'It's a trap' – Isaac Adongo cautions against Bawumia's tax amnesty promise

Isaac Adongo, the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, has criticized Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s tax amnesty promise, labelling it as a mere political manoeuvre rather than a substantive policy initiative.

Adongo, dismissed the Vice President's proposal, stating that tax amnesty is already a routine compliance strategy employed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to woo tax evaders into the tax net.

He emphasized that utilizing tax amnesty as a campaign promise is misleading, especially given its recurrent failure in the past under the current government.

“Tax amnesty is a compliance approach used by the Ghana Revenue Authority and not something Bawumia should have used as a campaign promise.

“It is a trap. He has done this three times and failed because after seeing the tax evaders, he added more taxes which became a disincentive,” onuaonline.com quoted him to have said in an interview on Onua TV on March 21, 2024.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has pledged to grant tax amnesty to businesses and individuals with outstanding tax arrears if he is given the mandate to rule Ghana in 2025.

He said this would afford businesses to start afresh and encourage the filing of taxes.

Addressing a gathering at the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Ghana Bar Association on March 20, 2024, Bawumia, emphasized the significance of providing businesses and individuals with a fresh start.

“I am going to start with a clean slate in 2025, and that is why in 2025, we are going to grant a tax amnesty to all businesses and individuals and start afresh.

“All businesses and individuals will have a tax amnesty, and we will start afresh,” he said.

AM/SARA

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