The Manager of the Asokwa Small Taxpayer Office of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Sakyi Duodu, says voluntary tax compliance is vital to government’s push towards “Ghana beyond aid”.
Every income earner should accept to voluntarily pay their tax to achieve this vision.
Mr. Duodu identified taxation as the lifeblood of every economy and said the economies of the most advanced countries had been built with taxes.
He was speaking at a soiree organized for journalists in Kumasi.
The event was used to engage the media on the activities of the GRA, particularly, its tax compliance campaign.
He said “as aid to African countries keeps shrinking” it was imperative to step up domestic revenue mobilisation, adding that, the over-dependence on donors could not continue.
It was therefore of vital importance that all joined forces to voluntary tax payment and filing of tax returns to build a robust economy.
The media, he said, had a major role to play by way of sensitization of the people to live up to that civic responsibility of paying their taxes.
He spoke of the GRA’s commitment to forge stronger partnership with journalists in its revenue mobilization drive.
The GRA, he said, could exceed the GHC40 billion revenue target for 2018, if all eligible taxpayers paid their taxes.
Mr. Daniel Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Commander of the GRA, spoke of an about to happen exercise to seize un-custom vehicles.
He said that was denying the state huge sums of revenue and could not be allowed to continue.
The GRA was adopting innovative and information communication technology (ICT) driven measures to substantially increase revenue mobilization.
He mentioned among these, the introduction of the paperless transactions at the ports, taxpayer identification number (TIN) and the excise tax stamp.
Mr. Kingsley Hope, the Ashanti Regional President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), hailed the collaboration between the GRA and the media, saying, the benefits to the nation would be enormous.
Source:GNA
