Government has betrayed Ghanaians - Alex Mould

A former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr. Alex Mould, has decried the new taxes government has imposed on Electricity, labelling it a betrayal of the citizens’ trust and confidence in the government.

The new increases which would see electricity bills go up by 18.125% has been seen as a stab in the back of the citizenry, especially when the economic conditions of the people has been severely affected by the corona virus pandemic.

Government had announced some mitigating measures to ensure Ghanaians are not hard hit by the crisis.

Mr. Alex Mould therefore finds it “absolutely cold blooded, insensitive, and preposterous” for government to slap Ghanaians with these taxes.

He said: “On one hand you claim to have given people a 3-month 50% tariff waiver; and the you slap us at the same time with new taxes to increase our bills. This is absolutely cold blooded, insensitive, and preposterous”.

Meanwhile the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has debunked allegations that it has tasked the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on domestic consumers despite government directive of absorbing the electricity tariff of Ghanaians for the next three months.

According to the GRA, there is no decision of introducing 18 per cent tax on electricity power consumption amidst the fight against coronavirus.

It will deny you from the food that you buy because you have to do your scale of preference and consumers will be burdened the more…so this 50 per cent was just to deceive Ghanaians, so you gave it to Ghanaians with one hand and then you take it with another hand,” he said.

But Florence Asante, assistant communications and public affairs commissioner, in a statement said, “the GRA does not seek to introduce any new or additional charges to be levied on energy and capacity charges.”