Regional News of Saturday, 21 June 2008

Source: GNA

DCE worried about evasion of taxes by telecommunication companies

Cape Coast, June 21, GNA - The District Chief Executive of Awutu-Senya, Mr Solomon Abam Quaye, on Saturday expressed concern about the evasion of taxes by telecommunication companies operating in the districts and said this had resulted in low revenue generation. He said MTN, Tigo, One Touch and Kasapa are operational in the district but do not pay the relevant taxes to the assembly. He said immediately the companies receive their licenses from the National Communication Authority (NCA) they begin to operate without performing their social responsibilities such as paying of property rates and other taxes to the assemblies.

Mr Quaye, who said this at a press briefing in Cape Coast, said his office had met with the companies to prevail upon them to pay their taxes but to no avail and that apart from MTN which has paid "something small" the rest have refused to pay. He said letters and bills have been sent to the companies informing them about the need to pay their taxes to the assembly but none had responded. Mr Quaye called on the companies to pay up their taxes and that the assembly would have no option but to take legal action against them. He said it was unfortunate the companies were only paying their taxes to the assemblies in Accra but not at the district level and called on the other district assemblies to also take up the matter seriously.