By: Baba Issahaq Mohammed
The Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has criticized the Minority caucus in Parliament for vowing to resist the introduction of new taxes.
According to him, members of the previous administration lacked the moral authority to oppose taxation policies, given their role in implementing measures that, he argues, made life difficult for Ghanaians.
In an interview with Citi News, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to scrapping certain taxes, as promised in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto. However, he stressed that the government also has the right to introduce revenue-generating measures to support national development.
“President Mahama and the NDC committed to removing certain taxes, and that will be done in the budget. But that does not mean the government cannot explore other means of generating revenue,” he stated.
He further argued that taxation policies should be evaluated based on their impact on the public. In his view, the previous administrationโs introduction of levies such as the COVID tax, e-levy, and betting taxes disproportionately burdened Ghanaians.
“They piled taxes up to 40 of them on the people of Ghana. How can a party that behaved this way now claim to care about the people and even issue an ultimatum to the NDC?” he questioned.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu also dismissed allegations that state funds are being used to construct the Hajj Village terminal at the airport. He described these claims as a political manoeuvre by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to him, the project is a business decision aimed at targeting a specific clientele to generate revenue. He accused the NPP of attempting to create a false narrative to deflect criticism from its own past decisions.
“The NPP government supervised this project in 2024, under the Ghana Airport Company. So how can they now turn around in 2025 and criticize it unless for purely political purposes?” he remarked.
The debate over taxation and government spending is expected to remain a key point of contention as the administration moves forward with its economic policies.
