As expected, the 2014 budget statement attracted diverse reactions from the public and granted people the right to punch holes in it.

Right after the Minister of Finance, Seth Tekper, delivered the Financial Policy of government for next year, a member of the Progressive People’s Party, Mr. Charles Owusu, came out to sifter out the shortfalls that exemplified it.

According to Mr. Owusu, the 2014 budget exposed the dubious tactics President Mahama has been using to deprive the poor Ghanaians from getting rich.

In his view, President Mahama and his ministers might have drawn inspiration and spent hours studying the wicked ways Zacchaeus used in the days of old to enrich himself through taxation.

Zaccchaeus, as the good books describes him in Luke 19 verses 1 to 10, was a chief tax collector who was wealthy. Before he gave up his evil ways, he promised to give back half of his possessions to the poor, and pay back four times the amount he has wrongfully taken from anyone.

In an interview with Peacefmonline.com, Mr. Owusu further took a dig at an earlier decision by government to place tax on condoms and agricultural materials. He explained that government would derive little revenue from taxing such commodities.

“It simply doesn’t make sense to place tax on condoms. If government is to make Ghc9000 to Ghc10000 on such item, what does it bring to the country if many die of HIV Aids because they wouldn’t be able to afford condoms?” he asked.