Former Deputy Communications Minister under the Mahama administration, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has said that Ghanaians should expect the government to introduce more taxes in the 2022 budget statement to be read on November 15.
Felix was of the view that the current administration had plunged the country in so much debt that it will require more taxes to be able to borrow more from international lenders.
He was speaking in an interview with Happy FM’s Don Prah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show, when he stated: “Ghanaians will start weeping now if they knew what the 2022 budget statement had in store for them. International organizations have directed that the current government can only receive funding if it includes more taxes in the budget in order to get a sum of 10 billion Ghana cedis to clear its debt.”
The politician added that the introduction of taxes in the upcoming budget has been confirmed by the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, when he says that ‘the 2022 budget will regain investor confidence in the economy’.
He adds that this government is not sensitive to the plight of the Ghanaian as it had already introduced taxes and yet that has not prevented the government from adding more taxes.
The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to deliver the 2022 budget statement before Parliament on November 15, 2021.
The presentation of the budget is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921)
According to a statement issued by the Ministry, it is prior to the presentation, seeking inputs from various business associations, professional bodies, faith-based organizations as well as the general public
The inputs the Ministry added will cover the budget preparation from 2022 to 2025.