Ghana’s Education Minister Urges Chartered Institute of Taxation To Demystify Tax Payment

Ghana has inaugurated a 12-member governing council of the Chartered Institute of Taxation with a call on the institute to fashion out programmes that will help demystify tax payment in the country.

The council has Emmanuel Obeng Asiedu as the Chairman with George Katia, President of the institute, Ernestina Christiana Appiah, Vice President of the institute as members.

While inaugurating the board, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum said the council must come out with short, medium and long term strategies to enhance taxation in the country.

He said the institute would have to work hard to demystify the issue of taxation to encourage people to see tax as something good.

The minister said beyond the negative aspects of taxes, it also had its own opportunities and once people begun to look at tax payment from the positive light, they would be able to also seize the opportunities created within the tax regime.

He said many people did not know the level of tax incentives that was available to them and the institute must see that as a Greenfield for people to take advantage of.

He said no country can do without taxes adding that people must begin to imbibe the spirit of taxation into the children for them to see tax as something good.

On his part, the chairman of the council, Emmanuel Obeng expressed his gratitude for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to serve with excellence.

He said members of the council specifically understood that their charge was to urgently fight for enhanced tax education, study of taxation and related fiscal policies that ensured efficient and effective tax practice.

This he said they would do to enhance tax administration towards improved tax revenue mobilisation to support sustainable socio-economic development, especially beyond aid.

Additionally, he noted that as part of their charge they were required to improve on tax education, which had the impetus to encourage tax conscientiousness, and voluntary tax compliance among the general citizenry.