Cheddar Denies Evading Taxes

The founder of political movement New Force, Nana Kwame Bediako known as Cheddar has denied reports that he owes the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) after failing to file his income tax returns for the past two years.

A document from the GRA indicated he owed over GHC7 million for the evasion which has attracted penalties.

In reaction to this, the businessman who has announced his bid to go solo in the upcoming elections denied the claims, noting he manages to pay his taxes despite the introduction of numerous taxes by the Akufo-Addo-led government.

“I woke up to find my face splashed on all the newspapers that I had evaded taxes. I have worked for almost 22 or 23 years in this country and I have paid taxes and I continue to pay a lot. I have imported more than 1,500 containers. Last year alone, taxes {on importation} reached 20 but we managed to pay. We all pay,” he said in a broadcast on New Force Movement’s X page.

He deems the leakage of the document in the media space a deliberate attempt by the government to cause disaffection towards his person.

“This is a deliberate attempt by the government to disgrace me and that is why my face is splashed on the front pages. No, this face of mine cannot be degraded. If you say I owe you {taxes}, let us contact me so I pay you, it’s not a matter of disgracing me. And those GRA officials could have invited me to their office for this conversation.”

Cheddar used the occasion to call on the Ghanaian populace to rise for change in government.

“Makola traders, Kantamanto traders, Kumasi Kejetia traders are stressed up {by these taxes}. We are trying to figure out what good the government has in store for us but we see nothing.”

“The country must rise and make the government hear us. There are no jobs, no factories. What are we taxing? The few people who work are the only ones who are taxed. That is why I have come. I have come to establish jobs,” he added.