Former Member of Parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh, has criticised plans to charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on online businesses, warning that the move could increase unemployment among young people in Ghana.
Mr Tetteh said the Ghana Revenue Authority’s decision to begin taxing online businesses from June 1 was similar to bringing back the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) in another form.
“Youth unemployment is already on the rise and placing taxes on online businesses will have negative impacts,” he said.
According to him, many young Ghanaians depend on online businesses and digital platforms to earn income and create jobs for themselves.
He explained that introducing taxes in the sector could discourage small businesses and weaken efforts to reduce unemployment.
