Farmers across the country are said to have kicked against the controversial electronic taxation otherwise known as E-levy.
According to them, they are not prepared to lose the little earnings they have made by way of contributing to the development of the country.
Speaking on the Angel FM morning show on Monday, February 1, 2022, President of Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), Nene Terkpertey Abgelze I said, they are lacing up their boots to hit the streets in a nationwide protest, against the tax policy currently laid before Parliament for consideration and approval.
“We will not pay the e-levy,” said the farmer who is also a chief in the Kordiabe Traditional Area to the host, Kofi Adoma Nwanwani.
Nene Terkpertey Agbleze stated that farmers are the poorest in society despite being the ones who till the land to supply food to the citizenry.
He argued that there are alternative ways to generate revenue for developmental projects which include taxing the extractive industry and the reliance on the forest reserves to shield the Ghanaian from experiencing more hardship.
“We have cocoa, diamond, bauxite and a whole other resource. There is oil in addition. We have the forest reserves producing timber and the minerals which the government can mine to support the economy with,” he mentioned adding, that is why there are the international bodies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to lend the country money, “so we will not pay the e-levy.”
He, therefore threatened that if the government remains adamant and goes ahead to implement the policy, they will have no option but to demonstrate to drum home their concerns.
“We will make sure all cold stores and food vendors close their shops in protestation against the action of the government,” he said on the Anopa Bofoↄ show.
GNAFF’s stance, however, is in consonance with the position of the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr, Kwabena Duffour who held that taxing the extractive industry would yield more revenue than the electronic transaction levy would generate for the country’s development.
According to him, some GH₵6.9 billion would be accrued from taxing electronic transactions such as mobile money, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances whereas when taxed, the oil and mining sectors can generate up to GH₵25 billion.
Thus, if the government should revert its decision and choose the alternative as indicated, the state is going to make some extra GH₵18.1 billion which would not have a negative impact on the economic lives of Ghanaians.
