You condemn the 1.74 percent levy yet you don't pay taxes - Ken Ofori Atta tells professionals

• Finance Minister slams professionals for kicking against e-levy
• Ken Ofori Attah says professionals who don't pay taxes have no right to criticize
• Parliament rejects controversial 1.75 percent electronic levy

The finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has taken a hit on 60,000 Ghanaian professionals, including accountants, doctors and lawyers, and many others who are not paying taxes, but a 1.75% electronic transaction levy from 2022. expected to be implemented.

According to him, digital levy is now the way to go as many Ghanaians who are not paying taxes or not declaring taxes can be caught.

Speaking at the TUC Economic Dialogue on the 2022 budget, Mr. Ofori-Atta said the electronic levy is a necessary evil to bring many Ghanaians into the tax net.

“Through technology, we can find a means of making sure that everyone contributes to this national rebuilding [economic recovery] that we have to do and recognize that this is a moment in our history, and that these issues are going to happen.” have to deal with. Will it be uncomfortable? Of course, it will be uncomfortable. But where is the shared burden for us to move from?, he asked.

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“So, I listen to social media and then I look at the statistics. Since we brought the national ID [identity card] to the Ghana Revenue Authority, I find about 60,000 people living in our nice neighborhood [Labon, Cantonment etc] can - accountants doctors, lawyers - who always blame the informal sector - masons etc. And these 60,000 people are not paying anything and they are able to convince you that e-levy is bad because it is tax on tax etc. ”, explained the Finance Minister.

"When I give you your income and you go and buy a Voltic bottle, I put VAT [value added tax] on it, right? So it's not tax on tax? You can define it like this" , They said.

Continuing, Mr. Ofori-Atta said, "Now, we've got a system where the issue of transfers is the order of the day and continues to grow, but it catches on all... Then you about the poor. Lets talk.So these rich advocates talk of poor, tax etc and i am saying that i have excluded first 100 which means poor will not be taxed in any month. So if 3000 per month poor So, is it true?".

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"So this 'Ann's Approach' to use the premise that is a lie and then build on that to excite us all while we are at a point in history where we must consider what we all have to sacrifice." To be able to rid that son or daughter of the humiliation of not working,” he added.

"When Norwegians listen, and they're collecting revenue from 34% to 40% of GDP, and we're screaming and screaming, but we're going to pay taxes on 13% to 14% of GDP with this mindset. I pay for your child, your healthcare, I feed your child in school, I give him free SHS and that is not considered and we demand more”, he said. .

“So climbing a 1.75% levy hills feels like, who are we as individuals? And where do we want to go as people? So this is not a bunch of unaffiliated sitting politicians who are not realizing the time when we as a nation are in talks to talk about what sacrifices we should make”, he insisted.

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The argument about 1.75% e-levy is expected to intensify in the coming days as Parliament debates the levy and there is a possible approval.

Source: YEN.com.gh