The Member of Parliament for Ofoase/Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has warned against the introduction of hidden taxes in the upcoming 2025 budget.
Speaking on ABC News GH on Monday, he emphasized the need for transparency in the government’s fiscal policies, stating, “We both agreed that these taxes must go. What we don’t expect is that after the tax removal, they will go through the backdoor to introduce more taxes on items.”
He urged the government to prioritize efficiency in tax administration rather than reimposing taxes on essential goods and services.
Oppong Nkrumah also called for fiscal discipline, urging the government to cut down on excessive spending.
“One of the challenges we are having as an economy is that we are overspending.
There are so many demands, but the revenue is limited, so the government has been borrowing to cover up,” he explained.
He referenced the NPP’s campaign message, which promised to reduce expenditure by three percent of GDP, insisting that the government must follow through on that commitment.
He further stressed that the Finance Minister should not succumb to political pressure to present a distorted economic narrative, saying, “The Finance Minister should not be pressured to conform to a certain narrative that will seek to make the Ghanaian economy look terrible.”
With the 2025 budget set to be presented by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson today at 10am, expectations remain high for decisive measures that will stabilize the economy.
Oppong Nkrumah insisted that the government must ensure a responsible approach to taxation, stating, “Yes, take off the taxes, but don’t go through the backdoor to increase or reimpose other taxes.”
He further urged authorities to reverse certain controversial revocations of appointments, adding, “Just as the government has started reversing the revocations in the GES, they should continue and reverse all other revocations.”
With Parliament set to have the budget, the opposition has signaled its readiness to scrutinize each proposal, warning, “We will be obstructive.”
