Ghanaian journalist and Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwasi Pratt Jnr. has stated that the 2023 budget was full of “cosmetics”. He said that, the e-levy rate has been reduced, and this means that Ghanaians were only going to be taxed more.
Kwasi Pratt indicated that, the budget was just covering up the many taxes that will be imposed on Ghanaians if the content of the budget is approved and implemented by parliament. He stated that this “cosmetics” of the budget could no longer escape the keen eye of most Ghanaians, even though they were going to be taxed a lot more than before.
He mentioned that, another issue which has been the topic at the tables of most Ghanaians for the past few weeks is the increase in the VAT rate, and according to him, he thinks that there is a good reason to talk about it more.
“I recall in 1995, the current President was reading a statement which was actually written by the guy who is now his lawyer; Akoto Ampaw, and Dr. Charles Mireku Brobbey, the two of them put together a brilliant statement on why we should not pay VAT. This was actually read at a press conference, by the sitting President and one of the most effective arguments which was made then, was that VAT is regressive.”
Kwasi Pratt Jnr.
Mr. Pratt explained that several protestors were shot dead on the streets of Accra due to the release of a statement concerning the payment of VAT in the year 1995. He added that currently, the people of Ghana should have expected a complete cancellation in VAT because the individuals who spearheaded the 1995 protests are currently the ones wielding administrative power.
Kwasi Pratt stated that, there was rather an increase in the VAT rate every now and then, and he was very agitated about this situation. He also said that this should not be happening, especially under this particular administration.
The 2023 Budget- A Difficult And Peculiar One
Meanwhile, MP for Afigya Kwabre North Constituency, Hon. Collins Adomako-Mensah, stated that, the 2023 budget was a very difficult one, and it has peculiar characteristics. He said that the budget is peculiar in the sense that, the country is at a crossroad; thus the negotiations with the IMF, and government has to find a way to express itself in the budget.
Hon. Adomako-Mensah pointed out that he was also worried about the freeze on employment, saying that fortunately, the statement on the policy went further to inform the public that this policy was going to be implemented “except in very critical cases.”
“I believe very strongly that all this while, the Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo government has been looking forward to move us from that area of Guggisberg economy into a more productive economy and indeed, the seven- point agenda of this particular budget; one was, aggressively mobilize domestic revenue, streamline and rationalize expenditure, boost local productive capacity. I’m sure this goes to the heart of trying to move from the Guggisberg economy into a more productive area.”
Hon. Collins Adomako-Mensah
Hon. Adomako-Mensah further mentioned a few more pillars of the budget in addition to the ones he mentioned earlier, and he believes that these were objectives and measures the government is expected to take to lead Ghanaians out of the Guggisberg economy.
According to the MP, government’s efforts to take the country out of the Guggisberg economy within its six years of administration is worth writing home about. He mentioned the One-District-One factory project, which has been a motivation to Ghanaians to eat what they grow, and also as a stepping stone to transition into the productive economic era.
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