Government still has intention to tax mobile money - Minority

Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Banda has insisted that government still has the intention to tax mobile money. He alleged on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM that government was in talk with the telecom companies on the move to tax mobile money.

Before the 2018 budget statement was presented, the Minority held a roundtable breakfast meeting where they alleged that government was planning to tax mobile money.

The Minority in Parliament at the time pushed government to shelve any plans to tax mobile money transactions. Describing the move as “retrogressive”, Minority also said the tax will affect millions of low-income families.

“The intention to tax mobile money transaction must be abolished immediately since it constitutes a serious threat to financial inclusion and economic growth in Ghana,” Cassiel Ato Forson, Minority spokesperson on finance said on Monday. But the claims by the Minority were not captured in the budget presented by Finance Minster, Ken Ofori-Atta. However, the legislator has insisted that government has plans to tax mobile money.

‘’As a I speak to you today, it will not take too much time the Bank of Ghana regulation on mobile money will soon come to Parliament. It is before Cabinet as I speak. The Minority speaks on behalf of Ghanaians. We do not speak without evidence. Very soon, it will come out. You be on the watch out and soon it will be implemented.’’

On his part, MP for Nhyiaso, Mr. Andy Kankam said the Minority may have access to certain information hence their insistence on the mobile money tax. According to him, the opposition usually get people from government give them information especially when they are unhappy with certain directives by government.

He however asked that we relook into the decision to tax mobile money.