Accra, Ghana: The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications reported that telecommunication companies in Ghana have contributed a total of GHC6.07 billion in taxes and other remittances to the government for the year 2022. This significant financial input accounts for approximately 8.02% of the government’s total tax and other revenues for the year.
According to Ghana News Agency, speaking at the launch of the 2022 Mobile Industry Transparency Initiative Report in Accra, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, provided a breakdown of the contributions. According to his statement, the GHC 6.07 billion comprised GHC 1.7 billion in Corporate Income Tax, GHC 922.9 million in Value Added Tax, GHC 679.4 million in Withholding Tax, GHC 482.8 million in Electronic Levy, GHC 768 million in NHIL, GETF Levy and COVID-19 related taxes, GHC 511.6 million in Communications Service Tax, GHC 175.18 million in PAYE, and GHC 560.7 million in other remittances.
Dr. Ashigbey highlighted the significant tax burden on the telecommunication industry, calling on the government to consider granting tax holidays. He emphasized that, beyond tax contributions, the industry has been a major job creator, with over 202,600 direct jobs and approximately 3.1 million indirect jobs in the mobile financial services sector.
Underlining the pivotal role of telecommunications in driving economic growth, Dr. Ashigbey urged the government to view the industry not just as a source of revenue but as a critical driver of other business sectors in the country.