Member of Parliament for Ho West constituency in the Volta Region Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah has disclosed that the implementation of the controversial Electronic Levy (E-Levy) has made him stop using Mobile Money Services in Ghana.
Speaking with Citizen Kofi Owusu on Ahotor 92.3 Fm’s morning show dubbed Adekye Mu Nsem, the legislator said his actions is to oppose the burden been onto Ghanaians in the form of the E-levy.
A 1.5% tax on all electronic and merchant payments, bank transfers and inward remittances of more than 100 cedis was passed in Ghana’s parliament on 29th March, and came into effect on the 1st of May, 2022.
It sparked widespread anger about the impact on people’s incomes, and warnings it could reduce the use of mobile payments, which are hugely popular in Ghana.
The government said the levy will help raise 6.9bn cedis (£700m) this year, a small dent in the country’s £39bn public debt, but enough to avert the need for a loan from the International Monetary Fund, according to analysts.
But Hon. Bedzrah said the government did not listen to the cry of the already burdened Ghanaians by introducing the E-levy hence his decision to abort the service.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh / Ahotoronline.com
