Former Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije has described as discriminatory the decision by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to scrap levies exacted from head porters popularly called Kayayei in the country.
"If government is scrapping that toll it should say it is scrapping the market tolls across the board," he advocated, adding everyone who trade in markets in the capital are taxed.
Mr Oko Vandepuije said he expected government to annul all market tolls since it did not segment when it announced the abolishing of duties on spare parts importation.
"It should have said no more market tolls."
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has listed some eight taxes that would be abolished in 2017 when he presented government's maiden budget to Parliament on Thursday.
The taxes which include duties on spare parts importation, 17.5 percent VAT on domestic tickets and Kayayei levy among others, are aimed at easing the difficulties in the economy, the Minister has said.
The tax cuts have drawn applause from sections of Ghanaians especially spare parts dealers at Abossey Okai and the Kayaye Association in Kumasi.
Kayaye Association's General Secretary, Amadu Aminu told Joy News they will be meeting to decide how to celebrate what he described as the "good news" from government.
“For the past years the ‘paaopa levy’ has been a very big headache to the leadership, and we have moved across borders to get something done but our efforts did not yield any results,” he said.
But Mr Oko Vanderpuije who also doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South said the President has been unfair to local government authorities for scrapping the head porters levy.
"If you segregate and say a Kayaye levy would not be there, everybody would know that when they work in the market, government would support by not taking tolls from them," he said.
He, nonetheless, said government would find a way to fill the shortfalls that would be experienced in revenue by the abolishing of the levy and other taxes, adding it is too early to laud the government for it has done.
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Source: Joy News
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@ MAWUTO AND MIEZA REST ASSURED THE ALMIGHTY WILL GUIDE THE NPP WITH WISDOM TO RULE.THE NDC DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN TERM SOCIAL DEMOCRATS. THEY ARE A VICIOUS,CALLOUS AND A WICKED BUNCH OF ENTITY WITHOUT A SHRED OF SYMPATHY FOR THE POOR.I PRAY THE NDC NEVER AGAIN COME TO POWER.
Ataa Oko, what do you mean? Is the kayayo in the same category as the fish, plantain, tomato, shoe or cloth seller in the market? Don't let politics blind you.They are certainly not the same. Somebody who carries my wares to the trotro cannot be in the same category as the cloth seller so there will certainly be market tolls but not what the kayayei pay. That's what Nana Addo's budget means. Period!
To think these ***barred word*** call themselves social democrats! I wonder what that means to them? Why do you have to make the poor kayaayei pay tolls? A destitute paying taxes? They should rather be catered for. If I go to the market to buy an item and I ask someone to convey it to my car so I can give this person a pittance, you want to tax him? Will you have taxed me if I had carried it myself? Incompetent NDC.