<<Print>>

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), directorate in the Western Region has urged Ghanaians, particularly those in the informal sector to honour their tax obligations to the state. Assistant Commissioner in-charge of the Medium Tax Office, Mr. Adogla Besa in an interaction with the media here said the government could only execute its developmental projects when individuals and businesses pay their taxes. He noted that the informal sector constituted about 80 per cent of potential tax payers which needed to be collected but however, stated that the uncertainty of their business and location made it difficult to do the right tracking and rake in the needed revenue from them. Mr. Besa said there was the need for tax invaders to be punished to serve as a deterrent to others. �We must make non-payment of taxes socially unacceptable. When people avoid taxes, we must make them accountable by way of punishment. In other jurisdictions, it�s a serious matter like any crime and that�s how they have made it.We make them aware and punish them,� he said. Mr. Besa pointed out that, it was the collective responsibility of the GRA and the citizenry, to encourage people especially, the players in the informal sector, to pay their taxes. The Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Small Tax Office Mr. Peter Benjamin Baah, said the interaction with the media, was part of the efforts by the GRA to spread the message on the need for the citizenry to pay their taxes. The negative effects of non- payment of taxes, he said, affected a large majority of people and needed to be tackled from all fronts.