E-levy: Association of Mobile Money Agents to go on Strike over Proposed 1.75 percent levy

• The introduction of the new electronic transaction levy clearly does not sit well with the Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana
• According to the MMAAG, they will embark on industrial action on Thursday, December 23, 2021
• The MMAAG, however, warned that an indefinite strike will be triggered if their demands are not met

Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG) has threatened to embark on a sit-down strike on Thursday on Thursday, December 23, 2020.

The leadership of the MMAAG said all agents all outlets will remain closed on the said date over the newly introduced electronic transaction levy.

According to a report filed by 3news.com, the information was contained in a statement issued on Sunday, December 19, 2021, in relation to the yet-to-be introduced e-levy.

MMAAG insists its members’ action on Thursday is to register their total displeasure with the government’s proposed e-levy of 1.75%.

Read also

Menzgold releases names, account numbers of customers to be fully paid

The Association said it deems it “necessary to embark on an industrial action” as members see the levy as “very regressive” and “critical to the survival of our businesses”.

They warned that an indefinite strike will be triggered if their demands they table before the appropriate quarters are not met.

Anyone who can send GH¢100 is not poor

The minister for communications and digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, earlier stated that any Ghanaian who can transfer over GH¢100 through mobile money is not poor.

According to her, if you can send more than GH¢100 then you definitely must be taxed.

Her comments come after the minister of finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced the introduction of a 1.7% phone transactions levy payable by mobile money users per transaction above GH¢100.

Speaking in an interview on GHOne TV on Thursday, November 18, 2021, the communications minister explained why it is time to tax Ghanaians.

Read also

Office cleaners in parliament receive GH¢400 monthly salary - MP reveals

She stated that any person sending money that is above GH¢100 to another cannot be considered to be poor because that amount is big enough, therefore, that person must be taxed.

Mobile Money transactions to be taxed as gov't introduces 'e-levy'

In an earlier report filed by YEN.com.gh, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced that a new levy will be charged by the government in 2022 on all electronic transactions.

This according to him will widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector.

Ofori Atta said the new electronic levy which will cover mobile money transactions and other electronic bank transfers will take effect from February 1, 2022.

Source: YEN.com.gh