Kweku Kwarteng, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, has rubbished calls for the scrapping of the E-levy.
He said calls by some Ghanaians that the controversial tax should be scrapped because the government has contacted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance is unfounded.
Mr. Kwarteng said the E-levy was never proposed as an alternative to the IMF.
“I’ve heard people make comments as though the pain of E-levy can be escaped if you go for an IMF programme. The IMF is going to come and start discussions. When they come to your country, they do not come and tell you to relax taxes. In fact, they will probably come and say E-levy is not enough. When IMF comes to your economy, the records show, they will say don’t employ people, cut your expenditures and increase your revenue so you may have to take on more revenue measures,” he said on Citi FM in Accra.
The Ministry of Information on Friday, July 1, 2022, announced that President Akufo-Addo had given approval for Ghana to begin engagements with the IMF for a bailout. The ministry said the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta will be leading the negotiations with the IMF in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a leading member of the NPP has said the frustration of the e-levy by members of the opposition is the reason the government is going to the IMF.
On Friday, July 1, 2022, the Ministry of Information stated that President Akufo-Addo has granted Ghana permission to begin negotiations with the IMF for a bailout.
So, president Akufo Addo’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be handled by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, according to the government.
Source: TheBBCghana.Com
