Government is taking its next Townhall meeting to discuss the Electronic Transaction levy (E-levy) to the Volta Region.

The 5th Townhall meeting to be organised by the Information Ministry has been scheduled for 1pm on Friday, March 4. It will be held at the Conference Hall at Freedom Hotel in Ho.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is the principal speaker for the meeting.

Also, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Railway Development Minister, John Peter-Amewu, the CEO of Bui Power Authority, Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, and Chief Executive Officer of National Youth Authority (NYA), Pius Enam Hadzide, will take turns to interact with citizens present.

Already, four Townhall meetings have been held in the Western, Eastern, Northern and Upper West regional capitals.

In the Upper West Region, the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salim and Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Issahaku Hamidu, engaged citizens on the need to support the implementation of the levy.

Since last year, government has been sensitizing Ghanaians on the need to embrace the levy. Government says the country needs to widen its tax net in order to generate enough revenue for development.

According to government, revenue that would be raised from the electronic transaction levy would be invested in entrepreneurship, youth employment, security, digital & road infrastructure

However, a section of the populace has called for a reduction in the rate of 1.75%. Others have protested the introduction of the levy. But government is bent on proceeding with the implementation of the tax, hence the town hall meetings.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr Dickson Adomako Kissi, has indicated that the Finance Ministry is considering the reduction of the current rate of the Electronic Transaction Levy (e-levy) further downwards.