Scrap e-levy, betting tax other taxes now if you mean it – Mahama to Bawumia

John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has charged Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to act on some of his promises now.

The former President the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should show commitment on his promises on taxes by scrapping some of them now.

In his address to GUTA members, Mahama stressed the critical nature of the issue and called on Dr Bawumia, who also serves as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to take immediate action rather than wait until he is elected President.

“Tell Bawumia to eliminate the E-Levy and other taxes now, not later,” Mahama emphasized during the meeting.

Dr Bawumia, in a previous address to Ghanaians on his presidential aspirations, outlined his plans to abolish various taxes, including the E-Levy, emissions tax, VAT on electricity, and the betting tax.

Relatedly, Dr. Bawumia has said that digitization has saved Ghana a lot of money that would have been lost through corruption.

Speaking at the launch of LEADing Justice, a strategic framework document of the Chief Justice on her vision for the Judiciary and Judicial Service of Ghana, Bawumia highlighted the benefits of digitisation in the elimination of ghost pensioners and workers, resulting in savings of GHC480 million and GHC356 million respectively.

The Vice President expressed his delight in the Chief Justice's focus on digitisation, noting that Ghana has made major strides in this area within a short period. He emphasised the importance of digitisation in the judicial system, stating that it is crucial for the advancement of the judiciary.

Bawumia highlighted the impact of digitisation on the tax system, with the proportion of individuals with Tax Identification Numbers increasing from four percent to 85 percent after the introduction of the Ghana Card. He also highlighted the elimination of ghost workers in the Controller and Accountant General Office through the use of the Ghana Card.