Policy analyst Sitsofe Mensah has linked Ghana’s declining public services to the revenue lost through tax exemptions, arguing that waived taxes directly affect essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure development.
Mensah explained that the term "tax waiver" often overshadows its real-world consequences for citizens who depend on public services. He argued that the funds waived by Parliament were legally owed to the state and were originally budgeted for national development.
“When you hear ‘tax waiver,’ don’t think of it in terms of economics,” Mensah said. “Think about the incubator that’s missing in your district hospital. Think about the textbooks your child never received.”
He stressed that the money lost to these exemptions could have been used to fund vital public services. "That money existed. It was owed to the state. It was waived away with a signature," Mensah pointed out.
According to Mensah, these lost funds contribute to funding gaps, which explain why services such as healthcare, roads, and education continue to suffer despite the taxes citizens pay.
“The road that ruins your car’s shock absorbers every month wasn’t overlooked,” he noted. “It was underfunded.”
Mensah also criticized the tendency to frame economic hardships, especially those at the end of the year, as something that can be resolved through prayer. “You cannot pray away a tax exemption signed in Parliament,” he said. “God provides the harvest; policy determines who eats.”
The analyst concluded by urging citizens to move from passive acceptance to active political engagement, particularly in scrutinizing parliamentary decisions related to tax exemptions. "The prayer is yours," Mensah said. "But the receipt is theirs. Don’t just say ‘Amen.’ Demand they show their hands."
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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