The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta has revealed that 2021 Population and Housing Census indicates that less than 10% of Ghana’s 30.8 million population are tax payers.
This Mr. Ofori-Atta said was ‘a poor reflection’ on the country when compared to other middle-income countries.
“Only 2,364,348 are bearing the burden of the entire population as taxpayers as of August 2021,” he outlined in his budget presentation in Parliament on Wednesday November 17, 2021.
He said “this is a trend that needs to be addressed to build a more equitable society.”
Giving a further breakdown, the Minister indicated that only 45,109 entities are registered as corporate taxpayers adding that only 54,364 persons are registered as self-employed taxpayers at the Ghana Revenue Authority, and only 136,198 entities are registered businesses at the Registrar-General’s Department as at August 2021, of which 80% are self-employed.
According to the figures, Mr. Ofori-Atta said the Greater Accra Region alone contributes almost 90% of Ghana’s domestic tax as of June 2021.
“Over the last three years, the Greater Accra Region has contributed an average of 89% with Ashanti, Western and Eastern Regions together contribute barely 3% of domestic taxes,” he added.
“We must eclipse a 20% threshold of revenue to GDP ratio by 2024,” he noted as a target.
