Ofori-Atta clashes with Nii Lante Vanderpuye over high prices of food commodities

Ghanaians have in the few months bemoaned the high prices of food commodities on the Ghanaian market.

This concern was raised after 6 new taxes were introduced in the 2021 budget read by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

Based on this, Member of Parliament for Odododiodio constituency, Nii Lante Vanderpuye brought up this issue during the vetting of the finance Minister-designate, Ken Ofori-Atta in Parliament, Thursday, March 25, 2021.

He questioned why there’s been an increment in taxes in recent times when Ghanaians are also complaining about the hike in prices of various foodstuff on the market.

“Prices of almost every commodity on the market is going up. Why the justification for an increase in taxes at this time when prices of almost every commodity in the market is going high,” Nii Lante Vanderpuye quizzed.

The Finance Minister-designate who disagreed with Nii Lante Vanderpuye said it’s prudent that the claim is verified.

He added that the taxation question should not have been linked to the purported high price of food commodities on the Ghanaian market.

“Mr Chairman, that is a very categorical statement and I think we need to verify the veracity of that. I think the question of taxes can be an independent question and not linked to that,” Ken Ofori-Atta stated in response to Nii Lante Vanderpuye.