Revenue collecting agencies need more vehicles

Accra, Aug 4, GNA - Mr Christopher Larweh, Chairman of the Federation of Associations and Unions of National Revenue Agencies (FAUNRA), on Wednesday said the revenue agencies needed more vehicles to be able to collect taxes more efficiently.

Mr Larweh said tax revenue for last year amounted to 16 trillion cedis and FAUNRA was anticipating a 50 per cent increase this year. Mr Larweh said this when he briefed the press on this years FAUNRA tax education campaign under the theme: "Widening the Tax Net- the Responsibility of All" in Accra

The one-month sensitisation programme would begin on August 18. Activities lined up include, a Breakfast Show; Adult Education Programme in all major Ghanaian languages; a symposium, Radio and TV discussion programmes.

Mr Larweh said the tax net as it stood now did not cover most people in the informal sector and even the few, who were paying, did so unwillingly.

Mr Larweh said if the net was widened it would discourage people from colluding so that all collectable revenue would come into the tax net.

"When the tax net is widened the tax burden would become less burdensome and this would increase the compliance level of the tax paying public," he said.

He said FAUNRA believed that through education, simplification of the tax collection machinery and better remuneration for the tax collectors, the tax net could be widened and the Government would generate more domestic revenue to meet its developmental agenda. He said this year's activities had been extended to Kumasi and Takoradi.

FAUNRA is made up of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, Value Added Tax Service and Internal Revenue Service. It was formed four years ago to enhance the revenue collection measures to enable it to widen the tax net to capture all evaders so as to increase revenue.