Share
FacebookTwitterWhatsApp

Ghanaian Lawyer and professor of Accountancy based in the United States, Stephen Kwaku Asare is asking the government to as a matter of urgency discontinue the practice of issuing out free fuel coupons and handing out ex-gratia to those he describes as “square pegs in round holes”. According to him, this is the first step towards saving some money for the state. In a reaction to comments made by the Finance Minister regarding the poor level of tax compliance by Ghanaian professionals, Kweku Azar as he is affectionately known backed the assertion that over 60,000 businesses and professionals are not paying their fair share of taxes

He alleged that between  2013 and 2021, companies such as K. Ofori Enterprise and United Steel Company alone evaded taxes of ₵1.6 billion. He claims that many well-to-do lawyers, doctors, and accountants collect huge fees from clients but fail to report and pay taxes, etc.

“The other reality is that the little tax that we are able to collect is not spent prudently. For instance, the public payroll is bloated with too many square pegs in round holes who collect ungodly perks, including fuel coupons to feed their state-provided TLC”. said, Mr. Asare.
The government of Ghana is under intense pressure to increase revenues and has proposed a 1.75% levy on all electronic transactions including mobile money payments. This has infuriated many including the minority who have recently voted to reject the finance Ministers budget proposal for the 2022 fiscal year, But Mr. Kwaku Asare reacting on his Facebook page said the solution is not to tax the poor teacher who transfers money to his even poorer mother to buy drugs.
Read the full statement