Richard Anning, a communicator for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called for the retention of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) as Ghana navigates its economic recovery under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt restructuring program.
Speaking to Kofi Sakyi on Nkosuo Nsem, he argued that scrapping the E-Levy without an alternative revenue measure would disrupt progress and necessitate the introduction of another tax, describing such a move as “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
Anning emphasized that the government is operating within the constraints of IMF conditions and must explore sustainable ways to generate revenue. “The IMF debt program is still ongoing. If we cancel the E-Levy today, a new tax will be introduced to fill the gap,” he stated.
Touching on the contentious betting tax, Anning defended the government’s stance, highlighting that taxing betting is a global norm. He accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of politicizing the issue for propaganda purposes, asserting that the tax is a necessary tool for revenue generation.
Addressing the motivations behind betting, Anning explained that many individuals engage in betting because they have the financial capacity to do so. He cited an example of a friend who staked a bet worth GHS 50,000, illustrating that betting is not merely a last resort but often a deliberate choice by those with disposable income.
“If someone can stake GHS 50,000 on a bet, it means they have the money. Taxing betting, therefore, is a good course to ensure returns to the state,” he argued.
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