The exercise carried out by the District NCCE staff in collaboration with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was aimed at increasing national revenue through tax collection as a civic duty to ensure development.

The campaign which formed part of the second phase of the nationwide sensitisation exercise was dubbed “Our Taxes- Our Future” intended to create public awareness on the responsiveness to honour tax payment.

The District NCCE staff visited 35 communities, engaging with Artisan groups, Transport operators; Faith Based Organizations (FBO), Taxable persons, Farmers, Market women and Identifiable economic entities.

The public were educated on the various types of taxes and the mode of payment to encourage public responsiveness to their tax compliance.  Mr Iddrisu A. Latif, Acting District Director of NCCE said tax payment helped government to undertake development projects and for payment of salaries of Public service workers.

He said government also depended on taxes to provide basic social amenities such as potable drinking water, creation of jobs for the youth, construction and maintenance of roads, building of schools and hospitals.

Mr Mutaru Sayibu, Principal Field Officer of NCCE, touched on the legal Mandate and structures of GRA, types of Taxes, Rights of the Tax payer, Offences and penalties and the difference between assembly levies and income tax.

He urged the public to register their business with the Ghana Revenue Authority in order to protect their businesses under the internal revenue act, 2015 (Act 684).  Mr Sayibu indicated that, refusal to pay taxes was against the laws of Ghana and anyone who failed to pay taxes was violating the laws of Ghana which attracted penalties such as fines and sentences.