The Minister of Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has delivered a strong caution to Ghanaians who evade taxes.
The minister emphasised that it is unjust for individuals to demand benefits without fulfilling their responsibilities.
During an interview with Oyerapa TV, she clarified that essential amenities such as good roads, clean drinking water, and reliable networks are not obtained solely through requests.
She underscored that the government can only furnish the nation with fundamental necessities when citizens play their part by fulfilling their tax obligations.
“We are all crying about the hardships in the country. As it stands now, we are unable to finance our debts. So, we need to pay for our development. You can’t cry for a road, electricity, water and a good network; where do we go for the money? If you don’t get the money through taxes, where will you get it from?
“The only way to finance your development anywhere in the world is through either taxation, through dividends citizens pay to the government or through loans. That’s my little knowledge about that. So, if you don’t want to pay taxes, you don’t want the government to also borrow; where will the government get money to finance development?” she said.
In anticipation of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s presentation of the 2024 budget, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Stephen Amoah, has expressed the view that the governing government should consider raising taxes.
According to him, the most effective strategy to stabilise the current economic situation is through tax increases.
In an interview with GhanaWeb Business on his expectations ahead of the 2024 Budget to be presented by the finance minister in Parliament today, he said, “If I were the Finance Minister, there should be an increase in taxes. You see, our brothers from the NDC know that the only way out now to restore and consolidate our fiscal policy is to generate revenue internally.”
