The Minority in Parliament has alleged that the government is seeking to grant substantial tax waivers amounting to GH¢7 billion to individuals associated with the trade industry.
This revelation comes amid an existing request for a GH¢5 billion tax waiver before the Finance Committee, purportedly presented as incentive packages for the One District One Factory (1D1F) policy.
Ranking Member on the Trade and Industry Committee, Yussif Sulemana, conveyed during a press briefing in Accra that the Minority would vehemently oppose any attempt to impose additional regressive taxes on Ghanaians unless the government eliminates these significant tax waivers.
“We have also been reliably informed, and we are speaking because we have seen documents that suggest that they’re bringing another GH¢7 billion tax waiver request to parliament. Now, if you put the two together, we are talking about GH¢12.5 billion tax exemptions.”
“Here you are wanting to grant GH¢12.5 billion to your friends and family members in the name of tax exemptions under 1D1F. At the same time, you are imposing taxes to the tune of GH¢11 billion. Can you juxtapose the two.”
“We think that it doesn’t make sense to us, and so we are saying that the tax bill that they are going to introduce in this particular budget will face some stiff opposition. We will not sit down and allow them to impose taxes on our people,” he stated.
