The Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George has described Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and the Akufo-Addo government as ‘clueless bunch’ for introducing a tax on Mobile Money transactions without informing the telecom companies.
Mr. Ofori-Atta on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, announced that the government after several discussions has resolved to introduce a 1.75% levy on all electronic transactions over GHS100 per day including Mobile Money (MoMO)
“Total value of transactions for 2020 was estimated to be over GHS 500 billion Cedis compared to GH¢78 billion Cedis in 2016 just 5 years ago, while total mobile money subscribers and active mobile money users have grown by an average rate of 18% and 16% respectively between 2016 and 2019. Mr. Speaker, it is becoming clear there exists the enormous potential to increase tax revenues by bringing into the tax bracket, transactions that could be best defined as being undertaken in the “shadow economy.
“After considerable deliberations, the Government has decided to place a levy on all electronic transactions to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector. This shall be known as the “Electronic Transaction Levy or E-Levy,” Ken Ofori-Atta told parliament.
Today, Sam George in a Tweet has taken a swipe at government for failing to keep the telecom companies in the loop prior to the announcement of the MoMo tax.
According to the Ningo-Prampram, the Finance Minister and others in government are acting like a clueless bunch with post facto thinking.
“Let me state for the records that the govt HAS NOT engaged any of the service providers in the telecoms space on how the draconian “digital tax” would be implemented. How do you announce a tax when those to implement it & be affected by it are left in the dark? Clueless bunch.
“The NCA and the Ministry of Communications are now inviting Telcos and Service providers in the space to a meeting on Friday to discuss implementation of a policy announced in the budget? Such a clueless bunch of managers. Post facto thinking,” Sam George has posted on his Twitter page.
Source: Modern Ghana