'It seems this government fancies burdening the Ghanaian taxpayer with more taxes' - Gideon Boako

Dr. Gideon Boako, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament's Finance Committee and Member of Parliament for Tano North, accused the government of imposing an increasing tax burden on Ghanaians on Friday, July 31, in Parliament during deliberations on the extension of the Energy Sector Recovery Levy to fuel oil. He stated, "It seems this government fancies burdening the Ghanaian taxpayer with more taxes. The supermajority Ghanaians gave them is being abused. No matter what the Minority says, they don't care."

Dr. Boako argued that recent fiscal measures demonstrate a preference for raising taxes instead of addressing inefficiencies in revenue collection. He questioned the government's justification for the proposal to extend the Energy Sector Recovery Levy, stating that issues like fuel smuggling and tax non-compliance should be addressed through stronger enforcement. According to him, the government introduced the GH¢1 per litre Energy Sector Recovery Levy last year to repay debts in the energy sector, but the intended objective had not been achieved. He maintained that the government should account for the use of the levy before seeking to widen its application. Dr. Boako also cautioned Ghanaians against giving any political party an overwhelming majority in Parliament, arguing that such dominance weakens parliamentary oversight.