Budget reading: You have promised no new taxes, how will you get revenue? – NPP Deputy Communications Director

Deputy Director for Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kamal-Deen Abdulai, has questioned how the government intends to generate domestic revenue if it proceeds with plans to cancel some taxes.

According to him, the government and Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, should be realistic in their planning as the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy is presented to Parliament today, Thursday, November 13, 2025.

Speaking on Joy News and monitored by NewsDesksGH on November 13, he advised the government to be careful in its approach.

“This government must tread cautiously,” he warned.

Kamal-Deen mentioned the governments intention to scrap the COVID-19 levy and to not introduce other new taxes.  

He however cautioned that removing multiple taxes without identifying alternative revenue sources could hurt the economy.

“You’ve promised you’re going to remove COVID, that is good because we don’t have COVID again, we want taxes to be easy,” he said.

“You’ve also promised that there will not be any further taxes. You’ve also promised that no new taxes will come.”

He questioned how the government plans to sustain domestic revenue mobilization to support its growth agenda under these conditions.

“So I’m wondering how domestic revenue mobilization will be achieved to match the growth that you want,” he said.

The NPP Deputy Communications Director also reminded the government that Ghana is nearing the end of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, meaning external support will soon be withdrawn.

“Don’t forget we’re inching towards the end of IMF policy, so that support will also be withdrawn,” he noted.

“What measure are you putting in place as a homegrown policy that will give us that lead? We want to see that.”

He further challenged the government to clearly outline its plans for industrialisation.

“Your industrialization that you spoke about, that you’re going to have industries mobilized, what are you going to do? Let me see it in that budget,” he said.

“There’s reality and there’s paper work.”