Minister of Communication Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has described as “premature ejaculation”, the Minority’s claim that the 2018 budget will slap taxes on mobile money transactions.

At a pre-budget presentation press conference on Monday, 13 November, the spokesperson on finance for the Minority, Cassiel Ato Forson, said government had the intention to tax mobile money transactions, which he said must be aborted immediately since it constitutes a serious threat to financial inclusion and economic growth in Ghana.

“It is also regressive because, compared to the relatively affluent non-core financial services that the NPP removed for the relatively rich, this insensitive [mobile money umbrella tax] will seriously affect millions of Ghanaians who use their telephones to transfer small amounts to relatives.”

Mr Forson also said the NPP must provide some relief to low-income families from “chop money” transfer tax, as it is nothing more than a backdoor move to reintroduce the taxes they removed last year.

Responding to the Minority's claim just a few minutes ahead of the reading of the budget on Wednesday, 15 November, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show in parliament that: “I am not aware that mobile money is going to be taxed, so, I don’t know where they got that from.”

“But the budget will be read in a minute. I am the sector minister and I am telling you that I am not aware that mobile money is going to be taxed and that’s why I said it is premature ejaculation. Let’s just wait and see if, indeed, the finance minister is going to say anything to that effect,” Mrs Owusu-Ekuful added.