NPP's flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Yohane Amarh Ashitey, has applauded Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, following the Veep’s outlining of his vision that he and his government will pursue if he is elected as president in 2024 electionn.
Commenting on the shockingly wonderful promises that Dr. Bawumia made in his Ghana’s Next Chapter address on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, Amarh Ashitey said even he is pleasantly surprised.
“I mean, this is Dr. Bawumia and I knew we were going to get an inspiring vision statement from him, but even I must admit that what he delivered is mind blowing. Far beyond inspiration, Dr. Bawumia gave us real hope that the average Ghanaian can trust in”, the MCE said in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the address.
The Vice President announced among other things that he will scrap the unpopular e-levy which has become burdensome for the less privileged in society because it deliberately taxes their means of transferring money.
He also said he will reform and refocus the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) towards broadening the tax net so that the current situation where only a few Ghanaian tax payers bear the burden of the general populace is reversed.
Saying the current tax regime is an archaic one that was inherited from the country’s colonial masters, Dr. Bawumia said existing loopholes in the tax regime resulted in the GRA not being able to collect at least 13% of collectable tax which amounted to some GHC24billion.
“Imagine that we are able to plug this loophole, there will never be the need to return to the IMF to borrow or undergo another bailout,” Amarh Ashitey said.
The MCE also praised Dr. Bawumia’s announcement that he will abolish the 15% tax proposed by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on electricity, abolish emission tax, and also abolish the betting tax which has become a source of unhappiness for many Ghanaian youth.
Since making these revelations, many, especially in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), have said that Dr. Bawumia is being populist given that he is the Vice President of the same Akufo-Addo government that introduced the taxes.
But responding, the MCE said what Dr. Bawumia’s naysayers are trying to do is use propaganda to cover up the fact that their earlier lie that he will be a poodle of President Akufo-Addo if he becomes president has been discredited.
“We are seeing a vintage Dr. Bawumia who disagreed with many of the policies that were adopted by cabinet now asserting his own point of view on these issues. His decision to abolish e-levy, tax on betting, and tax on electricity shows you that he was against them but because he was not the president, was forced to endure them. Now that he is becoming his own man, we are seeing what really he wants for Ghanaians”, he said.
