E-Levy: GRA developing monitoring platform ahead of implementation
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), is developing a monitoring platform for the electronic transaction levy ahead of its implementation.
The development of the monitoring platform, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, Reverend Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah noted in a letter, is in readiness for the implementation of the levy pending Parliamentary approval of the E-Levy bill.
In the said letter sighted by NorvanReports, the Commissioner asserts the implementation of the levy will be in three phases and directs it partners such as the ARB Apex Bank to trigger processes awaiting the passage of the controversial bill.
Read details of the letter
In a related development, Special Aide to the Commissioner-General, Dr. Dominic Naab, has averred GRA officials are conscientising themselves to ensure that there are no challenges in the implementation of the levy should it be passed.
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“We are trying to understand the system. We are more than ready to implement the levy. We are looking at how other areas are doing theirs and I can tell you we will get there,” he said in an interview on Thursday, February 3, 2022.
Dr. Naab in the said interview, confirmed the letter was issued by the GRA and explained the rationale for it saying, “for us at the Ghana Revenue Authority, we have the mandate to administer taxes.“
“It hasn’t been passed into law, it’s just a bill. So we have looked at the Bill but we know that if it’s passed, there will be some changes so we only need to tweak our system to be able to actually accommodate it,” he added.
The e-levy is still awaiting approval from Parliament.
The tax proposal which is currently in Parliament will see the government deduct 1.75% tax on some electronic financial transactions by citizens.
The e-Levy has been the bone of contention since the government presented its 2022 Budget statement to the House last year.
According to the Finance Ministry, the move will increase the country’s tax-to-GDP from 13% to a targeted 16% or more and $6.9 billion in revenue.
But the Minority insists that the 1.75% tax is a tool to exacerbate the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian, whom the Covid-19 pandemic has already impacted.
