2 hours Ago By Ghana News
On Tuesday, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government through the Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson served Ghanaians with their first budget statement since assuming the reins of governance. Of course as it is the standard, both the Majority and Minority in Parliament have expressed their opinions on the presentation.
In the coming days, diverging opinions will be proffered by different persons depending upon the side of the political aisle they belong to. Be it as it may, we have noticed communication challenges in the presentation of the minister regarding the abolition of the betting tax and the response of the former Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam.
Both finance experts have not been helpful in portions of their communication, leading to avoidable ambiguities. While Dr. Amin Adam’s has been described as a slip of tongue, which we have been told would be addressed during a press engagement as announced by Dr.
Patrick Boamah, Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central. It is about the abolitions of the betting tax and the withholding of a percentage of winnings, both conveying varying meanings. The confusion in the communications can be attributed to the propaganda dividends which the Finance Minister sought to derive as ‘we have delivered rhymed in the presentation.
’ The minister was captured as stating that the withholding of ten percent winning tax on lotteries otherwise known as betting tax had been abolished. The ambiguity in the foregone gave fodder for politicians to engage each other for most part of the delivery day and the day after. Matters were not helped when the former Finance Minister, when he jumped in to set the records straight, suffered a goof.
He stated that the erstwhile government did not collect taxes on betting because the policy had not been implemented. Lotteries tax, for those conversant with the subject, differ from betting tax. “Amin Adam’s statement on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government never collecting betting tax was a miscommunication and will be addressed in an upcoming press briefing,” Dr.
Patrick Boamah said. The importance of effective communication which gives no room for manipulation or outright propaganda should not be lost on politicians. Even when the correction is done, later mischief-makers would hang on to the miscommunicated stuff as was the case with the number of beneficiaries of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
The former Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, even after correcting himself following the release of a figure which was on a high side, still endured sneers from his colleagues on the other side. Even as the fallouts from the miscommunications continue to drop on the media space, questions were posed about the quality of the budget and for that matter its real impact on the people.
The highlight of the NDC manifesto, the ambiguous 24-hour economy, missed an opportunity to be explained in-depth. It was simply not mentioned let alone being allocated funds as did other initiatives of the NDC such as the Gold Board. If the policy is still in the works and being worked upon, then we are afraid it won’t fly.
Those who expressed misgivings about it when it was mooted have no cause to regret their skepticisms..
