Informal sector players in Bolga sensitised to tax obligations

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Upper East Region has engaged players in the informal sector in the Bolgatanga Municipality to sensitise them to their civic responsibilities and the need for them to honour their tax obligations regularly.

The participants included hairdressers, dressmakers, taxi drivers, weavers, traders, butchers, artisans and self-help groups from Soe, Zaare, Sawaba,Yarigabiisi, Dulugu, Kumbosigo and Tindonsobligo communities, among others in the municipality. The campaign formed part of the national campaign on tax compliance. It was on the theme: “Our Taxes, Our future”.

Some of the topics treated were: “Taxpayers-Nation builders,” “Taxes Build Nations,” “Your Tax paid for free SHS for a better Ghana,” “I pay my tax, do you?“ “Every tax helps; come to GRA before we come to you,” The exercise targeted about 850 people in the municipality.

The Municipal Director of the NCCE, Ms Dorcas Atia, enumerated the advantages of taxes and indicated that it was everyone’s civic duty and a constitutional requirement to pay tax.

She explained the different types of taxes and urged the traders to honour their tax obligations to the state to ensure rapid development of the country.

At the main Bolgatanga taxi rank, the drivers expressed dissatisfaction with the alarming rate of corruption in the payment of taxes.

They further registered their concerns about high operational costs due to increasing prices of fuel, spare parts and fierce competition from commercial tricycle operators, popularly called “Mahama Canboos” and “Motorkings” which contributed to poor income levels.

The drivers called on the government to help improve on the situation of taxi drivers to enable them to pay their taxes promptly.

Some artisans at the programme expressed gratitude to the staff of the NCCE for the education and said the benefits of paying taxes were enormous because so much would have been achieved from the taxes paid to the government if taxpayers were compliant.

They also pledged to give their best to enable the GRA to meet its tax obligations. — GNA