By Adiza Bawa & Jacob Aggrey
A member of the E-Levy Committee from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Isaac Kobina Amoako has debunked claims that mobile money transactions (momo) on different networks by One User will attract multiple charges.
He said the charge will not affect transactions made on the first 100 cedis by the User.
According to him, the government will only be able to charge the 1.5% levy after the user consumes the 100 cedis reserved for the day.
“The first 100 cedis that you make, cumulatively in a day, is free. If you have a number of wallets, mtn, Airtel tigo all combined including your bank account, we accumulate all this in a day and grant you a tax-free on 100. If you are sending 200, the government will forgive you 100 and tax only the 100 that is left. That is when we will impose the 1.5%. That is the first inclusion.”
“The 100 cedis is given to you as a person once. I am giving it to you based on your wallet that you own. If you own 10 wallets, you will not get 100×10 making it 1000 cedis. You will just be given 100 cedis a day. You are to decide if you share across all wallets you own or you use one wallet you consume.”
Mr. Amoako, who was speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show, noted that momo users will be exempted from deductions when they send money into their own personal momo accounts.
“If the account belongs to you, we don’t intend that when you send it to yourself, you should be charged. If you moved from your mtn any amount to any network or bank account or anything that you own yourself, you don’t pay the e- levy.”
For this to happen he entreated all momo users to register their number with the Ghana card.
“Currently, the only way to identify you is your Ghana card and no identity. If you were using the drivers license or voter ID some years ago, it’s in the past that is why the government announced that everyone should go and register and change their details on their SIM Card. Between now and the time that we roll out, the message we are giving to citizens is that for Telkos, they can start the first part by dialing the shortcode that normally when you are making phone calls they tell you to dial and link your phone number. Once you do that part, you will enjoy the exemption.”
He reminded Ghanaians that the 1.5% deductions take effect on the 1st of May 2022.
