The Minority in Parliament has criticized the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia over his recent remarks on revenue mobilization methods employed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
A press statement released on Tuesday, March 26, signed by the minority leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson indicated that rather than shifting blame, Dr. Bawumia and the government should take accountability for fostering a high tax regime.
The NDC MPs asserted that Dr Bawumia’s comments lack merit, especially considering his position as the Vice President of the country.
They expressed surprise at Dr. Bawumia’s audacity to publicly criticize the GRA for fulfilling its constitutionally mandated duty of tax enforcement.
The NDC MPs further argued that the Akufo-Addo administration’s excessive taxation policies have rendered Ghana less appealing for conducting business.
“It is shocking to note that Alhaji Bawumia dared 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 that would have otherwise been filled by them get exported as a consequence of the relocation of businesses from the country.
The statement signed by the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, added that “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.”
Below is the full statement.
Our attention has been drawn to news publications in which Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia launches scathing attacks on workers of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and condemns them for merely performing their statutory duties.
It is shocking to note that Alhaji Bawumia dared 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 that 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 marshaled 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 around 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!