Accra, Ghana//-The government today assured that the 2022 budget would go a long way to improve the lives of Ghanaians at this critical time of the covid-19 crisis.
A Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr John Kumah gave the assurance at a webinar on the 2022 budget for members of Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) and Parliamentary Press Corps in Accra.
He explained that the abolition and revision of various taxes and levies in the 2022 budget were meant to bring relieve to the people.
While the introduction of new taxes and levies including the electronic levy (e-levy) according to him were expected to generate more revenue to enable the government implement its policies and programmes.
The road toll which used to generate GHC78 million a year for the maintenance of the roads networks in the country has been replaced with the innovative e-levy which is expected to rake in billions of cedis for the government.
Dr Kumah assured that all those affected by the scrapping of the road toll would not lose their jobs. “Nobody is going to lose his or her job due to the removal of the tollbooths”. All the affected tollbooth workers would be reassigned by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, he added.
Presenting the 2022 budget in Parliament on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta described it as “crucial for our sustained recovery and transformation to a Ghana Beyond Aid”.
The 2022 budget which is themed- ‘Building a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Nation: Fiscal Consolidation and Job Creation’ is expected to transform the country’s economic fortunes.
Taking the journalists through the 2022 budget during the webinar, directors at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu and Dr Akex Amankwah-Poku reiterated that the new tax measures contained in the 2022 budget would not burden the people.
African Eye Report
