The fact that we did not introduce or increase any tax is a form of relief - Deputy finance minister

Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Stephen Amoah, has stated that the government is working tirelessly to address the economic situation in the country.

His comments come in response to the Minority's criticism of Finance Minister Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, who expressed empathy for Ghanaians facing hardships.

However, the Minority argued that if the government truly empathised with Ghanaians, they would have taken more substantial actions to reverse the negative trend.

As reported by myjoyonline.com on July 23, 2024, Dr Stephen Amoah argued that the decision not to introduce new taxes in the mid-year budget review is a step in the right direction, acknowledging the suffering of Ghanaians.

"The fact that we did not introduce or increase any new tax, we are spending within our appropriation. So what kind of relief do they want?" Amoah questioned.

Pointing out projects such as launching SMEs and committing about GH¢8.2 billion to create jobs and support entrepreneurs in the country, Dr Amoah stated that the government is focusing on other social interventions to provide relief.

He also stressed that the government has disbursed approximately GH¢5.4 billion to support the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme and the school feeding programme since 2004, to reduce the burden on citizens.

According to the Deputy Finance Minister, the immediate priority of the government is to stabilise the economy, pointing to the current inflation rate as an indicator of progress in achieving economic stability.

ID/EK