Systems for E-levy implementation could be ready in May – Ofori-Atta

The government expects systems that will pave the way for the implementation of the electronic transfer levy to be ready from May 2022.

According to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, there have been discussions with the Controller and Accountant General’s Department and the Ghana Revenue Authority in this regard.

“We had some meetings with the Controller General and GRA, and they have indicated to us that right at the beginning of May, they should be able to get the systems altogether,” he noted.

The levy is a 1.5 percent tax on electronic transactions, which includes mobile-money payments.

The charge will apply to electronic transactions that are more than GH¢100 on a daily basis.

The government had hoped the levy to widen the tax net and raise an extra GH¢6.9 billion in 2022 when it was first announced in the budget.

But it took until the end of March for the levy to be laid in Parliament for consideration.

Parliament passed it in the absence of the Minority MPs, who had walked out before the Bill was seriously considered.

The Minority had complained that it had been blindsided by the unexpected laying of the controversial tax.

It has subsequently moved to challenge the passage of the levy at the Supreme Court.

The Minority MPs on the suit are the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, Mahama Ayariga of Bawku Central, and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of North Tongu.

They are arguing that Parliament did not have the right numbers to form a quorum for the passage of the E-levy Bill into law.

They thus want the passage declared void.