The government urged not to raise taxes, as this will worsen the situation of people

The minority in Parliament rejected the government's decision to raise taxes saying that it would worsen the plight of businesses and households

said that the economy was already working badly with inflation increased fuel prices and transport fares, which caused difficulties among the population.

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She therefore urged the government to broaden the tax net and ensure that revenue collection is respected.

Speaking at a breakfast roundtable Monday in Accra, Cbadiel Ato Forson, member of the Finance Committee and Minority Finance Spokesperson, said: "The current crisis that threatens The managers of the economy, forcing them to impose heavy taxes "The government of Akufo-Addo should be careful not to charge Ghanaians in his desperation to" save face, "he said.

Forson, who was mentored by minority leader, Mr. Haruna Idrissu, and Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. James Avedzi, said that instead of a clear program to respond to Ghanaians' concerns, including the challenges of the health sector, chosen to compound the suffering of Ghanaians by introducing more taxes "after making a song and dance from the removal of supposed nuisance taxes."

Related: Anxiety Builds on the Budget "These taxes will undoubtedly hit Ghanaian households and businesses hard and further erode their already declining disposable incomes. at a time of waste and waste by the government.

"The argument is that if you say that you will increase the value-added tax (VAT) from 17.5% to 21.5%, this means that we increase the tax rate, but we have the opportunity, as a country, to expand the base of financial services and real estate. That would have resulted in half of what you wanted to increase. But because of the popular politicization, you have decided to exonerate rather raise taxes. It's the mismanagement of our tax system, "he said.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to present the mid-year budget to Parliament next Thursday. political clbad and worried about the presentation due to the expected increases in taxes.

The anxiety is due to a post on the Facebook page of a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former director of the Danquah Institute, Dr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, which seemed to support speculation about an increase in value added tax (VAT).

But Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta remains discreet about the possibility of increased taxes

IMF Approval

M. Forson said that the government's intention to raise taxes was to encourage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve the fourth and the fifth review of the country's program with the Fun

He said that he was captured in the document of the Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was published on the IMF website.

The suffering economy

M. Forson said the tax problem in the country was a direct result of shallow opportunism and populism.

He said that it was obvious that the promises made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2016 and their initial actions contained in the 2017 budget were intended only to get the party election and give an impression of fidelity to these promises.

"The reality however is that, it has led to major problems for the economy that have translated for example, Mr. Forson said that the l 39; inflation had begun to rise again and was now at double digits after an ephemeral single-digit stay in the past two months. [19659005] In addition, he said, Ghana's cedi continues "It is currently trading at 4.8 ¢ GH for one dollar and seems almost to have hit GH ¢ 5 for a dollar if the government and the Bank of Ghana do not. the trend is not curbed immediately. This, in turn, led to a sharp rise in the prices of goods and services leading to more difficulties for the population. "Key election promises like" a district, a factory "," a village, a dam "among others remain dissatisfied with a contradictory statement from various government officials on the status of these awards.

Loan

M. Forson said that unlike the promise not to borrow, the government of Akufo Addo was borrowing at alarming rates and in alarming proportions. 19659005] He said almost two years ago in the office, the NPP government had borrowed nearly half of what the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government borrowed in eight years

. have virtually no serious capital investment to show debt level, with the exception of an imprudent dissipation of funds borrowed on consumption, thus imposing on present and future generations a debt that they will find it hard to pay.

"This happened at a time when a major crisis in the health sector, where critically ill patients are being rejected or treated in dehumanizing conditions because of This is all the more problematic as, apart from its inability to invest in the expansion of health infrastructure, the government of Akufo Addo has inexplicably decided to 9, authorize huge investments of the Mahama administration in health. Mr Forson said that instead of a clear agenda to address the concerns, the government had instead chosen to exacerbate the suffering of Ghanaians by introducing more taxes after "The government's conduct of Akufo Addo clearly underlines the need to be wary of boastful politicians who boast of abilities they do not possess, promise paradise and deliver hell and most of all are willing to use the falsities and tricks the most hypocrites to seize political power

Mr. Forson said that Oblige the government of Akufo Addo to apologize to the Ghanaians for their deception and to follow the advice from national leaders to organize a national forum to find solutions to the problems caused by their mismanagement of the economy leading to a budget imbalance that requires even more details

Other o rators

M. Idrissu accused the government of not being sincere to Ghanaians, because he promised to switch from taxation to production

M. Avedzi urged the government to take into account the recommendations of the minority at the Cabinet's scheduled meeting on the mid-year review on Tuesday.