E-Levy implementation: Why pay US$40m for a system that we already have at NCA? – Sam George
Ningo-Prampram MP, Samuel Nartey George
Sam George says govt already has a system that can be used to collect E-Levy
Read full articleData on Ghanaians will be handled outside the country - MP
E-Levy to be implemented starting May 1, 2022 – GRA
Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam Nartey George, has questioned the rationale behind the alleged plans of the government to purchase a system worth US$ 40 million for the implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
In a tweet shared on April 21, 2022, Sam George said that there is no need to purchase the system because the government has a system at the National Communication Authority (NCA) which can perform the same function.
According to the Member of Parliament (MP), the system will be bought from ExpressPay and will be to the benefit of some officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the finance ministry.
“… ask yourself why the shareholding structure of ExpressPay was changed prior to this contract and whose interests the new guys hold. Ask yourself if your country should be paying $40million for a system that we already have at NCA? Ask yourself why less.
“The $40million price tag for a new monitoring platform is hyper inflated and a criminal enterprise,” portions of the MP’s tweet read.
He also alleged that the system that the government wants to use for the collection of the levy will involve the managing of data of Ghanaians in another country which is frowned upon by the laws of Ghana.
“Running a national financial system on a serverless cloud system outside the country is illegal per our laws,” the MP added.
The E-Levy Bill after it was passed by Parliament on March 29, was assented by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo into law just a few days later, despite a suit by three MPs of the minority caucus in Parliament challenging its passage.
Ghana Revenue Authority has indicated that it has put in place all the necessary measures, including the system needed to collect the levy, and it was cooperating with electronic money issuers and other stakeholders to ensure that the collection of the levy starts on May 1, 2022.
Read the tweet of the MP below:
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