By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Sept. 21, GNA – Network For Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) has launched a Tax Justice Campaign to advance gender equitable tax regime by promoting a fair and transparent tax system and prosperous future for all.
The overriding aim is to ignite a broader conversation and mobilise action towards reforming Ghana’s tax system and to build a society where every individual regardless of their circumstances can thrive and contribute to the betterment of their communities.
This was said at the Scaling Up Tax Justice III Multisector Forum dubbed: “Advancing Gender Equality Through Fair Taxation: A Multisector Approach for Inclusive Development.
The Tax Justice Campaign is part of a three-year project titled Scaling Up Tax Justice III (SCUT III) being implemented by NETRIGHT in collaboration with the Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA)
The SCUT project which is in its 3rd phase is an Africa regional-level tax justice campaign taking place in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Liberia, Senegal, Cameroun, and Tunisia to improve policies and laws to track and stop illicit financial flows (IFFS).
Madam Patricia Blankson Akakpo, Head, NETRIGHT Secretariat, said the project sought to empower CSOs and the media to advocate for a gender-responsive tax system that ensured equal opportunities and resources for all citizens using gender and intersectional lens.
“With the support of trained tax justice champions, local communities will be engaged on gender equality and tax-related matters whilst strengthening citizen participation in governance and tax-related decisions,” she said.
Madam Akakpo said the project intended to engage and influence policymakers to enact gender-responsive tax policies that consider the specific needs and challenges faced by women in Ghana.
NETRIGHT would also engage Parliament and other key stakeholders, including the Ghana Chapter of the African Parliamentary Network on Illicit Financial Flows and Taxation (APNIFFT)
“As we embark on this journey, let us remember that the success of this campaign is not solely measured by the policies we formulate or the initiatives we launch, but by the real impact we achieve,” she said.
Dr Yao Graham, Coordinator, Third World Network Africa (TWN Africa), said, there had been evidence of how gender inequality and equity had been common in Ghana.
“We have evidence of the gender pay gap as most recently disclosed by the Ghana Statistical Service study of the public sector. We need to take interest in how policies are being designed to deal with issues around tax justice and gender inequality,” he said
There were other CSOs like the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Tax Justice Coalition Ghana, Ghana Anti-Corruption Campaign who gave delivered solidarity messages.
GNA