The Ghana Union Movement (GUM) has described Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s envisioned development plan for the country as a “cover-up to win votes.”
The Union questioned the decision by the Vice President not to “acknowledge the failures of the Government” and expressed doubt over his promise to abolish some of the taxes introduced by the current government.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Reverend Christian Kwabena Andrews, the founder and flagbearer of GUM, took issue with the Vice President for not objecting to some taxes introduced by the Government prior to his election as flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party.
“He (Bawumia) is part of the regime that introduced the e-levy and other tax measures; so, if he makes a U-turn and says he will abolish it, I do not think it is true because he was the leader of the economic giants that were managing the country,” he said.
The Vice President, who is also the flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, addressed Ghanaians on Wednesday night, outlining a slew of policies he plans to implement if elected President.
Dr. Bawumia, who has prioritized digitization, stated that he intends to use technology and the private sector to create long-term jobs, generate revenue, and build systems that would propel Ghana into the modern global economy.
The Vice President promised, among other things, to abolish the e-levy, which imposed a 1.5 percent charge on all electronic and mobile money transactions over GH¢100 per day.
He also promised to align Ghana’s port charges with those of Togo to check the smuggling of goods.
Reverend Andrews said the GUM was in favour of the free port system and explained that the “heavy” taxes on machinery imported into the country undermined investments in the industrial sector.
On the issue of employment, he said economic policies should target jobs that would add value to the country’s resources instead of focusing on the service sector.
“Jobs in the service institutions do not add any economic value to the country. If you want to create jobs, we should focus on the production sector and create value,” he said.
Touching on preparations toward the 2024 General Election, Rev. Andrews said the Party will, in March this year, open nominations for interested persons to pick parliamentary forms at the various constituencies.
He said the Party had also extended a public invitation to Mr. Alan Kyerematen, the Leader and Founder of the Movement for Change, to be its running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Rev. Andrews stated that Mr. Kyerematen’s ideals and developmental objectives were consistent with those of GUM, hence the invitation.
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