The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has described the tax collection system by government as unnecessary if they keep on making Ghanaians pay for everything, including the increase in road tolls.
According to the outspoken social democrat, tax payments being made by Ghanaians on various grounds ranging from road tolls to items bought from the market, was unnecessary, as already a deduction is made on salaries. He said, as a matter of fact Ghana was already one of the highly-taxed countries in Africa, as such, enacting laws to impose new forms of payment in revenue collection was not a good idea.
Speaking in a panel discussion on Peace FM�s �Kokrokoo�, he said payments already being made were on the high side and so the ordinary Ghanaian was suffering.
Touching on the complaints being made by the public about the increase, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper said he supports comments that the recent increase in tolls was abnormal and not advisable at this point.
�No one will agree that it is advisable� adding that he "does not think the revenue collected was meager, as we have been made to believe."
�It makes nonsense of the tax system�, he added.
Mr Pratt remarked that at a point in time it was realized that the cost of printing the tickets was even higher than the tolls being paid, and contended that the rise in tolls was uncalled for, as it could have been adjusted to the relief of Ghanaians.
"Government should have considered the plight of Ghanaians, before the increment in tolls," he opined.
Meanwhile, he has opposed the system where private operators are being made to collect monies at toll booths. He suggests that it was high time the government ensured that all toll booths were automated, to prevent squandering of monies collected. �Why can�t we make them automated? he asked.
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