The Tamale Central MP, Murtala Mohammed, insists that the Minority will oppose the 2022 budget presented by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Speaking on JoyNews‘ AM Show on Thursday, he explained to host, Israel Laryea that the budget being debated by the House currently, is full of “inconsistencies and half-truths”.
Because of this, he said, approving it is equivalent to sending Ghanaians to their graves.
“I called for the absolute rejection of the budget because we have a lot of inconsistencies and half-truths. If I were to support the approval of the budget, I must as well send the people of this country to their graves.
“What the Minister of Finance read was nothing but funeral announcements of the public sector worker, journalists, teachers and nurses.
“The only people whose funeral was not announced were the people who live in the Flagstaff House,” Mr Murtala Mohammed said.
According to him, the country, as indicated by government, requires infrastructural development; however, the introduction of the E-levy is not the way to go.
He noted that former President John Mahama helped massively with the country’s infrastructural development just as his predecessors, Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry John Rawlings but never introduced such a policy.
He described the introduction of taxes as an unprincipled position taken by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Mr Murtala Mohammed explained this is so because Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, some years ago, opposed taxing mobile money transactions but now, as the Chairman of the Economic Management Team, has allowed his government to tax electronic transactions.
He added “the current Minister for Communications made infamous comments in the past where she said if you have to develop a country through taxation, then her 17-year-old son could rule Ghana.
“Today, we are being told we are ungrateful, that they want to develop this country, and they want to tax us.”
During his interaction, the Tamale Central MP stated that the E-levy will hinder the growth of businesses in the country.
“If I want to send ¢100,000 to my business partner in Kumasi to buy something to send to me for my business, 1.75 per cent of the amount is ¢1,750. How much is the return ticket from Accra to Kumasi? It is less than ¢700.
“Would it make sense for me even to send it? I will hop in the next available flight, go give them the money and perhaps visit family, friends and have direct contact with my business partner; come back, and I will still have ¢1,050,” he illustrated.
Government has explained that its levy on all electronic transactions is to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector.
The Electronic Transaction Levy or E-Levy covers electronic transactions, including mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances. The 1.75% to be charged will be borne by the sender except for inward remittances, which will be borne by the recipient.
According to the Finance Minister, to safeguard efforts being made to enhance financial inclusion and protect the vulnerable, “all transactions that add up to ¢100 or less per day (which is approximately ¢3000 per month) will be exempted from this levy.”
