Reduce taxes on building materials Reduce taxes on building materials "Reduce taxes on building materials'

Page 14, December 1, 2007
Story : Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Member of Parliament for Jirapa, Mr Edward Salia, has sugggested to the government to reduce taxes on building materials to encourage more people to own houses.
He said the government’s intention to sell the existing low cost houses and use the proceeds to construct more houses was not the best.
Taking his turn at the forum on the ongoing debate on the 2008 budget in Parliament, Mr Salia said the high taxes on building materials were a disincentive for people to attempt to own their own houses.
He said the cost of the so-called affordable houses being built by the government was not within the reach of the average Ghanaian.
Tha MP lamented the ever increasing price of cement, which sells at GH¢7. GP5 (¢75,000) a bag in Accra and about GH¢11 (¢110,000) in his constituency.
Touching on the current 6.2 rate of growth of the economy, Mr Salia called for more efforts to be made to ensure that the country achieved its dream of becoming a middle income country and $1000 per capita income by 2015.
“Mr Speaker as it is now, it is wishful thinking for the country to achieve such a target,” he stated.
Touching on the Northern Development Fund as proposed in the budget, Mr Salia called for a legislation to back the fund to make it binding on future governments.
Mr Salia called for the allocation of adequate resources to the Electoral Commission for it to organise the 2008 general elections successfully.
He said the EC’s intention to open the voter’s register at the electoral station level was not the best.
Mr Salia’s assertion was however, debunked by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu, who explained that Mr Salia’s information was misleading.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that besides the allocation of funds to the EC by the government, it had sought an additional GH¢7 million (¢70billion) from other sources to assist in the organisation of the election.
When he caught the eye of the speaker, the MP for Zebilla, Mr John Ndebugri, raised a constitutional issue about the presentation of the budget to parliament.
He quoted Article 179 of the constitution to establish the fact that the 2008 budget was not the last one to be presented by the Kufuor administration.
He argued that since the constitution mandated the President to present the budget one month before the beginning of the ensuing year, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would have to present another budget before President Kufuor left office in January, 2009.
His assertion was, however, challenged by the Minority Chief Whip, Mr John Tia, who urged him to join his PNC colleagues at Bolgatanga for the party’s national congress instead of holding brief for the NPP government.
When Mr Ndebugri resumed the debate he commended the government for its intention to tar 15 kilometres of roads in every district in addition to the provision of potable water to five communities in every district.
He said if such laudable programmes were followed through they would boost development in the rural areas.
Mr Ndebugri, however, called for the allocation of more resources to the provision of office infrustructure for courts throughout the country to assist in the administration of justice.
The MP for Chiana-Paga, Mr Abuga Pele, called for proper management of the country’s juvenile teams to enable them to properly mature to become members of the senior national team.
The MP for Mpraeso, Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, said the government’s health programmes which included the NHIS were on course.