Majority urges Minority to support government to grow domestic economy

The Majority Caucus in Parliament Thursday accused the National Democratic Congress Minority Caucus of attempting to sabotage Ghana’s economic growth through the Caucus’s persistent opposition to some tax waivers currently under consideration by the House.

As a result, the Majority Caucus has called on the Minority Caucus to support the government to grow the country’s economy.

The Majority Caucus call was necessitated when the Minority Caucus rejected a $350 million tax waiver request for some 42 companies under the One District One Factory initiative (1D1F) of the government.

The Minority through its leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson on Friday, May 17 during the recall of the House questioned the basis for such waivers when the government was in dire need of funds because of the economic crisis.

MAlexander Afenyo-Markin, addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps in Parliament on Thursday, said: “The Minority leader, Dr Ato Forson is leading that charge on behalf of the minority NDC in Parliament, and their main aim is to obstruct government business and to deny the people of Ghana the needed economic growth, which will result from businesses investing in the country and expanding their businesses.”

He revealed that there were up to $400 million worth of tax waiver requests that had been pending at the Finance Committee for over three years, entangled in a political stalemate.

“However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has vowed to block these requests at every turn, and they are being hypocritical,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin alleged that the NDC government, led by former President John Dramani Mahama, had granted Members of Parliament (MPs) more than $800 million in tax waivers during their tenure.

“But we know that in 2016, this country experienced the most outrageous tax giveaway we’ve ever seen in Ghana when the NDC led by President John Mahama handed a tax waiver of $832 million to Meridian Port Services. At the time, the NDC government applied for a tax waiver of $982 million for the port project,” he said.