Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah
The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has admonished the NDC minority in Parliament to stick to facts when speaking on issues of national importance and avoid unnecessary propaganda and speculation.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Ofoase Ayirebi constituency, said this in parliament on Tuesday as a response to allegations made by the NDC that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had granted a tax waiver, to the tune of $24 million, to his brother-in-law for the construction of a hotel.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah rubbished the claims, pointing out that it is a complete falsehood.
“All the commentary thrown into the public domain that the President has granted a tax waiver to a company called Platinum Properties is not true because, in accordance with the constitution, no President on his own has the power to grant a tax waiver.
“It is rather Parliament that has the power to grant waivers. If, indeed, any waivers had been granted, why are we here, Mr Speaker? We are here to consider a request for tax waivers and from today let that propaganda be extinguished; it is just not true,” he exposed the NDC minority.
He added: “If anybody purports to grant a tax waiver, that person must come to this hallowed Chamber and make an application and if members here consider it fit for purpose, Parliament is the right body responsible to grant this waiver.”
According to Article 174(2) of the 1992 Constitution, he said, “where an act enacted in accordance with clause 1 of this article confers power on any person or authority to waive or vary a tax imposed by that act, the exercise of that power or waiver of all variation in favour of any person or authority shall be subject to the prior approval of Parliament by resolution.”
Application for waiver
He disclosed that Parliament has now been seized with an application to grant such a waiver and will consider same in accordance with section 26(4) of Act 865.
He added that the house is now considering the application for waiver after it was recommended by the board of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) as a strategic investment which will inure to the benefit of Ghana.
Arbitrary waivers
Mr Nkrumah further disclosed a list of companies which were granted illegal waivers between 2013 and 2016 under the GIPC Act, without recourse to Parliament. The companies included Ibrahim Mahama’s Dzata Cement Company.
He stated that the NDC is accusing President Nana Akufo-Addo wrongly when, indeed, they rather had granted several waivers without recourse to Parliament.
Contrary to expectations that the minority benches would dispute the claim, there was no response from their side after Mr Oppong Nkrumah’s submission.
