Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has said that parliament should reconsider tax waivers requests which are usually brought before the house.
According to him, the huge sums of monies waived need to be relooked as it is synonymous with giving away money to the rich at the expense of the poor.
These tax waivers he believes, widen the gap between the rich and the poor in the country as some of these companies do not deserve these waivers.
His comments are in line with the request for tax waivers on import duties, import VAT, import NHIL, import GETFUND Levy, Domestic VAT, Domestic NHIL and Domestic GETFUND levy amounting to 23,983 million dollars on material, plant, machinery and equipment to be by platinum properties limited for the Pullman Accra Airport City Hotel and serviced apartments.
“ …Tax waivers must be relooked at, it’s like giving away money to the rich at the expense of the poor, Mr speaker as a house it is better we wake up to the realization that these actions that we take further widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Mr Speaker, we are vehemently against this waiver because right from the committee we raised a number of issues that the chairman of the committee has not inculcated. He said
Speaking on the same matter, the Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku Constituency, Benard Oko-Boye said the tax waiver request, if granted will help create jobs and also generate an amount of 90 million dollars VAT within a period of 10 years.
“…It’s important to realize that the 23million to be waived in this house, over a period of ten years, if you read the report, it is expected that we are going to get about 90 million dollars in VAT in the country. I see 250 direct jobs by way of staff at the hotel. Mr. Speaker, these are jobs that are going to be sustainable permanent jobs. He added
He called on Members of Parliament not to politicize this request as it will benefit both parties and the country at large.
“…if we’ve not granted the waivers, some of this companies wouldn’t have existed, most of the workers at Tang palace are coming from my constituency that is where my heart is, it’s about the jobs and some of the MPs meet say give us some job and that my people are on me, sometimes let’s put the partisanship aside especially when jobs are on the way. He said
