Daniel Domelevo Accuses Government Of Moving From Taxation To Robbery, Urges Fiscal Discipline
- The former Auditor-General has lambasted the government for failing to transform Ghana's economy as promised
- He said the government, rather than focusing on production-related revenues, was now heavily reliant on robbery
- He urged the government to allow some sunshine into fiscal management policies and to stop illicit financial flows
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Former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo has blasted the government for not fulfilling its promise to transition Ghana’s economy from a tax-dependent model to one focused on production.
According to Domelevo, instead of reducing reliance on taxation, the government has become overly tax-dependent to the point of robbery.
Source: UGC
The former Auditor-General made these claims at a public forum titled 'Curbing Illicit Financial Flows Through Accountable Governance: The Role of Media'.
He said the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) exemplified this phenomenon.
He stated that the government had unfairly burdened citizens with huge cuts on their investments and grossly undermined public trust in the government’s financial commitments.
He expressed concern that Treasury bills may suffer a similar fate if the government continues to manage its financial resources poorly.
Domelevo also stressed that the government’s incessant use of taxes to raise revenue is getting out of hand and must be curbed before it implodes.
He called for a more efficient management of the country’s finances rather than relying on taxing people’s savings that amount to nothing in developmental terms.
He said it was time for stronger accountability and governance measures to curb illicit financial flows in the country and ensure better financial management.
Domelevo urges parliament to probe Cecilia Dapaah
Earlier, the former AG and over 100 Ghanaians petitioned Parliament to probe the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over the investigation of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah.
The group, which includes Martin Kpebu and security analyst Dr Adam Bona, contend that EOCO has enough evidence to probe Dapaah.
The petition was submitted to Parliament on May 16, 2024. The petition also said EOCO has been inconsistent with their public commentary and actions in the investigation.
The development comes after the standoff between the state anti-corruption agencies investigating the former minister over the stash of money.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor said EOCO did not have the appetite to prosecute Dapaah after the case was forwarded, with this suggestion being denied.
Domelevo advises the government to reduce size
YEN.com.gh also reported that Domelevo has advised President Akufo-Addo to implement new sweeping reforms.
The former Auditor General said his comments were in reaction to the 'waning trust' in Ghana's political system currently.
He said to avoid Kenyan-style unrest in Ghana, Akufo-Addo would have to enhance his government by reducing its size.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
