We’ll beg government to exempt actors from paying tax – New Actors Guild President

The new president of the Ghana Actors Guild, Samuel Fiscian has admitted that Ghanaian actors don’t pay tax.

According to the former Director of ‘Chorkor Trotro’, TV series he wouldn’t oppose actors not paying tax but will humbly ask His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo to spare Ghanaian actors from paying tax.

“I won’t kick against actors paying tax but I’ll plead with President Nana Addo to exempt us from paying because the film making business has declined woefully,” he added.

Speaking on Kasapa Entertainment with sit-in host Akwasi Nsiah on Kasapa 102.5Fm, Sammy Fiscian said should the guild executives get the opportunity to speak with the President they will plead with the government to scrap off tax payment by actors as done for headporters (Kayayei).

When told by the host about the repercussion of failure to pay tax as a citizen of the country, the Director of ‘Cow N Chicken’ series still insisted, “We will tell the Government our plights and the need to exempt us from paying tax.”

He said one of the major issues that has bedevilled the guild is welfare scheme, adding that before his one year term ends in 2018, actors’ complaints about welfare would be resolved.

“As a new President of Ghana Actors Guild my main aim is to revive welfare of actors which has become dormant,” He noted.

According to him, most of the aged movie stars go through alot in terms of quality healthcare and it so worrying seeking for support from the public.

He said it is not the best for prominent people who have contributed to the movie industry and the GDP growth of the country to go begging for help when their health situation gets out of hand.

“It’s heartbreaking for veteran actors who are incapacitated due to sickness will go publicly to seek for fund to support their health treatment, so in my term as president of the Guild, I would extensively work with the rest of the team for all actors to benefit from the welfare,” he said.

He added that members of the guild would be educated more and supported to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme.

“The welfare scheme will be revived but we as actors and actresses can’t solely rely on the contributions from the welfare since the amount is too small, so we will agree on a new amount payment policy plan and also the welfare will be officially launched with the help of Government, individuals and other industry players.

“We will talk to both members and non members to see the need to help make the welfare scheme work effectively for the benefit of all,” he said.

When asked if he has come to revive Ghana Actors Guild or it will be seen as it used to be, he answered, “If at the end of my tenure Ghana Actors Guild is still the same as I came to meet, then It was unnecessary for me to contest for the Presidency position because as at now, the state of Ghana Actors Guild is nothing to write home about, that is the fact of the case, so sad.”

He said his aim is to reorganise and re-brand the Ghana Actors Guild to reach out to more actors since there are known faces and individuals at better positions who have alot to offer.