The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, has said that the proposed Electronic Transaction Levy, E-Levy, which is currently before parliament, offers patriotic Ghanaians an opportunity to contribute their quota to nation building.

Addressing a town hall meeting in Wa on the controversial levy, Mr. Ofori-Atta explained that the time has come for Ghanaians to take their destinies into their hands, hence, accepting the E-levy will tell the rest of the world the extent of their commitment in building the society.

Since its proposal as one of the major economic policy statements in the 2022 budget, it has received serious criticisms from a cross-section of the Ghanaian public, with some calling for it to be scrapped.

However, the Finance Ministry maintains that the e-levy has the potential to address Ghana’s economic needs.

Monday’s public forum in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital, is to sensitize the residents and to solicit their support in implementing the levy.

“You are moving from a business that is GHS78 billion in 2016 to one that is GHS 950 billion in 2021. Why should we not begin to tax it so that we can do the work that we all have to do.”?

“The e-levy really is a chance to show our true self and build that righteous society where our politics is good, we are the toast of the world, where our economy is moving on because we are an entrepreneurial nation where we protect values that cannot be challenged.”

The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, also called on residents of the Upper West Region to support the passage of the e-levy into law to rake in the needed revenue for the swift economic transformation.