Oxfam Ghana begins sensitization programme on Ghana Tax Dialogue
Oxfam In Ghana, an organization committed to promoting the welfare of the poor and vulnerable in society by advocating for increased pro-poor spending, has begun a project to educate Ghanaians on the need to honour their tax obligations.
The project, the Ghana Tax Dialogue, which also forms part of the company’s broader Active Citizenship and Accountability Governance programme, is currently being piloted in Ghana and Kenya, having been successful in Denmark during its implementation 2014.
Dr Alex Ampaabeng, Fiscal Policy Specialist of the company, said this at a Press Conference held under the theme: “Creating a Fair, Responsible, Efficient, Modern and Transparent Taxation system through private sector Actions and public policies”.
He said the programme which intends to promote good corporate tax practices, mainly tax transparency and tax responsibility would also encourage corporate bodies to disclose their tax payment and incentive practices.
He said the project also aims to contribute to promoting effective tax administration in the country.
“As part of the initiative, we have developed a ranking index called the Ghana Responsible Tax INDEX (GRTI) which has sets of principles for companies to adopt and would subsequently rank them based on the level of disclosure of tax practices”, Dr Ampaabeng said.
He said the company will be engaging the key stakeholders within the Ghana tax system on a dialogue table to see ways of improving fair tax practices and improving domestic resources mobilization in the country.
Dr Ampaabeng said it was good to appreciate that, “We need Ghana Beyond Aid, but we must bear in mind that the government alone cannot resolve inequality and poverty gaps to take us beyond aid.
“We all have to do more. It is within our reach to make it happen, an efficient tax system will ensure that tax payers have minimal compliance challenges. I believe the time to sit and dialogue on ways to improving tax practices, especially among companies is now. An economically better Ghana provides the environment for businesses to flourish”.
Source: GNA