Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng has rejected calls to eliminate tariffs on construction supplies, particularly cement ascribing the cost increase in part to the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic. On Wednesday, several MPs raised concern over the escalating cost of construction materials.
The government, according to the MPs, must take immediate action to stabilize the prices of cement and other construction supplies.
Yussif Sulemena, the Bole Bamboi legislator, spoke out against what he called “unbearable pricing” that hurt consumers and businesses. Arguing that, when the President cut sod for the $100 million Military Housing project in 2019 cement was retailing for around 32 Cedis per bag.
The Obuasi West MP, Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng, stated that the topic is currently before his committee, and that a report would be delivered to the plenary soon, but that he will not support any proposals to abolish taxes on these products. “It is inconsiderate to the economy, in my humble opinion.” I say this because we just got out of 2020, when the revenue gap was almost $14 billion,” he said.
