The three-month tax waiver for all health personnel is only for those in the public sector, the Minority in Parliament claims.

President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the intervention package in his address to the nation on Sunday that as part of the motivation.

“All health workers will not pay taxes on their emoluments for the next three months; i.e. April, May and June,” Akufo-Addo said.

But addressing the press in Parliament on Wednesday after the Finance Committee met on the presentation of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to the House, it emerged the package does not cover all health workers.

The Minority spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson disclosed: “We had another expose at the committee meeting.”

“We were told that the tax waiver would only be given to government workers.

“So if you are a private health worker, you are not covered under that…” the Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP said.

He added that their side of the House insisted that the waiver should cover all health workers “because they [private sector] also play a role.”

GH¢241.42million for tax waivers

The Finance Minister is also asking Parliament to use GH¢241.42million to pay for the taxes of the health workers for the period.

But the Minority wants the tax waiver to be granted under Article 174 of the Constitution which means no need for the government to pay for it.

The NDC MPs want that money to be used to subsidise electricity charges for the areas under the Covid-19 lockdown.

“But they say that is not their position now,” Ato Forson said.

The Minority also reiterated their demand that the additional 50 per cent of basic salary for all frontline health workers be extended to all health workers.

While doing so, they demanded the definition of who a frontline health worker is, a definition the government itself is yet to arrive at.