The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting on the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on Tuesday, 30 November 2021.
This was contained in a statement released on Friday, 26 November 2021, signed by the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi.
The town hall meeting will be held at the Great Hall KNUST, Kumasi at 1:00pm.
“The National Democratic Congress (NDC) hereby announces that the party shall hold a Town-hall meeting on the 2022 “Awudie” Budget Statement delivered to the august house of Parliament.”
The NDC says the forum will enable it inform the public on the content of the budget and what it means for the ordinary Ghanaian and the party’s position on the policy document.
“This event is being organised under the auspices of the National Communications Bureau of the Party, and is intended to inform the general public about the content of the 2022 budget statement, what it means or holds for Ghanaians, and the position of the NDC on same.”
Already, members of the Minority in Parliament have lambasted the government over a new E-levy proposal. They insist that the levy is regressive and would compound the suffering of the masses.
E-levy proposals
The government abolished all road tolls and replaced them with a 1.75% electronic transaction levy.
Electronic transactions covering mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments, and inward remittances will be charged at an applicable rate of 1.75%, which shall be borne by the sender except for inward remittances, which will be borne by the recipient.
This is aimed at boosting domestic tax mobilization efforts to infrastructure needs to accelerate economic transformation.
Mr Ofori Atta said the move is to safeguard efforts being made to enhance financial inclusion and protect the vulnerable.
All transactions that add up to GH¢100 or less per day (which is approximately GH¢3000 per month) will be exempt from this levy.
The E-Levy is expected to generate an estimated amount of GH¢ 6,96 billion in 2022, GH¢7.89 billion in 2023, GH¢8.92 billion in 2024 and GH¢10.09 billion in 2025.
A portion of the proceeds from the E-Levy will be used to support entrepreneurship, youth employment, cyber security, digital and road infrastructure among others.
The new policy is expected to come into effect from 1st February 2022.