Majority accuses Minority of Using Tax Waivers to Sabotage Govt Business
The Majority caucus in Parliament has urged the Minority to stop using tax waivers to obstruct government business with their persistent disapproval of some tax waivers currently under consideration by the House.
According to the Majority, Dr Ato Forson led minority failed to take the interest of the nation but rather engaged in political agenda to thwart government businesses.
On Thursday, May 30, 2024, Majority Leader Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin said, the Minority Leader, Dr Ato Forson, is leading that charge on behalf of the Minority in Parliament. Their main goal is to stop government business and deny the people of Ghana the economic growth they need. “
The Ministry of Finance began processes in 2021 to secure approximately $335,072,712.13 in tax exemptions for some 42 companies under the One District One Factory initiative, but has not been successful.
But the Minority kicked against the waivers on grounds that granting the $335 million tax waivers to the 42 companies is simply giving out free money notwithstanding the economic difficulties the country is facing.
However, the majority described the Minority stance as an act of double standards since the same NDC government, granted similar tax waivers to companies to the tune of millions of dollars.
Hon Afenyo-Markin noted that the previous NDC administration granted tax waivers to Meridian Port Services (MPS) alone to the tune of an amount exceeding the total value being sought by the NPP government for all the 42 firms under the IDIF policy.
He said the NDC government under President John Dramani Mahama granted $832 million value of tax waiver to MPS even though the company was expected to invest just $1.5 billion into the local economy.
“But we know that in 2016, this country experienced the most outrageous tax giveaway we’ve ever seen in Ghana when the NDC led by President John Mahama handed a tax waiver of $832 million to Meridian Port Services. At the time, the NDC government applied for a tax waiver of $982 million for the port project,” he said.
“And through the vigilance of the Minority then, we shut it down up to $832 million, saved the government and the people of Ghana some $100 million, and even requested that further works be done,” the Majority leader added.
He pointed out that MPS was exempted from paying corporate income tax and dividends to shareholders for a period of ten years.
The Majority leader questioned the sincerity of the Minority of engaging in worse dealings during their tuner in office, but now obstructing the current administration by its opposition to the tax exemptions.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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