Low tax to GDP ratio should not be used to impose more taxes, OcuppyGhana
Finance Ministry to re-table E-Levy in parliament
Pressure group, OccupyGhana says government publish quarterly revenue and details of disbursement of revenue accrued from the controversial E-Levy bill if it is finally passed.
The group said this will demonstrate the government’s commitment to a fiscally transparent and accountable regime.
In a statement issued by OccupyGhana, it said if the E-Levy bill must be passed, it has to satisfy some three strict conditions namely, total implementation of income tax laws, the absolute commitment to recovering misused monies and complete fiscal transparency and accountability.
“Further, it is time for proper fiscal transparency and fiscal accountability. After several years of fiscal inefficiencies, no Government should use Ghana’s low tax revenue-GDP ratio as justification to impose a tax like the E-Levy, without a social contract that is based on fiscal transparency and accountability,” it said.
“Thus, if the E-Levy is approved by Parliament, that legislation must also require Government to submit itself to a fiscally transparent and accountable regime wherein every quarter of the year, Government will at the minimum, publish the revenue from the E-Levy and details of how the revenue was disbursed.”
“Our position: any reintroduction of the E-Levy bill to Parliament must come with clear and satisfying answers to these concerns because the E-Levy will be meaningless unless it is linked with (1) the total implementation of our income tax laws, (2) absolute commitment to recovering our misused monies, and (3) complete fiscal transparency and accountability,” the statement added.
Occupy Ghana