Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has stated that the country’s capital, Accra, contributes almost 90% of domestic taxes generated by the Ghana Revenue Authority between 2017 to 2021.

He disclosed this while presenting the 2022 budget on the floor of parliament on Wednesday, November 17, 2021.

According to the Minister, as of August 2021, only 2,364,348 persons which form 8.2 per cent out of the total population of 30.8 million have been registered as taxpayers in the country.

“Greater Accra contributes almost 90 percent of our domestic tax. Ashanti, Western and Eastern regions together contribute barely 3 percent of domestic taxes,” he told parliament.

This he noted is unsustainable to the economic growth of the country.

Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta said the government will therefore initiate more policies to ensure that government meets its tax revenue mobilisation target.

“We cannot, therefore, as a Nation continue to depend on only 8.2 percent of our citizens to carry the burden of 30.8 million people. This is unsustainable and defeats all the tenets of economic prudence and moral justice.

"Our resolve to use revenue policy to support local industry and generate the desired environment for growth has not waned. In the coming year, Government will introduce measures that will revamp industry and make their products competitive in both the local and international markets,” Mr. Ofori-Atta said.

He added that only 45, 109 entities are registered as corporate taxpayers while 54,364 persons are registered as self-employed taxpayers with only 136, 198 entities (out of which 80% are self-employed) have been registered as businesses as of August 2021.

In March 2021, the government introduced some new taxes which created an uproar among Ghanaians mainly because the Covid-19 pandemic had disrupted many businesses.

Some of the taxes include; the Covid-19 levy, financial sector cleanup levy, sanitation and pollution levy and other levies.

Meanwhile, the government has announced that motorists who ply tolled-roads across the country, will no longer be required to pay tolls immediately the budget is approved.