Akim Oda (E/R), May 25, GNA - The Birim Central Municipal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) last year collected GH A2 668,676.85 as against a GH A2 700,000 revenue target set for the year. The decrease of GH A231,323.15 represents 4.47 percent negative deviation. Chief Inspector of Taxes Bernard Amaning Agyarko, Municipal Manager, disclosed this during an interaction with the Ghana News Agency at Akim Oda in the Eastern Region. He said the negative deviation resulted from low voluntary tax compliance, couple with uncooperative attitude of self-employed and owners of private companies' failure to adhere to their tax obligation. "We have set ourselves, a target of GH A2 1,068,377.94 for 2009," the Chief Inspector of Taxes said, adding that, though revenue collection in the informal sector was extremely difficult, so his office had put in place some strategies to make the collection achievable".

Mr Agyarko explained that the IRS staff had embarked on an intensive tax campaign using the local FM station and durbars to sensitise the people on the need for businesses to honour their tax responsibilities. He stressed that since the IRS municipality 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 the duties assiduously. 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. He also appealed to the government to help IRS with logistics to improve on its services.