#TrendingGH: Ghanaians divided over the passage of E-Levy

Some Ghanaians have bemoaned the current economy noting the country is currently in an ‘economic mess’.

Majority Caucus in Parliament, however, believes that the passage of the E-Levy will aid Ghana to see developmental changes.

The E-Levy was passed on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, even after the Minority Caucus in Parliament staged a walk-out.

GhanaWeb TV asked a cross-section of Ghanaians on #TrendingGH if they are going back to a cash system to avoid the levy or proceed with the cashless system and contribute their quota to national development.

“We are pleading with the President, we do not want the levy, we do not even have a pesewa to spare, prices of goods on the market have doubled, this levy will just worsen our headache,” a visibly angry trader noted.

“This levy does not make sense, I cannot be buying goods with this same cedi note for you to deduct levies from it, already I do not see any tangible development with the taxes that have already been taken from Ghanaians. We are waiting on the president, if he assents to the bill, we will hit the streets,” another trader added.

“Now when people come to buy from me, even if they are paying just two cedis, they want to send it via momo, will they tax that two cedis too? We are dying, the government wants to kill us, things are tough, in fact, they have already killed us,” an elderly woman added.

Meanwhile, a cross-section of Ghanaians seems to have embraced the ‘Draconian E-Levy’. The have asked the government to see to the proper appropriation of monies that will be accumulated.

“Ghanaians need to pay taxes, when I was in Senegal, we used to pay lots of taxes. We would not see any developmental change if we do not accept the levy. I accept the levy and I believe every other person should accept it too,” a sneaker seller told GhanaWeb.

“I have accepted the levy but there are conditions to it. We won’t sit here and watch anyone live lavishly at the expense of the levy. We deserve accountability for every pesewa that will be accumulated. We want the country to grow and if they believe this is the best way, then we want it, we should see the impact of the funds,” a lady added.

The Minority in parliament has however noted that they are heading to court over the passage of the levy, noting that the Majority caucus did not have the required number to pass the bill. For this reason, they believe the Supreme Court ruling has been violated.

Watch the video here: