The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta has indicated that the Akufo-Addo-led government deserves commendation for the impressive progress on its promises to Ghanaians over the last twelve months.
According to him, government in 2017 abolished seventeen nuisance taxes as a tool to support production adding that the introduction of new taxes was de-emphasized to create enabling environment for production to thrive.
“To sustain this momentum we will continue to improve tax compliance and also pursue policies to broaden the tax net and reduce the tax burden on the few compliant tax payers” he said.
Mr. Ofori-Atta urged Ghanaians support the government, stressing that the vision of building a Ghana beyond aid requires that all rally behind the government to achieve the needed revenues. “Every citizen is part of this vision and it is my hope that such events would lead to a paradigm shift for all of us to honor our tax obligations” he said.
“Let’s renew our minds in the way we do things to free our inner productive energies, government is bent on creating prosperity and equal opportunity for all citizens” he further stated.
Ofori-Atta emphasized that government has declared a tax amnesty to enable citizens start on a fresh note adding that an alternative to dispute settlement scheme is also being instituted to facilitate speedy resolution of taxpayer grievances but he was quick to add that “government will not hesitate to enforce the tax laws to penalize and prosecute those who engage in criminal evasion”.
The Finance Minister was speaking at the launch of ‘Tax and Good Governance Week’ in Accra on Friday, April 6, at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) head office where the Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia and some ministers of state had gone to file their tax returns.
The tax and good governance week is themed “Filing your tax returns, your civic responsibility”.
