Yapei-Kusawgu Member of Parliament John Jinapor has told the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is on its way to opposition due to the poor performance of the government.
Mr Jinapor said the performance of the Akufo-Addo government is the worst by any government in the Fourth Republic.
Contributing to a debate on the E-levy in Parliament on Tuesday March 29, Mr Jinapor said he is aware that some NPP lawmakers are even concerned about the hardship the E-levy will bring to their constituents hence they do not want the policy to be approved.
“I know some of you are concerned about your constituents. Be bold and come out to be counted,” he said while opposing the E-levy.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah for his part dismissed claims that the E-levy will kill the Mobile Money (MoMo) industry.
He noted that this same argument was made when the Communication Service Tax (CST) was introduced to the effect that it was going to kill the telecom industry.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday March 29, the Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker said contrary to the fears, the telecom industry has grown even with with tax.
Arguing for the passage of the E-levy on the floor of the House, he said “Mr Speaker, there is a claim that has been made that it will kill the MoMo industry so don’t tax MoMo.
“This same claim was made when the Communications Service Tax was being introduced, it has never killed ] the industry. In fact the industry has grown. Mr Speaker, finallY, the poor have been taken out of it with the threshold implemented so that those who transfer less than 100 cedis a day will not pay this levy.”
Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, also argued for the passage of the E-levy in Parliament on Tuesday, March 29.
She assured that revenue to be generated from the E-levy will be used in proving the needs of Ghanaians.
Speaking on the floor of the House she said the E-levy “is not MoMo tax, it is Electronic Transaction Levy.”
This was after a Former Deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, had told Parliament that the E-levy should not be passed.
“Don’t tax MoMo,” the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam lawmaker said on the floor of the House after Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta presented a statement on the E-levy.
He added, “the NDC is opposed to the E-levy, It is not only regressive but punitive.”
The Finance Minister on Tuesday, March 29 moved the motion for the passage of the E-levy in Parliament.
“I, therefore, move the motion” for the passage of the E-levy, he said.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana