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Company News of Saturday, July 27, 2019
Source: citinewsroom.com
2019-07-27
Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, John Jinapor
Yapei Kusawgu MP John Jinapor called on Ghanaians to oppose any tax hikes announced by the Ministry of Finance during the mid-term budget review.
In a statement, Mr. Jinapor argued that the mismanagement of the government was at the root of the revenue increase.
According to him, the government plans either to increase the specific levies of the energy sector or to convert the specific levy into ad-valorem.
He noted that the government had earned more than 6 billion GH ¢ of energy sector taxes since taking office and that it provided an additional 3.9 billion GHG for the fiscal year. 2019.
The legislator insists that the struggles for income are self-inflicted and that "the responsibility should not be rejected by the already burdened citizens".
"For example, of the more than $ 1.3 billion in revenue from the 2018 Road Fund Levy, as reported in the 2018 Energy Royalty Account Report, only 685, 50 million GH ¢ were released for road expenses, the rest for other expenses. non-road activities. "
In addition, Mr. Jinapor complains that the Minister of Finance has so far "failed to account for more than 250 million GH ¢ of the total collection of 3.1 billion GH ¢ recorded in the account of the 2017 HALS income ".
"I therefore wish to inform the government that we will not accept any attempt to increase specific levies or replace it with ad-valorem or any other name they choose."
"Indeed, the time has come to send a clear and unambiguous message to President Akufo-Addo and his government: we will use every legitimate means possible, both within Parliament and at the same time. outside parliament, to resist any attempt to impose tax increases on the population, warned Mr. Jinapor.
The Minister of Finance will present the semi-annual budget review on Monday, July 29, 2019.
Find her complete statement below
Increasing taxes will lead to unbearable hardship 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 revenue from the Road Fund Levy for 2018, as indicated in the 2018 Energy Sector Royalty Account Report, only 685.50 million GH ¢ were released for road expenses, the remainder for other expenses. non-road activities.
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:
a. Increase specific ESLA withdrawals or
b. 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.
Therefore, I wish 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
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