Member of Parliament for the Efutu, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has hinted that the Akufo-Addo administration will soon introduce a new system of taxation to sustain its free SHS policy.
According to him, the specific tax is geared towards ensuring that there is quality education in the country.
He said this during Tuesday's edition of Kokrokoo on Peace FM.
It would be recalled that the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, while presenting the 2018 budget statement to Parliament in November, said government is in the process of setting up a fund to receive voluntary contributions from individuals to support the implementation of its flagship Free Senior High School programme, and the education sector as a whole.
The move has been criticized mostly by members of the minority who say it has exposed government’s inability to secure the needed funding to sustain the programme.
The NPP MP, who in his submission appeared to re-echo the Finance Minister's comments on funding for the programme, albeit in a different light, believed if Ghanaians exhibit the same kind of nationalistic spirit and attitude by embracing taxes on free SHS, the programme can last a life time.
“How did we fund health insurance? How did we fund the Youth Employment Agency Bill?” he rhetorically asked and further explained that the erstwhile Kufour government successfully rolled out and maintained policies like the health insurance scheme by implementing a tax regime which was widely supported by Ghanaians.
“If Ghanaians are paying tax to sustain free SHS, it won’t be farfetched. It will help all of us…There’s a difference between nuisance tax and specific tax for specific purpose that we all know that these are the benefits. Do you think Ghanaians will oppose a free SHS tax where we will set up an implementation Committee to oversee to the transparent disbursement of these funds?” he added.
Also contributing to discussion on the issue on Kokrokoo was the National Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Ofosu Ampofo who expressed varied views.
To him, the Mahama-NDC government's idea of progressive free education would have been the best solution to establish the programme.
He wondered why there should be "a tax imposition on Ghanaians to fund a project" that government claimed was fully prepared to roll out.
"....i support the free SHS policy, but i want the government to put right the measures in place to address challenges associated with implementation of the policy," he added.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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So how do you come to tell me its free whilst am suppose to pay tax for it? Infact this poltricians can lie too much. You see you were telling Ghanaian s that the govt has a lot of money to do projects, you were going to reduce tax levies and stuffs because is too much on the ordinary Ghanaian; but now look you rather increasing it instead.. So why werent you honest to Ghanians when u dying to come power ? Am very disappointed with this too known NPP leaders.. Politicians are pay huge sums salaries.. free housing, free utility bills, enjoy fully fuel V8 cars and at the end of the day you still want to rob the poor Ghanaian to do your project. Why dont you slash some of the payment make to this politicians to support this policy instead? We have a lot of youth and graduate student with no employment; Instead of u to use this huge sums of money to build factories in other; for every graduate to get job to support ourself look at how u wasting money on a system which needs a lot of infrastructure before it can be implemented.. We have a lot of nurses sitting in the house all because of financial clearance so therefore they cant get employment; and some of this pretty hard working young ladies and gentlemen are going wayward just to survive; why did not you use some of this money to clear our dear nurses for them to get employed. Are people going to go to school freely and come and sit down without doing nothing? What sort of leaders do we have at all in this country?
What is the sense of keeping 110 Minister without result, give us break.
This is what happens if u fail to plan!!! Ghanaians have indeed voted for change.....Is the economic guru not mobilizing the money for the project? They better utilize what is available wisely and stop thinking about bringing in new tax.
Brilliant and a GOOD idea by the NPP ; they should introduce this tax tommorrow because what Ghanaians as a people and society should understand is that EDUCATION is an investment for the future ; China other nations did and today they dominate the world as an economic power l; the CHinese can do anything and even surpass the US ; Kwame Nkrumah had the forsight and introduced free education ; the NDC thought it was a bad idea whilst the leader Jon Mahama and all these northner MPs benefited from free education ; today they advocate that this a scheme which is not possible ; they prefer our youth to travel through the destrts to Libya and be killed or end up in Europe where life is even more difficult ; they prefer to organise these youth unto Presidential flights or obtain visas for these boys and girls to go to Europe or US then over stay and suffer doing minial jobs that they may not do in Ghana eventualy these youth are deported to Ghana ; go to to the uk and US and see for yourself people sleeping in shops and garages sometime jobless and suffering ; at least if they manage tyo train and do something they can start somthing in Ghana because it is not easy abroad ; GOOD INITIATIVE BY NANA ADDO !!!!!NANA ADDO TOASO !!!!!GHANAIANS SHOULD THINK FOR THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE ARE LATE !!!!!!
Hahahahahah hope is still free with tax. economics 101 there is nol free lunch shenanigans.
Master that will not be fare since we have an illegal 2% special import levy still hanging on our necks why cant that be used in other not to over burden importers? Our leaders must not try to be smart but circumspect in all they do.What we need is not more taxes but the protection of the public purse from charlatans and crooks from draining the little that are put there like the GYEEDA, SUBA ISSOFOTON, WOYOME, NKONFEM, BUS BRANDING ect. This administration must collect all these outstanding monies before thinking of any additional tax.