Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has admitted to the dire economic challenges Ghana is faced with.
According to him, the nation currently is unable to undertake or continue developmental projects, implement salary increments due to a lack of funds.
Making his submission at a Government Town Hall meeting in Wa on Monday, February 21, Ken Ofori-Atta underscored the need for Ghanaians to accept the Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy) in order for government to fill revenue gaps and increase development.
“I look at teachers and civil servants for example, and I will be the first to admit that the salaries are indecent, nobody will argue with that. At the same time, it is 60 percent of all the revenue we collect from 700,000 people [go into salary payment,] that is also a fact," Ken Ofori-Atta stated.
“So yes, there is a legitimate demand for more and there is a legitimate reality that there is no money. So, what do we do as a society? Then you ask me to give you more salary, which is fine, then I say, but it is your colleague civil servants who collect the money, so how can you responsible for collecting the money, not collect it and then tell me to give you the money. That will be another issue,” he added.
Since the announcement of the E-Levy, government has insisted the tax measure is necessary to generate some GH¢6.9 billion in revenue for Ghana in 2022.
Although a decision to approve the E-Levy is yet to materialize in Parliament, the Minority caucus has vowed to kick against approving the E-Levy citing it will place more hardship on the ordinary citizen.
Also, a cross-section of the public has bemoaned the introduction of the tax measure.
The E-levy is a new tax measure introduced by government in the 2022 Budget on basic transactions related to digital payments and electronic transactions aimed at widening the tax net and increasing revenue.
The tax measure, if approved, would place a charge of 1.75 percent on all electronic transactions that are more than GH¢100 daily (24 hours).
This will cover mobile money payments, ATM withdrawals, inward remittances among others.
Source: ghanaweb.con
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Minister , at covid you increase leadership salary to about 76% while your income has dropped .You allow the President to go for luxury charted plane to travelled around .Ghana has being receiving aid and we wasted the money on some individual ,now that much is not coming you want to burden the small tax payers .You want easy way out and also want us to accept LGBT so you can get money from them too. Our leaders are selfish , they want all for themselves and their family .A good father at this period will cut down expenditure produce more to get money .Cut down expenses in Government , give crude to TOR to run to reduce the dollar rate and the fuel prices ,the train project should be halted and run the finished one to get some money .With collaboration of the chief ,district assembles and government develop the tourist site , every one who sell food must be registered by FDA from that they pay something small ,every one who sell other items registered by GSA , also all artisans registered and pay through digital means .With this every one pays a little and this will not shy away .The should be policies to protect the public purse
the dumbest Finance Minister.
Assuming that it's true 60% of taxes government collects goes into salaries, the finance minister should tell us what percentage out of the 60% goes to the president, vice president , ministers, deputy ministers, MMDCEs, council of state, MP's, . We have about 650,000 employees on government payroll. How many of these are in political positions? We need the figures. . If Ghana is indeed broke, can one then say the Cocoa, gold, bauxite, manganese, the sea out of which 2 harbours came, oil and timber are a curse instead of a blessing. Assuming the telecos which are all private owned decide to stop mobile money transactions, what happens to E-levy. Why will government bank all it's Hope on a private man's business to make money. If Ghana is broke why then allow foreign vehicles from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to come to our harbours, carry all sorts of goods and use our roads for free and immediately they cross over into their countries they start paying road tolls including Ghanaian vehicles that find their way into those countries. Are you not the one's who say ' little drop of taxes make a mighty nation '? As a finance minister why sit and allow a roads minister to scrap road tolls and turn round to say without E levy road contractors cannot be paid. This particular NPP is completely different from the J A Kufuor one. Kufuor had quality ministers; kwodwo Baah Wiredu, Osafo Marfo, Allan kyeremanten, Kwamena Bartels, Gladys Asmah, Kofi knows made Apraku, Kwame Addo Kufuor, Hackman Owusu agyemang, Paapa Owusu ankomah, Hawa Yakubu, Malik Alhassan Yakubu, JH Mensah, Maj Courage Quashigah, Felix Owusu Agyapong, Dr Richard Anane, . The Akuffo Addo ministers are like colts players.
Who broke am?