The Majority in Parliament has described moves by the NDC Minority to introduce a private members bill to repeal a raft of taxes, which the Vice President committed to abolish if he is elected president, as a political gimmick.
This was after the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson dared the Vice President to prove his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promise by backing the Minority’s call for the scrapping of the E-Levy, Emission Levy, and the 15% VAT on Electricity Consumption this year.
Mr. Forson had stressed that the Minority will explore all avenues necessary to have the taxes repealed.
But speaking to JoyNews, the MP for Nhyiaeso Constituency and Deputy Trades Minister, Stephen Amoah said the NDC is simply looking out for their own interest, and playing politics.
“I see more of politics in what Dr. Ato Forson is doing. I rather think this blame games when one is in government and the other one is in opposition faulting every policy so that the other one gets the chance to get the mandate to rule the Ghanaian people, is outmoded.”
On Tuesday, the Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators will push for the removal of some nuisance taxes through a private member’s bills.
According to Dr Forson, if Dr Bawumia is honest about his intentions to abolish those bills, then the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs must support the bill.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on February 13, he argued that the majority’s position on the matter will confirm whether or not the NPP flagbearer was honest.
“All the taxes that we have opposed, we will make an attempt to get the government to remove them. In fact, now that the Vice President himself has come to confirm to us that they don’t want the taxes, we have already said on the floor, he is only copying what the NDC is saying.
“I have said on the floor and the hansard will bear me out that the next NDC government will remove this [taxes]. I have said this. I am the first person,” he told host, Evans Mensah.
When asked why he would not wait for the next NDC government to remove these taxes, the Minority leader said “Why should we wait? Ghanaians are struggling.
“The only reason why this tax is still effective and your good self and my good self and the ordinary Ghanaian is paying this tax is that the NDC is not in office.”