics

Haruna Iddrisu’s position on the E-Levy problematic– Prof Ransford Gyampo

Government brought up E-levy to move beyond petroleum levy–Yaw Buaben Asamoah

The proposed 1.75 e-levy could undermine the digital economy laboured by Dr. Bawumia– Dr. Duffuor

As for me, I think it should be reduced for ease of calculation–Nana Akomea

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