'Raising revenue is no sin' – Mahama to Bawumia

President John Mahama has said Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, running mate to the flagbearer of Ghana’s biggest opposition party, "should be patting him on the shoulder" for his government’s ability to raise the "most revenue" in the history of any Ghanaian government, rather than hurling criticisms at him over it.

"In addition, the running mate of some party, the other day, was complaining that this government has raised more money and more revenue than any other government in the history of the country.

"Is it a sin to raise more revenue?" Mr Mahama asked when he spoke to NDC supporters in the Volta Region to wrap up his 'Changing Lives, Transforming Ghana' tour on Thursday.

"…I’m surprised that as an economist, you find something wrong with raising revenue," Mr Mahama replied Dr Bawumia.

He said the revenue the government raises is "what we use to do public works."

"Every money that we spend in this country for school feeding, for the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, for all the programmes that we have – subsidies to public secondary schools, free day school – where does it come from?" he asked.

"It’s revenue from the taxes we pay," Mr Mahama answered.

"The money doesn’t come from John Mahama’s pocket," he added.

"It comes from the revenue that we raise, and so, if we have raised the most money in the history of Ghana, I thought he should be patting me on my shoulder, and not raising it as a sin of my government. Raising revenue is not a sin," Mr Mahama added.