Minority Chief in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, suggests Nana Akufo-Addo really should not have introduced the tax waiver for wellness treatment personnel as if he experienced the ability to grant it.
He suggests the President should have acknowledged that for every the constitution of Ghana, it is only Parliament that can give tax waivers and not the president.
“The president has no electrical power to grant any tax waiver. And permit it be known that as President of Ghana, he has no this sort of electrical power,” the Member of Parliament for Tamale South mentioned whilst the Residence accepted a ¢288.6 million tax waiver for well being care workers to motivate them in the fight from Covid-19.
It will be recalled the President on April 5, 2020, announced the tax waivers for health care personnel in one of his Covid-19 addresses. “All health and fitness staff will not pay out taxes on their emoluments for the upcoming a few months i.e. April, Might and June,” he explained.
Mr. Iddrisu states even though the Minority supports the tax waivers for healthcare staff, the President should have been measured in the way he framed his announcement.
“Mr. Speaker, we have all had the privilege of composing presidential speeches. What you persons ought to do to assistance the President is that he should say, I am producing a request to parliament to grant tax waivers.
“He does not speak authoritatively as if the electrical power of that exemption is vested in him as government president. President Nana Akufo-Addo has no these types of powers. No President of the Republic has these powers,” Mr. Iddrisu extra.
Article 174 (1-2) of the structure is emphatic that “No taxation shall be imposed usually than by or under the authority of an Act of Parliament. In which an Act, enacted in accordance with clause (1) of this article, confers electric power on any individual or authority to waive or differ a tax imposed by that Act, the workout of the ability of waiver or variation, in favour of any man or woman or authority, shall be subject matter to the prior approval of Parliament by resolution.”
Responding to the problem, The greater part Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, agreed that only Parliament can grant any tax waiver.
“…it has to do with, probably, how the statement was couched…,” the MP for Suame noted.
