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Ghana will have lowest tax rate in ECOWAS under my presidency – Alan
The founder and leader of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyerematen, has pledged to abolish several taxes imposed on imports that he said are unnecessary and a huge burden to the trading community.
Mr. Kyerematen made the pledge in an engagement with members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
He said the abolishment of such taxes and levies would make Ghana the country within the ECOWAS subregion with the lowest tax regime.
“Under my presidency, Ghana will have the lowest tax rate regime in ECOWAS,” he said.
Outlining a raft of radical tax measures to realign and reduce the burden of taxes on Ghanaians, especially on imports, Mr. Kyerematen said immediate measures will include consolidating the existing NHIL & GETFund levies at the ports into the calculation of a new VAT rate, and the abolition of the Special Import Levy of 2%, COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy and the Ghana Health Service Disinfection Fee.
Recognising the level of stress and difficulties faced by the Ghanaian business owner, which is ultimately transferred to the customer, Mr. Kyerematen stressed the importance of easing the business environment for traders as a means of improving the livelihoods of ordinary Ghanaians.
“Until government creates an enabling environment for private sector-led growth, the transformation that we so desire will continue to elude us,” he said.
In another groundbreaking and innovative approach, Alan Kyerematen intimated that a government under his leadership will shift from the current heavy reliance on indirect taxes to direct taxes.
“I will ensure a recalibration of the existing tax regime structure to optimize revenue mobilization from direct taxes (personal and corporate), and reduce over-reliance on indirect taxes (import duties, levies, and charges) to make the corporate sector more competitive and profitable,”he said.
Mr. Kyerematen based his remarks on the plans set out in his Great Transformational Plan (GTP) which seeks to move beyond mere promises of political party manifestos to actual plans that can deliver the vision of Ghanaians for a prosperous, united, and peaceful Ghana that provides equal opportunities for all, especially young people, women, and other vulnerable groups.
He promised that taxes and other charges on the importation of spare parts would be abolished two years into his administration.
Mr. Kyerematen further promised to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the relevance of all other administrative fees, service charges, and levies imposed at the ports will be undertaken.
Bemoaning the plethora of taxes that make doing business difficult in Ghana, the President of GUTA, Dr. Obeng, mentioned 22 different taxes apart from VAT, adding up to nearly 65% of the value of imports.
Moreover, over fourteen state agencies operate in the port, as well as various security agencies. This state of affairs drives up the cost of doing business, making businesses move to other ports, and encouraging unethical practices.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
