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Check inefficiencies in tax system – Prof. Bokpin
A Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana, Prof. Godfred Alufar Bokpin, has advised government to check inefficiencies in the country’s tax system as it mobilises more revenue for development.
He said leakages in the system exceeded total revenue accrued to government but there could be more earnings when the loopholes were plugged.
Speaking on the sidelines of a SEND Ghana multi-stakeholder forum last Wednesday in Accra, Prof. Bokpin urged the government to focus on collecting more direct taxes instead of introducing indirect taxes that burdened the poor.
He noted there was “considerable room to collect more taxes without burdening the faithful few and without introducing fresh taxes” such as the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).
He again called on the government to reconsider various tax exemptions granted foreign entities to the detriment of local businesses.
The forum on the “Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index Report” was to discuss the state of inequality in Ghana and propose measures to address existing challenges.
The CRI report put together by Oxfam International, recommends that all governments “adopt strong anti-inequality policies on public services, tax and labour rights, to radically reduce the gap between rich and poor.”
The Economist, in a presentation, asserted that inequality in the country was at “crisis level” and affecting the ability of government to improve the wellbeing of Ghanaians.
He said that the worsening inequality gap was a security threat and steps must be taken to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
“The fact that a few Ghanaians are well to do but majority of Ghanaians go to bed not knowing where their next meal will come from makes it unsafe for all of us. Until every Ghanaian is okay, no Ghanaian is okay,” he said.
He noted society could become conducive for everyone if government checked public sector spending while improving the education, health and social protection sectors.
Citing connivance between tax officials and tax payers as contributing to revenue losses in the country, he further observed that government social intervention initiatives were one of many channels through which corruption was perpetuated.
He insisted that the growing poverty in the country is “fueling anxiety and causing people to cut corners,” hence the need for government to create equal and conducive environment for all.
Dr. George Domfe, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana also stressed the need to improve upon existing economic structures as interest payment on loans procured by government continued to impact the economy negatively.
He said the regressive nature of the country’s tax system must be addressed as the government focused on production instead of consumption to help attain the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda.’
By Ernest Nutsugah
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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