Richard Acheampong, a member of the Finance Committee in Parliament has publicly explained the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s decision to reject a $350 million tax exemption for 42 companies under the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
In explaining this, Acheampong cited the lack of clear criteria used to select these companies as the primary reason for the rejection, adding that there is a need to investigate how these companies can improve the country and benefit Ghanaians, ensuring that there is value for money.
“Some companies have been established in this country, and for 3-5 years, how many taxes have they paid to the government? How many people have they employed? What is their impact on the economy? So ask yourself, on what basis are you looking to give off this tax exemption?
“These are things the Committee looks at. We investigate the company’s contribution to Ghana’s national growth, employment creation, and tax payment. Then you can decide that indeed this company can help this country, so such an exemption is good,” Acheampong stated.
He questioned the transparency of the selection process, implying that the majority in Parliament might have a special interest in the matter.
He further argued that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) cannot use the 1D1F initiative as a cover-up to justify tax waivers under the guise of employment creation and expect the NDC to support it without scrutiny.
“Why didn’t they state from the start that 1D1F will be facilitated through tax waiving? This is shady; it shows that something is happening in the background that we do not know about. They have a special interest in this. Let’s make sure there is value for money,” he added.
Acheampong’s remarks highlight the ongoing debate over the 1D1F initiative, a flagship program of the NPP aimed at industrializing the country by establishing factories in each district.
While the NDC supports industrialisation, it says it demands greater transparency and accountability in implementing such initiatives.
By Lois Dogbe
