According to DW Africa report, Ghana is considering imposing tax on Facebook, WhatsApp and other instant messaging platforms. Uganda is already earning taxes from social media users.
The Ghanaian government claims since many Ghanaians prefer using social media platforms to interact, it is earning less revenue from traditional phone calls and text messages.
The proposal comes at a time when the campaign #FixTheCountry is gaining momentum due to growing dissatisfaction over the rising cost of living. Should social media usage be taxed by governments?
Ghanaians endorse taxation and are even willing to pay higher taxes to support the country’s development, a new Afrobarometer study shows.
However, a majority of citizens say it is difficult to find out what taxes and fees they are supposed to pay and how the government uses tax revenues.
The analysis finds that citizens are more supportive of taxation if they believe the government is doing a good job of delivering basic services. But many citizens also express mistrust of tax authorities and see widespread corruption among tax officials.
In its 2021 budget statement, the government introduced new taxes, including a 1% COVID-19 levy added to the VAT and a 1% addition to the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL).
