E-levy: Your concerns are taken into account – Akufo-Addo assures MoMo agents

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Mobil Money Agents that their concerns regarding the e-levy will be taken into account by the government.

He said this when the MoMo Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG) paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday May 10.

Mr Akufo-Addo thanked the association for agreeing to partner with government in ensuring that the E-levy becomes a success.

“I am also very very encouraged and grateful by this offer of partnership to make sure this controversial tax is successfully administered” the President said.

He added “I think it is appropriate that stakeholders like you voice out your concerns as you did and that these concerns are taken into account by government so that when the law is finally shaped like it has been, it’s one that’s meaningful for the state and it’s equally meaningful for the private sector operatives who are in this area.”

Members of MMAAG assured Mr Akufo-Addo that they will support the e-levy and make it successful.

They described themselves as allies, not oppossers of the policy.

The e-levy started on Sunday May 1.

General Secretary of the Association, Evans Otumfou said during the meting with Mr Akufo-Addo that “Recently, we have witnessed government’s plan to introduce an Electronic Transaction levy which, as an association, we have raised a number of concerns but as we speak now, yesterday, we were in a meeting with the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Revenue Authority and other relevant stakeholders and most of our concerns regarding the electronic transfer levy have ben addressed.

“So we believe that as an association, it is important that as a nation drastic measures are taken in drastic times when the need be.

“The levy has now been passed into law and all citizens must pay. So we are here as allies, not opposing forces. We also commend the government for taking steps to reduce the e-levy from the initial 1.75 per cent to 1.5per cent and the tall list of exemptions provided by the levy.

“We had wished it reduced further for fear of its attendant impact on our business. We appeal to you and the Minister of Finance to expedite actions to look at the challenges that the levy has brought to us as agents in doing our business.

“Such as deductions that are made at the agent’s account in an attempt to put funds from their agents accounts to to their bank accounts for purposes of withdrawals and other ands other agent related activities. Let it be on record that our organization believes in the payment of taxes for the need development and progress and we will not do anything that frustraters the success of the e-levy.”

He further commended President Akufo-Addo for the digitalization drive.

Otumfuo said “We are grateful and appreciate your passion, commitment and your hard work towards an aggressive digitization of our economy with its accompanying impacts on us as a business body, specifically Mobile Money agents.

“This digitization drive has led to the introduction of mobile money interoperability which was borne out of idea that it should be possible for electronic payment to be made from one network to another. This historic initiative has affected positively, users of MoMo and has earned Ghana the first African country to achieve such a feat.

“It will be unfair not to mention the electronic renewal of Health Insurance using the Mobile Money which has boosted our business, we commend you and your government for being the mastermind behind all these great digital advancements and the accompanying new ear of doing business. As business people, we have a soft spot for your policies directly or indirectly which affects our operations.

“One of the biggest challenges of our business is the increasing rate of fraud and identity theft. This exercise will provide the security agencies with adequate information about persons who hide behind this sim cards to perperpuate crimes.”

Source: 3news.com|Ghana