Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, Akwasi Gyamfi Onyina-Acheampong, has taken a sharp swipe at the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing it of burdening Ghanaians with excessive taxes and broken promises.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, July 29, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker said the current government is failing the people it promised relief.
He cited a string of painful increases: a 17.2% hike in electricity tariffs, a 2.5% rise in water tariffs, GHS 4.5 slapped on every gallon of fuel, and a 30–40% increase in statutory fees including passport charges. The MP questioned why the Foreign Affairs Minister, who previously claimed fees would not be increased, has remained silent in the face of these hikes.
“The Finance Minister has now returned to say all statutory fees, including passport fees, are going up. What happened to the promises? Communication Service Tax is still here. The Minister promised to criticize his own government if it wasn’t scrapped in the first year — he is now mute. Mr. Speaker, the tiger has turned into a cat and has been muted,” Onyina-Acheampong stated.
He further pointed to the disconnect between the reduced Treasury bill rate (14.5%) and the still-high lending rate (27%), questioning the government’s commitment to supporting private enterprise and economic growth. He argued that such contradictions discourage business and job creation.
The Kwabre East legislator concluded by accusing the NDC government of “shortchanging and sabotaging” Ghanaians, calling on Parliament to demand accountability and policy consistency in the interest of national development.
