The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has called on the members of parliament (MPs) to kick against any move by the government to introduce any tax bills for deliberation, consideration and possible passage.
According to the Association, it had become aware of plans by the Finance Committee of Parliament to present before the House, two new tax bills, being the Income Tax Amendment Bill and the Excise Duty Tax.
The Association further alleged in a statement that according to the government, the intended bills would help to shore up Ghana’s revenue.
“We, as an association, believe these two taxes are just a lazy approach by the government that campaigned on moving away from taxation to production to rake in monies with the hope of stabilising the economy,” the Association contended.
They, therefore, associated themselves with the call by the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on its members of parliament to out-rightly reject the purported bills, because they would not in anyways ameliorate the plights of the suffering Ghanaians.
They further called on the Majority MPs to also follow suit in rejecting these two bills, saying they would only compound the very challenges facing local businesses.
A special passionate appeal was also made to the speaker of parliament Rt Honourable Algban Bagbin to ensure that any voting on the two bills would be done through casting of ballots in case the house considers or decides to adopt the passage of the bills
The Executive Secretary of the association, Mr. Samson Asiki Awingobit, who signed the statement, indicated that the said bills would not “inure to the benefit of the ordinary Ghanaian and businesses who are already folding out of business due to the already existing draconian taxes.”
He insisted that it was high time the business community rose and demonstrated their displeasure and anger against the government for being insensitive to their plights and worsening their conditions with massive economic mismanagement.
