The government in its engagement with citizens over the controversial e-levy policy has been urged to judiciously use the proceeds generated from the electronic transactions to benefit all Ghanaians.
The government was urged to seal loopholes in its fiscal regime, tighten financial administration and ensure maximum transparency in the use of public funds.
The 1.75 percent E-levy has generated controversies since it was announced in the 2022 budget and has divided Parliament, with the Minority vowing to vote against its passage into law.
Some Ghanaians who attended the townhall meeting shared their concern on the policy.
Mr. Alhassan, a resident of Sekondi, said, “Knowing the benefits of the E-levy would bring has made me to have a change of mind. I now support its passage into law. The government should use the proceeds well to benefit Ghanaians especially the youth. I also think the education should be intensified.”
Kwaku Ansah, was of the opinion that Ghana needs infrastructural development in terms of road construction amongst others, and touted that some road network to farmlands are in deplorable state and needed fixing.
“This town hall meeting is an eye opener because government is going to generate money to construct roads in hinterlands where crop production is high. This would make food transportation from rural towns into urban cities stress free. I think it’s a call government is making,” he said.
Others expressed concern about what they thought was government allowing the Telcos to amass from the ordinary Ghanaian and only told to reduce it charges because of the E-levy.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, responding to the concerns, said the E-levy was a deep request from the President to create jobs, build more infrastructure to improve the general well-being of Ghanaians.
He said the current situation where only a percentage of Ghanaians paid taxes was not favourable to realizing the rapid socio-economic aspirations of the country.
Mr. Ofori-Atta said, “The E-levy will make all Ghanaians responsible in paying taxes and reinforce their moral rights to demand for more social amenities and development.”
The E-levy, he touted, would help boost education delivery, strengthen internal security, health care services, as well as other government flagship programmes, especially the “YouStart” programme.
He said currently, the proposed 1.75 percent had been slashed to 1.5 percent and covered a regime of electronic transactions since the terrain was emerging and could be a possible source for revenue generation.
Mr. Ofori-Atta said, the Levy could help the Region to have the much desired new Regional Hospital, among others.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said generating more revenue was critical in contributing to the economic independence of the state and in order to achieve the President’s Ghana Beyond Aid policy.
The Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Mr. Andrew Agyapa Mercer, said the government needed more revenue to make up for the losses during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic and the management of the Banking crisis.
Ms. Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, also urged women, in particular, to accept the Levy to improve upon their lots.
