NCCE embarks on tax compliance education in Sissala West

Jeffisi (U/W), Feb. 26, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has embarked on a tax compliance education campaign in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region.

The campaign, dubbed “Our Taxes, Our Future”, is an initiative of the NCCE and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and it is aimed sensitizing and educating the public to comply with the payment of their taxes in order to increase government revenue.

Speaking at the Jeffisi market, Mr Mustapha Iddrisu, a Civic Education Officer at the Sissala West District Office of the NCCE, said the 1992 Constitution of Ghana enjoined every Ghanaian to pay their taxes to the state for purposes of development.

“It is said in Article 41(j) that, it shall be the duty of every citizen to honestly declare his/her income to the appropriate and lawful agencies and to satisfy all tax obligations”, he said.

“The payment of tax is, therefore, a national duty and an obligation for both citizens and non-citizens”, he added.

In this regard, Mr Iddrisu said, that the district office of the NCCE has deployed a number of public education strategies during this second phase of the NCCE/GRA Nationwide Campaign on Tax Compliance to sensitize the citizenry to accept the payment of taxes as a civic duty and also a constitutional obligation.

These strategies, he said, include visits to commercial centres such as market places and lorry stations to sensitize people on the need to register their businesses with GRA and to pay their taxes regularly and voluntarily for enhanced national development.

He mentioned Gwollu, Fielmua, Jeffisi and Zini Markets; Gwollu and Fielmuo Lorry Stations; and also some business men/women including shop owners, vehicle owners; chop bar operators, butchers, cattle dealers, drivers and artisans among others as some of the targeted places/people for the campaign.

Other strategies, Mr Iddirisu said, include engagements with faith based organizations and other identifiable groups like hairdressers, women groups, youth groups and all those engaged in the informal sector of the Ghanaian economy.

“Dusk and dawn broadcast is also being done in villages across the district with emphasis on boarder communities such as Kupulima, Gwollu and Fielmuo among others through the use of the information van to ensure that the message got to every citizen in the district”, the Civic Education Officer said.

Other campaign areas, he said, include why citizens must pay tax, correlation between taxes and national development, legal mandate and structure (Divisions) of the GRA, types of taxes, rights of the tax payer, offences and penalties, difference between Assembly levies and income tax among others.

GNA

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