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A New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for the Obuasi West constituency, Kwaku Kwarteng has lashed out at President John Mahama for justifying the huge taxes imposed on Ghanaians by the government.
According to the MP, the reasons given by the president during a media interaction are “unconvincing.”
Government in the beginning of 2016 increased a number of taxes.It also introduced the Energy Sector levies which increased prices of petroleum products by astronomical margins.
While addressing journalists at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday President Mahama explained that such the taxes were in the interest of the nation.
“It’s not every decision that will be popular but what was I elected for as president, to take popular decisions? If I took popular decisions for you to be happy with me, this country will be in the ground by now. Do I take pleasure in imposing taxes on people as if you just take a pleasure in doing it, you don’t. But you look at the alternative and the alternative is worse and so you must take decisions that are in the national interest. The benefits might not be seen immediately but in future people will see what benefits they have accrued from the decisions that were made,” he added.
But speaking on Eyewitness News, Kwaku Kwarteng who is also a Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee called on the president to reverse the taxes in order to enable the private sector to expand.
“The president is not thinking about the private sector to expand economic activities and create jobs, he is now thinking about more taxation because we must finance our own country’s expenditures. The president’s delivery on Tuesday is nothing but an attempt to justify taxes…because of mismanagement in the name of spending it on the people. It was completely unconvincing and I hope that going forward, some of these taxes will be reversed so that the private sector will have some breathing space to expand and to create jobs for the unemployed.”
Kwaku Kwarteng also advised that “if the president is committed to reducing taxes for individuals and the private sector, he must look at the energy levies.”
