2022 Budget: Mobile money charges to go up 1 February
According to the Finance Minister, the new Electronic Transaction Levy, which covers mobile money and bank transfers, takes effect 1 February next year
The government has decided to place a levy on all electronic transactions to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said.
Presenting the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy in Parliament on Wednesday (17 November), Ofori-Atta said the new charge will be known as the “Electronic Transaction Levy or E-Levy”.
“Electronic transactions covering mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances will be charged at an applicable rate of 1.75%,” Ofori-Atta said, “which shall be borne by the sender except for inward remittances, which will be borne by the recipient.
“Mr Speaker, this new policy comes into effect from 1 February 2022. The government will work with all industry partners to ensure that their systems and payment platforms are configured to implement the policy.”
As of January 2021, 38.9% of the population aged 15 years and more had a mobile money account in Ghana.
The share of mobile money users increased over the previous three years but decreased slightly in 2021 from 39% in 2020.
Share of population with a mobile money account in Ghana (2018 to 2021)
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