The Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi, is demanding full disclosure from the Finance Ministry on the amount collected so far from the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy).
He argues that suggestions from a leading figure in the NPP that the tax handle is underperforming could be a ploy to take the country to the IMF.
The Minority opposed the passage of the e-levy and walked out in protest before its approval.
Speaking to Citi News, James Avedzi indicated that until official figures are released, the Minority will not be convinced by suggestions that the e-levy is underperforming in terms of revenue.
“The official source of reporting should be the Ministry of Finance and not Gabby. If the Ministry of Finance comes and says we have realized only ten percent then we want to find out the reason.”
“We think that what should be coming in should be more than 10 percent. If they claim that the e-levy is being introduced to prevent the country from going to the IMF why do they still think that there is the need to go to the IMF? In order to have a justification for it, they want to under-report [the e-levy]. If they under-report, they will have a justification to go to the IMF.”
A member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, had said the e-levy introduced by the government to generate additional cash for the government is raking in only 10% of estimated revenue.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Otchere-Darko said the e-levy, since its implementation, had generated less than GH¢60 million instead of the expected GH¢600 million.
