Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has indicated that the tension between Ukraine and Russia is the more reason why the government should be supported to mobilise more revenue.
According to the Effutu Constituency Member of Parliament (MP), the situation in Ukraine will impact Ghana’s economy in so many ways and for that matter, the e-levy is needed to cushion Ghanaians. Mr. Afenyo-Markin during an address in Parliament on Thursday, February 24, 2022, told the Minority side of the house that it is crucial the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) is approved to help the government to rake in additional revenue to support the economy in such difficult times.
“As a businessman, I am worried. I am concerned knowing that the value chain is going to be affected, imports will cost, duties will cost and if you look at what is happening to the cedi, now dollar is moving around a certain figure"
“There is going to be pressure on the limited resources that we have and as a nation, Ghanaian businesses who are supposed to do well to pay taxes they are going to suffer, their businesses will not do well the way they expect, their projections will be affected, that is the reality and I must bring this to the attention of all of us so that any policy that will be brought will be seen in that light,” Afenyo-Markin said on the floor of Parliament.
The Deputy Majority Leader continued, “Of course Honourable Deputy Minority leader, you have not spoken into the mic but if you are talking about the E-levy, this is the more important reason why we need it. If you are talking about the E-levy, that was the next point I was getting to, that we should congregate around it and find a way of generating revenue as a country to save the situation because we are not in normal times. Haruna Iddrisu couldn’t have raised this matter at a better time than now.”
The E-Levy, announced by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in November last year is still without consensus.
While the Majority members are determined to have it approved, the Minority side of the hung Parliament have mounted a spirited resistance.
Story by: Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo
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