Government has been urged to reduce the about two billion dollars worth of tax incentives it hands out to foreign and other companies, to entice them to set up in Ghana, and invest that into education and other vital sectors.
The Bono Regional Coordinator of the the Tax Justice Coalition, Rafael Ahenu, made the call at the celebration of International Youth Day in Sunyani, in the Bono Region.
The Bono Ahafo chapter of Activista Ghana, a Youth Pressure Group supported by ActionAid marked the day with a Forum aimed at briefing the Media on activities of the Group, which has as its key objective to campaign against Injustice and Poverty, especially when it affects the Youth.
In attendance were Activista Members from Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.
Setting the tone for the Day, the Programme Officer of ActionAid in the Bono Region, Kwame Afram said Activista’s partnership with ActionAid, is aimed at addressing issues affecting optimum development of the Youth.
He said the collaboration has helped to reduce drug abuse in the Bono Region.
In a presentation on Financing quality education, the Bono Regional Coordinator of the Ghana Tax Coalition, Rafael Ahenu said it is unacceptable that Ghana is struggling to fund Free SHS while the country losses millions of dollars through tax incentives handed to multi national companies.
The Bono Regional Coordinator of Activista Ghana, Shedrack Agyei, called for proper structures to be provided for Kindergartens in the former Bono-Ahafo Area. The Wenchi Municipal Director of the National Youth Authority (NYA) Haruna Mohamed, urged Members of Activista Ghana and other Youth in the Country to get involved in the Youth Parliament Programme introduced by the NYA, to give the youth a platform to make their voices heard on issues affecting them.
