Canada Based Ghanaians Proposes A Fairer Tax System For Ghana.
Prince Akyereko, a Canada based Ghanaian business architect is proposing a new tax system where every one who earns an income pays tax on same.
This system, he stresses when implemented in Ghana will encourage the public to pay taxes to help in nation building.
He says when citizens see that the tax system is fair and transparent they would be willing and motivated to pay their taxes.
According to him, it is high time all tax free systems are removed especially on those working for government.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Observer Newspaper, Mr Akyereko says every Ghanaian who earns an income must be made to pay tax.
We publish the views of Prince Akyereko in full and beneath.
Creating a Fairer Tax System for Ghana:
A fairer tax system brings confidence in every society and encourages people to pay more taxes , participate in national revenue mobilization and thus creating more public revenue.
For Ghana to have a fairer tax system that encourages people to pay more taxes and
that instills more confidence in the tax system and tax administration and encourages people to participate in national revenue mobilization.
It is high time we removed all tax free income from the system especially those working for government and we must tax everyone who earns an income. If it means asking them to pay pesewas from their income.
From parliament to corner street store. From Presidency to the hawker on the street, from family that have high income to a middle class income family, everyone should be made to pay tax their fair share of the tax.
When everyone pays their fair share of the tax it brings confidence and pro poor policies can be finance without any loan for future generation to pay.
Everyone in both public and private sector including the President should be made to pay tax from their income.
From the Presidency to the national service person who is about to start working life should be taxed so that paying tax will be part and parcel of their life as they transition into the working environment.
How do you justify taxing a hawker selling dogs chain on the street and allow a president or judge who earns more than 20,000 Ghana cedis to go untaxed?
The idea that we will only tax importers to fill the gab in our tax system does not help anyone.
It is a broken and not well thought out system that needs overhaul. At the end of the day, it is the people who end up paying whatever tax the importer pays as that cost gets shifted to the final consumer of the product.
It is important we create a fairer tax system that calls for everyone to pay their share of the tax without any barriers.
Prince Akyereko writes!
Prince Akyereko is a Business Architect with TD Bank Group and NPP Canada Youth Organizer.
STORY BY MICHAEL OFOSU-AFRIYIE, KUMASI.
