Agyapa deal: We have been transparent – Ken Ofori-Atta

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has rebuffed claims that the processes leading up to the ratification of the Agyapa Royalties Agreement were shrouded in secrecy.

The government has been criticized heavily for not being transparent with Ghanaians with respect to the Agyapa deal.

Togbe Afede, the president of the National House of Chief is one among many prominent Ghanaians who have raised questions about the opaqueness of the deal.

Puzzled by the decision to register the deal in a tax haven, Togbe Afede, in an address at the Volta Regional House of Chiefs said he was uncomfortable with that aspect of the deal.

“Tax havens typically serve two purposes; helping you to avoid tax or ensuring secrecy. I don’t see why a national transaction should be shrouded in secrecy in the first place. And if we are trying to avoid or minimise tax, who are we denying tax payment?”

But Ken Ofori-Atta insists government has been transparent with Ghanaians.

He noted on Joy News’ Newfile show that at every point in transaction, government made public relevant information about it.

“I am not sure what we did not give to the Parliamentarians through the Finance Committee during the various meetings that we had. I don’t know what else is a mystery really about this transaction” .

“This has been in effect, a 4-year process. I say 4 years because NDC had 2010 and 2011 in which they examined this module of paradigm and Parliament has been in discussions on the deal since 2018 so I don’t know why anybody can pretend that it has not been public,” he said.