‘We know some of you are against E-levy; stand up and be counted’ – Minority tells NPP MPs

The Minority in Parliament claims some New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmakers are against the proposed E-levy but are afraid to show up.

Yapei-Kusawgu Member of Parliament John Jinapor said in Parliament on Tuesday March 29 while contributing to a debate on the E-levy in Parliament on Tuesday March 29, Mr Jinapor said he is aware that some NPP lawmakers are even concerned about the hardship the E-levy will bring on their constituencies hence they do not want the policy to be approved.

“I know some of you are concerned about your constituents. Be bold and come out to be counted,” he said while opposing the E-levy.

He further accused the Akufo-Addo administration of poor performance which he said is leading the NPP to opposition.

Mr Jinapor said the performance of the Akufo-Addo government is the worst by any government in the Fourth Republic.

Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah while contributing to the debate on the E-levy dismissed claims that it will kill the Mobile Money (MoMo) industry.

He noted that this same argument was made when the Communication Service Tax (CST) was introduced to the effect that it was going to kill the telecom industry.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday March 29, the Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker said contrary to the fears, the telecom industry has grown even with tax.

He said “Mr Speaker, there is a claim that has been made that it will kill the MoMo industry so don’t tax MoMo.

“This same claim was made when the Communications Service Tax was being introduced, it has never killed ] the industry. In fact the industry has grown. Mr Speaker, finally, the poor have been taken out of it with the threshold implemented so that those who transfer less than 100 cedis a day will not pay this levy.”

Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, also argued for the passage of the E-levy in Parliament on Tuesday, March 29.

She assured that revenue to be generated from the E-levy will be used in proving the needs of Ghanaians.

Speaking on the floor of the House she said the E-levy “is not MoMo tax, it is Electronic Transaction Levy.”

This was after a Former Deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, had told Parliament that the E-levy should not be passed.