Professor Stephen Adei, a former rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has called for a tax increase from 10% to 50% and called betting a deadly habit.
The economist believes that since betting jeopardizes the future of Ghanaian youth, it ought to be avoided.
In response to President-elect John Dramani Mahama’s decision to eliminate the betting tax among other taxes during his first 100 days in office, he made this claim in an interview on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, December 22.
He went on to say that since gambling is a sin, sin taxes ought to be raised rather than lowered or eliminated, as President John Dramani has pledged.
Professor Adei said, “As a father, as a Christian leader we call it sin tax, sin taxes must be higher, not reduced. Everywhere in the world, cigarette taxes, alcoholic taxes, betting taxes, I will want them to be 50%. Because I don’t want my grandchildren to be betting, betting is one of the disastrous habits that we should discourage.”
In reference to the excessive number of taxes imposed on Ghanaians and enterprises, he stated that a comprehensive tax review had to be conducted.
“For example, I imported something, and I saw about 21 taxes on our car import, that is ridiculous. So we need a total look at the taxes but in looking at it, look at ones which are easier to collect, which is more widespread so that the tax base will be very narrow.
“There are only about one million income taxpayers in Ghana out of 33 million people of which half are adults. That is why the e-levy, if it can be reduced, should be kept, then you must go for property taxes because you cannot put your house in your pocket. You must cut funding for local government, for example in Accra they should be able to collect property rates.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Joseph Asare
