Pressure Group Justice for Ghana on Wednesday, December 21, massed up in front of Parliament House to register their displeasure over extreme economic hardships in Ghana.
The group wants the Members of Parliament to reject some tax measures introduced in the 2023 Budget presented by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, in the face of glaring hardships.
Also, key among their concerns is the 80 million cedis that have been allocated for the construction of the National Cathedral.
The protestors also want the government to remove the daily threshold on the electronic transfer levy and the 2.5% value-added tax announced by the sector minister in the budget.
Communicator for Justice for Ghana, Selorm Dramani, who expressed his disappointment with the latest development, said he was surprised the Finance Minister was still at post.
“The issues vary, but the thrust of all is the Cathedral, the VAT, the pension funds that government intends to touch for debt restructuring, we think it is unacceptable and unthinkable, highly reprehensible.
“This is because the gentleman [Referring to the Finance Minister] whose recklessness has led to the bankruptcy of Ghana is still at post, and he is the same person who is expected to lift us from the economic mess, that is not possible. That will never work,” he said.
Adding his voice, convenor for Arise Ghana Bernard Mornaah, who was there to show his support to the team said the tax measures announced are suffocating the lives of the populace.
“Majority of us cannot just make ends meet, so it is important to come to Parliament House and to indicate to Parliament that what they are supporting the government to do is unthinkable and unacceptable,” he indicated.
He also frowned on the construction of the National Cathedral and the people who have been unfairly treated due tof the seizure of the lands for the cathedral.
“First, let’s start from the National Cathedral; some of us don’t believe in the church, some of us don’t believe in worshipping at the mosque, and some of us prefer to pour libation.
“For President Akufo-Addo to lie that this is just an avenue for the church to get some contribution, then all of a sudden we see that the state is allocating chunks of our resources to the church for the construction of the Cathedral simply means that God himself will not accept this gesture.
“If you have no use for the land, you just have to give it back to the Ga people. As we speak, those whose properties were on the land and have been destroyed have gone to court,” he stressed.