The Graduates Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has distanced itself from a position taken by the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on the controversial electronic transaction levy proposed in the 2022 budget.

According to GRASAG, the position does not reflect the sentiment of the whole student populace.

On Thursday, NUGS held a press conference to back the proposal by the government to impose a 1.75% levy on all electronic transactions, starting from January 2022.

NUGS believes that the e-levy is a ‘step in the right direction,’ as it will help the government generate revenue to tackle youth unemployment in the country.

But GRASAG is of a different view.

In a statement, the association explained that NUGS’ “release was signed without the consent of the president nor any of the persons constitutionally mandated to carry out such duties on behalf of the President of the Association nor that of the National Executive Committee of GRASAG-NATIONAL.”

“The President, therefore, dissociates herself from this Press Release in no uncertain terms.”

The association describes it as unfortunate that as a body mandated to amplify the concerns of the youth, NUGS chooses to look the other way.

“On the contrary, this statement from NUGS however fails to amplify the real concerns of the teaming Graduate Students and youth about the E-levy, which is the major worry of all graduate students across the country.”

The #FixTheCountry movement is set to embark on a demonstration today dubbed ‘Yentua Demo’ to register their dissatisfaction with the 2022 Budget.

The agitated group, mostly made up of youth, say certain aspects of the budget will unnecessarily burden the average Ghanaian hence the need to express their disgust.