NDC will abolish 3 per cent increase in CST – Sam George

Member of Parliament for Ningo – Prampram, Sam George says a future NDC government will scrap the 3 per cent increase in Communication service tax ( CST ).

It comes after communication minister, Ursula Owusu – Ekuful ordered the telecommunication companies in the country to cease the instant deduction of the CST.

According to the minister, this is to minimize the negative impact of the current mode of deduction of the CST.

But speaking in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report, Sam George also a member of parliament’s communication committee, described the CST as a nuisance tax.

“if you want to engage the telcos and ask them to revert to pre-September 2019 position, which is where they were absorbing the 6 per cent, one, you cannot compel them to absorb the 6 per cent. It must be by way of negotiation and not bullying and intimidation. Again, you must give the telcos the reason why and Ghanaians the reason why we must even pay that 6 per cent or the 9 per cent”

“and my position is very simple. Scrap the increase. And it is a position that the NDC holds. It is one of the things we will get rid of as soon as we come into office God willing in January, 2021” he said.

Reacting to comments made by Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah that it is not true that the telcos were absorbing the earlier 6 % CST, Mr George said “I would’ve called it ignorant but I won’t”.