To whom it may concern.

Once upon a time, I was born into a Continent called Africa to the sub region called West Africa and a country called Ghana.

I was born into a country blessed with so much in terms of natural resources. Ghana my beloved country. I wake up to the beauty of the land in the countryside, the freshness of the air and the hospitable nature of the people. With all the great tourist attraction sites and the resourcefulness of its people. Indeed I always say, it was no accident to be born a Ghanaian. And I’m proud to be a Ghanaian.

Regardless, Ghana is a country with so many misplaced priorities. The media especially, and everyone else forget too quickly and put to rest the issues that affect the ordinary citizen. Instead, we spend so much time on fruitless arguments and leave the important stories relegated to the detriment of the ordinary citizen. Interestingly, these same issues comes back to haunt us later.

If my memory serves me right, somewhere in February this year there was a publication in the print media that hinted that effective May 2014 bank transactions were going to be taxed. But trust my homeland Ghana; we did not give it the needed publicity. At the time, the University of Ghana toll booth saga was on the list of priority. This dominated almost every discussion in Ghana. The issue of VAT payment on bank transactions was just given no attention at all.

Months down the line, I receive a notification from my bank which reads “Dear valued customer, with the new VAT ACT 870, banks are required to charge a 17.5% VAT on all services rendered for a fee, effective May 2014. Visit the nearest branch for further details.”

Now it is here to stalk all of us. However it is still not being given the needed publicity and attention.

Every citizen pays indirect taxes on goods and services. Aside that, every citizen is expected to pay his/her taxes which is popularly known as Pay As You Earn (P.A.Y.E.) Anytime I look at how much of my salary goes to the government by way of taxes, I get sad. Cumulatively, let us take for instance that only 10million Ghanaians out of the population of Ghana pay GHS 100 as P.A.Y.E to the government monthly. Just do the math and tell me how much goes into the government purse by way of just P.A.Y.E. taxes alone.

Think of road tolls, indirect taxes, levies and the like.

My argument is not against the government introducing taxes to raise money for development. Instead, the ordinary Ghanaian is not seeing the impact of the taxes that has been paid so far. I do not want to go into GYEEDA and SADA but we are all preview to how the tax payer’s money has been misapplied by others. If only a hand full of Ghanaians are benefiting from the sweat of all the people of Ghana, then it makes payment of taxes a painful experience.

Banks keep on complaining about the percentage of Ghanaians who patronize their services, only a hand full. My assumption was that, the Ghanaian was rather going to be encouraged to cultivate the habit of saving. Rather, there is this new introduction of tax on bank transactions, such a disincentive to savings.

Utility bills have increased, fuel prices are sky rocketing, prices of goods and services are increasing by the day, salary levels remain the same. And to add more insult to injury, a tax element on bank transactions????

Maybe it is about time I get myself a safe at home.

Nana Abena Afriyie Kwarkye

abenaafriyiekwarkye@yahoo.com