Renowned Economist, Professor John Gatsi, has noted that the flagbaerer and leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will find it difficult to discard the electronic financial transactions, otherwise referred to as E-Levy, if he is voted as President come December, 2024.
During the Vision Launch of the NPP flagbarer on Wednesday, February, 2024 at the University for Professional Studies, Accra, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia pledged as part of new measures of his government to abolish the e-levy and four other taxes to encourage the population to use electronic channels for payment.
Speaking to the vision statement of the flagbearer’s proposal, Professor Gatsi, who is the Dean of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Business School said, ‘’fulfilling it would be a challenge as the levy was introduced by the government to generate revenue, as part of requirements by the International Monetary Fund for the grant of an extended credit facility’’.
He described the proposal as merely a political strategy to make Dr. Bawumia the preferred candidate to vote for in the upcoming polls.
The Finance Professor indicated that it is something the NPP’s flagbearer cannot do when voted as president.
“I believe that all these discussions are going to be centered on 2025, and it is just a political strategy to make Bawumia look good for the election because you have already created a revenue stream for this government, and the IMF program will not end in 2025. So, to say, you need the same level of revenue to sustain the program. I don’t understand how you will be able to take one revenue source from the kitty and remain sustainable in the eyes of the IMF.”
“What Bawumia should be saying is that he will propose taxes A or B to replace the e-levy. If that is not what he is saying, then it is not something he can do, especially under the IMF programme,” Prof Gatsi stated.
The Vice President, as part of his Vision for the next government in 2025, promised to scrap some taxes imposed before the government which recently included the Emission levy and the VAT on Electricity.
However, the Government, in a press release on Wednesday, February 7, suspended the implementation of the tax of electricity.
Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com
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The e-levy was implemented before the country went to IMF so it’s simply not true that the e-levy is An IMF conditionality. Usually what Bawumia visionary speeches does is that it exposes stuped lying people hiding behind titles.
Thanks Prof. for this insight. Ghanaians won't make the mistake this time. See how Bawumia was shaking during his presentation as though, he was drunk. The man is full of lies.
NDC followers have lost their intellects,thinking cap and logical/critical reasoning,they don't make any sense...show can a so-called prof. say this?
Another NDC Professor with Chi1dish argument. Since it is possible to implement E-levy, it is also possible to discard it. We don't need party supporters to tell us it won't be possible.
I think the E-Levy was rather introduced so that Ghana will not go to the IMF. Ghana went to the IMF when the actual expectations of the policy could not materialise. Please get your facts correct.
This guy is really a drunkard, his face tells it all! He should come out as an NDC party card-bearing member and stop hiding behind academics, because he is not!
The so-called academia in Ghana has woefully FAILED the country! Jaundice analysis. I wish the country make our universities work to pay themselves. We will see who they will employ. You train youth who later become unemployable.
Where is Mahama’s policy statement. None other
Why can't the president take away a tax that is unpopular? Who introduced the tax in the place? Does the president requires a referendum to scrap the E- levy, if no, then the prof has no bases to say it's impossible.
But the Professor trusts Mahama right? He is so bitter and his argument is so infantile!