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Kwame Pianim, an economist, has urged President Akufo-Addo not to approve the three revenue measures bill that recently passed in Parliament. In an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Pianim criticized the lawmakers for not giving enough thought to the bill before passing it.
“President Akufo-Addo should refuse to sign these bills,” he said. “We expect parliamentarians to consult their people, think about it and ask questions. They obviously don’t they just pass them so our last hope is for the President to say thank you Parliament I will not sign this bill because it is not good.”
Pianim accused the lawmakers of failing to ask the relevant questions while the bill was laid before the House, and he called for it to be sent back to Parliament for reconsideration. He also criticized the 8th Parliament for approving three new taxes – the Income Tax Amendment Bill, The Excise Duty Amendment Bill, and the Growth and Sustainability Amendment Bill. “The current Parliament is going to go down in history as one of the worst Parliaments we’ve [Ghana] has ever had,” he said.
On April 1, the government passed the three revenue measures in an attempt to generate approximately ₵4 billion in internal revenue. The measures, according to the government, will enable it to complete processes to secure a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
However, business and trader associations, as well as some Ghanaians, have been agitated about the passing of these new measures, saying they will lead to the collapse and relocation of businesses in the country.
Dr Joseph Obeng, the President of the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA), also expressed his disappointment at Parliament for approving the new tax bills without consulting stakeholders.
“Parliament did not listen to the people of Ghana,” he said. “We have petitioned through the Speaker and the Parliament and then all the press releases and the petitions and the pleas – they did not consider. They never listened to us.”
Despite the concerns raised by Pianim, Obeng, and others, the government maintains that the revenue measures are necessary to address the country’s economic challenges.