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| Dr. Nduom presenting the cheque to an official of the Ghana Revenue Authority |
The 2012 Flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom has once again set a good example by paying the remaining ¢44,481.13 of ¢146,248.13 from his chargeable income of ¢596,332.53 for 2015.
Speaking to journalists shortly after filing his taxes with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Accra, Dr. Nduom, who is also the President of Groupe Nduom, threw a challenge to Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President John Dramani Mahama to also file their taxes.
“I am doing so because I am in a leadership position in this country so it is my responsibility to do that,” he said.
“It’s a lot of money. You can do a lot of things with it but that’s my obligation…Leadership by example…I have done this since the 1980s; both from the USA and in Ghana. I have been filing all my tax returns… Those who like to talk, let them also act to let everyone know that leadership by example is the best form of leadership,” he added.
Dr. Nduom has been on the forefront entreating all citizens to pay their taxes especially politicians.
He said despite the fact that the 1992 constitution exempts the President from paying taxes, President Mahama must be guided by moral principles and pay his taxes so he can have the “moral authority” to collect taxes in the country.
“The 1992 Constitution in my opinion wrongfully gives the President tax exemption. The leader of this land must pay tax. Ghanaians should rally behind this and call for an amendment to this provision in the constitution so the President pays tax as our leader” he reiterated.
Dr. Nduom also used the opportunity to bemoan the excessive taxation under the President Mahama led administration.
According to him the numerous taxes are destroying livelihoods and collapsing companies.
“I have a factory, I also have a hotel and in many instances if you compare the utilities cost from December 2015, January and February 2016, some of them have gone up by over 200 percent. Now, our rates and charges haven’t gone up, we haven’t sacked any worker but because of the tax element it’s gone up. It’s not because we are using more electricity.”
He said “you don’t tax your way to develop a country; you actually develop a country by lowering taxes and allowing business people the opportunity to expand on their work.”
Dr. Nduom advised President Mahama to ensure the judicious use of taxes that Ghanaians pay and desist from using it to fund his political campaigns.
“When outboard motors are distributed with my tax money and there are photographs of John Dramani Mahama on the outboard motors, that’s my tax money. When they brand buses with John Mahama’s photograph ostensibly with the photographs of other people, we know what he is doing. It is campaigning that they are doing with my tax money. I want the President to know that I have paid my tax and my money should be used wisely for development” he charged.
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