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Minority accuses govt of attempts to grant GH₵7bn in tax waivers to cronies
The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of seeking to grant a staggering 7 billion Ghana Cedis in tax waivers to their cronies in the trade industry.
This revelation comes in the wake of an existing 5 billion Ghana Cedis tax waiver request currently before the Finance Committee, disguised as incentive packages for the One District One Factory (1D1F) policy.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Wednesday, Ranking Member on the Trade and Industry Committee, Yussif Sulemana, warned that the Minority would fiercely resist any attempt to impose further regressive taxes on Ghanaians if the government fails to scrap these egregious tax waivers.
“The 2024 budget alone is imposing taxes to the tune of GHS11 billion. The unfortunate thing is that while we are taxing the poor Ghanaians to raise this revenue, we are also at the same time granting tax waivers to friends and family members. For instance, we have about GHS5.5 billion tax exemptions waiting at the finance committee.
“We have also been reliably informed, and we are speaking because we have seen documents that suggest that they’re bringing another GHS7 billion tax waiver request to parliament. Now, if you put the two together, we are talking about GHS12.5 billion tax exemptions.”
“Here you are wanting to grant GHS12.5 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 GHS11 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.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
