Students whose parents have no TIN can’t enjoy Free SHS

A Director at the Revenue Policy Division, Ministry of Finance, Anthony Selom Dzadzra has disclosed that parents whose children have been enrolled under the Free Senior High School (SHS) may be exempted from September 2019 if they failed to register for a Tax Identification Number (TIN).

He added that without the TIN one will not be able to register for the National Health Insurance Scheme, acquire a passport, register their vehicles and land, open bank account and access other public services.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Dzadzra said that this directive was part of the 2019 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government presented by the Finance Minister.

He explained that without a TIN, one cannot transact business with any government institution.

“For us to go Ghana beyond Aid, we have to generate revenue in this country and everybody needs to pay a little tax. Therefore, one of the ways of realising this is to make sure everybody is known through the TIN.”

“This will enable the Revenue Authorities to easily identify taxpayers and those who have not been captured under the tax net,” he added.

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Mr Dzadzra explained that the long-term vision of the government is to reduce import taxes so that manufacturing companies can import machinery to increase production.

The Free SHS is a policy introduced by the Akufo-Addo government after it used it as one of its main campaign promises in the lead to the 2016 elections.

Currently, the second batch of students to enjoy the policy has been admitted. Due to the increase in numbers, the government has introduced the double track system where a batch is in school while another is on vacation.