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Rt. Rev. Dr. Lt. Col. Divine Agbeko, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG), has urged President John Dramani Mahama to eliminate what he termed “naughty stealing taxes” and reassess the country’s current tax policies.
Speaking at the induction of Pr. Dr. Mrs. Salomey Praise Otami-Abutiate as Presbyter Executive of the EPCG at the Elorm Parish in Ho, Dr. Agbeko criticised the tax policies introduced under the administration of former President Akufo-Addo, arguing that they unduly burden Ghanaians by taxing the same money multiple times.
Dr. Agbeko expressed frustration over taxes that he believes unfairly tax the same income repeatedly. “Take the naughty stealing taxes that can even tax money in your pocket after it has been taxed; they will tax it again. You want to send money; they will take it again. So, everywhere, they are just sucking from you,” he stated. His remarks resonate with citizens who feel the increasing tax burden is stifling their financial freedom.
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In a bold suggestion, Dr. Agbeko proposed the reintroduction of the tollbooth tax as a means to maintain Ghana’s roads.
He emphasised that such a tax, if handled properly, could directly benefit infrastructure projects without being misused by corrupt practices. “The tollbooth tax is not to be consumed by those who take the ticket and chop. If you like, give it to me. If you like, give the road tax collection to me, and I will start building the roads. If you like, try me,” he challenged, offering to take responsibility for road tax collection himself to ensure that the funds were properly allocated to infrastructure development.
Dr. Agbeko also took the opportunity to provide counsel to President Mahama, urging him to learn from past experiences and avoid the pitfalls of favouritism and cronyism that have previously marred Ghana’s political landscape. He advised Mahama to focus on the greater good of the nation rather than personal or political interests.
“Mahama will have a hard time, but with the help of God and learning from the past experience, he must not repeat those things for which he was labelled incompetent. He must not repeat them. He should not look into the faces of friends, families, and cronies and say, ‘You take here; you take here. That attitude will not help him. He must choose and do things in the interest of the good of Ghana. Not for an individual,” Dr. Agbeko cautioned.
