Ask Dr Bawumia How To Raise Revenue For Dev't – Anim Piesie Tells Gov't

Member of the NDCs Communication Team, Bernard Anim Piesie, has said Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia must be asked how the government is going to raise revenue for the development of the country devoid of increasing taxes.

“Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia should be asked where we can get the revenue from because he claimed during the 2016 campaign time to know them all. So why waste time when the expert is with us and in government?” Anim Piesie asked.

He said President Akufo-Addo and his government should have studied the economy well before removing some “nuisance taxes” just to fulfill their campaign promises.

“President Nana Addo and his government shouldn’t have been in a haste to take off taxes they referred to as nuisance just to fulfill their campaign promises, and now finding a nice way to introduce those taxes back in a different brand,” he said.

NPP during its 2016 election campaign promised to reduce taxes when given the mandate to rule the country for the next four years.

Anim Piesie, contributing to a panel discussion on UTV’s ‘Adekye Nsroma’ programme, affirmed he believes government has now realized the importance of those taxes and wants to implement them in a different form and identity.

According to him, the NPP should have picked lessons from the NDC that you cannot eat your cat and have it.

“I feel a reduction in the number of the current government appointees, especially ministerial positions will help raise lots of revenue to finance the state,” Anim Piesie stated.

He further explained that Ghana as a country needs the taxes from the citizens for developmental projects because over 40% of our budget drawn every year depends on donor support, an initiative that needs to be corrected.

Speculations and their attendant anger, especially on social media, about an imminent three and a half per cent increase in the VAT rate (17.5% to 21%) were rife late last week and the beginning of this week.

Finance Minister Ofori-Atta appeared to lend credence to the speculations when he dithered in answer to a question whether the VAT rate was going to go up.

Until I go to Parliament, we wouldn’t know,” he responded, alluding to his anticipated appearance in Parliament on Thursday to present the mid-year budget review.