The Opposition Group in Parliament has criticized Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, for Ghana’s high tax system.
They argue that he should take responsibility instead of laying blame on the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The Opposition finds it surprising that the Vice President singled out the GRA for imposing high taxes on businesses and citizens, as stated during a meeting with the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry on March 20.
In a statement released on March 26, the Opposition Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, expressed that it is insincere for Dr. Bawumia to fault innocent GRA workers for the consequences of a stringent tax structure.
They criticized the Vice President for approving and justifying tax policies while passing unfair tax laws with the Majority Group in Parliament.
The Opposition also highlighted their view that Dr. Bawumia’s attempt to blame the GRA for the country’s high taxes is contradictory, given his role in overseeing and supporting these tax decisions within the government’s economic management and Cabinet meetings.
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Below is the Statement:
Our attention has been drawn to news publications in which Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia launches scathing attacks on workers of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and condemns them for merely performing their statutory duties.
It is shocking to note that Alhaji Bawumia had the audacity to single out GRA workers for attack and condemnation after the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government had imposed a lot of taxes on businesses and Ghanaians.
The government’s huge appetite for taxes has created a high tax regime, which has made the country unattractive for doing business.
It is therefore not surprising that many businesses in Ghana are relocating to other countries in the West African sub-region.
This spells doom and gloom for Ghanaian employees as jobs which would have otherwise been filled by them get exported as a consequence of the relocation of businesses from the country.
Instead of blaming GRA workers, Alhaji Bawumia should take responsibility for the regressive and crippling taxes that his government has imposed on his watch as the Chairman of the government’s Economic Management Team.
It is hypocritical and deceptive on the part of Alhaji Bawuima, the key architect of the government’s economic policies, to blame innocent GRA workers for the fallouts of a high tax regime after his government has sponsored, motivated and marshalled the numbers of the Majority Caucus in Parliament to fight tooth and nail to pass regressive, punitive, draconian and insensitive taxes.
It is absurd that Alhaji Bawumia, who approves economic policies including tax proposals at meetings of the Economic Management Team as well as justifies them at Cabinet meetings, has turned round to blame workers of GRA for the country’s high tax regime.
It was precisely because of the adverse impact of these taxes on businesses and the people that the NDC Minority Caucus in Parliament resisted the draconian taxes and voted en bloc against them.
Already, we have served notice that the NDC Minority Caucus will bring a Private Member’s Bill to remove e-levy, emission tax and betting tax.
The government has finally agreed with us to abolish these taxes, except that while Dr Bawumia wants that done in the future, the NDC Minority Caucus wants the removal of the taxes now!
Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
