By Ashiadey Dotse
The Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayeribi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has alleged that the current administration is quietly passing several new taxes late at night under “certificates of urgency,” without giving the public enough time to understand or question them.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast Show on Tuesday December 2, 2025, Oppong Nkrumah said the practice allows government to rush tax decisions through Parliament when the House is about to rise. According to him, this leaves little room for proper debate or scrutiny.
He explained that although the government promised to remove taxes, it has instead introduced eight new levies since March 2025. These include a 2% growth and sustainability levy on mining companies, a special 2% import levy on selected goods, a 15% VAT on non-life insurance premiums, and several petroleum-related levies.
Oppong Nkrumah said some of these taxes were approved “in the middle of the night,” with the Majority in Parliament using certificates of urgency to fast-track the process. “They come late, say all those in favour should say aye, and it gets passed,” he said.
He accused government of using public announcements and press conferences to “mislead Ghanaians,” citing past claims such as 1,500 missing ECG containers, which he said were later found without any accountability.
The MP also criticised civil society organisations and sections of the media, saying many no longer question government decisions. He noted that key national programs such as the One Million Coders initiative, the National Apprenticeship Programme, and the 24-hour economy policy have been launched without any official documents laid before Parliament.
Oppong Nkrumah further argued that government’s revenue projections are not realistic, revealing a revenue shortfall of nearly 20 billion Ghana cedis a situation he believes is affecting the country’s expenditure commitments.
He insisted that the minority will continue demanding accountability and calling for proper data on taxes, government revenues and newly launched initiatives. According to him, Ghanaians deserve transparency, not rushed decisions and inconsistent information.
He urged civil society, the media and citizens to “pay attention to the data” and hold leaders responsible for the policies being pushed through Parliament.
