Gabby: Fighting E-Levy rollout only a gimmick

A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has described the Minority in Parliament’s decision to stop the implementation of the E-Levy by going to the Supreme Court as a “political gimmick”.

According to him, the Minority is aware that its move to injunct the collection of the E-Levy will yield no fruit but has taken the step to satisfy party followers.

Speaking in an interview yesterday on Asaase Radio, he said: “I don’t want to pre-empt it [the outcome of the case] but I think that legal move was just made … is what I call ‘takashi’ [meaning, you know it won’t go anywhere but you want to just flex your muscles and, maybe, satisfy the grass roots].

“… Because really, what is a quorum today? Is it 137 or 138 [MPs present in the chamber]? So, I’m saying that they themselves [Minority] know that the case that they have before the court is not likely to go anywhere.

“It is a political gimmick if you ask me, but of course, they have to show it to their grass roots that they’re doing something about it. But anyway, allow it. Let’s wait to see what the court will have,” he said.

E-Levy

Mr Otchere-Darko said that he remains optimistic that the system designed to mobilise revenue accruing out of electronic transactions will work efficiently.

“Do I think Ghana needs the E-Levy? I do think that Ghana needs to raise more taxes; there are absolutely no two ways about it. And I see the E-Levy as another means of taxation,” he pointed out.

He was also optimistic that the system being designed to enable the relevant state agencies do their work effectively will be vigorous, so that it does not create bottlenecks and issues.

“Bear in mind that there are a lot of transactions that ordinarily would have even incurred VAT, and those transactions are happening online,” he said.

“No quorum”

Three National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament have applied for an interlocutory injunction at the Supreme Court to restrain the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) from implementing the E-Levy on May 1, 2022.

The three MPs are the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, and the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The NDC MPs have sued the Attorney General, arguing that Parliament did not have the required number of at least half of its members present when the E-Levy was approved.