E-levy for jobs must be the most embarrassing statement for Ken Ofori Atta – Kwasi Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr has reacted to the call by the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori Atta to Ghanaian youth to support the proposed electronic transaction levy to create jobs.

According to him, the statement must be most embarrassing for him since he and his government told the country years ago, they do not need taxes to create jobs.

Mr Pratt made the comment on Good Morning Africa on Pan African TV on Thursday, January 27 monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

 “I just do hope that the Minister of Finance listens to himself because if he is to listen to himself, the statement he has just made about the e-levy being the means of generating resources to create jobs must be the most embarrassing for him”.

“We were here 5year ago, 6years ago when they came telling us that they can create jobs without raising taxes and that raising taxes is a lazy man’s option, what has change, what has change . I can’t believe it,” Mr Pratt explained.

Support E-Levy for job creation – Ofori Atta urges youth

Mr Ken Ofori Atta while speaking at the Youth School, an addition to the 2022 Annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana on Wednesday, January 26 appealed to Ghanaian youth to support the levy which seeks to tax some 1.75% on electronic transactions including mobile money since its is linked to YouStart, an initiative aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship and job creation.

“The E-Levy is an essential tool that will ensure that we have the revenue to invest in entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and road infrastructure and pay our debts,” he said.

Graphiconline reported Mr Ofori Atta said e-levy will also help prevent government from borrowing from the money market.

The levy announced by the government in its 2022 budget statement presented to Parliament in November 2021 has receive an overwhelming opposition from Ghanaians on the plea the levy will bring untold hardships in the country.

But government is still insistence on pushing through with the levy.

Source: GhanaPlus.com