{"id":463,"date":"2017-09-11T06:41:09","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T06:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/2017\/09\/11\/ghana-free-zones-2\/"},"modified":"2017-09-11T06:41:09","modified_gmt":"2017-09-11T06:41:09","slug":"ghana-free-zones-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/2017\/09\/11\/ghana-free-zones-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghana Free Zones"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row pofo_hidden_markup_1507696902_2_1=&#8221;&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1507696989698{padding: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">With a ten year tax holiday and taxes on export income thereafter as low as 15% as well as complete exemption from import duties during the exemption period\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Could a free zone investment be the right thing for your business?<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=&#8221;21149&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][vc_column_text pofo_hidden_markup_1507696902_2_19=&#8221;&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1560948624448{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}&#8221;]\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Free Zones In Ghana <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">A free zone is a designated area in which companies are taxed at highly reduced rates or nothing at all in order to encourage investments and increased economic activity within the economy.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The creation of free zones also has the effect of generally regarding import and customs duties of goods imported by free zone companies as being outside the customs territory and thus exempt from tax. Free Zones basically are \u201coutside jurisdiction\u201d for all transactions with Customs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">The Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA) was set up to enable the creation of free zones in Ghana and to regulate free zones activities within the country. The legislation governing the GFZA creates an attractive environment through the provision of very attractive incentives to free zone companies. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">In Ghana, companies registered under the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA) are taxed at a rate of 1% for the first ten (10) years of their operation, and thereafter at a rate of 15% on Income. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\">A free zone company is required to export at least seventy (70) percent of its annual production. Further, sales to the local market are prohibited from exceeding 30% of annual output. It must be noted that sales to the local market falls within the Ghanaian customs jurisdiction and are therefore taxable. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">A licensed free zone entity has the right to produce any type of goods or services for export provided that it is not environmentally hazardous. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">However, note that a company must be registered as a body corporate <\/span><span class=\"s3\">under the Companies Act 1963 (Act 179) <\/span><span class=\"s2\">or a partnership <\/span><span class=\"s3\">under the Private Partnership Act 1962 (Act 152) <\/span><span class=\"s2\">to qualify for registration under the free zones scheme. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>Incentives of Free Zone Enterprises <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">A major incentive of free zone enterprises is that the laws relating to import and export of goods and services (other than consumer goods for commercial purposes) do not apply to imports to a free zone company or the dispatch of goods for export from a free zone. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">Other incentives available to free zone companies are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">100% exemption from payment of direct and indirect duties and levies on all imports for production and exports from free zones;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">100% exemption from payment of income tax on profits for 10 years from the date of commencement of operation and income tax thereafter shall not exceed 8%;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Total exemption from payment of withholding taxes from dividends arising out of free zone investments;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Relief from double taxation for foreign investors and employees where Ghana has a double taxation agreement;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">No import licensing requirements;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Minimal customs formalities;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">100% ownership of shares by any investor, foreign or national, in a free zone enterprise is allowed;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">There are no conditions or restrictions on the repatriation of dividends or net profit, payments for foreign loan servicing, payments of fees and charges for technology transfer agreements and remittance of proceeds from the sale of any interest in a free zone investment; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Ability to operate foreign currency accounts with banks in Ghana. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">Free Zone investments are guaranteed protection against nationalisation and expropriation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">The Ghana Free Zone Authority has identified 11 areas that are regarded as priority sectors for Free Zones Investment. These priority sectors are :<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Information and Communication Technology [ICT]<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Textile\/apparel Manufacturing<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Agro-food Processing<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Seafood Processing<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Jewellery\/Handicraft Production<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Metal\/Hand Tool Fabrication<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Floriculture<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Light Industry\/Assembling Plant<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Ceramic Tiles Manufacturing<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Pharmaceuticals<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s2\">Ethnic Beauty Products <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">Therefore if your business is export-oriented, what are you waiting for? The right time to consider registering under the Free Zones Act to fully take advantage of all the available incentives is now.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][pofo_separator desktop_height=&#8221;1px&#8221; desktop_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; pofo_hidden_markup_1507723604_2_15=&#8221;&#8221; pofo_hidden_markup_1507696902_2_8=&#8221;&#8221; pofo_sep_bg_color=&#8221;#ededed&#8221; pofo_separator_height=&#8221;1px&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1507723650128{margin-top: 8% !important;margin-bottom: 8% !important;}&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<p><script src=\"chrome-extension:\/\/bincmiainjofjnhchmcalkanjebghoen\/aiscripts\/script-main.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row pofo_hidden_markup_1507696902_2_1=&#8221;&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1507696989698{padding: 0px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text] With a ten year tax holiday and taxes on export income thereafter as low as 15% as well as complete exemption from import duties during&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-463","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-corporate"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theworkspacetest.com\/audreygrey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}