The Minority has accused the government of giving a misleading account of its tax policy, saying it keeps insisting the 2027 budget brings in no new taxes while forecasting a steep rise in revenue from fees and charges.
Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, said figures in the budget contradict the government’s promise not to impose additional taxes.
He noted that revenue from fees and charges is projected to climb from GH¢1.3 billion in 2026 to GH¢6.1 billion in 2027, an increase of about 354%.
The opposition also pointed to a projected 22.8% rise in taxes on goods and services, along with a 15.6% increase in PAYE revenue in 2027.
“The Minister repeats that Ghana is raising revenue ‘without imposing new taxes on our people’. The budget’s own appendices show what that means in practice,” Dr Amin Adam said.
He argued that higher fees for passports, licences, permits and registrations would place extra financial demands on citizens, even if the government did not formally create new tax categories.
“Every passport, licence, permit and registration is a charge on the pocket,” he said.
The Minority said the government’s no-new-tax message therefore fails to reflect the wider financial burden on Ghanaians. It insisted that the effect of revenue measures should be judged by what citizens actually pay, not by how the government describes them.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has maintained that the 2027 budget will introduce no new taxes. He said the government will instead improve compliance, close revenue leakages and modernise tax administration.