Vice President of the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRIMPAG), David Tamakloe has described the 2021 budget presented to Parliament on March, 12, 2020 as a sad one and an “anti-poor budget”.
On his accord, the “insensitive” budget moving forward will spell doom for the poor in Ghana after the government made them enjoy lots of freebies ever since COVID-19 hit the shores of Ghana.
“I found the budget insensitive coming from a government which was shouting freebies to Ghanaians a couple of months back. Prior to the election, they gave free water and electricity to the populace. Beyond that, the gov’t said they had given money to people who were supposed to be poor to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on their lives.
Now, we wake up to the same government taxing Ghanaians on COVID-19. It has put a COVID-19 tax on Ghanaians which everyone will pay. As if that is not enough, a 5 percent levy on the bank. This now presupposes the bank will transfer some extra charges to its customers”.
The Editor in Chief of WhatsUp News furthered that the road toll tax will also affect everyone, both rich and poor, whether car owners or not. “Those with their own cars will pay this toll and passengers of commercial vehicles will also pay” as he indicated that the commercial transport operators will simply transfer this extra cost to passengers.
“You will realise in all this, it is the poor who are paying these taxes and will be burdened the most. The very people shouting that the government is giving us freebies cannot pay. They say water is free but in most areas, Ghanaians buy water because the taps are not flowing”, he said on the Happy Morning Show hosted by Samuel Eshun on e.TV Ghana and Happy 98.9 FM.
On his authority, even if taxes are increased by a percentage, it will be a burden on the ordinary Ghanaian. David describing the country’s economy as being on the verge of collapse reiterated, “The budget is not alleviating the problems of the people”.
The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and caretaker Minister for Finance, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu disclosed that Ghanaians will be charged a COVID-19 Health Levy of 1% on VAT, Flat Rate Scheme (VFRS) and 1% on National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) as part of revenue measures to help the economy recover and a variety of other taxes.
He made this disclosure while presenting the 2021 budget statement and economic policy on the floor of Parliament on Friday, March 12, 2021.
By: Joel Sanco
