Tema, May 19, GNA – The Tema Metropolitan Office of the Information Service Department (ISD) has rolled out a sensitization programme on the newly introduced electronic levy to correct people’s misconceptions.
The levy popularly known as e-levy which commenced on May 01, 2022, was passed into law and assented by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 29, and March 31, 2022, respectively following months of debates, consultations, and disagreements on it.
Ms Doris Gorman, ISD Tema Metropolitan Director interacting with the staff of the Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office, said information officers had received the requisite training from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to sensitize residents on the e-levy as a way of building a proper understanding of the levy among the public.
Ms Gorman said the sensitization would be done through the three community information centres in the metropolis located in Tema Communities Nine, Two, and Seven, adding that information officers would also visit the markets, transport stations, mosques and churches to educate them on E-Levy.
She added that identifiable groups would also be engaged, additionally, ISD Information Vans would drive through the communities playing E-Levy Educational Jingles as part of the sensitization.
She said to be able to reach everyone with the information, the education would be conducted in English, Twi, Ga, Hausa and Ewe due to the multi-lingual nature of the harbour cum industrial city.
The ISD Tema Metro Director gave the assurance that buying power or paying for utilities using the Utility Service Providers’ mobile applications would not warrant an E-Levy deduction.
She again said that payment of goods and services through merchant lines would not attract E-levy when the operators give the customers the code from the GRA, adding that businesses with merchant numbers must also register with the GRA to be exempted from the E-levy.
She said the mobile money agents have received the requisite training and were expected to do the right thing to ensure that Ghana got the needed revenue from the E-levy for developmental projects.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Tema Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency on his part said his outfit would collaborate with the ISD to sensitize the public explaining that the two institutions have the mandate to work together to project government’s policies while carrying feedback from the public to government.
Mr Ameyibor said the need for the sensitization drive could not be overemphasized as there were a lot of misconceptions around the E-Levy that needed to be ironed out to ensure its success.
He said GNA-Tema Regional Office has a mandate as a state institution to support and provide the communication platform for the dissemination of public information as a means to strengthen and deepen democracy.
Source: Ghana News Agency