-Minority to Dr. Bawumia

The minority in parliament have attacked Vice President Dr. Bawumia over his recent comments about the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

During a meeting with the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry members on Wednesday, March 20, the Vice President criticised GRA for what he perceives as harassing businesses in the name of tax collection.

Dr. Bawumia attributed this issue to the GRA’s imposition of unattainable targets on its officers, leading to excessive taxation of existing businesses.

In a statement from the minority responding to this, they said Instead of blaming GRA workers, Dr. Bawumia should take responsibility for the regressive and crippling taxes that his government has imposed under his watch as the Chairman of the government’s Economic Management Team.

They added that “It is hypocritical and deceptive on the part of Alhaji Bawumia, the key architect of the government’s economic policies, to blame innocent GRA workers for the fallouts of a high tax regime after his government has sponsored, motivated and marshalled the numbers of the Majority Caucus in Parliament to fight tooth and nail to pass regressive, punitive, draconian and insensitive taxes.”

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Below is the full statement.

Our attention has been drawn to news publications in which Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia launches scathing attacks on workers of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and condemns them for merely performing their statutory duties.

It is shocking to note that Alhaji Bawumia had the audacity to single out GRA workers for attack and condemnation after the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government had imposed a lot of taxes on businesses and Ghanaians.

The government’s huge appetite for taxes has created a high tax regime, which has made the country unattractive for doing business. It is therefore not surprising that many businesses in Ghana are relocating to other countries in the West African sub-region. This spells doom and gloom for Ghanaian employees as jobs which would have otherwise been filled by them get exported as a consequence of the relocation of businesses from the country.

Instead of blaming GRA workers, Alhaji Bawumia should take responsibility for the regressive and crippling taxes that his government has imposed on his watch as the Chairman of the government’s Economic Management Team.

It is hypocritical and deceptive on the part of Alhaji Bawuima, the key architect of the government’s economic policies, to blame innocent GRA workers for the fallouts of a high tax regime after his government has sponsored, motivated and marshalled the numbers of the Majority Caucus in Parliament to fight tooth and nail to pass regressive, punitive, draconian and insensitive taxes.

It is absurd that Alhaji Bawumia, who approves economic policies including tax proposals at meetings of the Economic Management Team as well as justifies them at Cabinet meetings, has turned round to blame workers of GRA for the country’s high tax regime.

It was precisely because of the adverse impact of these taxes on businesses and the people that the NDC Minority Caucus in Parliament resisted the draconian taxes and voted en bloc against them.

Already, we have served notice that the NDC Minority Caucus will bring a Private Member’s Bill to remove e-levy, emission tax and betting tax.

The government has finally agreed with us to abolish these taxes, except that while Dr Bawumia wants that done in the future, the NDC Minority Caucus wants the removal of the taxes now!