Let it not be said that we’re not patriotic, taxes are not affordable in Ghana – GUTA

The President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Joseph Obeng, has lamented the expensive nature of taxes in Ghana.

According to him, the way taxes are structured makes it hard for Ghanaians to be compliant.

“Let it not be said that we’re not patriotic—that's what normally it’s made to look like. No, we understand that we have to pay our taxes, but taxes should be affordable. We don’t have to be overpriced out of taxation; we don’t have to be overburdened out of taxation.

“You see, even when you’re doing economics, our economy is not in isolation among the nations in West Africa. And when they say that our tax on GDP in the sub-region is the lowest, why is it so?” He was quoted by myjoyonline.com.

Dr. Obeng added that other countries have benefited from taxes because they have made them affordable enough.

"Because the other neighbouring countries' taxes are affordable. There are not as many as we are paying here, and thus compliance is high. The key to the enhancement of revenue is compliance, and here we’re not looking at that aspect.

"All that we’re doing is piling up these taxes on just a few recognisable taxpayers who otherwise are growing and that we have to put all these taxes on,” he said.

“And so, taxes are very necessary, but we have to do it in the right way. We have to make taxes simple; we have to make taxes affordable so that it will enhance compliance so that it will give us more revenue,” he said.

He further reiterated government’s spending patterns are a problem that needs urgent attention.

“If we’re not prudent with our expenditure, we’ll pay all the taxes, and it will not match up with the GDP that we’re talking about. If you raise the expenditure so high, then of course what you’re receiving will become negligible for you,” he said.

SSD/MA

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