Actor cum Politician, John Dumelo, has bemoaned the passag of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
Taking to Facebook to lament over the policy, he said the levy is likely to derail the digital economy which has been touted by the government.
“E-Levy is about to defeat the purpose of a cashless economy,” he said.
According to him, the new tax policy will trigger panic withdrawals which will limit the rate of cashless transactions.
“Panic withdrawals will soon happen and people will find legally smart ways to avoid the system,” he stressed.
He said there are better mechanisms government can adopt to raise revenue for the country which includes “blocking corruption loopholes and stopping Tax Exemptions.”
Parliament on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, approved the controversial Electronic Transactions (E-Levy) Bill.
This decision was reached after the Consideration Stage was completed by a Majority-sided House.
It was considered under a certificate of urgency. Subsequently, President Akufo-Addo assented to the Bill, to become law.
The Minority has declared this action by its opponents as null and void with claims that there was no quorum formed at the time the decision was taken. They have proceeded to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.
Interacting with host, Samson Lardy Anyenini, in reaction to this, MP for Efutu Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the Minority’s grievances over the passage of the e-levy Bill are flawed, particularly when they mention the issue of quorum.
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He noted that instead of the Minority staging a walkout on March 29, they could have stayed and raised the issue of lack of quorum if they believed the Majority did not have the numbers to pass the Bill.
According to the Effutu MP, due to the election of the Assin North MP being annulled, the Minority did not raise the matter as the House was working with 274 MPs.
He also believes the NDC’s challenge of the passing of the e-levy at the Supreme Court is “dead on arrival.”
Mr Afenyo-Markin opined that the case will be nullified since the NDC MPs did not exhaust all internal options available to them to seek redress before invoking the jurisdiction of the Apex Court.