Nkoranza (B/A), May 29, GNA- The revenue department of the Nkoranza District Assembly has held a meeting with various artisan groups at Nkoranza to educate them on the need to pay their taxes to the District Assembly. Those who attended included tailors and dressmakers, hairdressers, bakers, photographers, carpenters, fitters, pito brewers and sellers, corn millers, bicycle repairers and welders.

The district finance officer, Mr. Joseph Ababio Basoah explained that taxes collected in the district were used by the District Assembly to initiate development projects. Such funds are also used in maintaining development projects such as schools, clinics, water and sanitation facilities in the communities, he added.

Mr. Basoah said revenue collected from individuals were used for the maintenance and running of the District Assembly's vehicles. Mr. Basoah deplored the perception of some people that the revenue collected by the Assembly were pocketed by the Assembly and advised the artisans to educate others to honour their tax obligations to enable the Assembly to initiate more development programmes. It is the civic responsibility for every citizen and adult worker to pay taxes. He warned that it was wrong for any person to attack a revenue collector in the discharge of his or her duties and that any one who did so could be prosecuted in court.

Mrs. Grace Adusei, Local Government Revenue Inspector urged revenue collectors to be disciplined to win the respect and recognition from the people, adding that the Assembly would open a number of revenue offices at some areas in Nkoranza to enable the people to pay their taxes. At a forum, Mr. Kwadwo Asare, chairman of the Tailors and Dressmakers Association and Mr. Samuel Effah, chairman of the Garages Association called on the District Assembly to prepare a nominal roll for artisans in the district to ensure prompt payment of taxes.