We’ll reject 2.5% VAT increment during approval of Appropriation Bill – Minority

The Member of Parliament for Sissala West, Mohammed Adams Supkaru has said the Minority will vote against the 2.5 per cent increment in the Value Added Tax (VAT) contained in the 2023 budget statement during the approval of the Appropriation Bill.

According to him, this proposal is at the Finance Committee level and the Minority will do all it can to reject it.

He explained on the Big Issue with Roland Walker on TV3 Wednesday December 7 that the proposal, if not rejected, will heighten the economic conditions of Ghanaians.

Parliament approved the 2023 budget on Tuesday December 6. The House is yet to approve the Appropriation Bill after the various committees have dealt with the other issues relating to some of the proposals including increasing VAT by 2.5 per cent.

The Appropriations Bill will give the government authorisation to spend.

Mr Supkaru said “the 2.5 per cent VAT increment, we are saying that we are not going to approve that.”

When asked by Roland Walker how the Minority will do that since they do not have the numbers in Parliament to carry out that plan, he said “when we get there we will see whether we have the numbers or not.

“We are going to ensure it has been taken out because this is not the time to be imposing taxes. The Finance committee is going to look at it.”

The Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu also said earlier in Parliament that he was surprised that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who led a demonstration in 1995 against the the introduction of the VAT by the then Rawlings administration, is now seeking to increase it.

Source: theheraldghana.com