Cape Coast South Member of Parliament, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, has said that kicking against the E-levy does not main the persons are unpatri
Cape Coast South Member of Parliament, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, has said that kicking against the E-levy does not main the persons are unpatriotic.
He explained on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday March 26 that opposers of the E-levy are rather against wasteful expenditure by the government.
“The idea of being against e-levy makes us unpatriotic is not true,” the former Deputy Finance Minister said, adding that “People appreciate that government needs taxes to build infrastructure. What people don’t accept is wasteful expenditure.”
His comments come after the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said that the position taken by National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament against the E-levy is scaring away investors from the country.
Mr Ofori-Atta said also that it is affecting the implementation of government porgramme.
Announcing key economic measures to deal with the current challenges facing the economy on Thursday March 24, Mr Ofori-Atta said “Parliament will approve the 2022 budget , appropriation and its expenditure plans and turn to vote against one of the key revenue measures that was being introduced, E-levy.
“The stance of the Minority in Parliament against the E-levy would gravely affect investor confidence and our capacity to to implement our programmes.”
The Minority, in opposing the E-levy said the policy proposal in the 2022 budget statement is a disincentive to the growth of digital economy.
To that end, their leader Haruna Iddrisu said, the Minority will not support it.
Speaking at a post budget workshop in Ho on Saturday November 20, he said “Mr Speaker, understandably, we see that the Minister of Finance seeks to introduce some measures including the now popularly declared e-levy or digital levy as some have quite named it.
“Mr Speaker, our concern is whether the e-levy itself is not and will not be a disincentive to the growth of digital economy in our country . We are convinced that the e-levy may as well even be a disincentive to investment and a disincentive to private sector development in our country. We in the minority may not and will not support government with the introduction of that particular e-levy . We are unable to build national consensus on that particular matter.”
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