Parliament on Wednesday, March 26, passed a bill to abolish the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
The move to abolish the tax has been widely welcomed by many Ghanaians.
The bill will now be sent to President John Mahama’s desk for assent.
The E-Levy was introduced in 2022 by the previous NPP administration. It was designed to impose a 1.5% tax on electronic transactions such as mobile money transfers, bank transfers, and online payments
While others argued that the levy would help generate revenue for infrastructural development, it faced significant opposition from the public, businesses, and political figures who expressed concerns about its impact on digital transactions and the economy.
Since its introduction, there have been protests and public outcry, with critics arguing that it disproportionately affected low-income earners and the unbanked population.
The bill’s passage through Parliament marks a significant step towards scrapping the levy, but its future now lies in President Mahama’s hands
President Mahama and the NDC promised to abolish the tax and made it a huge campaign message ahead of winning the December 2024 general elections.
When the question was put in Parliament on Friday, there was not a single dissenting voice challenging the move to outlaw the tax
Source:www.senaradioonline.com
