Populist Akufo-Addo turned Father Christmas recouping Covid-19 freebies through heavy taxation – CPP

The Convention People’s Party(CPP) says the Akufo-Addo government is not the type that gives free lunch.

The party has accused government of introducing heavy taxes to recoup the huge monies it spends on providing hot meals, free water and electricity during the covid-19 lockdown last year.

Government in the 2021 budget presentation is planning to impose the Sanitation and Pollution Levy to keep the country clean.

The other proposed tax in the budget is the COVID-19 Health Levy of one percent on VAT Flat Rate Scheme and one percent on the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) as part of revenue measures to help the economy recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the CPP said it is saddened by the double standard of the NPP government which lambasted the Mahama administration of 'killing' Ghanaians will many taxes.

“How on earth can a Valued Added Tax be implemented and increased by 1% by the same group of people who kicked against it in a “Kume Preko” march that took away the lives of Ghanaians and maimed others was the sacrifices worth it?

“The CPP believes that this populist government has behaved like” Father Christmas” by giving free electricity, free water, free food etc. and now collecting the payment through taxation. They give with their right hand and use their left hand to nicodemously pick from our pockets.

“It is sad to recollect that this is the same party in opposition who said when they come to power they were going to reduce taxes, free Ghana from debt and loans and prudently use our domestics inflows to develop the nation?

“The CPP is now asking what happened to that promise, as we are now embroiled in debt and heavy laden with taxes, what happened to the assertion that “Ye Ti Sika So Nanso Ekom De Yen”?

—with files from kasapafm