The leader of the Majority Caucus in parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and his members have accused Minority leader Cassiel Ato Forson and his group of deliberately sabotaging Ghana’s economic growth by persistently opposing certain tax waivers currently being considered by the House.
Addressing the media in Parliament House on Thursday, May 30, 2024, Mr Afenyo-Markin criticized the Minority, accusing them of double standards.
He noted that when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was in government, they granted tax waivers to several firms, amounting to millions of dollars.
“The Minority Leader, Dr Ato Forson is leading that charge on behalf of the Minority in Parliament, and their main aim is to obstruct government business and to deny the people of Ghana the needed economic growth, which will result from businesses investing in the country and expanding their businesses,” the Majority leader said.
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In 2021, the Ministry of Finance attempted to secure around $335 million in tax exemptions for 42 companies under the ‘One District One Factory’ initiative but was unsuccessful.
The Minority in Parliament has opposed these waivers, arguing that granting such exemptions amounts to giving away free money amid the country’s economic challenges.
The Majority Leader stated that the NDC government granted over $832 million in tax exemptions to Meridian Port Services (MPS), surpassing the $353 million sought by the NPP government for 42 companies under the ‘One District One Factory’ policy.
He stated that the $832 million waiver was granted even though MPS was expected to invest just $1.5 billion in the local economy
“But we know that in 2016, this country experienced the most outrageous tax giveaway we’ve ever seen in Ghana when the NDC led by President John Mahama handed a tax waiver of $832 million to Meridian Port Services. At the time, the NDC government applied for a tax waiver of $982 million for the port project,” Afenyo-Markin said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin claimed that the NDC administration, through the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), designated some companies as strategic investments and granted them tax waivers without Parliament’s approval.
He listed Dzata Cement, Dream Reality, and Boston Investment among these companies.
