CEPS launches tax education campaign

Sunyani (B/A) July 19, GNA - The revenue mobilisation efforts in Brong-Ahafo Region have been adversely affected as a result of the current political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.

The volume of trade through the frontier stations within the region has also gone down drastically, affecting revenue collection. Mr. Imoru Farouk Adam, Sector Commander disclosed this at the regional launching of the tax education campaign of the Custom Excise Preventive Service (CEPS) in Sunyani on Wednesday.

It was on the theme: "voluntary compliance, a pre-requisite for effective mobilisation of customs duties".

Mr. Adam explained that the service over the years had discharged its responsibilities creditably by consistently, collecting over 55 percent of the total national tax revenue making it the leading tax collecting agency in the country.

The Sector Commander however, expressed the hope that when the Ivorian crisis is over the region would assume its rightful position in revenue mobilisation.

He expressed concern about the culture of unwillingness to pay taxes voluntarily among the people, leading to heavy losses of national revenue.

"We are yearning for national development but we are not honoured in our tax obligations," he noted and urged the general public to declare correctly everything they buy from across the border to the Service and pay the requisite taxes on them to help accelerate national development.

Mr. Adam mentioned vehicle, foreign rice and textiles importation as the major issue of non-compliance with duty payment in the region and advised the public to check the genuineness of vehicle's document from the Service before buying it.

He explained that the Service is charged with the responsibility of collecting, accounting for and protecting customs and excise duties and all other assigned tax revenue at minimum cost to help facilitate trade and investment and the movement of people across the borders of the country through efficient and transparent service delivery.

Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Regional Minister explained that the five years of positive change of government had seen a marked improvement in domestic revenue mobilisation with conscious efforts to further spread the tax net without substantial tax increases, thus capturing large sections of the population and businesses that were not otherwise covered.

He noted that, this policy and its prudent implementation had improved national revenue mobilisation, which had in turn quickened the pace of development.

He suggested to the service to adapt to basic tenets in customer service, and therefore adhere to taxation canons such as fairness, clarity and certainty, convenience and efficiency.

He commended the management of CEPS for organising such novel public outreach, which he noted, would make the taxpayer understand the purpose of tax payment without compulsion.

Mr. Baffour-Awuah expressed regret that citizens who benefited from national tax rather smuggled taxable items such as wax prints, unwholesome cigarettes, motorbikes, vehicles, livestock, and dangerous drugs.

He expressed the hope that with such educational programmes CEPS would not excel in its revenue collection, but also protect the nation and its resources from the destructive actions of drug peddlers, cattle rustlers as well as imports or exports that impact on the nation's environment and culture.

In a speech read for him, Mr. Paul Adubofour, Deputy Commissioner, Administration and Human Resource of CEPS explained that the campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of the public on CEPS operation and procedures, minimise malfeasance, increase compliance and in the long run maximise the much needed tax revenue for development.

Mr. Adubofour explained that the revenue mobilised by customs in the form of duties and taxes was used to build schools, hospitals, roads and bridges, provide good drinking water and electricity adding that government would not get funds to provide such facilities if taxes were not paid.

He thanked the chief and people of Aberewakrom of the Kunkunso sub station who gallantly assisted and arrested two out of three assailants of the officers who were on duty.

He urged the general people to assist the service in its efforts to expose perpetrators to reduce under-invoicing, doctoring of invoices and collusion by traders and customs officials to undermine revenue collection.