MP for the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency, Cassiel Ato Forson has dismissed allegations about receiving GH₵40,000 as allowance for attending a meeting of Parliament’s Finance Committee.

In a tweet on Tuesday, the legislator said, contrary to a post on social media, he has not received any such amount.

“As ranking member on the Finance Committee, I state without equivocation that:

1. I have neither been invited to any such meeting nor travelled to Koforidua this year!

2. I’ve not been paid a pesewa for any such meeting! @StatsGH you need to retract and apologize for this falsehood”, he tweeted.

Earlier, StatsGH tweeted that, “Members of Parliament’s finance committee had a three day meeting at Koforidua recently. Each MP received per diem / allowance of GH₵40,000. Just for the three days”.

The tweet also added that, “Their drivers got GH₵1,800 and they were deducted taxes of GH₵400. The drivers are seriously angry”.

But reacting to this, the NDC lawmaker denied his involvement in the said meeting and called on StatsGH to “retract and apologize for the falsehood”.

Cassiel Ato Forson, a Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, has been in the news in recent times, following his opposition to government’s 1.5% E-levy, which is currently in force.

The NDC lawmaker had been making the point that the tax is regressive, and hence it will create untold hardship for Ghanaians.

Touching on the new fiscal measures announced by the government to salvage the economy not too long ago, he stated that, the measures will not yield any significant results in the economic recovery process.

He contended that the various interventions outlined to enhance the economy’s growth may end up exacerbating the current economic woes bedeviling the country.

In a reaction to the Finance Minister’s earlier address on mitigating the harsh economic conditions in the country, Mr. Ato Forson asserted that “the fiscal measures announced are just cosmetic and empty; they will further erode confidence in the economy”.

The former Deputy Finance Minister therefore suggested that “government should place a moratorium on new loans, cut 2022 foreign financed projects by at least 50% and deliver on promise to review all flagship programmes”, in order to make the economy better.