‘You are not poor if you can send GH¢100’ – Ursula Owusu defends new E-levy

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is Minister for Communications and Digitalisation

The Minister of Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has offered a defense on why the government is justified to have introduced a new 1.75% electronic transaction levy.

According to her, the need for this stems from the fact that it is there to ensure that there is less stress associated with transactions that are made electronically.

Speaking on GH Today on GHOne TV, she explained that anyone who has more than GH¢100 on them in a day for transactions should thereby not be considered poor and should pay taxes on their digital transactions.

“We have made it a part of this policy that up to a GH¢100 a day per a person is exempt. This, the state is saying, if you’re sending up to a GH¢100 a day, cumulatively, you can send up to GH¢3000 a month, that is all going to be tax-free.

“Now, if you have more than a GH¢100 to send a day, then you’re not poor. So, if you really are poor and you are in a position to send GH¢100 a day, then we need to re-classify the definition of who the real beneficiaries of these are, and it is only the sender who pays, not the receiver,” she clarified.

This new e-levy will affect Momo as well as other digital transactions in the country.