Audio By Carbonatix
The government will not introduce any new taxes in the 2020 fiscal year, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta noted while reading the 2020 budget.
Instead, Ken Ofori-Atta said the government would restructure the tax system and develop a comprehensive revenue policy and strategy to address the challenges of revenue mobilisation.
This will involve lending the necessary support to the Ghana Revenue Authority to boost revenue collection in order to meet its revenue targets, he noted.
“We will take radical policy and institutional reforms towards raising our tax-to-GDP ratio over the medium term from under 13 percent currently to around 20 percent. The focus will be on efficiency and base-broadening rather than imposing new taxes on our people and businesses. This way, we can raise our domestic contribution to our ambitious transformation agenda, in line with the Ghana Beyond Aid vision,” he said
Mr Ofori-Atta noted, however, that although the Communications Service Tax was recently increased from 6% to 9%, the overall direction regarding the burden of taxation on Ghanaians, has been overwhelmingly downward in the last three years.
"We promised to move the economic policy away from one focused on taxation to one focused on the production and we have done just that over the last three years," he said.
He added that in line with the government's policy, Parliamentary approval would be sought to ensure that the 12 per cent minimum wage increase for 2020 is tax-exempt.
"Personal Reliefs such as marriage relief, child education relief and old age relief which were last adjusted in 2015, will also be reviewed upwards, consistent with government commitment to support families," he said.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Afoko to NPP MPs: Let’s return the party to winning ways
16 minutes -
Djokovic shakes off rust to sidestep Mpetshi Perricard
33 minutes -
Nigeria’s Tinubu to run for second term after party primary win
36 minutes -
Benin’s Wadagni takes office, vows better living standards, security
48 minutes -
BoG awaits legal advice on next steps after court orders restoration of GN Savings and Loans licence
1 hour -
South Africa: First batch of Ghanaians set to arrive on Wednesday – Ghana’s envoy confirms
1 hour -
The Eagles of Carthage: Discipline, defiance, and a defining moment
1 hour -
Rubio says US will find ‘another way’ if Iran talks fail
2 hours -
China’s Huawei reveals chip design breakthrough amid US sanctions
2 hours -
NPL threat looms over Ghana’s banking sector – IMF demands stronger action
2 hours -
Ghana Horticulture Expo 2026 to champion agricultural self-reliance through innovation
2 hours -
Banking reforms incomplete, state-owned banks under watch – IMF Warns
2 hours -
SDIs could become next stability threat – IMF flags financial sector risks
2 hours -
Breaking the Resource Paradox: AETC pushes borderless, tech-driven African economy agenda
3 hours -
Ghana’s banking system nears full recovery after debt restructuring shock – IMF
3 hours