Youth activist to embark on one-man protest against Akufo-Addo over taxes
Activist Mr Ekow Djan has decided to embark on a one man protest against the Akufo-Addo administration over the introduction of taxes in the budget statement for the 2021 fiscal year. In a statement he said President Akufo-Addo has “demonstrated time and again to be an unprincipled politician. It is trite knowledge that Mr. Akufo-Addo spent over forty(40) years of his life as a political activist fighting ills in successive administrations from 1980 to 2016. “He was known as a politician who stood against corruption, high cost of living, taxes he considered as insensitive and nuisance, power outages, high fuel prices and transport fares, attack on press freedom, insecurity et cetera. “Thankfully, the ‘Just’ Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was elected President in 2016. Ever since he ascended to the respectable office as President of Ghana, there have been worst forms of what he campaigned against while a mere political activist.” Below is his full statement… ONE MAN PROTEST AGAINST THE INSENSITIVE AKUFO-ADDO ADMINISTRATION President Akufo-Addo has demonstrated time and again to be an unprincipled politician. It is trite knowledge that Mr. Akufo-Addo spent over forty(40) years of his life as a political activist fighting ills in successive administrations from 1980 to 2016. He was known as a politician who stood against corruption, high cost of living, taxes he considered as insensitive and nuisance, power outages, high fuel prices and transport fares, attack on press freedom, insecurity et cetera. Thankfully, the “Just” Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was elected President in 2016. Ever since he ascended to the respectable office as President of Ghana, there have been worst forms of what he campaigned against while a mere political activist. The Value Added Tax (VAT) he vehemently opposed in 1995 is now seeing significant upward adjustment under his tenure as President— from decoupling NHIS and GETFUND from VAT to make them standalone levies to the introduction 1% increase in NHIS Levy and 1% increase in VAT Flat rate. Today, the man who campaigned to move Ghana from Taxation to Production has introduced six(6) new taxes and levies including Sanitation (Borla tax), Gambling tax, Levies on fuel, COVID 19 health levy etc. In all these, the President has failed to increase salaries of government workers and denied traders effective trading environment and opportunities. He has failed to account to the good people of Ghana for the $100 million COVID-19 relief fund sponsored by the World Bank/IMF. We’ve heard little about donations from patriotic Ghanaians made into the COVID-19 Trust Fund headed by Mrs Sophia Akufo, Former Chief Justice. The President has failed to account for these monies to the Ghanaian people, and yet has the temerity to come to us to pay additional taxes and levies ? No! This will be resisted! President Akufo-Addo’s presidency now clears corrupt appointees of any wrongdoing but frustrates the work of anti-corruption fighters— Mr. Domelevo and Mr. Amidu are but a few anti corruption campaigners who have been booted out of office through intimidation and harassment. Edward Adati, Ahmed Suale and Manesseh Azure Awini are a few press men who have suffered intimidation from President Akufo-Addo’s administration. We Ghanaians are not cowards and timid but it is difficult to understand why voices of conscience who were vocal under John Mahama’s administration have all of a sudden gone into hibernation. It is clear some are hypocrites while others are scared of attacks from the government. I, as fearless as I am, will begin one-man protest in Accra. I shall present a petition to the President and the Speaker of Parliament. The President must be told in the face to sit up. Parliament must endeavor to avoid approving the proposal of taxes and levies introduced by President Akufo-Addo to the House. I shall, in the coming days, send a letter of notification to the Ghana Police Service in accordance with the Public Order Act 491, Act 1994. ALUTA CONTINUA; VITORIA ACERTA SGD EKOW DJAN ACTIVIST 0209510444 Cc: The President Jubilee House Accra The Speaker Parliament House Accra The Editor 3news Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
New taxes needless – Lecturer to Govt
A senior Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneda, Dr Bernard Tutu-Boahene has questioned the government’s decision to introduce new taxes in the budget statement without increasing the wages and salaries of workers. He stated that the government had no business introducing new taxes when the salaries of the people have been stagnated. Government does not intend to increase wages of workers following the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic on the financial health of the country. To that end, the government said in its budget statement for the 2021 fiscal year that “Government in 2020 outlined a number of initiatives to cushion the effect of the pandemic on the populace.” The authority has introduced new taxes to enable it deal with the impact of the virus. The government proposed in the 2021 budget statement which has since been approved by the legislature the introduction of a Covid-19 Health Levy of a one percentage point increase in the National Health Insurance Levy and a one percentage point increase in the VAT Flat Rate to support expenditures related to Covid-19. “To provide the requisite resources to address these challenges and fund these activities, government is proposing the introduction of a Covid-19 Health Levy of a one percentage point increase in the National Health Insurance Levy and a one percentage point increase in the VAT Flat Rate to support expenditures related to Covid-19,” the budget said among other things. But contributing to a discussion on this issues on the New Day show with TV3’s Johnnie Hughes, Dr Tutu-Boahene said if the government was not going to increase wages of workers then there was no need for these new taxes. He stressed the government had “no business” introducing new taxes. Meanwhile, former Member of Parliament for Bantama, Mr Daniel Okyem Aboagye has justified the introduction of new taxes in the budget statement for the 2021 fiscal year. He believed that the introduction of the taxes is better than going for loans which future generations will have to pay. His comments come after Bawku Central lawmaker Mahama Ayariga said it is unfair for the Akufo-Addo government to be taxing the people of Ghana over the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Ayariga said while speaking on the Key Points Programme on TV3 Saturday March 20 that the freebies provided to Ghanaians during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic were presented to the people as gifts, hence no one expected to pay for those giveaways again. Mr Ayariga told host of the Key Points Abena Tabi that “The taxes are unfair to Ghanaians. Because the relief packages were presented to us as gifts only to be told today that we are going to pay for them.” He further stated that the solution to solving negative impact of the COVID on the economy is not increasing taxes, rather improving on the collection of the already exiting taxes.” Mr Okyem Abogaye noted that the government could not have borrowed to deal with the ravages of the covid on the economy because that would have worsened the debt situation. “To me it is matter of what we will to do as a nation. Do we want to borrow and put all the burden on future generation or do we have to try and support the government to be able to undertake its development agenda?” He asked. 3news Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
EIU predicts victory for NDC in 2024
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has predicted victory for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 presidential elections. “The next parliamentary and presidential elections are due in 2024. Under the constitutionally mandated term limits, Mr Akufo-Addo cannot run for a third term. Mr Mahama is reportedly considering whether to run again, but we expect the NDC to seek to revitalise its prospects with a fresh candidate. After two terms of NPP government, we expect the NDC to win the 2024 presidential election and to gain a small majority in parliament,” the EIU said in a recent report. This prediction comes weeks after the court dismissed an election petition filed by former President John Dramani Mahama, following his loss in the general election. Three months after intense trial, the Supreme Court on Thursday, March 4, 2021, ruled that the 2020 Election petition filed by John Dramani Mahama was unmeritorious. The Justices of the Court explained that the petition was incompetent, lacked merit, and raised no reasonable cause of action because the petitioner failed to prove his case via his petition or through his witnesses. John Mahama who represented the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the polls went to court insisting that none of the nine presidential candidates obtained the mandatory 50%+1 vote constitutional threshold to be declared the winner of the polls. The EIU further stated that the Akufo-Addo administration, with a current razor-thin majority in Parliament, will require all of its MPs to vote, in the House, in order to push through government’s policies. “In the 2020 parliamentary election, the NPP and the NDC each won 137 seats, but in January the one independent member of parliament (MP) announced that he would co-operate with the NPP, giving it the 138 seats needed for an effective majority. With a razor-thin majority, the Akufo-Addo administration will require all of its MPs to vote with the party in order to push through signature policies, which is likely to necessitate deal-making to persuade MPs, which stands to obstruct immediate policy priorities, such as reducing a large fiscal overhang through expenditure cuts and tax rises.” “Holding a majority in parliament gives the NPP an advantage in pursuing its legislative agenda. The difficulty of achieving party unity has already been demonstrated, as the opposition NDC was able to elect its choice for speaker of parliament, with 138 votes, against 136 votes for the NPP’s candidate. The breakdown of votes is kept secret, but at least one NPP politician did not vote for the party’s nomination. With the speaker role secured, the NDC could block ministerial appointments and potentially withhold parliamentary assent for major policies, leading Mr Afuko-Addo’s administration into concessions and compromises with the NDC.” On Ghana’s debt stock, the EIU noted that “the country is currently estimated to be in default, following a rise in principal arrears owed to external official creditors in 2018.” “The current-account deficit, which is estimated to have averaged 2.8% of GDP over the past 48 months, is a drag on the score. Arrears will remain substantial, raising the perceived risk of a prolonged default among investors. Regarding the structure of the national accounts, the services sector is the largest sector of the economy, accounting for about 45% of GDP,” it added. citinewsroom Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Ghana’s Covid-19 deaths rise to 725, active cases drop to 3,196
Ghana’s Covid-19 deaths have risen to 725 following the confirmation of 12 more fatalities by the Ghana Health Service (GHS). The latest update from the GHS further indicated 182 new cases have been recorded. However, the country’s active cases have declined to 3,196 as of Monday, 22 March 2020. The recoveries and discharges have also shot up to 85,761, from a previous 84,952. Since March 2020, Ghana has confirmed a total of 89,682 Regional breakdown Greater Accra Region – 49,628 Ashanti Region – 15,213 Western Region – 5,638 Eastern Region – 4,093 Central Region – 3,201 Volta Region – 2,318 Northern Region – 1,598 Bono East Region – 1,380 Upper East Region – 1,297 Bono Region – 1,297 Western North Region – 846 Ahafo Region – 694 Upper West Region – 473 Oti Region – 390 North East Region – 210 Savannah Region – 114 Classfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
Ofori-Atta back home after COVID treatment
Finance Minister-designate Ken Ofori Atta has returned home from the United States where he was being treated for COVID-19 complications at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The former Finance Minister returned to Ghana on Saturday, March 20, 2021. Reports say he went to meet the president at the Jubilee House upon his return Saturday. Government through a statement from the Finance Ministry informed Ghanaians on February 14 that Mr Ofori-Atta had been flown out for treatment. Ofori Atta speaks Last week while partaking in a video conference on the 2021 budget, Mr Ofori-Atta expressed gratitude to God for his protection throughout the treatment. “It is in the Bible that says Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing for the church and for him and I have felt how God miraculously delivered Peter from prison because the saints prayed for him”. “The doctors here have been fantastic and very dedicated, but even they acknowledge that there must be someone upstairs who is watching over me because the numbers were so critical. So thank you indeed for your earnest prayers which have saved me.” On the 2021 budget, Mr Ofori-Atta said: “Globally, countries are looking at preserving lives and livelihoods and stimulating the economy for growth amidst this pandemic and I think we [Ghana] are not doing any less. Starrfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093
E/R : Three students on motorbike crashed to death at Adeiso
Three students of the Adeiso Presbyterian Senior High School in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region have been crushed to death in a fatal accident. The accident occurred on Saturday when three Hyundai H100 commercial vehicles overtaking each other knocked down the students on a motorbike at Adeiso . The three students – one in third year, the other in second, and a first-year student died instantly. Over a dozen passengers who sustained serious injuries were rushed to Nsawam Government Hospital. The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the same Hospital. The accident occurred few hours after the former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area Derrick Ohene Bekoe was also involved in a near-fatal accident on the same road. According to the reports, two speeding Nissan 4×4 cars with registration number GT-2624-E and GR-6545-P were heading towards Nsawam while the former legislator was heading towards Asamankese from the opposite direction with his Toyota Fortuner with registration number GR -8334 – 18 onboard three members of the opposition National Democratic Congress. However, upon reaching Sukurong Bethlehem stretch of the road his vehicle crashed with the two Nissan cars. The former MP and the three persons in his vehicle sustained injuries as well as occupants of the other vehicles. They were rushed to Asamankese Government Hospital. Starrfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093