The Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr John Kwakye has proposed to the government to impose more taxes on companies that are making huge profits despite the impact of the Covid pandemic.
He intimated that other countries are implementing similar policy to rebuild their economies.
Dr Kwakye mentioned that companies in the oil and gas, telecommunication and banking sectors of the economy are making huge profits and are repatriating them despite the difficulties in the economy.
Speaking in an interview with 3Business relative to challenges facing the local currency, the Cedi against the major trading currencies especially the Dorla, he said “Some of us have proposed that this is the time that those sectors that are making windfall profits in the context of Covid, this is the time that the government should impose some kinds of extra tax on them, other countries have done it.
“The oil companies, gas companies, the telcos, even banks because we all hear the amount of profit that they are making.
“On the fiscal side, I will even expect that the government will ask them to pay some more taxes. The Bank of Ghana also on its part, if it is reaching out them so that they purchase foreign exchange proceeds, that is fine.”
“I have also suggested that maybe, this is the time that the Bank of Ghana should also reach out to all these companies that are making huge profits and repatriating them.
“The BoG should arrange with them so that they stagger the repatriation, they can deposit their excess money with you, you then pay interest on it and then you stagger the repatriation so that it doesn’t put so much pressure on the Cedi.”
