Economic crisis: Politicians see taxation as the easiest way out – Lawyer

A communications team member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Andrew Appiah Dankwa, has lampooned the country’s politicians for constantly looking for the easiest way out of managing the country’s economy.

“The easiest route to take,” he said, “is to keep piling taxes on the ordinary man on the street.”

Mr Andrew Appiah Dankwa said this in view of the government’s decision to introduce three new taxes for revenue mobilisation.

The lawyer and communications team member expressed his displeasure about the passage of the three revenue Acts discussing their repercussions on businesses during the discussion segment of the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Monday, April 3, 2023.

According to him, these revenue taxes will create problems for the businessmen in the country.

He said businessmen may not be able to employ under this current tax regime.

He said these new revenue taxes will slow the growth of the economy going forward.

“It is worrying how leaders [have] kept proffering short-term solutions to the country’s problems,” he said.

Parliament on Friday, March 31, 2023, passed three revenue mobilisation bills that are critical for Ghana’s bid to secure a Board-level agreement from the International Monetary Fund regarding a $3-billion extended credit facility to bail out the ailing economy.

They are the Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022, the Ghana Revenue Authority Bill 2022 and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022.

The bills, together, aim to accrue some GHS4 billion for the country annually, even though the minority caucus had indicated its opposition to the bills and threatened to vote against all three on Friday, 31 March 2023.