Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the Bank of Ghana over a newly proposed 0.75 per cent charge on transfers from mobile money wallets to bank accounts, describing it as a disguised return of the repealed Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
Raising the matter on the floor of Parliament in the presence of the Finance Minister, Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that the central bank’s directive contradicts government’s earlier decision to abolish the E-Levy.
“I want to bring to the attention of the House, especially since the Finance Minister is here,” he stated.
“This announcement by the Bank of Ghana of charging zero point seven five percent when somebody transfers money from his bank account into his mobile money wallet,” he added.
The Minority Leader reminded Parliament that the government had previously repealed the E-Levy and insisted that the new BoG charge effectively reintroduces the same tax under a different arrangement.
“If the Finance Minister may recall, his Government decided to repeal the E-Levy law, and now Bank of Ghana is introducing the E-Levy again,” Mr Afenyo-Markin stated.
He described the directive as a “backdoor return” of the controversial levy, which had faced strong public opposition before its repeal.
Source: adomonline.com
