GRA boss: Make paying taxes a religious obligation
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| GRA boss: Make paying taxes a religious obligation |
The public and the business sector have been urged to make paying taxes a religious obligation by the Reverend Dr. Ammisshadai Owusu-Amoah, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
According to him, paying taxes on time is crucial in order for the public to hold the government responsible for its actions. This is something the Bible commands.
The counsel was provided by Rev. Owusu-Amoah in a speech that was read on his behalf at a GIZ Validation Workshop in Accra with the National Steering Committee on the Inter-Faith Platform on Accountability by the Assistant Commissioner at the Office of the Commissioner-General, Dominic Naab.
"The GRA has the responsibility of administering and collecting domestic taxes to pay for budgetary expenses. Is everyone paying taxes? That is the question we should all be asking. Should we disclose our income sources and pay any taxes owed? By helping the government do its job, are we fulfilling our civic duties? he questioned.
The value of taxes
He pointed out that since taxes were unquestionably the foundation of every civilization, it was a legal requirement for citizens to pay taxes as part of their civic duty.
According to him, these taxes significantly contributed to the government's development agenda by funding ongoing expenses like the personal emoluments of public and private sector employees; capital expenditures like roads; social intervention projects like the Free Senior High School Program; and statutory payments to organisations like GETFund.
However, he noted that just 20% of eligible taxpayers paid income tax, and research results have linked this to Ghanaians' poor understanding of tax laws.
He claimed that the GRA was unable to educate every citizen about taxes, and he saw the need to seize the chance to use religious figures and their platforms to spread the word.
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