Stop abusing tax exemption policy – Napo tells Terkper

Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has accused the Finance Ministry of abusing the parliamentary process of exempting taxes to companies contracted by the government to render services to the public.

He said since Parliament has hardly turned down a request for waiver of taxes on goods imported and or procured locally for use by the general public, the Finance Ministry has taken advantage and abusing the process.

“This House has to be careful. Even before the Minister comes to the House with an exemption policy, these things should be granted on arrival where the true assessment is made. How many times has Parliament rejected a tax waiver? But when these things have not arrived and or are being produced locally, and you are asking for tax exemptions, Mr. Speaker, who are we deceiving?”

“I think this is an abuse of the parliamentary process. The tax waivers should only be brought when the items come into the country where a true and proper assessment is made. I have had the opportunity to sit in a meeting where the amount quoted as tax waivers are ridiculous,” he said.

Dr. Prempeh made this observation when contributing to the motion for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the request for waiver of Import Duty, Import VAT, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EDAIF, and other project-related imports amounting to US$40,171,308.21 on materials, equipment and services to be imported and or procured locally under the agreement between the Government of Ghana and Credit Suisse International for the construction of 5,000 affordable housing units by Construtora OAS Limited for the general public.

He further told the House that the waiver be suspended until the Finance Ministry is able to give a fair assessment of the items they are requesting to be exempted from taxes.