There are six million potential individual taxpayers in Ghana, but just about 1.5 million are formally registered with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Of this number, 1.36 million are employees, implying that most self-employed individuals are not registered with the GRA, Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, disclosed on Thursday in Accra.
Owing to this, Mr Ofori-Atta said government had put measures in place to enhance domestic resource mobilization.
These include review of tax laws, rationalization of taxes and introduction of an automated system (tripsTM) for domestic revenue.
He also said government has begun consultations with key stakeholders on ways to attract more revenue, adding that it has planned to present a package of tax policies to Parliament in the mid-year review of the budget to ensure sustained funding for Ghana’s development projects.
“So I charge all of us to give our taxes to Caesar; to rise up to our civic responsibilities, building nation and achieving our vision of moving Ghana beyond aid.”
According to him, government depends on domestic taxes to support development supported by aid.
Developing countries, including Ghana, now have to find new ways of broadening their tax base, improving efficiency in revenue administration and blocking tax revenue leakages, harnessing technology to modernize and improving efficiency in tax administration and tax policy formulation and analysis, fighting illicit financial flows and restoring credibility between taxpayers and governments.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta added that government recognises that the ongoing paperless project, among others, would be a gradual and challenging process.
Founder and President of ACET, Kingsley Yaw Amoako, noted that revenue mobilisation is central to the success of the Compact with Africa (CWA) launched last year under the German government’s G20 presidency.
“As we all know, revenue mobilization in most developing countries is not keeping pace with development goals or increasing fiscal pressures. This issue is of paramount importance for Ghana and its long term development strategy, as well as for all other developing countries,” he said.
Source: Daily Guide
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There are six million potential individual taxpayers in Ghana, but just about 1.5 million people have been paying tax. Are those figures really correct? if they are, why can't GRA OFFICIALS gives us TIN numbers instantly at their offices? why must we go and come after close to a month to get a TIN NUMBER? I don't think we have a proper DATA system in place. My company pay my taxes every month so i should have my TIN in GRA system which should be accessible at anytime. I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED WHEN I WENT TO THE GRA OFFICE OPPOSITE THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS THIS MORNING FOR MY TIN AND THE OFFICER TOLD ME TO COME IN MAY TO GET IT. and when i complained she gave me the form to try other offices. Majority of workers pay their taxes but the systems are not properly structured to have the accurate DATA.
Massa; I thought this was the economic guru that Nana Addo and DR Bawumia touted to get the tax system in good shape if NPP wins the elections -SO WHAT HAPPENED ; TODAY HE IS GOING TO BORROW AGAIN FROM THE DOMESTIC MARKET AGAIN TO PAY MATURED DEBTS !!!!so what happened to his great skills of finance ; we were told this family appointee by Nana Addo was so successful at Data Bank that he will get the taxes regime and the economy moving again;HOW WRONG WAS NANA ADDO!!!! because using other investors money to make money can be done by any idiotic full ; we were also told by Dr Bawumia and Nana Addo that they would do things differently because the money was there and was being stolen by the NDC chameleon thiffs; the question is what are they doing about these NDC nation wreckers and hypocrates who have invested their stolen cash abroad and in certain strategic businesses in Ghana ; WHAT IS NANA ADDO DOING TO EXPOSE THESE NDC BANDITS ; the budget deficit is gradually rising to GHC150 billion over 70% of GDP so where is the economic creativity of the finance minister to create wealth ; the truth is that this akyem family business/government is a total failure ; Ofori-Atta like most Akyems are just arrogant pipe pipers who propagate lies to full the people ; the finance minister have not not a clue because taxation is not the only tool in the macro-economic firing box which can be used to control the deficit ; the ports are full of NDC/NPP thiffs milking the government taxes; some powerful people are still been allowed to get away from paying taxes; what do you do to stimulate the economy so people can earn to pay taxes -NO STRATEGY ; this son of JOnes Offori -Atta should sit UP !!!!!because using peoples cash to invest and make profits is easier than being a finance minister -Nana Addo ENKO YI YIEEE -KWARRAAA !!!!!
Ghanaians should come and pay tax for ***barred word***-lickers like you politicians to enjoy. F**LS.
They give all the goodies to their family and friends oooh.
Why Do We Even Have To Pay Tax?The Government Should Rather Pay In The Account Of Every Ghanaian Some Amount Monthly For The Sale Of Our Natural Resources.Where Is Our Oil, Gold, Cocoa, Timber And Monies From Other Natural Resources Going And What Do You Use Them For And Who Do You Account To For The Use Of Our Resources???
MOST GHANAIAN DO NOT HAVE JOBS
Masons,carpenters,private schools,electricians etc they don't pay. Come out with a system that will make them pay
Those who have accounts in TAX HAVENS are the worst of them all. I’m glad you’ve just seen the reality.