Business
Majority in Ghana happy to pay higher taxes for services – Afrobarometer study
Majority of Ghanaians are willing to pay higher taxes for services to prevent the government from accumulating debt due to excessive borrowing, a survey by Afrobarometer has revealed.
The survey that measured people’s attitude towards the social, economic and political issues found out that the majority of Ghana’s population had no problem paying more taxes for the country’s development.
Eighty four percent of the respondents in the 2012 survey “strongly agreed or agreed” that citizens ought to pay taxes to support government development efforts.
Less than 15 percent said they believed the government should look to other sources for funds.
The study also revealed that 74 percent of people think that it is difficult to find out how government used revenues from taxes and fees.
An overwhelming majority considered tax evasion unethical and recommended that those found on the wrong side of the law must be punished.
A few admitted that they had evaded tax in the past and expressed their readiness to do so again. People with formal education were less likely to evade taxes, the findings revealed.
