E-levy: Ghanaians deserve an account of where the massive infrastructure & transformation are – Bright Simons

A Vice President of Imani Africa, Bright Simons, has asked the government to account to the people of Ghana on how the proceeds from the Electronic transaction levy (E-Levy), have been utilized to provide infrastructure and transformation as was assured.

He made this request based on the justification that was given for the introduction of the E-levy that it would be used to provide infrastructure and other development needs of the country.

It is recalled that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso, Mr Davis Ansah Opoku, urged Ghanaians to support the E-Levy, to enable the government to provide more development projects.

He indicated that the government carefully considered the financial implications of the E-Levy and was of the firm conviction that the ultimate benefits would be immense.

“We are not in normal times, the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed severe challenges on global economies and this has been a tough decision for the government,” he stated.

Addressing the chiefs and people of Osubeng in the Kwahu South Municipality, Mr Opoku said while the levy might not be what Ghanaians and the government had hoped for, the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic made it imperative for the government to execute more development projects.

“We understand the concerns of Ghanaians; we fully appreciate the challenges the people are facing. But the government machinery must operate and we must execute many development projects to improve the people’s livelihoods.

“Now that Parliament has passed both the budget and appropriation bill, we have to find the money to execute the many development projects in the budget. We cannot do this without the necessary funding.

“Considering the challenges imposed on the country by the unrelenting Covid pandemic, the E-Levy is a strategic tool to help raise funds for development,” he explained.

After several back and forths in Parliament on the passage of the bill amidst heated exchanges and debates between the Minority and the Majority in Parliament, the e-levy policy started on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta also said that the e-levy was going to offer the opportunity for all citizens to contribute to revenue generation efforts for national development.

Speaking at the 24th meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), he said “Ghanaians are largely in favour of paying the E-Levy, contrary to the impression being created from Parliament; but we have to explain to them the levy’s merits and the positive consequences it will bring.”

In a tweet on Thursday, November 23, 2023, Mr Bright Simons said “18 months after e-levy came into force, I think Ghanaians deserve an account of where the massive infrastructure & transformation certain MPs promised during the debate are. Who disagrees?”

18 months after e-levy came into force, I think Ghanaians deserve an account of where the massive infrastructure & transformation certain MPs promised during the debate are. Who disagrees? pic.twitter.com/DOXSHZpIHG

— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) November 23, 2023

Source: 3news