Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, believes Ghanaians are being too critical of the Electronic Transfer Levy.
Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, speaking on the sidelines of the first Moderators Academic Excellence Award and Founders’ Day Celebration at the Presbyterian Women’s College of Education in Aburi, said the tax is little compared to what people in industrialized countries pay.
“I just returned from Europe, thankfully or sadly.” After traveling to different places, I realized that the E-Levy is insignificant in comparison to the percentage of taxes they pay.
I was discussing with my European colleagues how, if Ghana is ever to be as lovely as those locations, we will have to make some sacrifices. I’ve heard Ghanaians grumble that they don’t see the influence of the taxes they already pay on the government. “Well, the taxes we pay now are insufficient.”
Rt. Rev. Prof. Yeboah Mante also exhorted Ghanaians to see the tax policy as apolitical, explaining that given the country’s limited resources, the administration has been given the benefit of the doubt.
If the E-levy is not used properly, he advocates for a change of administration.
“The majority of Ghanaians are unwilling to pay taxes. They want everything to be taken care of for them. They claim they are unaware of the purpose of the small tax they pay. The tax we pay is insufficient. I hope Ghanaians do not use the E-levy for political purposes.
One thing I’ll say is, let’s give it a shot and see how it goes. That’s good if we try it and it helps Ghana improve. We will vote them out if the money is taken and they do not develop Ghana.”
