Expanding the Tax Net is Good,

Read Article

Comments (22)

This article is closed for comments.

Read Comments Comments (22)

SAM 12 years ago

Ben, your article is well said. No amount of loans, grants,gifts will build Ghana and until we realize that,we will forever live in poverty if we continue our current attitude. As a nation, there should be another revolution ...
read full comment

Ben, your article is well said. No amount of loans, grants,gifts will build Ghana and until we realize that,we will forever live in poverty if we continue our current attitude. As a nation, there should be another revolution with no blood shed but working on the minds of the people of Ghana.
The amount of corruption in our legal system is amazingly high. I personally think our judiciary system is even more corrupt than the police service. Honesty is not part of our fabric and we are clueless on how to manage our country. Our politicians steal from the country and are never held accountable,when a honest person retires after years of service with nothing to show for his years of hard work and honesty , our society sees that person as a fool. Our state revenue collecting agencies have turned their offices into gold mines for their personal gain.Widening the tax basket is only going to line somebody's pocket. MR PRESIDENT AS BEN rightly pointed out do your home work well by tightening all those loop holes first. Otherwise you will only take from the hard working salary workers most of whom are civil servants, teachers, doctors, nurses and giving it to some half baked IRS officers, customs officers,politicians and some party faithfuls who will even lick your " " just to tell you, you are a saint.
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

Great contribution !!

"Our state revenue collecting agencies have turned their offices into gold mines for their personal gain.Widening the tax basket is only going to line somebody's pocket. MR PRESIDENT AS BEN rightly po ...
read full comment

Great contribution !!

"Our state revenue collecting agencies have turned their offices into gold mines for their personal gain.Widening the tax basket is only going to line somebody's pocket. MR PRESIDENT AS BEN rightly pointed out do your home work well by tightening all those loop holes first. Otherwise you will only take from the hard working salary workers most of whom are civil servants, teachers, doctors, nurses and giving it to some half baked IRS officers, customs officers,politicians and some party faithfuls who will even lick your " " just to tell you, you are a saint.
princewilly@ymail.com 12 years ago

A woman visits her accountant to get the paperwork done.

"What's your occupation?" he asked.

"I'm a hooker, " she replied.

"That's not good for the return...how about something else?"

She thought a minute and ...
read full comment

A woman visits her accountant to get the paperwork done.

"What's your occupation?" he asked.

"I'm a hooker, " she replied.

"That's not good for the return...how about something else?"

She thought a minute and said "Chicken farmer."

He asked how she came up with that and she answered, "I've raised over 500
cocks last year."

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE PROSTITUTION LEGAL AND MAKE THEM PAY TAXES.THEY CAN USE THE MONEY TO TREAT SEXUAL TRANSMITTED DISEASE.
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

So Mr. President, go put your house in order before you come back to talk to me about widening the tax net, and about any tax increases. Put in place a prudent revenue management system, a water tight revenue basket, impose f ...
read full comment

So Mr. President, go put your house in order before you come back to talk to me about widening the tax net, and about any tax increases. Put in place a prudent revenue management system, a water tight revenue basket, impose fiscal discipline on your government, and punish severely corrupt officials of state in government and outside of government, then we can have a discussion about increased taxation
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

With all due respect, Mr. President, you can’t ask me to pay more taxes if what you are going to use my tax money for is to sponsor some 2 by 4 pastors to Israel to ostensibly pray for the nation. Does God live in Israel?

With all due respect, Mr. President, you can’t ask me to pay more taxes if what you are going to use my tax money for is to sponsor some 2 by 4 pastors to Israel to ostensibly pray for the nation. Does God live in Israel?
Emmanuel 12 years ago

Well said writer

Well said writer
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

Get the fundamentals right , first.
The basics.

What happened to the National Identification Program? How do you expand the tax net when you don't have a national database of citizens?

this president needs experienc ...
read full comment

Get the fundamentals right , first.
The basics.

What happened to the National Identification Program? How do you expand the tax net when you don't have a national database of citizens?

this president needs experienced hands to help guide him. This ship is afloat on the wild seas rudderless.

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS !!!

The needed experience is lacking.....what we see around the president is the usual praise singing choir who are after their daily bread.

WHERE IS THE BIG PICTURE, Mr. President?
I have a dream 12 years ago

The people are overburdened with taxes while government displays a
great deal of fiscal indiscipline. The government needs to create the right
business atmosphere for industries and businesses to thrive so that they can
co ...
read full comment

The people are overburdened with taxes while government displays a
great deal of fiscal indiscipline. The government needs to create the right
business atmosphere for industries and businesses to thrive so that they can
compliment government efforts at creating jobs. Elsewhere taxes are cut to spur
growth, but in Ghana, an economic team that lacks fresh ideas always look up to
increased taxation as a way of generating revenue. Government needs to simplify
taxes, lower tariffs on imports, and clear away red tape to encourage
entrepreneurial skills. Too much taxes stifle growth. You don't need to be a
prize winning Nobel economist to know this.
I have a dream 12 years ago

General Information on Duties and Taxes
All imported goods apart from the baggage concessions and those for specified government, privileged persons, organizations and
institutions attract import duty and other taxes. Diff ...
read full comment

General Information on Duties and Taxes
All imported goods apart from the baggage concessions and those for specified government, privileged persons, organizations and
institutions attract import duty and other taxes. Different rates of import duty as well as different types of taxes may be applicable depending
on the category of item.
Tax Type Tax Rate (%) Tax Base
Import Duty 0
5
10
20
Cost + Insurance + Freight (CIF)
VAT 12.5 CIF + Import Duty
NHIL 2.5 CIF + Import Duty
ECOWAS Levy 0.5 CIF
EDIF 0.5 CIF
Processing Fee 1 CIF
Examination Fee (Used Vehicles) 1 CIF
Import Excise 25 CIF + Import Duty +VAT
Environmental Tax 20 CIF
GCNet Charge 0.4 FOB
Destination Inspection Fee 1 CIF
Withholding Tax IRS 1 CIF
Overage Penalty The rates are between 2.5 to 50%. The
applicable rate depends on the age
and the category of vehicle-
? Motor car
? Bus coach or van
? Truck ,lorry
CIF
The Overage Penalty is imposed on all vehicles which are more than ten (10) years old except Ambulances and Agricultural tractors
Processing Fee is paid on:
? Zero rated goods
? Re-exports of goods from the warehouse
? Goods which are exempted from payment of import duty
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

Taxes to sponsor pastors to Israel?

Give me a break !!!

Taxes to sponsor pastors to Israel?

Give me a break !!!

Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

@I have a dream.

This writer wrote the quote above and you should give him credit for that.

@I have a dream.

This writer wrote the quote above and you should give him credit for that.
I have a dream 12 years ago

I´m not quoting from the writer rather I share the same ideas with him!

I´m not quoting from the writer rather I share the same ideas with him!
Nii Lante Okunka 12 years ago

I couldn't have agreed with you more.Anytime a tax is placed on anything we get less of it.This has been demonstrated over and over even in advanced economies.The trick of generating more revenues for the State is first to ma ...
read full comment

I couldn't have agreed with you more.Anytime a tax is placed on anything we get less of it.This has been demonstrated over and over even in advanced economies.The trick of generating more revenues for the State is first to make sure the system of collection is prudent,efficient and error free.Then the rates should be lowered to attract more compliance.A good suggestion that has gained traction in some countries like Russia inter alia is the flat tax.Our so called "Doctors of Economics should put their thinking caps on and come up with a tax rate that would generate enough revenue to cover government business.A system that is fair and enforceable should be put in place and violators of our tax code should be swiftly dealt with without any favour. Putting more burden on the poor Ghanaian is no sure way of increasing revenue for the government.It's the easier way.
The government should be vigilant enough to make scapegoats of people in positions of trust who live way beyond their means.In other words,people should be held accountable.Our national inability to raise issues with spikes of display of acquisition of wealth is the weakest link in our efforts to address the deplorable attempts to rain in revenues and curb the looting.
I have a dream 12 years ago

The trick of generating more revenues for the State is first to make sure the system of collection is prudent,efficient and error free.Then the rates should be lowered to attract more compliance.A good suggestion that has gai ...
read full comment

The trick of generating more revenues for the State is first to make sure the system of collection is prudent,efficient and error free.Then the rates should be lowered to attract more compliance.A good suggestion that has gained traction in some countries like Russia inter alia is the flat tax.Our so called "Doctors of Economics should put their thinking caps on and come up with a tax rate that would generate enough revenue to cover government business.A system that is fair and enforceable should be put in place and violators of our tax code should be swiftly dealt with without any favour. Putting more burden on the poor Ghanaian is no sure way of increasing revenue for the government.It's the easier way.
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

Elsewhere taxes are reduced to spur growth not increased.

Elsewhere taxes are reduced to spur growth not increased.
Pelicles 12 years ago

Mahama has tax exemption status so, who should pay taxes and for what? Those nations that give us loans do not give tax exemption status to their leaders. Stupid and foolish Ghanaians think that their leaders are "gods" who ...
read full comment

Mahama has tax exemption status so, who should pay taxes and for what? Those nations that give us loans do not give tax exemption status to their leaders. Stupid and foolish Ghanaians think that their leaders are "gods" who should be pampered and worshipped.

JJ the foolish stinking rat came up with a that idea of tax exemption to our leaders. Are they working for free?
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

Mahama should set the right example by declaring his assets as constitutionally mandated and start paying his own taxes too.

Mahama should set the right example by declaring his assets as constitutionally mandated and start paying his own taxes too.
Afari 12 years ago

Lets start the tax net expansion by ensuring that all at the presidency including the president, all parliamentarians and government emissaries pay taxes on all their income like all other salaried employees then we can conti ...
read full comment

Lets start the tax net expansion by ensuring that all at the presidency including the president, all parliamentarians and government emissaries pay taxes on all their income like all other salaried employees then we can continue the expansion
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

What we currently have in place is a sham of an accounting system where as much as about 80% of the taxes people pay end up in private pockets and individual personal accounts.

What we currently have in place is a sham of an accounting system where as much as about 80% of the taxes people pay end up in private pockets and individual personal accounts.
Dr. Red Hot 12 years ago

Why don't they (Ghanaian) politicians pay taxes on their income. This is incredible. Every civilized nation has all citizens earning an income pay taxes. the politicians give themselves huge salaries and then tax free and the ...
read full comment

Why don't they (Ghanaian) politicians pay taxes on their income. This is incredible. Every civilized nation has all citizens earning an income pay taxes. the politicians give themselves huge salaries and then tax free and they come to tell poor folks nonsense !!
Remember, they don't pay rent, don't pay for fuel, don't pay for electricity, don't pay for water, don't pay for telephone bills, etc etc. yet the still steal from the poorest of the poor.

Danny 12 years ago

You don't have to widen the net, but mend the net. for it's the net that's leaking. There seem to be too many leakeges that's hwy we dont seem to progress. so better patch the holes in the NET..Danny

You don't have to widen the net, but mend the net. for it's the net that's leaking. There seem to be too many leakeges that's hwy we dont seem to progress. so better patch the holes in the NET..Danny
Danny 12 years ago

In Ghana those who were furtunate to held a state position turn them to be they own private business doing what ever they like with the state money, and the poor pay for the state debt. good for better ghana

In Ghana those who were furtunate to held a state position turn them to be they own private business doing what ever they like with the state money, and the poor pay for the state debt. good for better ghana

22 Comments

Welcome,

SIGN IN

Welcome,

RESET PASSWORD

Hello,

Terms and conditions

REGISTER

Expanding the Tax Net is Good,

Read Comments .st0{display:none;fill:#14BDD3;} .st1{display:none;} .st2{display:inline;fill:#FC0F0F;} .st3{display:inline;fill:#FFFFFF;} .st4{display:inline;fill:none;stroke:#000000;stroke-width:6;stroke-miterlimit:10;} Comments (22)

Read Comments Comments (22)