<<Print>>

National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu says the Special tax on petroleum products announced by government a couple of days ago is a deliberate ploy to increase fuel prices in the country. Addressing the 17.5% tax on petroleum products announced by the Finance Minister when he read the 2015 Budget statement in Parliament on Wednesday, which was controversially laid before the House under a Certificate of Urgency and subsequently approved by the Majority, John Boadu was of a strong view that the new tax rate will spell doom for the economy in the near future. According to him, the tax rate is the second highest apart from the ex-refinery price levy imposed on petroleum products in the country. He recounted that Excise duty- a direct tax- rate stands at 0.08% while the petroleum tax hikes up to 0.45%. This, in his estimation, will have aftermath effects on the economy and so, described as "disingenuous" the decision by government to impose such a tax rate on Fuel. �We will not see the danger involved in this thing that they've done today. It�s when petrol prices gradually increase that we will experience the effect of what they've done.� He again stressed that the 17.5% is borne out of government's desperation and failures to manage the economy. �It�s self-inflicted. It�s a mark of bad governance," he stated.