E-Levy is not a compulsory tax; if you don’t want to pay don’t use MoMo – Carlos Ahenkorah

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West constituency, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah has stunned Ghanaians with his comments on the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) amid concerns by the general public.

According to the ballot-paper snatching MP, the levy is not a compulsory tax and hence Ghanaians who do not want to pay should stop using Mobile Money (MoMo).

“It is not a compulsory tax, if you don’t do MoMo you don’t pay so if you don’t want to pay don’t do MoMo, it’s as simple as that,” the Tema West MP said in a response to the Justice 4 Ghana protest demanding for the scrapping of E-Levy from the 2022 budget.

Hon. Carlos Ahenkorah in his attempt to explain himself said Ghanaians opposing the E-Levy lack understanding of what it is really about.

He argued that scrapping the E-Levy will mean Ghanaians want the government to go and borrow $5 million to support the budget to be used by the country next year.

“What I am telling them is that they don’t seem to understand what is going on. They should forget about what they are doing and rather let’s see how we can assist the government to run this country.

“This budget that we are talking about, an amount of $5million is coming from the E-levy thing to as it were support the expenditures. If we decide that we don’t want the E-levy anymore, so the government should take it out. It means that the government has to go and borrow that 5million from outside to come and support the budget,” Carlos Ahenkorah shared.

The Tema West MP added, “The government cannot find money anywhere unless you and I contribute into the kitty for the development we are looking for. Everybody want good road and free school thus free education. Where does the government going to get the money from?.

Weeks after Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta presented the 2022 budget statement and economic policy proposal to Parliament, the E-Levy has remained topical with a section of Ghanaians including CSOs and the Minority calling for it to be totally scrapped.