Sam George to expose government over CST

Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Constituency, Samuel Nartey George, has vowed to expose government over what he says is the true rationale behind the increase in the Communications Service Tax (CST).

He has indicated that the rationale is the reason why government is not considering withdrawal of the tax despite public displeasure at the recent increment.

At the start of October, telecommunications companies decided to pass on the increment directly to subscribers in what government found to be making it unpopular.

The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, therefore, instructed the telcos not to alert subscribers upon deduction of the tax.

During a press conference last Monday, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful also threatened to shut down telcos who do not comply with her directives.

But Sam George, who is a member of Parliament’s Select Committee on Communications, said the directive amounts to intimidation.

“If the government is truly worried about the cries and complaints of the Ghanaian people, the government should not intimidate and threaten foreign investors who run the MNOs,” he said in a statement on Wednesday, October 16.

“The government should withdraw the obnoxious CST increase,” he demanded.

This comes barely two days after the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson, also questioned the Minister of Communication’s action.

MP, Sam George, says there is more to it than meets the eye and in the coming weeks he will throw the spotlight on government’s ulterior agenda.

“The situation is dire and there is the need for those who hold the levers of power today to realise that they do so in trust for the people of Ghana.”

He backed calls for the CST to be withdrawn.