Co-host of Maakye on Onua TV/FM, Regina Yaa Titi Okrah, is questioning the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and Roads Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta, what the fate of the e-levy would be after reintroducing the road toll levy.
She is asking if government will abolish the electronic transaction levy since it claimed it was introduced to replace the toll collection that was scrapped in November 2021.
During the 2022 presentation of the Budget statement in Parliament in November 2021, government announced that the toll levy was not generating adequate income and was also creating unnecessary traffic which was affecting productivity and needed to be scrapped.
In its stead, it announced an introduction of the electronic transaction levy with an initial projection of GH₵7 billion annually, compared to the GH₵78 million the toll was fetching the state.
Even before the approval of the budget for the closure to take effect, the Roads minister issued a statement directing all toll booths in Ghana to shut down.
After facing a stiff opposition from the Minority in Parliament and being generally unpopular with Ghanaians, government reduced its expectations for the revenue collection of the e-levy.
In July 2022, projections were reduced by about ten-fold to GH₵611 million.
The Roads minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, had indicated along the way, that, the booths were going to be converted to urinal joints only for government to backtrack on its words, hinting on reintroducing the toll collection.
Speaking on Maakye Monday, December 12, 2022, Yaa Titi questioned the ministers if they will halt the e-levy collection after bringing back the road toll since they claim the former was brought to replace the latter.
“You claim if we had paid the e-levy, the toll levy wouldn’t have returned. Are you going to cancel the e-levy after reintroducing the toll levy?” she asked.
By Felix Anim-Appau|Onuaonline.com
