To hell with the NDC, we don’t need them in passing e-levy – NPP’s Saka Salia

Communication Team Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Saka Salia, has advised the Minister of Finance and government to stop wasting time in trying to convince the opposition, National Democratic Congress (NDC) to vote the e-levy into law.

Describing the NDC as a party only concerned about winning elections with no regard for the well-being of the Ghanaians, he stated, “There is no need engaging the NDC Members of Parliament over the e-levy because they will not budge. They will not change their stance or consider the well-being of Ghanaians. They will not vote for the passing of the e-levy because their flagbearer says they shouldn’t. To hell with the NDC and their MPs. We don’t need to focus on engaging them when we know their answer,” he said.

Rather than waste time to engage the NDC which has an entrenched position on the e-levy, he charged the Minister of Finance to channel his energies into getting all MPs from the NPP side to vote yes for the passage of the bill.

“We need to get our 138 votes for the levy to be passed so why do we engage the NDC which is not ready to listen? We should engage the people of Ghana and the NPP MPs who are the majority in parliament. We should let our own people understand why and vote for its passage,” he noted.

In an interview on Happy98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben political talk show with Sefah-Danquah, Saka Salia called on Ghanaians against believing the lies of the NDC and ever voting them back to power. “The NDC will only bring untold suffering to the Ghanaian people when they ever come to power again. They brought dumsor and now want to be voted to power in 2024? That’s a no.”

Ghana’s finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta has announced that the government intends to introduce an electronic transaction levy (e-levy) in the 2022 budget. He said this was to “widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector”.

The proposed levy, which will come into effect on 1 February 2022, is a charge of 1.75% of the value of electronic transactions. It covers mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances. The originator of the transactions will bear the charge except for inward remittances, which will be borne by the recipient. There is an exemption for transactions up to GH¢100 (US$ 16) per day.

The opposition has vehemently objected to the e-levy saying it is insensitive and only causes suffering amongst taxpayers and has pledged to see to it that it is not passed into law.