Take responsibility for high tax regime and stop blaming GRA - Minority chides Bawumia

The Minority in Parliament has strongly condemned Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), for his recent remarks regarding the revenue mobilization methods employed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

According to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs, Dr. Bawumia's comments hold no substance, especially given his position as the vice president of the country.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, March 26, and signed by the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, they stressed the importance of accountability, urging Dr. Bawumia and the government to take responsibility for creating what they perceive as a high tax regime.

The Minority expressed astonishment at Dr. Bawumia's public criticism of the GRA, arguing that the authority is simply carrying out its constitutionally mandated duty of tax enforcement.

Furthermore, they contended that the excessive taxation policies under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration have made Ghana a less attractive destination for business activities.

“It is shocking to note that Alhaji Bawumia had the audacity to single out GRA workers for attack and condemnation after the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government had imposed a lot of taxes on businesses and Ghanaians.

“The government’s huge appetite for taxes has created a high tax regime which has made the country unattractive for doing business. It is, therefore, not surprising that many businesses in Ghana are relocating to other countries in the West African sub-region. This spells doom and gloom for Ghanaian employees, as jobs which would have otherwise been filled by them, get exported as a consequence of the relocation of businesses from the country,” the statement said.

During a meeting with the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia expressed concerns about the alleged misuse of tax collection by GRA staff, citing it as a pretext for harassing businesses.

However, the Organized Labour, in a statement dated Friday, March 22, 2024, deemed Dr. Bawumia's comments as "unfortunate," interpreting them as a discredit to the dedicated efforts of GRA employees.

They cautioned that such remarks could breed worker dissatisfaction, impede revenue collection, and provoke industrial unrest.

The group urged the vice president to either recognize the significant strides made by the GRA or abstain from remarks that undermine their endeavours.

They also pointed out the inconsistency in Dr. Bawumia's position, given his leadership role on the Economic Management Team and his knowledge of the government's targets for the GRA through the Ministry of Finance.

“We would like to state unequivocally that, we the workers of GRA find this statement unfortunate and consider it as an attack on the efforts of the hard-working staff of the Authority which if not discontinued, would incur the displeasure of workers, disrupt revenue collection efforts and breed industrial disharmony,” they stated.

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