E-Levy: Stop accusing service providers of implementing policy ahead of time – Editor

Editor of the Ghanaian Publisher Newspaper, Yaw Obeng Manu has advised Ghanaians to stop crying wolf over the implementation of the electronic transactions levy (E-levy).

According to him, it is false for one to say Ghanaians are already being charged the E-levy immediately after the bill was passed on March 29, 2022.

“Ghanaians should be honest with each other and to the entire world. It is true government has introduced the E-levy but it has not started being implementing it yet.

"No one is charging the E-levy on mobile money transactions. No one should blame the government or telecommunication companies for charges they suffer,” he stated.

The Ghanaian Parliament has approved a new electronic transaction tax which the government says will help raise $900m in much-needed revenue but which has sparked widespread popular criticism.

The E-levy bill, passed on Tuesday, will introduce a 1.5 percent tax on electronic money transfers and transactions.

President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government has said the move will help address problems from unemployment to Ghana’s high public debt.

But for many Ghanaians, the tax represents yet another burden as they are already struggling with high living costs.

With the government disclosing the e-levy will take effect from May 1, 2022, some Ghanaians have however complained of suffering charges equivalent to the e-levy rates on recent transactions.

In a panel discussion on the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun, Yaw Obeng Manu stated, “The e-levy is not being charged yet. We are yet to charge the e-levy so no one should say the policy has been implemented by the service providers as at now.”

He advised Ghanaians to make sure they unsubscribe from services which may be leading them pay extra charges they may not be aware of.