Prof. John Gatsi questions effectiveness of Bawumia's tax amnesty proposal

Ghanaian

Professor John Gatsi, an Economics lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, has raised doubts about the effectiveness of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's proposed tax amnesty.

Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party's flagbearer, has promised a citizen and business friendly flat tax regime if elected president.

Professor Gatsi, however, believes the core issue lies in citizens' reluctance

Read full articleto voluntarily pay taxes. He emphasizes that granting tax amnesty alone will not bring about the needed transformation and suggests a focus on improving public services to motivate citizens to willingly contribute to tax revenues.

"Even if you give everybody tax amnesty for which everybody should start afresh, that will not bring about any change because that is not the main problem of tax collection in the country. The main problem is that people are not committed to the payment of taxes," he said in an interview on Citi FM.

“The main problem is that people are not committed to the payment of taxes if they are supposed to voluntarily declare to pay taxes because it does not commensurate with the provision of public infrastructure for the people. Public transport is not the best. Access to public services is not the best for most people in Ghana, therefore they don’t see why they should be paying taxes. Those are the issues that should be addressed,” he added.