Make accurate and timely payments, GRA cautions taxpayers

Ghanaian taxpayers have been urged to honour their tax obligations by making accurate and timely payments for the rapid socio-economic development of the nation.

Mr Andrews Kyereh, an Officer of Medium Tax Payers Office (MTO) and Head of Compliance, Debt Management and Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in Sunyani, said this on Wednesday.

Mr Kyereh, who was speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency after the staff and national service personnel of the Authority had embarked on a tax education campaign through the principal streets of Sunyani, said it is mandatory and an obligation for all tax-payers, as citizens of the country to pay their taxes as stipulated by law.

The exercise commenced at 1000 hours from the GRA premises towards the Sunyani Technical University roundabout, off the Volta River Authority (VRA) road, through the Nana Bosoma road to the Sunyani Municipal Hospital traffic light amid brass band music and ended at their premises.

The staff held flyers with various inscriptions such as “Our Taxes Our Future”, “Taxpayers, Nation Builders”, “I Pay My Taxes, Do You”?

He said the Revenue Administration Act 2016, Act 915, states that every Ghanaian taxpayer is obliged to pay tax for government to generate revenue for the development of the nation, adding anyone who evades tax would be sanctioned with a penalty in addition to the payment of interest.

Mr Kyereh said to make tax payments easier and quicker, the Authority’s bank account details have been made available with some selected commercial banks for business concerns and individuals to make payment.

He said government could not make any headway in the development of the country without the attainment of the annual national revenue targets by all the nation’s income generation agencies and appealed to every citizen to play the expected role.

Mr Kyereh said besides funds from other sources, without adequate receipts from taxes, government would continue to face the challenge of providing adequate good drinking water, electricity, improving upon the National Health Insurance Scheme, funding the Free Senior High School Programme among other social and utility services to Ghanaians.