Mahama distributed tax waivers to ECOBANK, GHACEM, others without approval - Oppong Nkrumah

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has alleged that former President John Dramani Mahama together with former Finance Minister Seth Terkper and then GIPC boss distributed tax waivers worth millions of dollars to a chunk of Ghanaian companies without prior approval from parliament while in power.

According to him, these companies from 2015 to date enjoy free access to the port without fulfilling any necessary tax obligations.

“John Mahama, his Finance minister and then GIPC boss sat down in a room with a long list of people who they felt like issuing tax waivers to. they gave them free access to the port. I have a tall list of those people and I even mentioned their names on the floor of parliament.”

Mr Oppong Nkrumah who spoke in an interview with OKAYFM said parliament will soon investigate the companies who benefited from tax waivers worth millions of dollars.

“John Mahama gave ECOBANK on the 29th of April 2015 11.5million cedis worth of tax waiver. The finance minister never brought up the subject to be discussed in parliament. They kept mute about it. They also gave Garden City Mall 45 million dollars. GHACEM cement had 98million Ghana cedis. Boston investment 39million cedis, in 2016 they gave Wilmer Africa 27million dollars, Tang Palace hotel was given 34million dollars. Gyata Cement even benefitted. This is just a part of the list. John Jinapor and GIPC can even testify to this fact,” he added.

Reacting to speculations that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has offered a tax exemption of $23,983,033.43 to a company called Platinum Properties Limited (PPL) to put up a hotel facility in Accra, Mr. Nkrumah said the decision will be laid and discussed in parliament as constitution demands.

He added that this will be the first time an issue of this sort will be discussed before parliament.

“For the first time, the government will abide by the constitution and this particular tax waiver will b discussed before parliament. The 28miillion tax waiver will be discussed. If it's well deserved we will give it out but if it’s not we won’t issue it,” he indicated.