The government has reiterated the importance of maintaining the COVID-19 levy to address ongoing financial impacts of the pandemic, despite mounting calls from the business community for its repeal.
Leading up to the mid-year budget review, businesses have pushed for the elimination of various taxes, including the COVID-19 levy, arguing that these taxes are now redundant and burdensome, potentially deterring investors from Ghana.
In response, the government has defended the necessity of the levy. Abena Osei-Asare, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, addressed the issue before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Wednesday. She emphasized that although the immediate threat of COVID-19 has subsided, its financial repercussions persist.
“The threat of COVID-19 is no more. But the impact of COVID we still feel. There are so many things we did during the pandemic that we have had to take care of. The effect of COVID is still with us and that money is being used to address part of the effect of COVID-19. COVID is gone, but the effect is still with us. We still have to pay for vaccines,” Osei-Asare stated.
She further noted that the levy remains part of the approved revenue for 2024 as passed by Parliament, underscoring its continued collection by the government.
This stance highlights the government’s commitment to managing the lingering economic challenges posed by the pandemic, despite opposition from the business sector.
