Convenors of the FixTheCountry Movement will later today, Monday, November 22, meet the Ghana Police Service ahead of their planned demonstration on Friday, November 26.
This is the second time the group will be demonstrating. Earlier this year, the group organized a massive demonstration to drive home the concern with regard to the state of the economy after several failed attempts to protest.
This year’s protest is to express their displeasure with the 2022 budget particularly the 1.75% e-levy imposed on electronic transactions.
One of the organizers of the Fix the country movement, Hardi Yakubu, in an interview said, they want explanations from the government on how previous taxes have been put to use.
We are mobilizing citizens to exercise their displeasure about the 2022 budget. We want to bring that displeasure to bear on the powers that be in our quest to prevent the government from compounding the frustration and suffering that the people of Ghana are already bearing”, he said.
The presentation of the 2022 budget the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been greeted with mixed reactions with majority of Ghanaians lamenting especially about the introduction of the 1.75% tax on all digital financial transactions.
“Electronic transactions covering, mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments, and inward remittances will be charged at an applicable rate of 1.75 percent, which shall be borne by the sender, except inward remittances which will be borne by the recipient,” Ken Ofori Atta announced.
Various stakeholders including those in the telecommunications sector have also raised concerns about the policy. Government in response is expected to engage the telcos on the policy.
