Only 1.2 million Ghanaians pay their taxes - Report

Only 1.2 million Ghanaians pay their taxes, Cephas Makafui Zokah, a Compliance Officer at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has said.

He attributed the problem partly to low public education and the hesitancy of many taxpayers to honour their tax obligation, stating that the GRA is presently undertaking a nationwide tax sensitisation campaign.

Zokah said the campaign sought to sensitise the masses, especially informal sector workers, about the need for them to pay their taxes and to widen the nation’s tax net.

He was speaking at a sensitisation forum on tax organised by the GRA for some artisanal workers in Sunyani, attended by electricians, carpenters, plumbers, hairdressers, traders, masons, tailors and apprentices drawn from Berekum and Sunyani Municipalities in the Bono Region.

Zokah also introduced and enlightened the participants on its “Modified Taxation Scheme (MTS),” an online tax-paying system, took them through the registration process and urged them to use the platform to pay their taxes.

He explained that the MTS was designed to help businesses in the informal sector to register with GRA, pay their required taxes conveniently and also file their tax returns.

Zokah said: “The MTS will grow the tax revenue, increase tax compliance amongst targeted groups, enhance fairness and equity in the tax system as well as reduce administrative pressures.”

Festus Onomah-Quansah, the Sunyani Area Director of the GRA, said the MTS application was flexible and enabled taxpayers to easily pay their taxes.

He said tax collection and payment of taxes remained the responsibility of everybody, and urged especially informal sector workers to remain patriotic and loyal and voluntarily pay their taxes.