Ghana: Mobile Telephone Network Pays Gh¢3.1b In Taxes To The Government

_{By Maxwell Nkansah} MTN Ghana says it has paid a total of GH¢3.1 billion of its 2021 revenue of GH¢7.7 billion to the government in taxes. It comprised of corporate taxes, Value Added Tax (VAT) levies and duties, withholding taxes, communication service tax, national fiscal stabilization levy, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and payments to other government agencies. The company said: “During the year, MTN made a fiscal contribution of GH¢3.1 billion of which GH¢2.8 billion was paid to the government in direct and indirect taxes, representing 35.8 percent of total revenue.” Dr. Ishmael Yamson, Chairman of the Board of the company, said this during their just-ended fourth Annual General Meeting since becoming a publicly listed company. According to Dr. Ishmael Yamson, creating shared value committed to being a strategic partner to Ghana’s development over the years, MTN has won various awards as the highest taxpayer in Ghana in recognition of its contribution to the fiscal development of the country. He assured shareholders of continued effective governance through adequate training and maintaining the right balance to ensure the long-term growth of the business. Thereby: “Living our purpose – bringing hope to communities within which we operate,” Dr. Yamson emphasized. “As a responsible corporate institution, we are committed to remaining at the forefront of delivering sustainable development to communities, especially in this era of the pandemic,” he added. Meanwhile, the company declared 11.5 pesewas per share to its shareholders as a dividend, an increase of 43.8 percent over what it paid to shareholders in 2020, and more than 70 percent of its GH¢2 billion profit for 2021. In 2021, MTN Ghana recorded strong growth in service revenue (+28.5 percent year-on-year) and managed its costs prudently, which led to growth in profit after tax of 43.5 percent year-on-year to GH¢2.0 billion. Mrs. Antoinette Kwofie, Chief Finance Officer of the company, stated that: “In 2021, the Group (Scancom PLC and Mobile Money Limited) delivered a total revenue and service revenue growth of 28.0 percent and 28.5 percent year-on-year (YoY) respectively to GH¢7.7 billion.” She added that: “This growth was underpinned by growth in data (up 56.3 percent YoY), voice (up 4.9 percent YoY), and Mobile Money (up 38.2 percent YoY).” She, however, indicated that the company’s digital revenue declined by 5.1 percent YoY and it was due to a cleanup of the company’s digital products and services to enhance customer experience and rationalization of its digital products portfolio. During the year under review, the company committed an amount of GH¢14.3 million towards Corporate Social Responsibility projects in education, health, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment. The MTN Foundation, the CSR arm of the company, for example, donated GH¢5 million (bringing its total contribution to GH¢10 million since 2020), to the National COVID-19 Trust Fund in support of the government’s efforts to fight the pandemic. By way of contributing to increased vaccinations in the country, the company donated 356,000 vaccines to the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health. The Foundation extended its support to 465 students through the MTN Bright Scholarship Scheme and disbursed GH¢2.3 million to cover tuition, accommodation, and a stipend for books of beneficiaries. The company noted that 119 beneficiaries had successfully completed their programs and were now in the workforce, contributing to the growth and development of Ghana in their own small ways. In addition, the Foundation constructed a blood bank unit for the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Cape Coast, constructed a 600-bed girls’ dormitory block for Tamale Senior High School in Tamale, and a 24-unit classroom block for the Ghana Police School in Accra.