The Akufo-Addo administration's failure to reach half of the income target for 2022, particularly from the Electronic Transaction Levy, pleases the MPs from the Minority National Democratic Congress (E-Levy).
Haruna Iddrisu, the minority leader in parliament, expressed the group's happiness over the missed goal and blamed it on the group's tenacious opposition and constructive criticisms against the E-Levy policy's approval, which led to the government lowering the proposed rate from 1.75 percent to 1.50 percent.
Speaking on the subject, he said that "This minority succeeded in decreasing percentage the Finance Minister came to Parliament with" at a meeting with the members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC).
He claims that he intended to lower it down to 1.75 percent but was compelled to do so. They abandoned it since there were several other activities that E-Levy would have discovered.
Haruna Iddrisu stated, "Thanks to the opposition and our constructive critiques clarify the policy, it has been able to improve, including remittances.
The Minority Leader said, "Even more crucially, the government has already lost half of the E-Levy money it had projected. That can only be credited to the Minority Group in Parliament's goals and persistence. We might leave you feeling unsatisfied. We just initiated legal action, and while it may not completely please you, I don't believe it's improper.
The NDC MP for Tamale South, Mr. Iddrisu, met with the media to provide an update on the House's accomplishments over the previous six months and its anticipated future actions.
Mr. Iddrisu added that the Minority Group in Parliament will keep pushing for the government to treat Ghanaians equitably.
On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, the Ghanaian Parliament adopted the contentious E-Levy, a 1.50 percent tax on internet transactions, following a walkout by the opposition NDC MPs.
The NDC MPs had asserted that they were not a part of or connected to the so-called "killer" and "unwarranted" tax on Ghanaians.
In the November 2021 budget, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta suggested the E-Levy as a way to expand the tax base and raise additional funds to help Ghana's struggling economy.
His plan, however, ran into trouble when the NDC MPs objected to the agreement and asked that the 1.75 percent tariff be lowered to 1 percent. Therefore, they demanded that the planned tax policy be dropped and a new one put into place.
The tax plan was abandoned after heated debates over it, and a fresh proposal was made instead, suggesting a rate of 1.50 percent. The Minority Group left while the proposal was being considered because they were dissatisfied even with the new recommended rate.