Renowned musician and politician Rex Omar has pledged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), if successful in the upcoming December elections, will address tax challenges faced by Ghana’s entertainment industry with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
In a recent appearance on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning show, Omar criticized GRA’s aggressive tax collection tactics at events, emphasizing the importance of considering event organizers’ financial burdens.
“It is unprofessional and inappropriate for GRA to demand tax payments at events without understanding the financial investment organizers have made,” he stated.
Omar elaborated on the NDC’s ‘The Black Star Experience’ policy, aimed at bolstering Ghana’s creative arts and culture sector. He assured that under John Dramani Mahama’s leadership, the party would negotiate tax incentives with Corporate Ghana to support the creative industry.
Highlighting the unfairness of taxing event tickets without assessing organizers’ expenses, Omar pointed out potential taxation even when events don’t break even.
“We will also engage Corporate Ghana to provide tax incentives for companies supporting the creative industry,” he added.
Emphasizing the NDC’s strategy to foster the creative economy for sustainable employment and attract foreign investment, Omar stated, “Our goal is to grow this industry to export cultural products and attract foreign investment to support our economy.”
While affirming that GRA would maintain a presence at events, Omar stressed that their authority would be tempered under NDC governance.
John Mahama’s ‘The Black Experience’ initiative, part of the NDC’s campaign, aims to revitalize Ghana’s creative industry with programs such as Pan African Month, Ghana Film Festival and Awards Month, Ghanaian Heritage and History Month, Fashion and Food Month, and Diasporan Month. This comprehensive policy framework aims to significantly boost Ghana’s tourism and creative arts sectors.