Attacks on social media have been directed against Krobea Kwabena Asante, a deputy to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, after he appeared to have revealed how the New Patriotic Party (NPP) copied the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s recently adopted 2024 budget statement.
His remarks mostly addressed the Apketeshie tax included in the budget proposal for 2024.
In a post in X, formerly Twitter, Krobea indicated that the said tax was first introduced under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress, NDC John Dramani Mahama administration.
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“The Akpeteshie tax was actually introduced by the NDC in 2014,” he wrote in the headline of his article, which included a purported page from the 2014 budget. Cider beer, car emissions, and adjustments to the rate that apply to certain lines that are already in place are the three new amendments to the excise duty law.
Despite the accompanying budget page, commenters were not happy with his reference to the NDC having first introduced the said tax.
While some detractors questioned if the 2024 budget was simply an extension of the 2014 budget, others felt it was improper of the government to involve the NDC in choices being made.
Attention was drawn to the akpeteshie tax by Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, during an analysis of the budget as presented to parliament last month.