In relation to the increase in the value-added tax, the member of parliament for the North Tongu Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has questioned the integrity of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The government raised the VAT by 2.5% in its budget statement on last Thursday, November 24, 2022, raising the threshold for paying VAT to 15%.
Following the presentation of the nation’s economic policy statement to the Legislature by finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Mr. Samuel Okudjeto-Ablakwa, ranking member of the parliamentary select committee on foreign affairs, questioned the president’s honesty in a news conference.
I was startled to hear the president raise VAT at a time when many nations are providing financial relief to their citizens, the man stated.
The congressman emphasised that “this is a president who organised ‘Kumepreko, Sieyenkpreko,’ among other protests against the implementation of VAT in the early 1990s.
“Where have principle and integrity run to? I am embarrassed by the legacy the president is leaving behind for the next generation,” he further charged.
“How on earth will this man be increasing VAT at this crucial moment of our times when businesses are folding up because of the high cost of doing business in the country?” he questioned.