Mahama illegally granted Dzata Cement tax waivers — Majority Caucus

The Majority Caucus leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the previous Mahama administration, accusing it of unlawfully granting tax exemptions to Dzata Cement, a cement manufacturing company.

According to him, former President John Dramani Mahama, using executive authority, presented Dzata Cement and other firms as strategic investors, thereby offering them tax waivers without seeking the necessary approval from Parliament.

In a press briefing held in Accra on Thursday, May 30, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin called on the Minority Caucus to back the government’s initiative to industrialize the economy. He emphasized the importance of offering tax exemptions to companies under the One District, One Factory policy.

“Despite Dzata Cement benefiting from these unconstitutional and illegal tax incentives, we recognize that according to the [1992] Constitution, only Parliament has the authority to impose or waive taxes,” Afenyo-Markin stated. “However, Dzata Cement was granted a tax waiver by the executive under the rule of necessity as a strategic investor, and we did not object at the time.”

The Majority Leader’s comments underline the ongoing debate about the role of tax exemptions in promoting industrial growth and the legal frameworks governing such incentives.