Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has urged Ghanaians to accept the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) due to the economic challenges Ghana is facing.
According to him at a Government Town Hall meeting in Wa on February 21, 2022, the nation is unable to carry out developmental projects and also increase salaries due to lack of funds. Therefore, the need to support the E-Levy so that government can fill revenue gaps and increase development.
“I look at teachers and civil servants for example, and I will be the first to admit that the salaries are indecent, nobody will argue with that. At the same time, it is 60 percent of all the revenue we collect from 700,000 people (go into salary payment,) that is also a fact”, he said.
“So yes, there is a legitimate demand for more and there is a legitimate reality that there is no money. So, what do we do as a society? Then you ask me to give you more salary, which is fine, then I say, but it is your colleague civil servants who collect the money, so how can you be responsible for collecting the money, not collect it and then tell me to give you the money. That will be another issue”, he added.