The Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson assured the nation that alternative means of revenue will be explored but certainly there would be no taxes.
Five months into this administration and he had to seek under a certificate of urgency a petroleum amendment tax.
If such an intervention was done under a certificate of urgency then it presupposes that government is under pressure as a result of a revenue shortfall.
We were told initially that the intervention is to remedy dumsor, a permanent solution. It has turned out that the new tax is to enable us to purchase fuel to provide electricity for a period.
Be it as it may, the new tax is not intended to provide a permanent solution to the dumsor trend in the country but to tackle an aspect of routine power supply.
With the Energy and Finance Ministers talking at cross purposes we can only engage in individual deductions of the issue of electricity and taxation.
Mr. President has assured us that there is not going to be an extra burden on the individual Ghanaian while Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga presented the tax as an insignificant figure the effect of which on citizens would not as it were break bones.
The times are interesting and from all indications the lies the NDC told Ghanaians which made some of them regard the NPP as wicked and uncaring about their plight are now haunting them.
Revenues must be raised for the smooth running of the country and these can only come about only through taxation.
After telling Ghanaians they have the magic wand to raise revenue without taxation and that is turning out to be untrue the NDC must hide their tail between their hind legs like a mongrel and crestfallen find a fresh lie to support the previous one.
Governance is about sincerity and integrity without which attributes government would become a laughing stock. Today the Ghana Private Roads Transport Union (GPRTU) is squirming, angry that after an earlier reduction in fares this inbuilt increase in fuel cost has left their members the poorer.
They have warned of a looming nationwide strike should there be no reversal of the announced dumsor tax.
With E-Levy which the NDC succeeded in demonizing even though it inherited its dividends when it assumed power and still counting, one only paid upon sending monies via MOMO.
With the dumsor levy on the other hand all will be affected. Fuel will witness a hike as a result of the inbuilt tax the consequences of which will impact vehicle fares and the cost of foodstuff from farm gates in the hinterland nobody can escape the pangs of dumsor tax.
Ghanaians now know the difference between a scamming government and the one which is not. E-Levy in dumsor levy out and COVID levy stays. NDC for us. Time will tell.
