Accra, 29 April, GNA - Officials of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Tuesday embarked on a revenue collection exercise at the Madina main market, a suburb of Accra. The exercise which attracted staff from all the 14 districts of the IRS also sought to educate hawkers and market women on the importance of taxes in national development.

During the exercise, the GNA observed that most sellers were reluctant to pay their taxes to the extent that some even abandoned their goods on hearing of the arrival of the IRS officials. The sellers complained about the sudden nature of the exercise without a prior announcement while others wanted to know the difference between the taxes they pay to the AMA and that of the IRS. The exercise forms part of the celebration of the Fifth Revenue

Week, which started from the 24th to 30th April. It is under the theme: "Enhancing Tax Compliance - The Responsibility of the Income Earning property Owner."

Mrs Sarah Duah, who was the Coordinator, said the week is also being marked with radio and television discussions on rent tax, seminars for religious bodies and donations to the Ghana National Trust Fund and the Ghana Heart Foundation. She appealed to all income earners to cultivate the habit of paying their taxes promptly and file tax returns on due dates to avoid harassment.