Rt. Rev. Dr Emmanuel Asare-Kusi with a GRA official
The Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese of the Methodist Church, Right Reverend (Rev) Dr Emmanuel Asare-Kusi, had called on all religious leaders in the country to pay tax on their incomes as part of their civic responsibilities and support to the growth and development of the country.
He was speaking at the launch of the tax and good governance week celebration in the Eastern Region at Koforidua.
Rt Rev Dr Asare-Kusi said in the Methodist Church, the taxes on the incomes of the reverend ministers were deducted at source and urged other religious organizations to do same.
He, however, urged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ensure that they paid back those reliefs that they had promised to give people who file their tax returns on time.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Erick Kwakye Darfour, appealed to all investors and income earners in the Region to file their tax returns before the end of the month to avoid the payment of interest and penalties.
He said, all over the world, taxation was a tool for mobilizing domestic resources to satisfy the ever-growing needs and demands of the population.
Mr Darfour said if the citizens were to avoid the stringent conditionalities attached to loans and support granted the countries by its development partners, then Ghanaians need to pay their taxes.
Earlier in a welcoming address, Assistant Commissioner of Taxes at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Yaw Asiedu Danquah, said the launching of the week was to remind people to file their income tax returns before the end of April as provided by law.
He said people who file their returns stood to gain tax reliefs.
Mr Danquah said to enable the GRA to meet the set target for the year, it would enforce punitive measures against people who failed to file their tax returns.
He said the GRA would go all out to identify people who qualify to pay tax and bring them into the tax net.
Later, Mr Darfour and Rt Rev Asare-Kusi filed their income tax returns for 2018.
