The 2021 budget is ‘nothing but taxes galore’

Juaboso MP Kwabena Minta Akandoh described the 2021 budget statement as “nothing but taxes in abundance”.

According to him, most of the policies initiated by the government led by Nana Akufo-Addo on the economy so far have yielded no results and saw no hope in this year’s budget.

“It looks like the whole budget is about introducing new taxes, they haven’t been able to tell us the impact of their policies on the economy.”

Mr Akandoh in response to the government’s 2021 budget statement and financial policy presented by Acting Finance Minister Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu to Parliament.

Budget presentation was normally carried out by the Minister of Finance under the authority of the President.

However, this year the change has become necessary due to the absence of the Minister of Finance-designate, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, who is abroad and receiving treatment for health issues related to Covid-19.

Akandoh also criticized the government for increasing levies on value added tax (VAT) and the national health insurance scheme (NHIS), which he said would worsen the plight of Ghanaians.

He said that instead of the government focusing on reducing the infrastructure deficit in the health sector in this Covid-19 period, it was more interested in increasing levies on the population.

Mr Andrews Agyapa Mercer, MP for Sekondi, in his reaction to the budget statement praised the government for launching the Ghana Cares program to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic

He said the refrain that desperate times demand bold and decisive action was what informed the formulation of the budget.

He said that due to the huge cost associated with Covid-19, the government has had to design measures to increase the required income without necessarily creating problems for productive sectors of the economy.

Mr Mercer said the one percent VAT increase to pay for Covid-19-related expenses was very creative.

He called the budget presented to the House impressive and forward-looking to pull the country out of stagnation and put it back on the path to growth.