Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has reiterated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is strongly against the passage of the controversial electronic levy (e-levy).

According to him, the NDC is not against taxation, but this particular tax they believe is “regressive and punitive” in nature.

“My position against this tax is not personal but based on sound technical reasons. As a tax professional, I cannot sit for this tax policy to go through without drawing government’s attention to the negative effect on the economy.”

He stressed that the tax will lead to the creation of deadweight losses within the economy.

“That is why I’m pointing to our Minister responsible for Finance to rethink,” he asserted.

The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee was speaking on the floor of Parliament during a sitting to debate on the controversial e-levy.

With the opposition comparing the e-levy to other mobile tax systems in other European countries, Dr Ato Forson stated categorically that such tax systems are different from the e-levy.

“In the last few days, I’ve read around, and I’ve heard some of our colleague ministers saying that this tax is equivalent to digital service tax in somewhere England. For the records, this is not a digital service tax.

“This is a tax on mobile money. The UK does not operate a mobile money tax system. And nowhere in Europe do they charge a tax on the mobile money system. The tax before us is nothing but a tax on mobile money,” he lamented.