Female taxpayers in Ghana may soon be enjoying some tax reliefs in order to promote equity and improve their livelihoods.
This comes on the back of a latest research commissioned by the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) in partnership with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ministry of Finance and other international tax related agencies.
The need for taxes and domestic revenue mobilization has also become apparent as funding and donor support to developing countries, have reduced.
As a result, researches have also revealed that various tax regimes across the world put women at a very disadvantaged position compared to their male counterparts.
This is also aggravated by the disproportionate allocations by the various governments, to issues concerning women and children’s rights and socio-economic development.
For instance, a study conducted by ActionAid has revealed that many developing countries are spending less than 0.03 percent of their GDP on Ministries that are focused on women’s rights and empowerment. Despite the fact that women engage in majority of unpaid care work such as caring for children, fetching water and performing household chores, they are equally subjected to same tax obligations compared to their male counterparts.
Capacity Building Manager at ICTD, Dr. Jalia Kangave explained to Citi Business News that there is the need for governments to reconsider policies affecting women and taxation as their disproportionately represented in the lower economic status ladder.
“Because at the end of the day, in most societies, women are the ones that hold the society together in terms of childcare and other related responsibilities and duties… but in most cases, women are disproportionately represented in the lower income levels, so we are looking at what ways we can use tax system to make things better for women,” she explained.
Speaking at an international conference that drew lessons from the revenue collection agencies of countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria and Malawi, an official at the GRA, Dr. Alex Kombat, explained that the GRA will consider the proposals act on them as appropriate.
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