The Member of Parliament for Builsa South Dr. Clement Apaak has stated that no amount of changes made to the proposed E-Levy would see it passed.
The legislator who has consistently fought against the levy says the government can decide to make 100 changes to the levy but it would not make them approve it.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has made some modifications as he prepares to take the 1.75% E-levy back to parliament for approval on 25 January 2022.
The changes made to the levy include is a list of exemptions that will not be affected by the controversial new levy.
- Cumulative transfers of GHC100 per day made by the same person.
- Transfers between accounts owned by the same person.
- Transfers for the payment of taxes, fees and charges on the Ghana.gov platform
- Electronic clearing of cheques.
- Specified merchant payments (that is, payments to commercial establishments registered with the GRA for income tax and VAT purposes).
- Transfers between principal, master agent and agent’s accounts.
On the other hand, the E-levy will be charged fully on the following:
- Mobile money transfers between accounts on the same electronic money issuer (EMI).
- Mobile money transfers from an account on one EMI to a recipient on another EMI.
- Transfers from bank accounts to mobile money accounts.
- Transfer from mobile money accounts to bank accounts.
- Bank transfers on a digital platform or application which originate from a bank account belonging to an individual to another individual
Reacting to this, the lawmaker maintained that the E-levy must be scrapped because it will burden Ghanaians.
The position of the Minority he stressed will not change no matter the machinations used.
“Folks, the MoF can make 100 changes to the E-Levy bill, that will NOT change our opposition to the regressive and obnoxious E-levy. Today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, we will still vote against it. 137 NO to E-levy, no retreat no surrender.”
The MP had earlier hinted the Minority will fight with their blood to ensure that the procedures in parliament are not overlooked.
“Let it be known by the hypocritical Ghanaian class that if the NPP in Parliament tries to circumvent, disobey, and overlook processes and procedures of Parliament as dictated by the Standing Orders of Parliament and the Constitution of Ghana, we will resist with our blood.”
And we the NDC in Parliament have never been the instigators nor the aggressors at any time in this 8th Parliament. The law: standing orders and constitution, say voting for the Speaker should be by secret ballot, they tried to disobey, we resisted. They were voting and showing their votes, we resisted. Even so, they snatched and consumed ballots when it was clear Bagbin had won.
We stood our ground, resisted, and ensured that the legitimately elected Speaker, ASK Bagbin, was declared. Let me state again that Bagbin was elected, he was not granted the Speakership by some concocted consensus, not true.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana