Birim Central IRS fails to exceed target

Akim Oda (E/R), May 25, GNA - The Birim Central Municipal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) last year collected 668,676.85 revenue as against 700,000 target set for the year. The decrease of 31,323.15 represents 4.47 percent negative deviation.

Chief Inspector of Taxes, Bernard Amaning Agyarko, Municipal Manager, disclosed this during an interaction with the Ghana at Akim Oda in the Eastern Region. He told the GNA that the negative deviation resulted from low voluntary tax compliance, coupled with uncooperative attitude of self-employed and owners of private companies to adhere to their tax obligations.

"We have set ourselves, a target of 1,068,377.94 for 2009," the Chief Inspector of Taxes said, adding that, though revenue collection in the informal sector was extremely difficult, his office had put in measures to make the collection achievable. Mr Agyarko explained that the staff had embarked on an intensive tax campaign involving the local FM station and durbars to sensitize them on the need for businesses to honour their tax responsibilities. He stressed that, since the IRS municipality here spanned Birim South, Birim North, Akyimmansa Districts and the Birim Central Municipality, it was paramount to have more logistics and human resource to help discharge their duties diligently and effectively. Mr Agyarko called on business owners to endeavour to file their tax returns regularly and on time in order to help resolve some of the challenges facing their communities and appealed to the government to help IRS with logistics to improve on their services. 25 May 09