Government embarks on nationwide sensitization drive for E-Levy
A survey conducted by the Center for Economics Finance and Inequality Studies has showed that some 81.6 percent of respondents want the proposed Electronic Transaction Levy cancelled and never introduced by the government.
According to results from the survey captured on JoyBusiness, 36.4 percent of the respondents on their part, had no knowledge about the tax measure whereas 1,679 out of the 2,650 had knowledge about the E-Levy.
In addition to the results from the portal, 13.5 percent of the respondents sampled were of the view the E-Levy should be passed into law and implemented by government.
Meanwhile, a small portion of 4.9 percent of respondents held the view that the E-Levy should be passed next year in 2023.
The survey was conducted by Professor Anthony Amoah of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development and Dr. Benjamin Amoah of the University of Ghana Business School.
Results of the survey counted on Google Online Forms for data collection, of which respondents were automatically restricted to one entry only.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has insisted the passage of the tax measure, also known as the E-Levy, is critical to fill revenue gaps.
He contended that the economy has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic which requires the implementation of key tax measures to sustain the economy.
But since the announcement of the E-Levy in November last year in parliament by the finance minister [Ken Ofori-Atta], there has been widespread backlash and condemnation over the tax measure.
Lawmakers in Parliament and a cross-section of the public have also kicked against the proposed E-Levy and described it as one that is regressive and would place more burden on the ordinary citizen.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta