REMARKS BY THE MINORITY LEADER IN PARLIAMENT, CASSIEL ATO FORSON, PhD. AT AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF PARLIAMENT ON TUESDAY, 3RD SEPTEMBER, 2024.
1. Rt. Hon Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make these brief remarks at this emergency recall of Parliament.
2. This recall comes barely 95 days to the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
3. This recall that has been triggered by the NPP Majority is to enable them fast-track and railroad tax giveaways to their crony businesses.
4. Rt. Hon. Speaker, let me state without any equivocation that the Minority’s position on these tax exemptions has not changed. We have always maintained that these tax exemptions are not in the best interest of the tax payer.
5. Our position has always been that until these exemptions are converted to tax credit or linked to equity shares as stipulated in the Tax Exemptions Act, we will not support giving away over $350 million to crony businesses in an opaque and non-transparent manner.
6. Rt. Hon Speaker, giving away inordinate tax exemptions is not an urgent issue that should warrant a recall of this House.
7. Ghana’s economy is still bleeding, cost of living continues to be high and Ghanaians can simply not make ends meet.
8. These are the real bread and butter issues that should concern any serious government and not the giveaway of much-needed tax revenue.
9. As we speak, COCOBOD has been shut out from borrowing from international banks.
10. International Banks are running away from Ghana COCOBOD and the cocoa sector is on its knees.
11. Rt. Hon Speaker, the prevailing price of cocoa on the world market and the exchange rate means that COCOBOD will be selling a bag of cocoa at GHS9,700.
12. The cocoa farmer cannot be paid anything less than GHS6,000 per bag.
13. The payment of GHS6,000 per bag of cocoa is critical because cocoa farmers deserve the benefit of their hard labour.
14. Rt. Hon Speaker, the Electoral Commission has admitted that the Voter Register is riddled with irregularities and flaws.
15. I daresay that the scale of these irregularities is such that somebody may have tampered with the Voter Register database.
16. I am sorry Mr. Speaker, we cannot vouch for the integrity of the Voters Register as it stands.
17. The details of the irregularities are so fertile and cannot be accepted.
18. We therefore demand a forensic audit into the Voters Register database.
19. In conclusion, Rt. Hon Speaker,
• the mood of the country
• the state of our people
• the state of our healthcare and education
• the state of our waterbodies and our environment
• the cost-of-living crisis we are going through
• the deplorable state of our economy
• the free fall of the Ghana Cedi and
• the unemployment situation
are the very things that should guide us in every decision we take in this House.
20. Our decisions should be people-centered. It should not be about us. It should be about the Ghanaian people. It should be Ghana First!
21. Mr. Speaker, Ghana is in crisis.
22. Rt. Hon Speaker, I thank you.
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