The government warned of tax increases in the mid-year budget

The National Congress of Minorities (CND) in Parliament lashes out against the new Patriotic Party (NPP) government if the supplementary budget introduces further increases or tax increases.

According to the minority, the government has adopted a sinister plan to subtly prepare the minds of Ghanaians for tax increases that will further burden the ordinary Ghanaian.

The former deputy minister of electricity, John Jinapor, in a statement, severely warned the government led by Akufo-Addo that the NDC would oppose any attempt to raise taxes.

According to him, the dilemma that the nation is currently facing is self-inflicted and stressed that responsibility should not be denied to already suffering citizens.

Mr. Jinapor's statement comes in the run-up to the mid-year budget review of 2019 and the presentation of the supplementary budget to Parliament on Monday, July 29.

"The NPP government has adopted a sinister plan to subtly prepare the Ghanaians to raise taxes and to further burden the Ghanaians, knowing full well that the people will resist and rebel against all odds. new test. "

Incidentally, the thoughts of the MP for Yapei Kasawgu reflect the concerns expressed by several stakeholders, including the Ghana Merchants Association (GUTA).

According to the GUTA, the government plans to raise taxes and add new taxes in the supplementary budget and has warned that it would oppose such an attempt.

The government, the Association said, has systematically killed companies with its bad policies and warned that if this continues, the retail sector will collapse completely.

The complete declarationt of the minority is reproduced below:

INCREASING TAX INCREASE WILL UNLIMITED DIFFICULTIES FOR Ghanaians – JOHN JINAPOR

Ghanaians must totally reject any new tax increase from the government of the nuclear power plants led by Akufo-Addo during the mid-year budget review of 2019 which is expected to be presented to the nation on Monday, July 29th.

It will be remembered that, in the run-up to the 2016 general elections, the candidate candidate's NPP, Akufo-Addo, promised to abolish the levy for the energy sector when he was elected to power.

Since we have been in politics for almost three years, not only have the royalties been kept, but the fund's revenues have been diverted and managed in the most catastrophic way.

For example, of the more than $ 1.3 billion in revenues from the Road Fund Levy for 2018, as reported in the 2018 Energy Royalty Account Report, only 685, 50 million GH ¢ were released for road expenses, the remainder for other unrelated expenses. activities related to the road.

As if that were not enough, the Minister of Finance, the Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta has so far failed to account for more than 250 million GH ¢ out of the total of 3.1 billion GH ¢ collected in the HLSE's income account for 2017.

According to the records, this government has made more than $ 6 billion in revenue from energy levies since it took office and plans to raise an additional $ 3.9 billion for energy. FY 2019.

Following the mismanagement of this tax, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, recently alluded to the debate on the annual report on the levies and accounts of the energy sector for energy. Year 2018 do the following:

1. Increase specific ESLA withdrawals or
2. Convert the specific levy to ad-valorem

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, addressing Accra reporters, also said that the mid-year budget review would give the government the opportunity to re-focus on revenue mobilization, as outlined in the 2019 budget.

Clearly, having received nothing substantial in the infrastructure sector despite all the revenues and borrowings since 2017, the NPP government has adopted a sinister plan to subtly prepare the spirit of the Ghanaians. to tax increases and to further burden the ordinary Ghanaian. the people will resist and rebel against any new imposition of difficulties.

The catastrophic record of this government in the infrastructure sector can only result in bad political decisions and poor management of the nation's resources.

It will be remembered that this same government, against the caution of industry experts and stakeholders, has decided to pursue a populist but misguided decision by usurping PURC's duties with misleading claims about one's self. -describing a reduction of 17% in the customs tariff, which finally tricked itself.

The mismanagement of the economy has also resulted in a sharp decline of the Cedi against the US dollar and other foreign trade currencies over the last few months, resulting in a very bad financial situation for the sector's agencies. energy.

Innocent Ghanaians should not be forced to bear the consequences of a bad political decision by the NPP government, especially in the wake of the recent increase in electricity and electricity tariffs. ;water.

I would therefore like to inform the government that we will not accept any attempt to increase the specific levies or to replace them with ad-valorem or any other name that they choose to call. .

Indeed, the time has come to send a clear and unambiguous message to President Akuffo-Addo and his government, asking that we use all the legitimate means possible, both within Parliament and at the same time. 39, outside of Parliament, to resist any attempt to impose an increase in taxes to the people.

The quagmire in which we find ourselves as a country is self-inflicted and the responsibility should not be rejected by the already burdened citizens.

God bless our homeland Ghana

Thank you.
John Abdulai Jinapor
Former Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum