What stops you from implementing tax amnesty now? - Kwesi Pratt 'fires' Bawumia

Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt has castigated Vice President and NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia over his promises to the business community in Ghana.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to implement a flat tax and tax amnesty system to provide reprieve to business owners if elected President.

The Vice President, at a meeting with the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry members, described the current tax regime as burdensome and condemned the harassment that some Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) staff subject business owners to.

“They are harassing businesses. That harassment is coming from the sort of targets that are created at their office. They are setting unrealistic targets. And this is because the tax base is so narrow, you say to them, 'this is your target for this month', and they are trying to figure out where do I go.”

“Then for them, it is very easy, you go back to where you had it the last time. You go to taxpayers, the people who are already paying taxes and then you have to come up with a new reason why they should pay more and so you come up with all sorts of stuff," he said.

But the GRA staff are not pleased with Dr. Bawumia’s comments, as, to them, it undermine their hard work.

“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 hardworking staff of the Authority, which, if not discontinued, would incur the displeasure of workers, disrupt revenue collection efforts, and breed industrial disharmony,” they said in a press release.

Tackling the issue during “Kokrokoo” morning show on Peace FM, Kwesi Pratt asked the Vice President what’s stopping him from implementing his tax reforms now.

He wondered why he wanted to wait to become president before he introduced policies aimed at alleviating the plight of business owners.

“Is he not the Vice President? You are in government, what are you doing now?” he queried.

He also noted that Dr. Bawumia, as leader of the Economic Management Team, sits in cabinet meetings, so he sought to find out if he tabled his recommendations, such as his resolve to cancel E-Levy, before them.

“If you can’t persuade your own colleagues to do what is right, there is a problem," Mr. Pratt argued.

He admonished Dr. Bawumia to “cut down on the promises because you can do it now," stressing it’s becoming too many.