By Ewoenam Kpodo
Aflao (VR), Aug 29, GNA- Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area, has assured GRA of his readiness to engage with the trading public to ensure tax compliance in the traditional area.
Tax compliance refers to individuals and businesses filing their tax returns by due dates, reporting their earnings, accurately calculating taxes owed and paying them in accordance with Ghana’s tax laws.
Torgbui Fiti made the promise when a delegation from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) paid a courtesy call on him to elicit his support in sensitising the people of Aflao on the need to voluntarily honour their tax obligations to the state.
While he pledged to work with his chiefs to encourage the people to pay their taxes, he bemoaned the lack of support and partnership from, especially the Customs Division of the GRA, Aflao Collection to the traditional area and asked for a change.
“If the traditional area will get something, no matter how little from the Aflao Collection to develop the area, why won’t we reference those projects to encourage our people to voluntarily honour their tax obligations? … The Aflao Collection has been exceeding its revenue target but every time, everything is sent to Accra and nothing for the development of the area.”
Torgbui Fiti said apart from Aflao, home to the country’s busiest land border not getting development projects commensurate with the amount of revenue the area continued to rake in for the state, Customs officers at the Collection even faced logistical and other challenges in performing their duties.
He said though he would encourage his people to be tax-compliant to generate the needed revenue for the government, the situation must in the future, improve to incentivise the public to even support the revenue generation efforts, including reporting activities of smugglers.
Chief Revenue Officer Dzinunya Mawuli, Head – Public Education, Media Relations and Review of GRA, thanked Torgbui for the assurance and said the delegation had taken note of his concerns and would accordingly relay such to their superiors on their return.
She explained the visit formed part of GRA’s tax education month (July/August) to get traditional and religious leaders and influential people in society to add their voices in getting Ghanaians to voluntarily pay taxes to provide the necessary revenue for the government to fund its activities, programmes and services for accelerated development.
“It’s the responsibility of everybody that earns income to pay tax because these are the taxes that the government uses to build roads, pay workers, pay for free education and all the other things the government wants to do. And the problem right now is that it’s only a few people who are paying taxes and the few taxes that we collect are not enough to meet the needs of citizens.”
Assistant Commissioner Joseph Allan, Aflao Sector Commander advised traders to always use approved routes and declare duty on imported goods and where necessary, visit their offices for help and not find excuses for smuggling goods through unapproved routes warning, that individuals caught would not only pay duty but also penalty.
He also urged leaders in communities along the border to sensitise members to be vigilant, and report any suspicious activity to keep violent extremists away from Ghana’s borders, especially during the elections.
The GRA delegation also held a separate meeting with other stakeholders at the Aflao Border, including cross-border women traders, head load traders, accountants and freight forwarders, taking them through topics like taxpayer rights and obligations, amnesty penalties for uncustomed vehicles and Customs clearance processes and procedure.
Some attendees, who spoke to Ghana News Agency, said the programme was enlightening but asked that something be done with the taxes because they were burdening their businesses.
Mr Moses Kordorwu, an attendee, called for good governance to build public trust, saying citizens would tend to be tax-compliant when there is transparency, accountability, and minimal corrupt practices in the use of the collected revenues.
GNA