E-Levy: ‘We want it fixed at 1%, we fear for double taxation–Minority Leader
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has said they in the minority will be ready to accept a reduction of the proposed E-levy to 1% than the initial proposed 1.75%. The Minority leader made the pronouncement during the 10th-anniversary launch of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications in Accra on Thursday, December 2, 2021, According to him, “…a week ago, we said no, we won’t accept e-levy but having listened to officials in government, including the Minister of Finance, I am convinced to accept a departure from my original no to accepting a one percent E-levy,” he stated. “Pegging the E-levy at 1% was a great contribution to fiscal consolidation and would ensure the economy did not collapse going forward”, he stressed. He Added: The digital economy was doing well and had facilitated a revolution in financial inclusion, hence it was unwise to overburden the telecommunications sector. “We are not against it, but we want it fixed at one percent. We fear for double taxation because we already have the communication services tax,” he said. Mr. Iddrisu initially disagreed with the deduction fee for business transactions not exceeding the GH¢100.00 threshold a day and called for it to be pegged at GH¢500.00. But in a similar vein, he suggested that the money be pegged at GH¢300.00 after revising his notes. The Minority leader said, Ghanaians needed to pay taxes to help develop the country, but not one that would further overburden their tight purse. However, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications alluded to the responsibility of paying tax for development considering the budget deficits and debts. He said the way taxes were introduced to generate revenue must be looked at, so it did not become inimical to the government’s digitalization drive and financial inclusion. The government’s push for entrepreneurship amongst the youth for job creation in the face of a 1.75% e-levy was a matter of concern, Dr. Ashigbey said, and that the Chamber was engaging government to see the best way out. On the issue of widening the tax net, he said merchant payments should be exempted completely from the e-levy. “The Chamber believes that artisans including masons, dressmakers, and painters get paid after work done and do not pay tax. They need to be part of the merchant ecosystem, and to do so there must be no levy on merchant payment,” he said. “Once their wallet is taxed, they will venture into the merchant ecosystem, it gives government visibility of revenues they make. The government then charges corporate income taxes at the end of the year if they file their expenditures.” Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Akufo-Addo desperate” moves to cow them into submission as far as the e-levy is concerned–Haruna Iddrisu
The minority in parliament has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government are using “desperate” moves to cow them into submission as far as the e-levy is concerned. Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu told journalists at a press conference on Thursday, 3 February 2022: That the current court case involving Assin North MP James Gyakye Quayson, who has been slapped with five new charges including forgery, perjury, deceit of a public officer and making false declarations concerning his dual citizenship, According to the Minority Leader, “The people of Assin North decided that he James Gyakye Quayson will be their MP and this cannot be subverted by the desperate manoeuvres of President Nana Akufo-Addo and his agents”. “We wish to serve notice to Nana Addo Dankwa’s government that the minority, our gallant 137, will remain determined, resolute and decided”, he warned. “We are not supporting e-levy no matter what”. He stressed “It’s not for nothing that a few days ago, I stated strongly that you don’t procure cooperation through intimidation, harassment and oppression. You don’t procure cooperation through those tactics”, he reiterated. “Because we believe that e-levy, as I’ve indicated, is regressive, punitive, it will not advance the cause of our country, we are now hearing many things…” he pointed out. He added “if for nothing at all, the Akufo-Addo government and Ghanaians must thank this minority”. “But for us, will there be public engagement and town hall meetings on e-levy? But for us standing for principle and saying that: ‘Don’t take this under a certificate of urgency’, which resulted in those excesses, there would be no consultations. “So, consultations; they must thanks us for giving them an opportunity to reach out to the Ghanaian public and to consult. In any case, it is only an afterthought and a corrective measure but, at least, we are happy that we led the way for them to do what is appropriate”. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
‘NDC has no legal authority and power to use violence to overturn the standing orders—Yaw Buaben
The National Communication Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Yaw Buaben Asamoah has pointed, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has no legal authority and power to use violence to overturn the standing orders of Parliament. Mr. Asamoah made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Apexnews-Ghana on Thursday, February 3, 2022. Responding to opposition critics on President Akufo-Addo’s comment on the controversial E-levy Mr. Asamoah said, “Is important we appreciate the context within which the debate on the E-levy is happening. Particularly when you said ‘passed’, it refers to the parliamentary process and what the parliamentary process is basically, that the minority once there is a difference of one person, we have a minority and majority”. “The traditional role of a minority is to ensure that its voice is heard on matters that it doesn’t believe to be passed. So, their duty is to make their voice seriously heard and once their voice is heard, they do not have any power beyond that or to stop a vote physically”. He said He added: “What you are seeing in parliament is a poor reflection of how parliament is conducting themselves, is not good enough. They are not supposed to use physical force to stop any activity in parliament from going on, but they are supposed to make their voice heard”. “Now their dispute in Parliament is about Deputy Speaker’s voting, Yes, Deputy Speaker has a status that is different from a speaker himself. Deputy Speakers are sent there as Members of Parliament and part of their privileges is that, they are entitled to vote and therefore, when one is presiding as a Speaker, one has the opportunity to rise at any time under order 13:1. So, when a Deputy Speaker is Presiding, at any time during the debate including the decision time, voting time, as he is sitting in the chair he has no vote. But he can get up from the chair, signal the second Deputy Speaker and then he can go and vote as an MP. Is his right, is the right of the constituency who sent him there”. He Explained “So, as long as Hon. Joe Owusu is in the chair in the event Speaker Bagbin isn’t there, he can always leave the chair under order 13: 1 of the parliamentary orders and go and vote while the Hon. Andrews Asiama who is the second Deputy Chair takes his place”. The NDC has no legal authority and power to use violence to overturn the standing orders. So, if the President said the E-levy will be passed, what it means is that, in the context of what parliament does, the E-levy yes should pass and will pass because, in parliament their duty, their authority is to make their point and after that, they should allow the voting rules to continue and if the voting rules continues, the two Deputy Speakers will have a vote. Mr. Asamoah 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
Trust NDC Minority Caucus, we will continue to vote against the E-levy–Navrongo MP to Ghanaians
NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Navrongo Central Constituency Mr. Sampson Tangombu Chiragia has called on the Ghanaians to trust the NDC Minority Caucus in Parliament as far as voting against the E-levy is concerned. Apexnewsgh report The Member of Parliament made the call on Thursday, February 3, 2022, when speaking to Apexnewsgh.com Mr. Chiragia said: “We are saying that we are against E-levy. He is the President of Ghana, the people went to the polls and voted for him as the person they think he can manage for now. But what we are saying, is we the NDC minority are against the E-levy because the effect is directly on the poor and we as a social democratic party. They don’t think we should endorse what will have a direct effect on the poor and for that matter, we are against”. “And now, as long as they bring the bill to parliament and as long as we are there and they put it before us, we will only vote against the E-levy period”. He stressed “Now we don’t want to comment because we have told the people and now the people now know what the E-levy will do to them more than us. But, they are saying they will do it. So, the NDC minority caucus will continue to vote against the E-Levy. He maintained Meanwhile, he believes they in the NDC are not to be blamed but the government and President Akufo-Addo should because they were not able to mobilize 138 majorities as they claim. “Nana Addo should go and mobilized his 138 parliamentarians and come and pass E-levy, apart from that, is 137-137 nothing more nothing less. If Akufo-Addo is able to mobilize his 138, we will go by the constitution and passed the E-levy. We will continue to stand by the masses”. Mr. Chiragia was responding to President Pronouncement on E-levy when addressing traditional leaders from Dzodze in the Volta region on Tuesday, 1st February 2022. According to President Akufo-Addo, “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,”. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your adverts and credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093